Post by sparx on Jul 21, 2009 9:53:38 GMT -5
((A "short" story inspired by all of the murder mysteries in Phoenix Wright and somewhat by the terrible amounts of violence in James Patterson novels. 66 pages written and 27 pages typed, it's my longest short story to date... And too long for the post character limit, so I had to split it in two. Written for the character development of my two boys, Frost and James.))
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“Aww, man! I had forgotten how… normal… normal life is! It doesn’t suit me at all…”
A young man strolled casually through the busy streets of Palm Wood, Tsignia. It had been a long time since he had last been anywhere on South Island, but after many years of exploring the country in his teenage years he was pretty confident in his ability to get around. In fact, on this sunny autumn after noon, there was only one thing Frost Roberts wasn’t sure of.
“I wonder if she’ll show up,” he mused, batting his snow-white bangs out of his face. “It’s been two long years, but maybe her memory is really as good as she always said it was…”
The albino frowned and, out of habit, glanced over his shoulder for any suspicious-looking figures.
“But what if she doesn’t even want to talk to me anymore? After all, she knows I’ve given up crime, even if the life of an honest man will be hard to get used to…”
Frost turned onto a thin side road that led to the quiet, suburban part of town. Now he was in a residential area that he knew quite well; he had spent some time here while hiding from the police over four years ago. The memory made him laugh; he hadn’t been alone at the time.
“This is where we got to know each other, and now it’ll be the place where we re-introduce ourselves. So you better be here!” mumbled Frost to himself, a smile on his face. Yes, she would definitely be there, if only to tell him off for picking such a cheesy place for a reunion.
One last turn and the man found himself on a small lot that had been turned into a flowery park a few years back. As Frost had hoped, it was as well kept as it always was, though many colourful leaves littered the ground and picnic tables.
No one was in sight, but Frost hadn’t expected to see who he was looking for out in the open anyway. Alert, he stepped into the shade of a patch of trees and looked around. Still, he couldn’t see anything, so he began to walk around.
Suddenly, his foot caught on something big, sending him crashing to the earth. Crying out in surprise, Frost started to throw his arms out in front of him to stop his fall, but years of inactivity had slowed his reflexes and he ended up with a face full of dead leaves.
“Jeez! What the heck was that?” he groaned, stumbling to his feet. He turned to face the obstacle. The sight almost made him fall back down: A small woman was lying motionless on the ground, her eyes staring without seeing at the sky. Her torso was covered in fresh blood; she was obviously dead. But that wasn’t the end of it… Frost’s stomach twisted into a knot as his mind registered what his eyes were seeing.
“What…?” Hardly able to manage a whisper as he held back the urge to scream, the albino chose to remain silent for a few excruciating seconds as he tried to make sense of the scene.
Blonde hair, green eyes, a long coat… Even drenched with blood the face was unmistakable. Frost dropped to his knees beside the woman and gently brushed some fringe from her forehead. Where the crimson liquid hadn’t reached, part of an old scar could clearly be seen.
“Jen… na?” he breathed, hardly believing it. No! It couldn’t be! A trick… it had to be a trick! Jenna Elk, crime boss, Frost’s best and only friend… she couldn’t possibly be dead! Not now, at a time like this!
“Jenna! Snap out of it; wake up!” the man ordered, roughly grabbing Jenna by the shoulders and shaking her. She didn’t move at all; didn’t even blink. Of course she didn’t; she was… dead. “Jenna… How did this happen…?”
Frost began to panic. Mind in a frenzy, he couldn’t think of what to do. At first he thought of taking the body somewhere it couldn’t be found and burying it, but then he remembered that that was the criminal’s way of handling the dead. What the hell did normal people do?!
“Cops!” The answer came suddenly. “I leave the scene as it is and call the cops…”
It was almost painful for Frost to stand and leave Jenna behind. What if the killer came back and took her away? Frustrated, Frost cried out and slammed his fist into the trunk of a nearby tree. The very real physical pain reminded him that this was not some sort of twisted nightmare. A shiver ran down his spine, his eyes moistening.
“Dammit, Jen… Don’t do this to me…” He glanced over his shoulder to find the woman looking exactly as before. Lifeless. A tear slid down his cheek. Wiping it away with the back of his hand, he looked away from his fallen friend and forced himself to walk away. Then, breaking into a run, he rushed from the park and back onto the road.
“Phone, phone…” Frost frantically turned his head left and right in search of a pay phone he could use to report the crime. A minute later he realized that he had passed on in the park. Swearing, he dashed back and threw himself into the cramped booth.
“C’mon, c’mon!” After fumbling with the phone, the man managed to hold it to his ear and dial 911. The concept of calling the police rather than running from them bothered him for an instant, but the urgency of the situation pushed those thoughts away.
