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…
“Alright everyone, please do not push amongst yourselves! We have a long day ahead of us!”
The patrons at the café were gathered into one place. Despite the earlier commotion, Dex apparently was able to quickly organize everyone and have them follow his instructions. Mainly, by flashing his official badge (apparently a fake toy), waiting until everyone gets out and only then begin his questioning. Or at least, that was how he says gonna happen next.
No one looked too thrilled about the prospect, as it was still too hard to believe something like this just happened out of the blue. Monna, herself, just couldn’t exactly wrap her head around it. It didn’t help that most of the events throughout her day were rapidly shifting from one out there thing to another. Still, she left Dex follow through with his procedures.
Or at least she thought he was gonna do it.
“I need some time to look over the crime scene. Since the copper doesn’t want to show up, I would like you to stand in for me. And maybe question one or two…twenty seven! Twenty-seven people here needs to be questioned. That’s your first job as my secretary. Also, make sure no one leaves yet, thanks!”
Monna’s mouth just frozen agape, unable even to utter anything as he left her completely alone. What now? Just, go ahead and question each and every one of them? She never dealt with huge crowds of people, let alone animal-people!!! What exactly could she do here?
“Hey, you there? Why won’t you let us out?” One patron asked. A dog, bull, wearing casual work clothes, holding a pamphlet and his voice was growly and menacing.
“Ummm,” Monna hesitated, unable to come up with words. She was already cracking up.
“How long will this take?” Another, a dalmation with sports ensemble, asked. Immediately, everyone else began their own set of questions raising the volume of the room. Monna barely could raise her own voice above whimper. She was already losing control.
“This guy is a detective! He knows what he is doing so just let him do stuff. Please?” She tried to say, but no one listened.
One person suddenly started pushing through the crowd.
“Wait-!”
“I am going home, I have errands to do.” It was the same bull-dog in work-wear.
“I understand sir, but please-“ Monna tried to intercept him but he easily pushed her to the side. He was much bigger than her, and she herself was just a sixteen year-old girl.
“Just move aside you pre-pubescent manwhore and let me through-“
Her fist flew faster than she herself could react. She never imagined herself actually punching a dog square in the face. She couldn’t! And yet it actually happened, she powed a dog right in the kisser.
The landing of his body was actually enough to scare the crowd into silence. No one even dared to move from the place now.
“DID YOU JUST CALL ME A MAN YOU STUPID SCUM!?”
Monna’s voice left everyone trembling. Also confused. She did not pay much attention, but there was growing number of question from every patron over the fact that this was the exact reason she punched a guy twice her size. Monna exhaled then, allowing all anger out. Not that she liked how it led to this, but it seems everything came back to order.
And soon enough, siren was heard from the outside. Monna saw a single police car driving in. From it emerged a well-built German Sheppard and another, Saluki, right behind him. The two quickly entered inside, immediately inspecting the place only to find a rather calm crowd right behind Monna.
“Alright, I see everyone’s okay…” He gave a quick salute to Monna. “Officer Tucker here. Officer Carl.” Saluki nodded enthusiastically. He was carrying a notepad with him.
“Thank goodness officer!” Dex exclaimed from afar. He was still inspecting the body, in between taking sigs from his flask, barely moving anywhere from his place. Monna could see the officer’s teeth flash however in sort of mid-growl.
“Goddamit, not this guy…” Tucker rubbed his doggy mug with his furry hand. This made Monna wonder just what’s the history between them, to cause frustration on sight alone. “So let me guess,” Officer Tucker calmly approached Dex, “you just happened at the crime scene?”
“I just happened to be a bit more due diligent than most people within my field. Now please show respect and round those people up like you do cattle. I am ‘bout to be dun here, sugarcube.” That last bit carried some Southern drawl in it. Tucker apparently wanted to say something, but instead just sighed and moved in front of Monna and the others.
“Please stay back all of you, the police…” He looked to Monna, “that includes you too.”
“Actually, I-“
“THAT BITCH HIT ME!”
That was the worker, who seemed to have come to his senses.
“Sir calm down,” Tucker said motoning Saluki to lift the guy up. As the man kept grumbling, Tucker went towards Monna, who quickly felt immense pressure piling on to her. She knew she was about to be questioned what was going on here.
“I can explain!” Monna quickly noted before Tucker could say anything.
“That there is my secretary, little Tucker!” Dex also exclaimed immediately after.
“What?”
The officer was growing confused by this. Not surprising, Monna wouldn’t peg herself as a secretary either, on style alone. Hell, she was acting as a glorified assistant, which did bother her the more she realized it.
“Yeah, I guess I am.” Monna tried to fold her arms to look professionally in front of him. It only came across sillier. “He asked me to look over these people.”
Tucker looked at her with his big brown eyes.
“Ok, I dunno what he told you, young lady, but you shouldn’t-“
“She did more than you ever could!” Dex then lightly giggled.
Tucker face twisted. Monna likened it to him about to bark throughout the whole restaurant.
“I thought you were busy?” Tucker asked through his teeth.
“Just need some finishing touches.”
Tucker rubbed his forehead. Monna was starting to get used freakish nature of these animal people and their human-like behavior. She could also tell he was becoming a bit too frustrated.
“Sorry about that.” She had no idea if that would help, or come across as pitiying. Thankfully, the officer waved it off as in ‘Not a problem’ kind of way. He didn’t seem to be a bad person here. Then immediately, a new question popped in her mind. “Is he, um, legit?”
“Who, him?” Tucker pointed to Dex. Monna nodded, then shifted herself a bit to be out of Dex’s side view. Since Saluki seemed to be in charge of the crowd now, she felt like she could talk to the officer in private. It felt better than just someone as random as that guy anyway.
“Yes,” She whispered. “I know it’s sudden, but he only said he was a detective. Like a homicide one.”
“Detective my tail,” Tucker growled. Monna took a mental note about his speech. “He is far from a detective as you can get. Though mainly cause he works outside of our office and doesn’t have actual permit. On account that his history before being a detective is as that giant oak tree we had near my house. I mean seriously, he himself claimed to be around twenty, and yet, somehow, has all the authority, experience and moxy to go around and act like he owns the place. It’s a game for a guy like him, make sure to remember.”
“Okay, so he’s a fraud? Why is he helping then?”
“Cause he isn’t one!” Carl stated from the back. Tucker glared at him and the Saluki immediately returned to his duty.
“That’s not incorrect.” Tucker sighed. “Look, sure, he has done big stuff here, even made some paper headlines, but that’s like not even real work, just go around and make stuff up and have it line with reality.”
“You are ever so kind to my abilities!” Dex said haughtily, approaching the two out of nowhere. Monna caught herself on how she didn’t feel his presence beforehand. “Now let me say, it is still warm, the body that is, except for the hands and feet. The skin under fur is also unusual in color and dare I say, he left some…gifts for you. I smelled his coffee after pouring milk into it, by the way, and I found a hint of…onion.”
The two men stared at each other, as Tucker then clicked his teeth.
