13 Chapter 13 - The hoodie

The next day, after my breakfast and usual chores at my firm, I went to the crime scene.This time I was thinking of investigating not only the prime crime scene but also the whole apartment. By the time I got there, a couple of police were already there.....and Detective Dumbass.

"Detective...."

I shouted out.

He turned away trying to ignore me as soon as he realized that it was me who called him. But I got to him before he could get a chance.

"WHAT? What do you want today? Haven't you caused enough trouble yet?"

WOW...somebody must have woken up from wrong side of the bed.

"What do you mean trouble?"I asked

"Trying to get the trial extended by BLUFFING.Now we are the ones who's got busy. What exactly do you have in mind with that vomitted-receipt anyway? Prosecutor Payaya was so mad at us that he told me to expect no bonus in my paycheck this month for hiding that filty piece of paper from him.I wasn't trying to hide or anything, I just didn't think it was worth mentioning.And it is all your fault..."

Ohhhhhhh.....so that is what he is really upset about.

I stiffened my expression and said

"Look Detective. I'm not saying Mr.Payaya is wrong but let's just suppose, that there actually was a second witness to the crime and he saw everything. That would open up a whole new possiblities for us.Don't you think we should give it a try to explore those possiblities? The ones that are totally different from what we are being led to believe now. Concealing that important fact would make JUSTICE....unjustified. Would you want that? Would you want it to happen to the JUSTICE you fight for?"

".............no........." His voice was really faint.

'WHAT?" I used my high voice on purpose.

"NO.I don't want that."

I smiled and said

"Of course you don't. I knew you love JUSTICE Detective and I know you would do anything to seek it even if it means helping me.Wouldn't you detective?"

"..........yes I would......." again, he said in a tiny low voice.

"WHAT? I can't hear you..."

"I SAID I WILL HELP YOU.OK, HAPPY?"

I almost wanted to laugh but I didn't.I asked

"So can you tell me anything important for tomorrow trial?"

Somehow I managed to convince him.I had to.Otherwise I wouldn't get much work done only with my investigaion.

"I don't know much.Prosecutor Payaya didn't talk to me anymore because he is still angry with me for not telling him about the receipt. He said if it wasn't for that piece of paper he would have won the trial. So basically he is saying that I gave you an escape route."

It's true.If it weren't for that receipt, I would have been done for in yesterday's trial.

"But...."he looked up my face and said.

"I saw Mr.Palton being brought into the police stattion for questioning.They must have been preping him for tomorrow trial. They even told us to thoroughly check this apartment."

"So he is our main guest tomorrow,huh?"

"Yep.So you better bring your A-game tomorrow pal."

"Hmmmmm......Thank you for telling me this Detective. Now I need to make some investigaitons.This time I'm legit to be here Detective.See.I have a court order."

I held up the paper and proudly showed him the issued permit.

"I KNOW.I was already informed.Geeezzz......what are you, 12? You sounded like a bragging kid.Now go nuts with your investigation."

All right.Time to investigate.

I started with the living room.I studied the whole room.But I was mainly focusing on the couch.The vomit was dry and the receipt was already taken by the police to present it to the court.Everything else was fine.

Then I stood up from the couch to go to the crime scene, I saw something on the floor. Footprints.Yeah footprints. They were not fully recognizable but still-in-shape enough to make out that they are footprints. More precisely they were a man's footprints.I smiled thinking that my theory has been furthere proven.They had to be Mr.Palton's.Clearly he was here.

Next I moved to Josh's room. There wasn't many things to observe. His room was.....normal.Messy, untidy and unorganized as always.

But I saw those drugs on the top shelf of his drawers. So he was telling me the truth about throwing them away then.

Lastly I went into the crime scene. There is one thing that's been all my mind since trial, the window. I’ve had my doubts about windows since Detective’s testimony.Why would Devvy use her last strength to go there? Clearly she must be doing something that would have a connection with the case.And I need to figure that out today or I will be one sorry ass tomorrow.

So I walked straight to the window and opened it.As I've expected, there is a ledge, wide enough for a person to walk on.I examined the area. Aside from the potted plans.....there was nothing.

She really planted many kinds of flowers.Tulips, snapdragons, pansies, cactus, orchids, lavendars..........wait a minute. Cactus……………….?

That's it. Those thorns on her fingers, they must be from the cactus, soil too.The police must have missed this spot otherwise Detective would have found out about the thorns’ origin and could have included this information in his testimony the other day.

Like a child who's about to get his long-awaited toy from his dad's hands, I grabbed the potted-cactus and pulled it into the room.

Soil particles were scattered as if someone one was dugging and reburied in a hurry.My theory was verifyed once I saw something sticking out of the surface. Without a hesitance, I pulled it out.

YESSSSS. I literally shouted out to myself. Thank god detective Dumbass wasn't with me. He would assume that I had gone crazy.

It was a bracelet. I recognized that bracelet. Devvy had it custom made.There are only two of this type in this world. The one I'm holding right now and the one Daisy was wearing the other day at the trial. It's made of silver with "D&D" letters on it.

D&D stands for Devvy and Daisy. It was their fiendship's sign or sisterhood's sign like Daisy would say. But why? Why would she hide her own bracelet? Is this her dying message? Then why buried in soil?

As I looked it thoroughly there was a faint blood spot on it.Very faint.

Is that it? Is that what she was trying to say? Is it the killer's blood? Maybe she was trying to hide it so the killer wouldn't find it before the police?

So many possibilities are floating in my brain. But I can't keep this to me.So I called Detective Dumbass and give him the bracelet to have it tested in lab although I doubt that they could recover finger prints considering it was buried undreneath soil for hours.But blood, hopefully maybe they could recover enough to tell us who it belongs to.

Detective said to me.

"You are a one lucky dude, pal.I hope they can recover what's on this and we will know who the killer is once and for all."

Then he took off to the lab. I thought of heading back too. As I put potted-cactus back on the ledge, I saw someone on the ground.

Dressed in all black, going through the dumpster as if he/she was searching for something eagerly.I couldn't tell who it was.I was five-stories up and that black-figure is wearing hoodies. So I couldn't even tell it's a man or woman.I yelled out.

"HEY!!YOU ON THE GROUND.WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Without even looking up, the figure ran away swiftly.

I immediatly left the room and went to the back alley/dumpster to find out what that person was looking for.

I rifled through bags of garbage to the bottom of the dumpster but I found nothing.

With a puzzled mind I got out of the alley, hailed a cab and went to my next destination.Detention Center.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

When I got to detention centre.They brought Josh to me.He was still in handcuffs.He looked encouraged than the other day.

"That was amazing Endy.What you did in court. Totally wowed me man.I thought I was done for but then you turned the table at the last minute...."

We chatted for like half-hour. I told him that I might have to call him out to the stand tomorrow so be prepared and he repeatedly claimed that he didn't throw up and that Daisy was lying.It was already 6 p.m by the time I got out of the centre.I headed home and prepared for tomorrow.