“This is 911, please state your emergency.” Said an operator at the other end of the line.
“I-I need help!” Frost replied a bit loudly. “There’s been a m-murder!”
“Alright, sir. Please tell me where you are and I’ll contact the police.”
“Um…” The albino leaned out of the booth to look for a street sign. Spotting one, he returned to the phone. “Indigo Avenue, at the park. The body’s here.”
“The police are on their way. Please stay where you are and remain calm. Do you know the victim?” questioned the operator.
“Y-yes… She was my friend…”
“…I’m sorry… Um, did you see the murder take place?”
“No, she was dead when I got here…” Frost’s voice was beginning to crack as reality crashed on him again. Jenna was dead…
“Sir, the police should arrive momentarily. Would you like me to stay on the line with you until they get there?”
“N-no. That’s okay. Uh, thank you!” He hurriedly hung up the phone and nearly crashed into the booth’s door in his rush to return to Jenna. Mumbling a few choice words, he shoved the door open and ran back into the forested area of the park. To his relief, his friend was still there.
Frost has been standing guard on the scene for only a few minutes before he heard sirens. Seconds later, the sound of crunching leaves announced the arrival of a single person.
The newcomer slowed to a stop as he neared Jenna’s body. Frost didn’t look up, too dazed to even realize another man was there.
“Is this what I think it is…?” gasped the police detective. An armed officer ran up behind the investigator, standing a short distance away and keeping an eye out for danger.
Suddenly, the sound of harsh laughter pulled Frost back into the real world. He looked up to see the detective with a hand over his face as he tried to contain his amusement.
“Well, this certainly is a rather pleasant surprise!” The laughing man lowered his hand as he spoke. The accented voice and cynical face quickly triggered Frost’s memory, and the albino clenched his teeth angrily as the name occurred to him.
“James Cooper… You’re still around?” he snarled. The detective looked up in surprise, and then smirked.
“Oh, hello, Roberts. I didn’t see you there. I guess your two years in prison are up, then? Shame. Oh, well; by the looks of this, my biggest problem has been lifted from my shoulders.” James sneered down at Jenna’s body, victory shining in his sapphire eyes.
“Detective, is that…?” The police officer peered over the investigator’s shoulder, shocked.
“You bet it is. Jenna Elk, the worst criminal in Tsignian history… dead at last.”
“Stop smiling about it!” Frost shouted indignantly. “I must be damned to have to deal with you along with this, Cooper…! She can’t hear your gloating, so just shut up and do your job!”
That wiped the smirk clear off of James’ face. There was a short pause as he and the albino glared at each other, but finally the detective shrugged and crouched beside the body. He frowned slightly as he inspected Jenna’s wounds the best he could without actually touching her.
“Definitely a murder, but that was obvious.” James’ tone had changed as he shifted from personal interest to serious business. “What do you know?”
“I…” Frost swallowed, feeling sick all over again. “She was like this when I got here. I think… She was still warm.”
“That’s odd; she was always rather cold while living…” Chuckling to himself, James stood up. “Adrian, is the ambulance coming or are we expected to take the body to the hospital in a police vehicle?”
“I think I hear them now, sir,” the officer replied, glancing over her shoulder. Sirens were once again rushing into hearing range.
“What’s she need to go to the hospital for?! To diagnose her with death?!” Frost inquired.
“That’s right; I forgot you were an idiot.” James sighed. “There’s a lab at the hospital used for autopsies. You know, the things that help the police find out how a person was killed and by whom?”
“I know what an autopsy is! But isn’t it obvious how she died?! Can’t we just let her rest in peace instead of doing a bunch of tests on her?”
“Oh, yeah, that’s reminds me: Freeze and put your hands where I can see them.” ordered the detective.
“What?!”
“Traditional procedure, and besides that, you’re sounding pretty suspicious right now.”
“You’re insane! You think I killed her?!” Frost protested.
“No, I don’t think you’d have the balls to even consider hurting someone stronger than you- that means anyone- but I’ve been wrong before. Now do as you’re told or I’ll charge you with resisting arrest.”
Not wanting to end up in jail again, the albino bit his lip and raised his hands. James snatched his wrists out of the air and briefly checked Frost’s hands for blood or any other sort of evidence.
“I suppose you’ll try to say this red stuff is paint or something of the sort?” mused the investigator, holding up on of Frost’s hands so the younger man could see the blood that covered his palm.
“Naturally, I was shocked when I found her dead, so I shook her to try and wake her.”
“Mmhmm…” James proceeded to pull a pair of handcuffs from his belt and cuff Frost’s wrists behind him. Frost could only stare distantly at the space in front of him as he was patted down, hardly aware of the crew that hurried in to take Jenna away on a stretcher.
He had just gotten his life back after two years in jail. Now it seemed to be crashing around him.