“That one again?” The officer shook his head, “For god’s sake, just how many have they distributed these things.”
“I am afraid many, bud.”
“Can you stop that?”
Dex laughed. “So you don’t want me to find you a culprit?”
“I’d rather not to waste time here, so you better just give me straight answers already!”
“I am afraid that is far from possible, unless we could do something together. Anyways, it is obvious he has had to digest the poison from coffee. I usually takes 5…6…minutes for it to take effect. And as such…You!” He pointed to Monna. “A question?”
She stared a bit before finally asking, “What are you guys talking about? Some poison?”
“Oh, you don’t know about it? Well I say, my dear secretary, you really should put more effort in readying yourself.” Tucker rolled his eyes. Monna would’ve wanted too, but she was too busy thinking on what the poison actually was. “As we know by now, that substance has become scarily popular to be distributed within streets, capable of killing a grown man within short period of time. Cannot be found until it gets digested, as well. It is also easily disposable, like shooting down the drain for it to loose effect, and is pretty cheap, despite how impossible it is to procure such element. And, very likely, it came from our usual suspect. So far it can definitively be said, we are dealing with a person who needed to silently assassinate their target.”
“So, there was someone trying to kill in silence…But, wouldn’t they leave already?” Monna asked. Dex actually giggled giddily from the question.
“Now, you may in fact think it to be so, but that may not always be the case. The poison, according to rumors, had some false cases, albeit nothing concrete. And regardless, you do need to make sure you see that your target is dead with your own eyes, anyway.”
“So, how do we find them, oh your brilliance.” Tucker asked sarcastically.
“My, it sounds as if you are flirting with me, you!” Tucker growled at Dex. That was the most animal-like behavior Monna has seen from creatures like these. He continued, “Check for people with soup stains in their shoes.”
“What?”
“I spilled some soup earlier by the bathroom. If they knew the guy is dead, they would have disposed of the thing some time when the commotion happened.”
Tucker sighed, but did as he was told and turned towards the crowd. He motioned Saluki, who then quickly silenced everyone and had their attention towards the superior officer.
“Everyone, please show your shoes.” Each person shifted a bit. “C’mon, one by one here.”
“Oh my, what do we have here.” Dex picked a pamphlet from the floor. Monna immediately recognized it from the one she suckered in the face. She then saw him take stance and tossing it right at the entrance of the door. Suddenly, someone stepped on it and got forced to plant right on the floor.
“Let’s see here.” Dex approached the animal person on the floor. Before they could get up, he swiftly caught and raised their leg up, keeping them off balance. There was a noticeable soup stain.
“Let me go!” The person yelled, with a very young voice. In fact, it came across almost kid-like. Despite looking like a human sized cat, it was a teenage-no, pre-teen aged – person.
Dex then motioned Tucker, who quickly went ahead and picked the animal-kid onto their feet. He then rummaged in their pockets and pulled out an empty, wet vial.
“Interesting.” Dex noted
“So, the kid’s our criminal.” Tucker handed over the vial to Saluki.
“Oh definitely.”
“Let me go, I didn’t do it!” They kept screaming. Monna realized more and more that this one was a young girl, younger than her.
“Too late kiddo.”
Monna suddenly felt odd about this. She is in a different world, but the rules that applied then would apply here in her mind. She just couldn’t look away from this.
“Wait a sec!” She suddenly exclaimed. The two men looked at her. “Are you sure it’s the kid?”
“Well, we got our evidence.” Tucker said pointing to the vial.
“You won’t prove anything, I got framed!” The girl exclaimed. Something about this whole thing just wouldn’t sit right for Monna.
“And why run away?” Dex began with his barrages of questions. “Why have a soup stain from a male bathroom, little lady, if not to use it to dump all contents? And if anything, we may even connect you to this person, perhaps he is your teacher, or father, or someone you know…all it takes is a little research, little darling. Plus, poisoning him can be quite easy for someone of your ilk.”
“Wait,” Monna noted, “how did she poison him?”
“I did that by myself!” The kid suddenly exclaimed. Monna immediately felt something fishy here.
“How?”
“I won’t tell you!”
“Cause she didn’t.”
Monna looked around. Everyone, including Dex, Tucker and each one of the crowd’s animal-people were now starring at another person. It was a cat lady, same one whom she talked earlier by the counter, coming forward.
“I was the one who did it.” She said. Everyone shifted away. The kid then started vying attention from the two men holding her.
“No she’s lying she’s-“
“I used my position to get close and pour it into his coffee,” the cat-lady said promptly. “Then I forced the kid into hiding the evidence.”
“Cassie no! She’s lying, she’s trying to cover for me!”
Monna noticed the growing desperation the kid seemed to be having. Dex however, can be heard laughing.
“My, what a twist here already! So, what is the truth here then?”
“I’ll tell you everything,” The cat lady walked forward. “Where I got it, how and when. I also got the motive too. Also, the kid, she’s just a friend, who got forced into it by me.”
“Cassie stop!” The kid began pleading.
“Emily, you don’t have to do it!”
“But you’ll-“
“If I confess everything now, will the punishment be lighter?” The cat lady asked Dex. He shrugged, and Tucker, as Monna noticed, looked somewhat annoyed.
“That depends on what you’ll tell us, but we may ease it. Isn’t that right, officer?”
Tucker without a word just let go of the kid. He then continued to pull a pair of handcuffs and put them on the cat lady, her hands at the ready.
“No, you don’t understand!” The kid started getting in the way of the two, “She can’t be by herself she’ll-”
“That’s enough Emily.”
“No.” She began crying.
“Alright, that’s enough. Both of you’ll come with us. Nobody else leaves the premises until the police are done here,” Tucker resounded. The crowd began murmuring between themselves from what just happened.
It took few more minutes until the sound sirens began drawing in. Monna watched the two girls being escorted into the car.
There were still unanswered questions.
…
“My, what an unusual development.”
Monna was silent. They both left the café early on Dex’s request. He claimed that he doesn’t like the detail-oriented nature of police, and rather go off on his own.
“Dex.”
“Yes, dear secretary?” His insufferable nature was hard to take, yet still…
“Why do people go so far to kill one another?”
Dex stood there for a moment. She wasn’t sure at first if he heard it, based on his spacy actions. He then said, “Life is but a resource. Some of us don’t think too hard on taking it away.”
He then checked his watch.
“Well then, you’ve done exceptionally well, dear secretary. How about you come into my office for today?”
“Why?”
“You still haven’t opened your letter, no?” He suddenly asked.
“No, not really.”
“Then there’s still mystery to solve. Now then, let’s not dawdle here!”
Dex proceeded forward with highed speed. Monna pulled out the letter from her pocket, curious about what it had. It said:
“Make the best of it. 4500 Crawdle Street East, Apt# 508.”
Monna kept staring at it. Questions would not leave her. Why is she here? How did she come here? Is it all real? How long will she stay here? Like this? Can she trust anyone?
