Burn

The Chain

"Bullet..........head.........don't know..."

"Never seen him before"

"They are searching........"

Neal doesn't know what these people are talking about. But he continued his morning routine, jogging.

Neal liked running since he was a child. It helped him to maintain a good lean body. But that's not the reason he liked run, he simply loves it.

Neal stopped dead in his track when he noticed a group of people surrounding something in front of the medical shop near his clinic.

There were police also, searching here and there and asking questions to Mr.Ford, the medical shop owner. Neal walked further to take in the scene before him.

There was a expensive car which is now destroyed and its all glasses were shattered. What made him shocked was the man leaned towards the steering wheel. It wasn't a man resting from tiredness. It's a dead body!

The man looked about 53, wearing a black suit which is now covered in blood. He was shot in the head. His face covered in blood. Neal shivered and looked away. Violence is not his thing.

"Find anything else?" Neal looked to his left to see two detectives deep in conversation.

"Nothing sir. We checked the CCTV footage but the murderer covered it before the incident. And we found a pistol in his car. His phone is missing, and....."

Neal didn't stay to hear further as he continued to run. He was passing his clinic but something caught his eyes. He stopped and walked to the bushes in front of the building. He crouched down see the silver thing between the bushes. He took it in his hands to get a better look. It was beautiful and.... weird.

Maybe someone dropped it?

Neal shrugged and put the chain in his pocket.

"Good morning Mrs. Harper" He greeted the slightly chubby lady who was watering her precious plants, with a smile.

"Good morning darling. Have a nice weekend" The lady said with a warm smile. Mrs. Harper is his neighbour. She runs a foster home. A well respected woman in that neighborhood. Neal always considered her as a mother.

A big ' achoo ' was the first thing he heard when Neal enterd the house.

"You are late." The person sitting on the couch said followed by a sneeze.

Neal hummed and went to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and took a bottle of water.

"You look like shit." Neal said approaching his best friend after drinking the water. A sneeze was the reply to his comment. He sit beside Arjun, his half Indian best friend. He leaned back with a sigh.

Arjun was cocooned by a blanket typing something in his laptop. There were tissues on the floor where he sat. His face and naturally tanned skin was flushed from the fever.

"Achooo"

Neal tilted his head to look at his friend.

"Have you take the medicine?" He asked.

Arjun nodded in answer avoiding his friend's narrowing eyes.

He took a tissue after another sneeze.

"I'm so gonna kill her." Arjun said with a groan. Neal chuckled.

"Why are you blaming her? It's not her fault that you showed up out of the blue in her house." He said.

Arjun glared at his friend. "It was your idea."

Neal looked at him in disbelieve.

"I told you to call and talk to her, not go to her house with a bunch of flowers."

"Achoo... Whatever...If I didn't go..achoo... I would never know."

He said and cursed reaching for tissues.

Neal felt pity for his friend.

The thing was that, Arjun had this undying love for his colleague Rhaya for the past two years. He never seen her with anyone and hundred percent sure that she was single. He liked her kind and quiet nature.

When he told this to Neal, he said ‛ go for it ’, and that's why he decided to confess his feelings for her, two days ago. But Rhaya caught a fever and didn't show up at work. Neal said him to call her and be the nice, caring lover. But Arjun showed up at Rhaya's house only to find out that she is seeing someone for a while and that someone is a girl!

They spend some time together talking and laughing along with Rhaya's girlfriend, Amy.

He returned home with a broken heart and a cold which turned into a fever.

"You really liked her, didn't you?" Neal smiled warmly at his friend. Arjun shrugged focusing on his laptop.

"I did. But it's fine. She is happy with Amy. We should be with the person we love and cherish..no matter what gender they are." Arjun said still typing.

Neal raised his brows in surprise.

"When did you become so wise?"

"I am always." Arjun scoffed.

Neal was going to say something but interrupted when Arjun's phone began to ring.

Arjun cursed and picked up the phone.

"Hello Mr.Grant."

"Yes, Mr.Grant..........yes..... I'm working on it."

"I know.... I apologize."

"I will tell him."

"Okay. Yes....yeah, I will."

"Okay. Bye Mr.Grant."

"Asshole." Arjun said with a groan tossing his phone beside him.

"What happened? Was that Chief?"

"Yes. He wants the murder case information. Peter is in leave and he knows it. He is purposely giving me a hard time." Arjun complained with a pout.

Arjun is working for a local newspaper. Actually he is a photographer but his partner is in leave, so he had to do his work also.

When the word 'murder' caught his attention, Neal remembered something.

"You know Mr.Ford?"

"The medical shop guy? Yeah I know him. Why? Something happened?" Arjun asked closing his laptop and leaning back to the couch.

"No. Not to him. There was a car accident in front of his shop. But the man was shot in the head,"Neal pointed to his forehead,"There were police and all." Neal described what he saw earlier.

"Oh shit. Why didn't anyone inform me." Arjun cursed and sat up taking his phone.

"Do you know who was that?" Arjun asked typing in his phone.

"How would I know?" Neal scowled at his friend and stood up.

"I'm gonna take a shower."

"Wait! What is that?" Neal looked where Arjun pointed.

"Oh. This. It was in front of my clinic. I think someone lost it." Neal said pulling out the silver chain which was half hanging from his pocket.

Arjun's eyes widened when his gaze landed on the pendant. His shivering hand clenched on the phone.

"Where the hell did you get that?" He shout with panic.

Neal frowned looking at the object in his hand. "I told you. It was between the bushes. I think Mr.Dante lost it when he brought his dog other day. Look at this,only he can afford it. I must return it." He said.

"Dante my ass. Do you have any idea what the hell is this. And you dumbo picked it from a crime scene. Are you crazy?" Arjun stood up looking at the chain in utter horror.

"What are you talking about?" Neal looked at his pacing friend confusingly.

Arjun felt like the world is spinning. He grabbed the chain and turned the pendant. There it is!

He felt like crying. Arjun placed the chain in the corner of the couch and grabbed a pillow placing it above the chain like it will solve all their problems.

"What are you―"

"Sit down."

Neal frowned but did as his friend said.

"Did anyone see you while taking it?" Arjun asked pointing towards the chain which is now under the pillow. Neal looked towards it before nodding his head.

Arjun let out a sigh of relief.

"Listen to me carefully okay? It is not a simple chain like you think. Did you see the pendant?," Neal nodded." Turn it and look behind it" Arjun said.

Neal turn the pendant looking close. A small capital 'R' with beautiful calligraphy stare back at Neal. He was surprised that he didn't noticed it until now.

"It's not a design Jay, it's a symbol. Also, it's not belong to Mr. Dante. It belongs to the Rendells, one of the powerful mafia in America."

Arjun said with so much seriousness that Neal had no choice but believe.