“Alright, I’ve got no reason to name you as a suspect.” said James at last, freeing Frost and stepping back. “You’re free to go, unless you wanted to accompany us to the hospital. You might be of some use; you’re certainly due for it.”
“Would it mean riding in the same vehicle as you?” the albino asked bitterly.
“Naturally. The ambulance already left, and you’d be too slow on foot.”
“Fine, fine! I’ll come.”
A few minutes later, after an eerily silent trip, Frost was standing in a large room filled with machines and sharp tools that made him feel queasy. Jenna was already lying on the table in the centre of the room, stripped down but still soaked in blood.
“I hope you’re not getting any sick ideas, Roberts.” James snickered, pushing past and into the lab.
“I’m getting sick of you,” Frost spat, shoving the other man to the side to walk up to the table. Jenna’s eyes were closed now, so she appeared to be sleeping peacefully.
I never realized just how tiny she is, he thought absently, feeling ready to cry again. She looks so innocent and helpless…
“If you want me to do my job you’ll have to get out of the way.” said James, stepping up beside Frost. He looked as snarky as usual, but once he looked down at Jenna’s face, his features softened. “…You really liked her, didn’t you?”
Surprised by the question, Frost found it hard to reply at first. Finally, he managed to force a small smile. “She was all that I had.”
“Ha… She was quite a girl, wasn’t she? If she hadn’t bee so intent on killing me, I could’ve taken a liking to her. No… I might’ve liked her when we first met. Since then… Her anger took control of her.”
Frost blinked and looked down at James. The man was frowning sadly, a distant look in his eyes. Then he sighed heavily and turned away to retrieve something from a shelf.
“She really could’ve been a good person.”
“I wish I could’ve known her back then…” said Frost quietly. The Jenna he had known was always in a bad mood, lusting for blood and the misery of others. Still, the brief glimpses he had seen of her much softer side were what kept him beside her for so long.
James returned to the table and began searching the body for any clues he could send to the forensic scientists. There weren’t any signs of superficial battery, like bruises, and all of the blood on her made it hard to check for the trademark technique of any popular serial killers. There wasn’t even a crimson fingerprint to go on. Scowling he crouched down and flipped off the locks on the wheels of the table.
“I’m going to take her into another room to have her cleaned up; I’ll be right back. You can wait here if you want.” the detective announced, wheeling the table out of the room.
“Hey, Cooper,” Frost began as the other man left.
“Hm?”
“You never hated her, did you?”
James smirked and shrugged, then disappeared out the door.
Frost suddenly felt as empty as the room had just become. Weakened by unexplained fatigue, the albino leaned against a cabinet and tried not to get sick. A sob shook his body, and before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face. He had to bite his tongue to keep from crying like a baby.
“This sucks…” he whimpered, covering his face with a hand.
“I agree with you entirely.”
Frost nearly knocked the cabinet over as he flinched in surprise. Pressing himself as close to the wood as he could without it falling, he looked in the direction of the soft voice with a mixture of embarrassment and fear on his countenance.
“I empathize with your pain; such a tragic loss, isn’t it?” sighed the newcomer dramatically, closing his blood-red eyes to exaggerate his despairing expression.
“Y-you…” Frost stuttered. “What are you doing here!?”
“Me? Why, I’m here to pay my respects, of course. Naturally I wouldn’t be able to come to the funeral, though I daresay it won’t be very crowded. It seems I’ve shown a moment too late, however.” explained Yamato Ryu, ruffling his messy black hair and looking slightly disappointed.
“You, pay respect? You never respected anyone, especially Jenna!” Frost accused, even though he was so scared he would have turned as white as a ghost if he hadn’t been that pale already.
“You hurt my feelings, Frost.” said Yamato with fake soreness, looking straight at the other man for the first time.
Frost felt as though he could drop dead. Yamato had been Jenna’s stalker for almost as long as the albino had known her, and even the strong woman had been reduced to a whimpering puppy whenever the dark man was around. And it was no wonder; Yamato loved to taunt and threaten Jenna, and he was perfectly capable of carrying his words out. As he had just demonstrated, he was an expert at sneaking around unnoticed, so scaring the bejeebus out of someone was his specialty.
Not to mention, the only reason Yamato hadn’t killed Frost yet was because Jenna had wanted him alive. Yamato’s hatred for the younger man had always been obvious, though the reason for the loathing remained unknown. Now that Jenna was gone, nothing existed to hold him back from murdering the albino right then and there.
“There’s no reason to be so frightened; I’m not going to eat you.” Yamato laughed, flashing his sharp teeth in a smile. This wasn’t very reassuring; he was especially known for his cannibalistic tendencies.
“You killed her, didn’t you?” Frost asked in a hushed voice, shivering.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t screw with me! You killed Jenna, I know it!”