Mysteries will keep on piling…
…
-----------------------------------------
…
“Alright everyone, please do not push amongst yourselves! We have a long day ahead of us!”
The patrons at the café were gathered into one place. Despite the earlier commotion, Dex apparently was able to quickly organize everyone and have them follow his instructions. Mainly, by flashing his official badge (apparently a fake toy), waiting until everyone gets out and only then begin his questioning. Or at least, that was how he says gonna happen next.
No one looked too thrilled about the prospect, as it was still too hard to believe something like this just happened out of the blue. Monna, herself, just couldn’t exactly wrap her head around it. It didn’t help that most of the events throughout her day were rapidly shifting from one out there thing to another. Still, she left Dex follow through with his procedures.
Or at least she thought he was gonna do it.
“I need some time to look over the crime scene. Since the copper doesn’t want to show up, I would like you to stand in for me. And maybe question one or two…twenty seven! Twenty-seven people here needs to be questioned. That’s your first job as my secretary. Also, make sure no one leaves yet, thanks!”
Monna’s mouth just frozen agape, unable even to utter anything as he left her completely alone. What now? Just, go ahead and question each and every one of them? She never dealt with huge crowds of people, let alone animal-people!!! What exactly could she do here?
“Hey, you there? Why won’t you let us out?” One patron asked. A dog, bull, wearing casual work clothes, holding a pamphlet and his voice was growly and menacing.
“Ummm,” Monna hesitated, unable to come up with words. She was already cracking up.
“How long will this take?” Another, a dalmation with sports ensemble, asked. Immediately, everyone else began their own set of questions raising the volume of the room. Monna barely could raise her own voice above whimper. She was already losing control.
“This guy is a detective! He knows what he is doing so just let him do stuff. Please?” She tried to say, but no one listened.
One person suddenly started pushing through the crowd.
“Wait-!”
“I am going home, I have errands to do.” It was the same bull-dog in work-wear.
“I understand sir, but please-“ Monna tried to intercept him but he easily pushed her to the side. He was much bigger than her, and she herself was just a sixteen year-old girl.
“Just move aside you pre-pubescent manwhore and let me through-“
Her fist flew faster than she herself could react. She never imagined herself actually punching a dog square in the face. She couldn’t! And yet it actually happened, she powed a dog right in the kisser.
The landing of his body was actually enough to scare the crowd into silence. No one even dared to move from the place now.
“DID YOU JUST CALL ME A MAN YOU STUPID SCUM!?”
Monna’s voice left everyone trembling. Also confused. She did not pay much attention, but there was growing number of question from every patron over the fact that this was the exact reason she punched a guy twice her size. Monna exhaled then, allowing all anger out. Not that she liked how it led to this, but it seems everything came back to order.
And soon enough, siren was heard from the outside. Monna saw a single police car driving in. From it emerged a well-built German Sheppard and another, Saluki, right behind him. The two quickly entered inside, immediately inspecting the place only to find a rather calm crowd right behind Monna.
“Alright, I see everyone’s okay…” He gave a quick salute to Monna. “Officer Tucker here. Officer Carl.” Saluki nodded enthusiastically. He was carrying a notepad with him.
“Thank goodness officer!” Dex exclaimed from afar. He was still inspecting the body, in between taking sigs from his flask, barely moving anywhere from his place. Monna could see the officer’s teeth flash however in sort of mid-growl.
“Goddamit, not this guy…” Tucker rubbed his doggy mug with his furry hand. This made Monna wonder just what’s the history between them, to cause frustration on sight alone. “So let me guess,” Officer Tucker calmly approached Dex, “you just happened at the crime scene?”
“I just happened to be a bit more due diligent than most people within my field. Now please show respect and round those people up like you do cattle. I am ‘bout to be dun here, sugarcube.” That last bit carried some Southern drawl in it. Tucker apparently wanted to say something, but instead just sighed and moved in front of Monna and the others.
“Please stay back all of you, the police…” He looked to Monna, “that includes you too.”
“Actually, I-“
“THAT BITCH HIT ME!”
That was the worker, who seemed to have come to his senses.
“Sir calm down,” Tucker said motoning Saluki to lift the guy up. As the man kept grumbling, Tucker went towards Monna, who quickly felt immense pressure piling on to her. She knew she was about to be questioned what was going on here.
“I can explain!” Monna quickly noted before Tucker could say anything.
“That there is my secretary, little Tucker!” Dex also exclaimed immediately after.
“What?”
The officer was growing confused by this. Not surprising, Monna wouldn’t peg herself as a secretary either, on style alone. Hell, she was acting as a glorified assistant, which did bother her the more she realized it.
“Yeah, I guess I am.” Monna tried to fold her arms to look professionally in front of him. It only came across sillier. “He asked me to look over these people.”
Tucker looked at her with his big brown eyes.
“Ok, I dunno what he told you, young lady, but you shouldn’t-“
“She did more than you ever could!” Dex then lightly giggled.
Tucker face twisted. Monna likened it to him about to bark throughout the whole restaurant.
“I thought you were busy?” Tucker asked through his teeth.
“Just need some finishing touches.”
Tucker rubbed his forehead. Monna was starting to get used freakish nature of these animal people and their human-like behavior. She could also tell he was becoming a bit too frustrated.
“Sorry about that.” She had no idea if that would help, or come across as pitiying. Thankfully, the officer waved it off as in ‘Not a problem’ kind of way. He didn’t seem to be a bad person here. Then immediately, a new question popped in her mind. “Is he, um, legit?”
“Who, him?” Tucker pointed to Dex. Monna nodded, then shifted herself a bit to be out of Dex’s side view. Since Saluki seemed to be in charge of the crowd now, she felt like she could talk to the officer in private. It felt better than just someone as random as that guy anyway.
“Yes,” She whispered. “I know it’s sudden, but he only said he was a detective. Like a homicide one.”
“Detective my tail,” Tucker growled. Monna took a mental note about his speech. “He is far from a detective as you can get. Though mainly cause he works outside of our office and doesn’t have actual permit. On account that his history before being a detective is as that giant oak tree we had near my house. I mean seriously, he himself claimed to be around twenty, and yet, somehow, has all the authority, experience and moxy to go around and act like he owns the place. It’s a game for a guy like him, make sure to remember.”
“Okay, so he’s a fraud? Why is he helping then?”
“Cause he isn’t one!” Carl stated from the back. Tucker glared at him and the Saluki immediately returned to his duty.
“That’s not incorrect.” Tucker sighed. “Look, sure, he has done big stuff here, even made some paper headlines, but that’s like not even real work, just go around and make stuff up and have it line with reality.”
“You are ever so kind to my abilities!” Dex said haughtily, approaching the two out of nowhere. Monna caught herself on how she didn’t feel his presence beforehand. “Now let me say, it is still warm, the body that is, except for the hands and feet. The skin under fur is also unusual in color and dare I say, he left some…gifts for you. I smelled his coffee after pouring milk into it, by the way, and I found a hint of…onion.”