“Now, why on earth would I do that? Jenna was such a sweet girl once you broke her, and very cute… Especially while she slept fitfully in her bed. She dreamed about you a lot, you know.”
“See?! You only cared for her pain and suffering!”
“Well, that’s precisely the point, though I hate to admit it. Why would I kill her and put her out of her misery if her misery is what I seek?” Yamato pointed out. “It’s a shame she died; now I’ll have to try and find someone as interesting as her to amuse myself with. Aw, man, and I had so many more ideas to try out…”
“What else could you have wanted to do to her!?” Frost demanded. He was about to say more, but suddenly, Yamato was upon him, holding his chin up with one hand and pressing a knife to his throat with the other. Paralyzed with fear, Frost couldn’t even blink or breathe. He knew it, he was going to die too, die a horrible death at the hands of a psychopath cannibal who would probably eat his corpse before James could even return and then the detective wouldn’t even have a body to autopsy! At least he would be with Jenna, but he still had a life he planned on living!
“For one thing, I was really looking forward to watching her reaction as I slowly tore her only friend apart… Observe her anguish as the only person she had ever loved died a slow and painful death… Listen to her scream as he begged for mercy… Yes, it truly is disappointing that she passed before I could witness that.”
Frost squeezed his eyes shut, his body trembling and sweat forming on his forehead. The metal of the sharp knife was cold and very palpable on the thin skin of his throat.
“Don’t forget to breathe, Roberts, I can’t have you killing yourself.”
Frost opened his eyes a crack to analyze Yamato’s expression, and ending up taking the older man’s advice as he gasped in astonishment. Yamato was gone, nowhere to be seen.
Now scared as well as upset, the albino found himself suddenly unable to stand and dropped to his knees. Just as he did, the sound of squeaking wheels announced James’ return.
“You still here, Roberts?” the detective called, looking around. Once he spotted Frost, he frowned and cocked a ‘brow. “What’s wrong? You look pale. Well, paler than usual, anyway.”
Frost swore under his breath. There was no way he could explain; James didn’t even know of Yamato’s existence, there was no way he would believe what had occurred.
“I’m just… I’m not feeling so well right now, you know?” he replied after a moment, his voice cracking somewhat. It wasn’t a lie; he was sure he could throw up or pass out or have a heart attack or all three and then some if he wasn’t too fatigued and shocked to do any of it.
“Well, I’ve found something just now that might turn your stomach and little more, and I’m afraid it would probably be a good idea for you to see.” said James, gesturing for Frost to get up and walk over. The albino barely managed this, and had to grip onto the side of the table to remain standing. This proved even more useful when he saw Jenna’s newly cleaned body and almost collapsed again.
The woman’s skin was covered in tiny cuts- presumably knife wounds- but something really stood out: A huge, deep ‘M’ was carved into Jenna’s torso.
“W-what is this…?” Frost breathed, shuddering.
“Isn’t it obvious? ‘M’ for ‘Misery’. ‘M’ for everything Lapis was for. Do you know how many people that gang has hurt? How many people must hold a grudge? Jenna was the head of that terror, the composer. If someone killed her, the rest of the gang would probably fall apart. I bet that’s what the killer was thinking. I bet this was an act of revenge.” James explained.
“It’s all my fault!” Frost cried without warning, clutching at his hair.
“What are you talking about?”
“I could have done something! I could’ve prevented this… I could’ve helped her! I could have stopped her! I could have never known her in the first place, and then none of this would have ever happened.” Frost turned away and walked up to the wall, slamming his fist and then his head into it. “It’s all my fault… Everything’s my fault! All of it! Everything that happened in this God-forsaken country in the past few years… If I had never existed, it wouldn’t have happened…”
“That’s ridiculous!” James protested. “You haven’t done anything, what could possibly make you think…?”
“It was me. I gave Jenna the idea to start Lapis. I helped her go through with it. I did nothing to stop her and now she’s dead because of it! I ruined her life; I killed her!” the albino sobbed, banding his head again. He opened his mouth to continue, but James abruptly grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around so that they made eye contact.
“Look, I don’t think anyone in this world knows that woman better than me! It’s been ten horribly long years since I met her depressed and alone back in Copernia, and I swear to you I have never seen her happy. Or, at least, not until you showed up. Whenever you were by her side, no matter what was going on, she always looked a million times healthier and a billion times happier. You were the best thing that’s happened to her since I ripped her parents away from her, so don’t try to say otherwise!
“If you hadn’t met her, she could have turned out a lot worse, or she would have died miserably and in depression, or she might’ve even killed herself instead of dying while waiting joyfully for her love to arrive! She needed you, Roberts; you were all she had. So don’t say it would’ve been better if you didn’t exist!”
“You act like Jenna’s the only person in the world!” Frost countered. “What about the hundreds of people she hurt because of me?!”
“They don’t matter! Nobody matters but you and your happiness; don’t worry about other people! You need to focus on yourself and the people direction related to you, the people you care about. Understand? To you, your life should be the centre of the universe!”
“That’s pretty damn selfish!”
“Yeah, it is, but sometimes you have to be selfish to protect yourself! You only have one life, so why spend it suffering?”
“So, if what you’re saying is true, in your head the world revolves around you and everyone else can suffer as long as you’re happy?!”
“I-“
“I can’t even talk to you! You may be the biggest asshole I’ve ever met!” That said, Frost stormed through the door. “Finish your investigation, detective, and let me know if you find anything useful to say!”
James watched the other man go with a fierce countenance. If only he could say what he meant properly, without it sounding so self-absorbed! The detective sighed heavily and massaged his temples, cursing his vocabulary for being so limited. Then, deciding that there was nothing more he could do to help Frost, he returned his attention to Jenna and the investigation.
“Jeez, Elk, you’re finally dead and you’re still making my life difficult…”
Darkness… He couldn’t see anything, but he could feel. It was cold, terribly cold, but he couldn’t move to warm himself. His body began to grow numb, and he felt as though he were dying. Then, a terrible pain struck him, and he would have screamed if he could. His eyes shot open, but all he could see was a sickening red.
Now he could move again, and frantically he patted himself down to find the problem. A sticky liquid seemed to be covering his entire form- blood! He was bleeding from all over the place! The agony was too much- how had this happened?! What was going on?!
Harsh laughter filled his ears. Wiping the blood from his eyes, he managed to clear his vision enough to see the source of the maniacal cackle. Unfortunately, only the silhouette of the person was visible in the bad lighting of wherever this was.
“Aren’t you dead yet?” asked the shadow with a chuckle, looking down at him. “By all means, take your time. You’re lasting much longer than I expected.”
Well, he wanted to end his suffering, but something held him back from letting go completely. There was still something for him to live for… But he was in so much pain he couldn’t think straight enough to remember what it was. He closed his eyes.
“No!” cried a new voice. This one seemed to be as agonized as he was, and much more desperate. “Don’t die! Please don’t die! I need you!”
I need you, too… he found himself thinking above the suffering.
“No! No! Why are you doing this to him?! Let me help him!”
There was the laughter again, louder this time, mocking. Then, somebody dropped at his side and took him by the shoulders, lifting him into a sitting position. This person was shivering, sobbing; he could only assume this was the one who had been screaming. Warm, comforting arms embraced him, pulling him close to the crying person.
“Please be okay… please… don’t die… don’t die…”
And suddenly, he began to feel hopeful, as though he could pull through this pain and continue to live. Warmth returned to his limbs, a good warmth that didn’t come from the hot blood he was soaked in. Everything was going to be okay…
Out of nowhere, a great weight was pressing down on his chest and without the strength to resist it, he fell back to the ground. Surprised, he opened his eyes and found himself looking at a body on top of him, a knife sticking out of its back with fresh blood gushing from the wound.
Then it all came rushing back to him, adrenaline and all.
“Jenna!” Frost screamed, carefully sitting up and lifting his friend into his arms. “No! Don’t leave me, not again! Please, I need you! Don’t go! Jenna!”
“Ha, ha! This may be more interesting than I thought!” sneered the third person in the room, still hidden in the darkness.
“Why?! You can’t die! Not you! Jen… Jenna! Please!”
“I need you… don’t die… please… Jenna…”
Frost woke with a start, jolting upright in his bed. He was shivering and covered in sweat, heart pounding. Frantically he glanced about him, only finding darkness again. Upon feeling his face he found no blood, nor any of the wounds that had felt so real.
“A dream…” he finally decided, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. “No… a nightmare.”
Too shaken to even consider falling back asleep, Frost looked to the clock on his night stand. It was a little after five in the morning; still very early. Groaning, the albino rolled out of bed and forced himself to walk out into the main room of his apartment.
As usual, he was slightly put off by how empty his home was. There were only a few cheap pieces of furniture and a miniature kitchen in this room. After all, Frost had only been living here a few days, and with the little bit of money he had managed to make in prison he was lucky to have a home at all. Hopefully, he’d be able to find a job soon…
Flipping on a light, he flopped down onto his less-than-comfortable armchair and stared blankly at where he one day hoped to put a television. For some reason, though, that goal felt so far away that morning… Everything seemed distant and hopeless and as much as he tried to suppress it, he couldn’t keep his thoughts from returning to his dream.