The two men stared at each other, as Tucker then clicked his teeth.
“That one again?” The officer shook his head, “For god’s sake, just how many have they distributed these things.”
“I am afraid many, bud.”
“Can you stop that?”
Dex laughed. “So you don’t want me to find you a culprit?”
“I’d rather not to waste time here, so you better just give me straight answers already!”
“I am afraid that is far from possible, unless we could do something together. Anyways, it is obvious he has had to digest the poison from coffee. I usually takes 5…6…minutes for it to take effect. And as such…You!” He pointed to Monna. “A question?”
She stared a bit before finally asking, “What are you guys talking about? Some poison?”
“Oh, you don’t know about it? Well I say, my dear secretary, you really should put more effort in readying yourself.” Tucker rolled his eyes. Monna would’ve wanted too, but she was too busy thinking on what the poison actually was. “As we know by now, that substance has become scarily popular to be distributed within streets, capable of killing a grown man within short period of time. Cannot be found until it gets digested, as well. It is also easily disposable, like shooting down the drain for it to loose effect, and is pretty cheap, despite how impossible it is to procure such element. And, very likely, it came from our usual suspect. So far it can definitively be said, we are dealing with a person who needed to silently assassinate their target.”
“So, there was someone trying to kill in silence…But, wouldn’t they leave already?” Monna asked. Dex actually giggled giddily from the question.
“Now, you may in fact think it to be so, but that may not always be the case. The poison, according to rumors, had some false cases, albeit nothing concrete. And regardless, you do need to make sure you see that your target is dead with your own eyes, anyway.”
“So, how do we find them, oh your brilliance.” Tucker asked sarcastically.
“My, it sounds as if you are flirting with me, you!” Tucker growled at Dex. That was the most animal-like behavior Monna has seen from creatures like these. He continued, “Check for people with soup stains in their shoes.”
“What?”
“I spilled some soup earlier by the bathroom. If they knew the guy is dead, they would have disposed of the thing some time when the commotion happened.”
Tucker sighed, but did as he was told and turned towards the crowd. He motioned Saluki, who then quickly silenced everyone and had their attention towards the superior officer.
“Everyone, please show your shoes.” Each person shifted a bit. “C’mon, one by one here.”
“Oh my, what do we have here.” Dex picked a pamphlet from the floor. Monna immediately recognized it from the one she suckered in the face. She then saw him take stance and tossing it right at the entrance of the door. Suddenly, someone stepped on it and got forced to plant right on the floor.
“Let’s see here.” Dex approached the animal person on the floor. Before they could get up, he swiftly caught and raised their leg up, keeping them off balance. There was a noticeable soup stain.
“Let me go!” The person yelled, with a very young voice. In fact, it came across almost kid-like. Despite looking like a human sized cat, it was a teenage-no, pre-teen aged – person.
Dex then motioned Tucker, who quickly went ahead and picked the animal-kid onto their feet. He then rummaged in their pockets and pulled out an empty, wet vial.
“Interesting.” Dex noted
“So, the kid’s our criminal.” Tucker handed over the vial to Saluki.
“Oh definitely.”
“Let me go, I didn’t do it!” They kept screaming. Monna realized more and more that this one was a young girl, younger than her.
“Too late kiddo.”
Monna suddenly felt odd about this. She is in a different world, but the rules that applied then would apply here in her mind. She just couldn’t look away from this.
“Wait a sec!” She suddenly exclaimed. The two men looked at her. “Are you sure it’s the kid?”
“Well, we got our evidence.” Tucker said pointing to the vial.
“You won’t prove anything, I got framed!” The girl exclaimed. Something about this whole thing just wouldn’t sit right for Monna.
“And why run away?” Dex began with his barrages of questions. “Why have a soup stain from a male bathroom, little lady, if not to use it to dump all contents? And if anything, we may even connect you to this person, perhaps he is your teacher, or father, or someone you know…all it takes is a little research, little darling. Plus, poisoning him can be quite easy for someone of your ilk.”
“Wait,” Monna noted, “how did she poison him?”
“I did that by myself!” The kid suddenly exclaimed. Monna immediately felt something fishy here.
“How?”
“I won’t tell you!”
“Cause she didn’t.”
Monna looked around. Everyone, including Dex, Tucker and each one of the crowd’s animal-people were now starring at another person. It was a cat lady, same one whom she talked earlier by the counter, coming forward.
“I was the one who did it.” She said. Everyone shifted away. The kid then started vying attention from the two men holding her.
“No she’s lying she’s-“
“I used my position to get close and pour it into his coffee,” the cat-lady said promptly. “Then I forced the kid into hiding the evidence.”
“Cassie no! She’s lying, she’s trying to cover for me!”
Monna noticed the growing desperation the kid seemed to be having. Dex however, can be heard laughing.
“My, what a twist here already! So, what is the truth here then?”
“I’ll tell you everything,” The cat lady walked forward. “Where I got it, how and when. I also got the motive too. Also, the kid, she’s just a friend, who got forced into it by me.”
“Cassie stop!” The kid began pleading.
“Emily, you don’t have to do it!”
“But you’ll-“
“If I confess everything now, will the punishment be lighter?” The cat lady asked Dex. He shrugged, and Tucker, as Monna noticed, looked somewhat annoyed.
“That depends on what you’ll tell us, but we may ease it. Isn’t that right, officer?”
Tucker without a word just let go of the kid. He then continued to pull a pair of handcuffs and put them on the cat lady, her hands at the ready.
“No, you don’t understand!” The kid started getting in the way of the two, “She can’t be by herself she’ll-”
“That’s enough Emily.”
“No.” She began crying.
“Alright, that’s enough. Both of you’ll come with us. Nobody else leaves the premises until the police are done here,” Tucker resounded. The crowd began murmuring between themselves from what just happened.
It took few more minutes until the sound sirens began drawing in. Monna watched the two girls being escorted into the car.
There were still unanswered questions.
…
“My, what an unusual development.”
Monna was silent. They both left the café early on Dex’s request. He claimed that he doesn’t like the detail-oriented nature of police, and rather go off on his own.
“Dex.”
“Yes, dear secretary?” His insufferable nature was hard to take, yet still…
“Why do people go so far to kill one another?”
Dex stood there for a moment. She wasn’t sure at first if he heard it, based on his spacy actions. He then said, “Life is but a resource. Some of us don’t think too hard on taking it away.”
He then checked his watch.
“Well then, you’ve done exceptionally well, dear secretary. How about you come into my office for today?”
“Why?”
“You still haven’t opened your letter, no?” He suddenly asked.
“No, not really.”
“Then there’s still mystery to solve. Now then, let’s not dawdle here!”
Dex proceeded forward with highed speed. Monna pulled out the letter from her pocket, curious about what it had. It said:
“Make the best of it. 4500 Crawdle Street East, Apt# 508.”
Monna kept staring at it. Questions would not leave her. Why is she here? How did she come here? Is it all real? How long will she stay here? Like this? Can she trust anyone?
Mysteries will keep on piling…
…
8-pages. Unnecessary, I know.
"Survive your first day"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
…
“Alright everyone, please do not push amongst yourselves! We have a long day ahead of us!”
The patrons at the café were gathered into one place. Despite the earlier commotion, Dex apparently was able to quickly organize everyone and have them follow his instructions. Mainly, by flashing his official badge (apparently a fake toy), waiting until everyone gets out and only then begin his questioning. Or at least, that was how he says gonna happen next.
No one looked too thrilled about the prospect, as it was still too hard to believe something like this just happened out of the blue. Monna, herself, just couldn’t exactly wrap her head around it. It didn’t help that most of the events throughout her day were rapidly shifting from one out there thing to another. Still, she left Dex follow through with his procedures.
Or at least she thought he was gonna do it.
“I need some time to look over the crime scene. Since the copper doesn’t want to show up, I would like you to stand in for me. And maybe question one or two…twenty seven! Twenty-seven people here needs to be questioned. That’s your first job as my secretary. Also, make sure no one leaves yet, thanks!”
Monna’s mouth just frozen agape, unable even to utter anything as he left her completely alone. What now? Just, go ahead and question each and every one of them? She never dealt with huge crowds of people, let alone animal-people!!! What exactly could she do here?
“Hey, you there? Why won’t you let us out?” One patron asked. A dog, bull, wearing casual work clothes, holding a pamphlet and his voice was growly and menacing.
“Ummm,” Monna hesitated, unable to come up with words. She was already cracking up.
“How long will this take?” Another, a dalmation with sports ensemble, asked. Immediately, everyone else began their own set of questions raising the volume of the room. Monna barely could raise her own voice above whimper. She was already losing control.
“This guy is a detective! He knows what he is doing so just let him do stuff. Please?” She tried to say, but no one listened.
One person suddenly started pushing through the crowd.
“Wait-!”
“I am going home, I have errands to do.” It was the same bull-dog in work-wear.
“I understand sir, but please-“ Monna tried to intercept him but he easily pushed her to the side. He was much bigger than her, and she herself was just a sixteen year-old girl.
“Just move aside you pre-pubescent manwhore and let me through-“
Her fist flew faster than she herself could react. She never imagined herself actually punching a dog square in the face. She couldn’t! And yet it actually happened, she powed a dog right in the kisser.
The landing of his body was actually enough to scare the crowd into silence. No one even dared to move from the place now.
“DID YOU JUST CALL ME A MAN YOU STUPID SCUM!?”
Monna’s voice left everyone trembling. Also confused. She did not pay much attention, but there was growing number of question from every patron over the fact that this was the exact reason she punched a guy twice her size. Monna exhaled then, allowing all anger out. Not that she liked how it led to this, but it seems everything came back to order.
And soon enough, siren was heard from the outside. Monna saw a single police car driving in. From it emerged a well-built German Sheppard and another, Saluki, right behind him. The two quickly entered inside, immediately inspecting the place only to find a rather calm crowd right behind Monna.
“Alright, I see everyone’s okay…” He gave a quick salute to Monna. “Officer Tucker here. Officer Carl.” Saluki nodded enthusiastically. He was carrying a notepad with him.
“Thank goodness officer!” Dex exclaimed from afar. He was still inspecting the body, in between taking sigs from his flask, barely moving anywhere from his place. Monna could see the officer’s teeth flash however in sort of mid-growl.
“Goddamit, not this guy…” Tucker rubbed his doggy mug with his furry hand. This made Monna wonder just what’s the history between them, to cause frustration on sight alone. “So let me guess,” Officer Tucker calmly approached Dex, “you just happened at the crime scene?”
“I just happened to be a bit more due diligent than most people within my field. Now please show respect and round those people up like you do cattle. I am ‘bout to be dun here, sugarcube.” That last bit carried some Southern drawl in it. Tucker apparently wanted to say something, but instead just sighed and moved in front of Monna and the others.
“Please stay back all of you, the police…” He looked to Monna, “that includes you too.”
“Actually, I-“
“THAT BITCH HIT ME!”
That was the worker, who seemed to have come to his senses.
“Sir calm down,” Tucker said motoning Saluki to lift the guy up. As the man kept grumbling, Tucker went towards Monna, who quickly felt immense pressure piling on to her. She knew she was about to be questioned what was going on here.
“I can explain!” Monna quickly noted before Tucker could say anything.
“That there is my secretary, little Tucker!” Dex also exclaimed immediately after.
“What?”
The officer was growing confused by this. Not surprising, Monna wouldn’t peg herself as a secretary either, on style alone. Hell, she was acting as a glorified assistant, which did bother her the more she realized it.
“Yeah, I guess I am.” Monna tried to fold her arms to look professionally in front of him. It only came across sillier. “He asked me to look over these people.”
Tucker looked at her with his big brown eyes.
“Ok, I dunno what he told you, young lady, but you shouldn’t-“
“She did more than you ever could!” Dex then lightly giggled.
Tucker face twisted. Monna likened it to him about to bark throughout the whole restaurant.
“I thought you were busy?” Tucker asked through his teeth.
“Just need some finishing touches.”
Tucker rubbed his forehead. Monna was starting to get used freakish nature of these animal people and their human-like behavior. She could also tell he was becoming a bit too frustrated.
“Sorry about that.” She had no idea if that would help, or come across as pitiying. Thankfully, the officer waved it off as in ‘Not a problem’ kind of way. He didn’t seem to be a bad person here. Then immediately, a new question popped in her mind. “Is he, um, legit?”
“Who, him?” Tucker pointed to Dex. Monna nodded, then shifted herself a bit to be out of Dex’s side view. Since Saluki seemed to be in charge of the crowd now, she felt like she could talk to the officer in private. It felt better than just someone as random as that guy anyway.
“Yes,” She whispered. “I know it’s sudden, but he only said he was a detective. Like a homicide one.”
“Detective my tail,” Tucker growled. Monna took a mental note about his speech. “He is far from a detective as you can get. Though mainly cause he works outside of our office and doesn’t have actual permit. On account that his history before being a detective is as that giant oak tree we had near my house. I mean seriously, he himself claimed to be around twenty, and yet, somehow, has all the authority, experience and moxy to go around and act like he owns the place. It’s a game for a guy like him, make sure to remember.”
“Okay, so he’s a fraud? Why is he helping then?”
“Cause he isn’t one!” Carl stated from the back. Tucker glared at him and the Saluki immediately returned to his duty.
“That’s not incorrect.” Tucker sighed. “Look, sure, he has done big stuff here, even made some paper headlines, but that’s like not even real work, just go around and make stuff up and have it line with reality.”
“You are ever so kind to my abilities!” Dex said haughtily, approaching the two out of nowhere. Monna caught herself on how she didn’t feel his presence beforehand. “Now let me say, it is still warm, the body that is, except for the hands and feet. The skin under fur is also unusual in color and dare I say, he left some…gifts for you. I smelled his coffee after pouring milk into it, by the way, and I found a hint of…onion.”