Then something occurred to him. James and Yamato both had said something odd that he had overlooked, but now his dream seemed to emphasizing their words. They had said that Jenna loved him; the idea seemed particularly ridiculous as Jenna was the person in question, and if it hadn’t been brought up three times Frost would have found it completely ludicrous. Could she really have seen him as more than a friend?
Of course, this possibility did not help the albino’s grieving. If she had loved him, now she would never be able to tell him so, and they would never be able to share their true feelings, and Frost would never be able to say ‘I love you, too’.
Which, he now realized, was something he had wanted to say to Jenna for almost as long as he had known her. But, now it was too late. And it was his fault.
“If I really loved her, I should have done something to prevent her from turning down such a terrible, deadly road… I shouldn’t have followed her like a dumb dog! Dammit!” Frost slammed his fist into the arm of his chair as hard as he could, hurting his hand in the process. Swearing some more, he abruptly rose to his feet and stomped around for a few minutes to vent. Then, realizing he had no idea what he was doing, he moodily slumped back into his chair and stared miserably up at his ceiling.
Then, suddenly, a loud ringing reached his ears. It took him a second or two to recognize its source: his phone. Curious as to who would be calling him, and so early in the morning at that, Frost got up and removed the receiver from his coffee table, clicking it on.
“Hello?” he said, a voice an odd combination of fatigue and confusion.
“I may have found something interesting.” Declared the person on the other end of the line.
“Cooper? How’d you get my number?” asked Frost, bewildered. Frankly, even the albino himself couldn’t remember his new phone number.
“I’m a detective, Roberts, I know almost everything. And what I don’t know I figure out. If I couldn’t do that I wouldn’t be very good at my job, don’t you agree?”
“I see your god complex extends to your profession… Whatever. What’s this you’ve found?”
“Come down to the hospital and I’ll explain.”
“What, I have to listen to you and see your face? I’m still in grieving, I don’t need the extra torture.”
“If it makes you feel better, Jenna’s still here.” James’ patience was obviously waning.
“Oh, loads. Seeing dead bodies just brightens up my day, every time. Have I told you I’m a necromaniac? I have several skeletons in my closet that I play poker with occasionally, just for the giggles and shits.”
Click.
Despite himself, Frost grinned in satisfaction and replaced the receiver. Now he understood why Jenna had enjoyed pissing James off so much; it felt so good to make the big-headed jerk angry.
Still, if the detective had found out anything important about how Jenna died, Frost wanted to know. Thus, he hastily threw on a t-shirt and jeans and hustled down to the hospital.
James was sitting on a bench outside of the building, reading a very thick book. He didn’t look as though he had gotten any sleep since Frost had left him the afternoon before, but the albino wasn’t feeling very sympathetic. Frowning, he approached the detective and waited to be noticed. As he did, he glanced briefly at the book’s title: ‘The History of Crime in Tsignia’.
“So good of you to join me, Roberts.” said James in a dull tone without looking up.
“It’s not like I’ve got other things to do.” Frost mumbled. James’ lips curled into a slight smirk, and he quickly closed his book.
“Excellent. Shall we go in, then?” the detective stood up and led the grumbling Frost into the hospital and the autopsy wing. As promised, Jenna’s body was exactly where it had been before. It seemed James and whoever else was working with the body took good care of it; the woman still looked whole and free of decay.
“So, what did you find?” Frost questioned.
Without replying, James walked over to a counter and began sorting through what appeared to be clothes. After a moment, he beckoned for Frost to come over. The albino peered down at the all-black outfit and raised his eyebrows.
“These are Jenna’s clothes. What she was wearing when I found her.” he said.
“Right, this is everything that she was wearing. A shirt, jeans, boots, her coat, etcetera.” James confirmed.
“Yeah. So, what about them?” Frost wrinkled his nose slightly as he noticed how much blood was on the garments. Then, as he continued to look at the pieces of clothing, his eyes narrowed. “Wait…”
“Something’s missing, right?”
“Where’s her collar? She never takes it off, ever.” Jenna’s dog collar was her trademark; she was never seen without it. One might say she was attached or bound to it somehow.
“She wasn’t wearing it. It wasn’t at the crime scene, either; the investigators would have found it. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have just stopped wearing it, as I saw her with it on a week or so ago during another one of her attempts to kill me.” James sighed.
“You know, I’m beginning to wonder if you killed her.” suggested Frost, receiving a glare from the older man.
“I was in my office until you reported the crime and I have at least thirty witnesses to confirm that I didn’t leave my desk the whole time.”
“Okay, okay… So, anyway, do you think the killer took the collar?”
“Definitely.”
“But why? As a trophy? That would be ridiculous.”
“I think it’s a bit more complex than that. Whoever took it must have known the collar’s significance.”
“Significance?”
“You didn’t know? Well, I suppose that’s forgivable, seeing as only a part of Jenna consciously made the connection…”
“…Huh?” This was all news to Frost, and he could already feel a headache coming on. James groaned impatiently.