The two men stared at each other, as Tucker then clicked his teeth.
“That one again?” The officer shook his head, “For god’s sake, just how many have they distributed these things.”
“I am afraid many, bud.”
“Can you stop that?”
Dex laughed. “So you don’t want me to find you a culprit?”
“I’d rather not to waste time here, so you better just give me straight answers already!”
“I am afraid that is far from possible, unless we could do something together. Anyways, it is obvious he has had to digest the poison from coffee. I usually takes 5…6…minutes for it to take effect. And as such…You!” He pointed to Monna. “A question?”
She stared a bit before finally asking, “What are you guys talking about? Some poison?”
“Oh, you don’t know about it? Well I say, my dear secretary, you really should put more effort in readying yourself.” Tucker rolled his eyes. Monna would’ve wanted too, but she was too busy thinking on what the poison actually was. “As we know by now, that substance has become scarily popular to be distributed within streets, capable of killing a grown man within short period of time. Cannot be found until it gets digested, as well. It is also easily disposable, like shooting down the drain for it to loose effect, and is pretty cheap, despite how impossible it is to procure such element. And, very likely, it came from our usual suspect. So far it can definitively be said, we are dealing with a person who needed to silently assassinate their target.”
“So, there was someone trying to kill in silence…But, wouldn’t they leave already?” Monna asked. Dex actually giggled giddily from the question.
“Now, you may in fact think it to be so, but that may not always be the case. The poison, according to rumors, had some false cases, albeit nothing concrete. And regardless, you do need to make sure you see that your target is dead with your own eyes, anyway.”
“So, how do we find them, oh your brilliance.” Tucker asked sarcastically.
“My, it sounds as if you are flirting with me, you!” Tucker growled at Dex. That was the most animal-like behavior Monna has seen from creatures like these. He continued, “Check for people with soup stains in their shoes.”
“What?”
“I spilled some soup earlier by the bathroom. If they knew the guy is dead, they would have disposed of the thing some time when the commotion happened.”
Tucker sighed, but did as he was told and turned towards the crowd. He motioned Saluki, who then quickly silenced everyone and had their attention towards the superior officer.
“Everyone, please show your shoes.” Each person shifted a bit. “C’mon, one by one here.”
“Oh my, what do we have here.” Dex picked a pamphlet from the floor. Monna immediately recognized it from the one she suckered in the face. She then saw him take stance and tossing it right at the entrance of the door. Suddenly, someone stepped on it and got forced to plant right on the floor.
“Let’s see here.” Dex approached the animal person on the floor. Before they could get up, he swiftly caught and raised their leg up, keeping them off balance. There was a noticeable soup stain.
“Let me go!” The person yelled, with a very young voice. In fact, it came across almost kid-like. Despite looking like a human sized cat, it was a teenage-no, pre-teen aged – person.
Dex then motioned Tucker, who quickly went ahead and picked the animal-kid onto their feet. He then rummaged in their pockets and pulled out an empty, wet vial.
“Interesting.” Dex noted
“So, the kid’s our criminal.” Tucker handed over the vial to Saluki.
“Oh definitely.”
“Let me go, I didn’t do it!” They kept screaming. Monna realized more and more that this one was a young girl, younger than her.
“Too late kiddo.”
Monna suddenly felt odd about this. She is in a different world, but the rules that applied then would apply here in her mind. She just couldn’t look away from this.
“Wait a sec!” She suddenly exclaimed. The two men looked at her. “Are you sure it’s the kid?”
“Well, we got our evidence.” Tucker said pointing to the vial.
“You won’t prove anything, I got framed!” The girl exclaimed. Something about this whole thing just wouldn’t sit right for Monna.
“And why run away?” Dex began with his barrages of questions. “Why have a soup stain from a male bathroom, little lady, if not to use it to dump all contents? And if anything, we may even connect you to this person, perhaps he is your teacher, or father, or someone you know…all it takes is a little research, little darling. Plus, poisoning him can be quite easy for someone of your ilk.”
“Wait,” Monna noted, “how did she poison him?”
“I did that by myself!” The kid suddenly exclaimed. Monna immediately felt something fishy here.
“How?”
“I won’t tell you!”
“Cause she didn’t.”
Monna looked around. Everyone, including Dex, Tucker and each one of the crowd’s animal-people were now starring at another person. It was a cat lady, same one whom she talked earlier by the counter, coming forward.
“I was the one who did it.” She said. Everyone shifted away. The kid then started vying attention from the two men holding her.
“No she’s lying she’s-“
“I used my position to get close and pour it into his coffee,” the cat-lady said promptly. “Then I forced the kid into hiding the evidence.”
“Cassie no! She’s lying, she’s trying to cover for me!”
Monna noticed the growing desperation the kid seemed to be having. Dex however, can be heard laughing.
“My, what a twist here already! So, what is the truth here then?”
“I’ll tell you everything,” The cat lady walked forward. “Where I got it, how and when. I also got the motive too. Also, the kid, she’s just a friend, who got forced into it by me.”
“Cassie stop!” The kid began pleading.
“Emily, you don’t have to do it!”
“But you’ll-“
“If I confess everything now, will the punishment be lighter?” The cat lady asked Dex. He shrugged, and Tucker, as Monna noticed, looked somewhat annoyed.
“That depends on what you’ll tell us, but we may ease it. Isn’t that right, officer?”
Tucker without a word just let go of the kid. He then continued to pull a pair of handcuffs and put them on the cat lady, her hands at the ready.
“No, you don’t understand!” The kid started getting in the way of the two, “She can’t be by herself she’ll-”
“That’s enough Emily.”
“No.” She began crying.
“Alright, that’s enough. Both of you’ll come with us. Nobody else leaves the premises until the police are done here,” Tucker resounded. The crowd began murmuring between themselves from what just happened.
It took few more minutes until the sound sirens began drawing in. Monna watched the two girls being escorted into the car.
There were still unanswered questions.
…
“My, what an unusual development.”
Monna was silent. They both left the café early on Dex’s request. He claimed that he doesn’t like the detail-oriented nature of police, and rather go off on his own.
“Dex.”
“Yes, dear secretary?” His insufferable nature was hard to take, yet still…
“Why do people go so far to kill one another?”
Dex stood there for a moment. She wasn’t sure at first if he heard it, based on his spacy actions. He then said, “Life is but a resource. Some of us don’t think too hard on taking it away.”
He then checked his watch.
“Well then, you’ve done exceptionally well, dear secretary. How about you come into my office for today?”
“Why?”
“You still haven’t opened your letter, no?” He suddenly asked.
“No, not really.”
“Then there’s still mystery to solve. Now then, let’s not dawdle here!”
Dex proceeded forward with highed speed. Monna pulled out the letter from her pocket, curious about what it had. It said:
“Make the best of it. 4500 Crawdle Street East, Apt# 508.”
Monna kept staring at it. Questions would not leave her. Why is she here? How did she come here? Is it all real? How long will she stay here? Like this? Can she trust anyone?
Mysteries will keep on piling…
…
"Survive your first day"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
…
“Alright everyone, please do not push amongst yourselves! We have a long day ahead of us!”
The patrons at the café were gathered into one place. Despite the earlier commotion, Dex apparently was able to quickly organize everyone and have them follow his instructions. Mainly, by flashing his official badge (apparently a fake toy), waiting until everyone gets out and only then begin his questioning. Or at least, that was how he says gonna happen next.
No one looked too thrilled about the prospect, as it was still too hard to believe something like this just happened out of the blue. Monna, herself, just couldn’t exactly wrap her head around it. It didn’t help that most of the events throughout her day were rapidly shifting from one out there thing to another. Still, she left Dex follow through with his procedures.
Or at least she thought he was gonna do it.
“I need some time to look over the crime scene. Since the copper doesn’t want to show up, I would like you to stand in for me. And maybe question one or two…twenty seven! Twenty-seven people here needs to be questioned. That’s your first job as my secretary. Also, make sure no one leaves yet, thanks!”
Monna’s mouth just frozen agape, unable even to utter anything as he left her completely alone. What now? Just, go ahead and question each and every one of them? She never dealt with huge crowds of people, let alone animal-people!!! What exactly could she do here?
“Hey, you there? Why won’t you let us out?” One patron asked. A dog, bull, wearing casual work clothes, holding a pamphlet and his voice was growly and menacing.
“Ummm,” Monna hesitated, unable to come up with words. She was already cracking up.
“How long will this take?” Another, a dalmation with sports ensemble, asked. Immediately, everyone else began their own set of questions raising the volume of the room. Monna barely could raise her own voice above whimper. She was already losing control.
“This guy is a detective! He knows what he is doing so just let him do stuff. Please?” She tried to say, but no one listened.
One person suddenly started pushing through the crowd.
“Wait-!”
“I am going home, I have errands to do.” It was the same bull-dog in work-wear.
“I understand sir, but please-“ Monna tried to intercept him but he easily pushed her to the side. He was much bigger than her, and she herself was just a sixteen year-old girl.
“Just move aside you pre-pubescent manwhore and let me through-“
Her fist flew faster than she herself could react. She never imagined herself actually punching a dog square in the face. She couldn’t! And yet it actually happened, she powed a dog right in the kisser.
The landing of his body was actually enough to scare the crowd into silence. No one even dared to move from the place now.
“DID YOU JUST CALL ME A MAN YOU STUPID SCUM!?”
Monna’s voice left everyone trembling. Also confused. She did not pay much attention, but there was growing number of question from every patron over the fact that this was the exact reason she punched a guy twice her size. Monna exhaled then, allowing all anger out. Not that she liked how it led to this, but it seems everything came back to order.
And soon enough, siren was heard from the outside. Monna saw a single police car driving in. From it emerged a well-built German Sheppard and another, Saluki, right behind him. The two quickly entered inside, immediately inspecting the place only to find a rather calm crowd right behind Monna.
“Alright, I see everyone’s okay…” He gave a quick salute to Monna. “Officer Tucker here. Officer Carl.” Saluki nodded enthusiastically. He was carrying a notepad with him.
“Thank goodness officer!” Dex exclaimed from afar. He was still inspecting the body, in between taking sigs from his flask, barely moving anywhere from his place. Monna could see the officer’s teeth flash however in sort of mid-growl.
“Goddamit, not this guy…” Tucker rubbed his doggy mug with his furry hand. This made Monna wonder just what’s the history between them, to cause frustration on sight alone. “So let me guess,” Officer Tucker calmly approached Dex, “you just happened at the crime scene?”
“I just happened to be a bit more due diligent than most people within my field. Now please show respect and round those people up like you do cattle. I am ‘bout to be dun here, sugarcube.” That last bit carried some Southern drawl in it. Tucker apparently wanted to say something, but instead just sighed and moved in front of Monna and the others.
“Please stay back all of you, the police…” He looked to Monna, “that includes you too.”
“Actually, I-“
“THAT BITCH HIT ME!”
That was the worker, who seemed to have come to his senses.
“Sir calm down,” Tucker said motoning Saluki to lift the guy up. As the man kept grumbling, Tucker went towards Monna, who quickly felt immense pressure piling on to her. She knew she was about to be questioned what was going on here.
“I can explain!” Monna quickly noted before Tucker could say anything.
“That there is my secretary, little Tucker!” Dex also exclaimed immediately after.
“What?”
The officer was growing confused by this. Not surprising, Monna wouldn’t peg herself as a secretary either, on style alone. Hell, she was acting as a glorified assistant, which did bother her the more she realized it.
“Yeah, I guess I am.” Monna tried to fold her arms to look professionally in front of him. It only came across sillier. “He asked me to look over these people.”
Tucker looked at her with his big brown eyes.
“Ok, I dunno what he told you, young lady, but you shouldn’t-“
“She did more than you ever could!” Dex then lightly giggled.
Tucker face twisted. Monna likened it to him about to bark throughout the whole restaurant.
“I thought you were busy?” Tucker asked through his teeth.
“Just need some finishing touches.”
Tucker rubbed his forehead. Monna was starting to get used freakish nature of these animal people and their human-like behavior. She could also tell he was becoming a bit too frustrated.
“Sorry about that.” She had no idea if that would help, or come across as pitiying. Thankfully, the officer waved it off as in ‘Not a problem’ kind of way. He didn’t seem to be a bad person here. Then immediately, a new question popped in her mind. “Is he, um, legit?”
“Who, him?” Tucker pointed to Dex. Monna nodded, then shifted herself a bit to be out of Dex’s side view. Since Saluki seemed to be in charge of the crowd now, she felt like she could talk to the officer in private. It felt better than just someone as random as that guy anyway.
“Yes,” She whispered. “I know it’s sudden, but he only said he was a detective. Like a homicide one.”
“Detective my tail,” Tucker growled. Monna took a mental note about his speech. “He is far from a detective as you can get. Though mainly cause he works outside of our office and doesn’t have actual permit. On account that his history before being a detective is as that giant oak tree we had near my house. I mean seriously, he himself claimed to be around twenty, and yet, somehow, has all the authority, experience and moxy to go around and act like he owns the place. It’s a game for a guy like him, make sure to remember.”
“Okay, so he’s a fraud? Why is he helping then?”
“Cause he isn’t one!” Carl stated from the back. Tucker glared at him and the Saluki immediately returned to his duty.
“That’s not incorrect.” Tucker sighed. “Look, sure, he has done big stuff here, even made some paper headlines, but that’s like not even real work, just go around and make stuff up and have it line with reality.”
“You are ever so kind to my abilities!” Dex said haughtily, approaching the two out of nowhere. Monna caught herself on how she didn’t feel his presence beforehand. “Now let me say, it is still warm, the body that is, except for the hands and feet. The skin under fur is also unusual in color and dare I say, he left some…gifts for you. I smelled his coffee after pouring milk into it, by the way, and I found a hint of…onion.”