“Am I the only one who can put two and two together? Okay, I’ll explain. You may have noticed that Jenna suffers from some pretty horrid mood swings, right?”
“I still have whiplash from the last one I witnessed two years ago.”
“Exactly. Well, I’ve come to the conclusion that she has some odd case of split personality. There’s the most common version of Jenna: the angry, vengeful, heartless woman. Then there’s the suppressed Jenna, who represents her personality before her corruption: a fierce, emotional girl with a dependency problem. That issue is where the collar comes in, but I’ll get there in a moment.
“I think the emotion-deprived personality was created to protect Jenna, but in the wrong way. It definitely didn’t exist when I first met her. So, by the time it did com around, her parents had been killed, her own life threatened and she had watched an entire city be mercilessly destroyed. That’s a lot of distress to go through in three years, and I can imagine how devastating it must have been for her.
“So, in order to protect her from getting hurt again, she locked away her feelings. Then, in an unfortunate chain of bad decisions, she ended up becoming the criminal she is known as. However, feelings cannot be suppressed forever, particularly strong ones.
“Like I said, Jenna had a dependency issue. Even as a child she failed at social life, and instead of making friends she clung to and depended on one person: her father. When he died, she panicked more than is usual because the person she loved and trusted more than anyone else in the world was dead. She sank into depression until she found another person to rely on and support her.
“This person just so happened to be my brother, who saved her life when that city was destroyed. This relationship deteriorated quickly once Jenna realized how close my brother and I are, and that was around the time she went completely mad and started building up her reputation.
“Then she met you. Though I’m sure she never said it much, it was quite obvious to me that she depended on you to be there for her and care for her. Honestly: she flipped out every time you got hurt, if you didn’t notice. Anyway, I’ve said it before, but she really needed you.
“That collar symbolizes that need. She was aware of this problem; or, at least, one part of her was. So, like a dog needs, loves and clings to their master, Jenna needs, loves and clings to that one person. That’s why she chose to wear a dog collar: to remind herself, even if she didn’t realize it, that she needed a friend.”
“…That’s a lot of back story for a stupid collar.” Frost commented, truing to process all of this new information with difficulty.
“Yes, well, it explains her behaviour if nothing else. I’m sure I’m right; I spent years figuring it out.” James explained.
“Don’t you have anything better to- wait a minute, did you say that Jenna loved your brother at one point? Isn’t he six years older than you?!”
“Five. But I doubt she had grown that attached to him; complete dependency takes time and she ended up hating him before she could cling.” The idea of Jenna and his brother in any sort of relationship made James’ stomach turn, so he tried not to think of it too hard.
“So… What’s this got to do with her murder?”
“I believe the killer knew Jenna well enough to recognize her mental state, and probably took the collar for irony. Possibly, they knew that she was attached to you and therefore, in your absence, she was weakened.”
“I think you may be over thinking this way too much.” Frost sighed.
“Maybe, but that’s where another of Jenna’s quirks comes to mind. She is utterly incapable of dealing with something she can’t overcome. When faced with a will she can’t break, a fight she can’t win, etcetera, her self-confidence crumbles to nothing and from there she is easily broken, defeated and manipulated. That’s probably even harder to believe, though…”
“Just get on with your theory.” Frost knew exactly what James was talking about. He had seen it happen every time Yamato and Jenna had been in the same place.
“Okay. So, Jenna’s a very physically strong woman with plenty of combat practice. It should have been very difficult for someone to have gotten so close to her with the intent to kill; surely, she would have killed any normal person before they could kill her. But, since the killer obviously succeeded, one would have to assume that this person was one of those few strong enough to take Jenna down so easily. Someone who could turn the tables on her and break her will, best her in a fight, and do it without difficulty. All of the cuts on Jenna’s body, besides the ‘M’, seem to be defence wounds. They were acquired while she was fighting for her life, not fighting to win; something unusual for her.”
“So we’re dealing with the devil, then?”
“Probably. This wasn’t just some Average Joe part-time killer.”
Frost gulped, clutching the edge of the counter. James sounded like he knew what he was talking about, and everything he had said made sense. But, if it was all true… The albino could on think of one person.
“I really hope you’re just over thinking this.”
“Really! Can’t anything ever just be ‘he killed her and now she’s dead’? Not every murder is a complex plot; this isn’t a movie.”
James whirled around in surprise just as Frost miserably banged his head on the countertop. Not again…
“Who are you?” the detective demanded, gun drawn and aimed at Yamato’s chest. Yamato leaned indifferently against Jenna’s table and examined his fingernails for a moment before replying. During the pause, Frost swore a bright, colourful rainbow under his breath. Dammit, dammit, dammit!
“Honestly, James- or did you prefer Jamie?- you know so much about Jenna, and yet you know nothing about me. I supposed that’s good; it means I’m doing my job well.” The bastard of a man laughed quietly, red eyes bright with amusement.
“Your name.” James demanded.
“Well, if you must know, I am Yamato Ryu. You can call me Matt. I’m a good friend of Ms. Elk’s.” replied Yamato with a toothy grin. The detective kept his gun ready, not buying the introduction.
“Roberts, you know this guy?”
“Unfortunately,” Frost groaned, straightening up and turning around. “He’s been stalking Jenna for five years.”
“Stalking is a harsh word.” said Yamato. “I prefer ‘observing’.”
“Did you kill her?” James’ finger was ready on the trigger in case this conversation took a turn for the worse. A stalker!? Give me a break!
“Well, as I told Frost, her death would not be beneficial to me at all. I’m just as shocked and saddened by the news as you two are; I swear it on my mother’s grave.” explained Yamato, making a cross over his heart for emphasis. Frost’s stomach turned; that creep had killed his mother. Even so, the jerk didn’t seem to be lying.
But if he didn’t do it, who did? Just then, an idea occurred to the albino.
“Yamato! You followed Jenna twenty-four seven, right?” he asked.
“Well, not that often, but I’m usually around her for most of the day, yes.”
“So you know who killed her, don’t you?” Yamato smirked.
“Yes, I do. But I won’t tell you, because it’s much more fun to watch you two figure it out on your own. I’ll tell you this much: you’re very close to the who, and dead on the how, but as far as the whys, Frost is right. You’re thinking too hard.”
“Bastard,” James snarled. “I could arrest you right now just for stalking-“
“You have no proof, and I never admitted it.” Yamato countered.
“-but I will let you go if you tell us who did this.” the detective finished.
“I plead the fifth.”
“What!?”
“I have the right to remain silent, right? Anything I say can be used against me, so in order to avoid incriminating myself, I plead the fifth. You respect my rights, don’t you, detective?”
“Isn’t that the same as admitting your guilt?” Frost pointed out, confused.
“Well, yes, if you look at it that way.” Yamato shrugged. “Anyway, I have more important things to do, so if you’ll excuse me…”
That said, he nonchalantly walked out of the room with his hands in his pockets, humming an eerie tune. Dumbfounded, it was a minute later that James thought to run after him, but by then Yamato had already vanished.
“What the hell?!” the detective exclaimed, staring out into the hallway.
“Never mind him; let’s just try to solve this mystery.” Frost suggested, sounding resigned. James swore, but walked back over to the other man.
They didn’t say anything. Instead, they tried to picture what happened, or who could have killed Jenna. Frost imagined that the murderer had to be some kind of professional, or else they wouldn’t have beat Jenna so easily. There were very few serial killers in Tsignia, however, not counting Lapis…
James, on the other hand, was running through the conversation with Yamato. He tried to remember everything that had been said. A few minutes later, his eyes widened.
“He never said that he didn’t kill Jenna.”
“Yes, he did. Weren’t you listening? He said he had no reason to and was as surprised as we were. Therefore, he didn’t.” said Frost.
“No! He never specifically said ‘I did not kill Jenna’. He said why he wouldn’t have, and how he reacted to her death, but he never said that he hadn’t killed her. He also said that he knew who the killer was, and of course he would know himself. He called upon his rights, presumably to avoid directly admitting that he had been stalking Jenna and had witnessed the crime. However, he also could have been trying to get around admitting that he had been the killer.
“You know this creep more than me. Has Jenna ever met him, had a conversation with him, anything like that? How did she act around him? What is he like?”
Everything clicked in Frost’s head as James explained.
“Jenna’s terrified of him.” the albino began. “She hates him. He’s the only person in the world that I know can get to her.”
“He did it. Yamato killed Jenna.” James decided.
At the sound of clapping, both men looked up to find that Yamato was back.
“Congratulations, you figured it out. I suppose I shouldn’t have been so obvious, but I’ve had my fun.” Despite his praise, Yamato didn’t look pleased, satisfied or even mocking at all. He was actually frowning, and he appeared rather uncomfortable.
“So you’ll admit it now, then?” James inquired.
Yamato sighed unhappily, walking over to Jenna. Placing a hand on her cheek, he looked down at her for a few long seconds, then at the M-shaped scar on her torso. Then, he pulled away and turned his back to the three.
“I can assure you it was an accident. When I met with her yesterday I had no intention of taking her life, but…” he trailed off and stared at the ground.
“There is no way in hell that was an accident, you lying bastard!” Frost cried. “Just look at her!”
“Don’t question me!” Yamato snapped irritably. “Since you’ve figured out this much, I’ll tell you what happened.”