The two men stared at each other, as Tucker then clicked his teeth.
“That one again?” The officer shook his head, “For god’s sake, just how many have they distributed these things.”
“I am afraid many, bud.”
“Can you stop that?”
Dex laughed. “So you don’t want me to find you a culprit?”
“I’d rather not to waste time here, so you better just give me straight answers already!”
“I am afraid that is far from possible, unless we could do something together. Anyways, it is obvious he has had to digest the poison from coffee. I usually takes 5…6…minutes for it to take effect. And as such…You!” He pointed to Monna. “A question?”
She stared a bit before finally asking, “What are you guys talking about? Some poison?”
“Oh, you don’t know about it? Well I say, my dear secretary, you really should put more effort in readying yourself.” Tucker rolled his eyes. Monna would’ve wanted too, but she was too busy thinking on what the poison actually was. “As we know by now, that substance has become scarily popular to be distributed within streets, capable of killing a grown man within short period of time. Cannot be found until it gets digested, as well. It is also easily disposable, like shooting down the drain for it to loose effect, and is pretty cheap, despite how impossible it is to procure such element. And, very likely, it came from our usual suspect. So far it can definitively be said, we are dealing with a person who needed to silently assassinate their target.”
“So, there was someone trying to kill in silence…But, wouldn’t they leave already?” Monna asked. Dex actually giggled giddily from the question.
“Now, you may in fact think it to be so, but that may not always be the case. The poison, according to rumors, had some false cases, albeit nothing concrete. And regardless, you do need to make sure you see that your target is dead with your own eyes, anyway.”
“So, how do we find them, oh your brilliance.” Tucker asked sarcastically.
“My, it sounds as if you are flirting with me, you!” Tucker growled at Dex. That was the most animal-like behavior Monna has seen from creatures like these. He continued, “Check for people with soup stains in their shoes.”
“What?”
“I spilled some soup earlier by the bathroom. If they knew the guy is dead, they would have disposed of the thing some time when the commotion happened.”
Tucker sighed, but did as he was told and turned towards the crowd. He motioned Saluki, who then quickly silenced everyone and had their attention towards the superior officer.
“Everyone, please show your shoes.” Each person shifted a bit. “C’mon, one by one here.”
“Oh my, what do we have here.” Dex picked a pamphlet from the floor. Monna immediately recognized it from the one she suckered in the face. She then saw him take stance and tossing it right at the entrance of the door. Suddenly, someone stepped on it and got forced to plant right on the floor.
“Let’s see here.” Dex approached the animal person on the floor. Before they could get up, he swiftly caught and raised their leg up, keeping them off balance. There was a noticeable soup stain.
“Let me go!” The person yelled, with a very young voice. In fact, it came across almost kid-like. Despite looking like a human sized cat, it was a teenage-no, pre-teen aged – person.
Dex then motioned Tucker, who quickly went ahead and picked the animal-kid onto their feet. He then rummaged in their pockets and pulled out an empty, wet vial.
“Interesting.” Dex noted
“So, the kid’s our criminal.” Tucker handed over the vial to Saluki.
“Oh definitely.”
“Let me go, I didn’t do it!” They kept screaming. Monna realized more and more that this one was a young girl, younger than her.
“Too late kiddo.”
Monna suddenly felt odd about this. She is in a different world, but the rules that applied then would apply here in her mind. She just couldn’t look away from this.
“Wait a sec!” She suddenly exclaimed. The two men looked at her. “Are you sure it’s the kid?”
“Well, we got our evidence.” Tucker said pointing to the vial.
“You won’t prove anything, I got framed!” The girl exclaimed. Something about this whole thing just wouldn’t sit right for Monna.
“And why run away?” Dex began with his barrages of questions. “Why have a soup stain from a male bathroom, little lady, if not to use it to dump all contents? And if anything, we may even connect you to this person, perhaps he is your teacher, or father, or someone you know…all it takes is a little research, little darling. Plus, poisoning him can be quite easy for someone of your ilk.”
“Wait,” Monna noted, “how did she poison him?”
“I did that by myself!” The kid suddenly exclaimed. Monna immediately felt something fishy here.
“How?”
“I won’t tell you!”
“Cause she didn’t.”
Monna looked around. Everyone, including Dex, Tucker and each one of the crowd’s animal-people were now starring at another person. It was a cat lady, same one whom she talked earlier by the counter, coming forward.
“I was the one who did it.” She said. Everyone shifted away. The kid then started vying attention from the two men holding her.
“No she’s lying she’s-“
“I used my position to get close and pour it into his coffee,” the cat-lady said promptly. “Then I forced the kid into hiding the evidence.”
“Cassie no! She’s lying, she’s trying to cover for me!”
Monna noticed the growing desperation the kid seemed to be having. Dex however, can be heard laughing.
“My, what a twist here already! So, what is the truth here then?”
“I’ll tell you everything,” The cat lady walked forward. “Where I got it, how and when. I also got the motive too. Also, the kid, she’s just a friend, who got forced into it by me.”
“Cassie stop!” The kid began pleading.
“Emily, you don’t have to do it!”
“But you’ll-“
“If I confess everything now, will the punishment be lighter?” The cat lady asked Dex. He shrugged, and Tucker, as Monna noticed, looked somewhat annoyed.
“That depends on what you’ll tell us, but we may ease it. Isn’t that right, officer?”
Tucker without a word just let go of the kid. He then continued to pull a pair of handcuffs and put them on the cat lady, her hands at the ready.
“No, you don’t understand!” The kid started getting in the way of the two, “She can’t be by herself she’ll-”
“That’s enough Emily.”
“No.” She began crying.
“Alright, that’s enough. Both of you’ll come with us. Nobody else leaves the premises until the police are done here,” Tucker resounded. The crowd began murmuring between themselves from what just happened.
It took few more minutes until the sound sirens began drawing in. Monna watched the two girls being escorted into the car.
There were still unanswered questions.
…
“My, what an unusual development.”
Monna was silent. They both left the café early on Dex’s request. He claimed that he doesn’t like the detail-oriented nature of police, and rather go off on his own.
“Dex.”
“Yes, dear secretary?” His insufferable nature was hard to take, yet still…
“Why do people go so far to kill one another?”
Dex stood there for a moment. She wasn’t sure at first if he heard it, based on his spacy actions. He then said, “Life is but a resource. Some of us don’t think too hard on taking it away.”
He then checked his watch.
“Well then, you’ve done exceptionally well, dear secretary. How about you come into my office for today?”
“Why?”
“You still haven’t opened your letter, no?” He suddenly asked.
“No, not really.”
“Then there’s still mystery to solve. Now then, let’s not dawdle here!”
Dex proceeded forward with highed speed. Monna pulled out the letter from her pocket, curious about what it had. It said:
“Make the best of it. 4500 Crawdle Street East, Apt# 508.”
Monna kept staring at it. Questions would not leave her. Why is she here? How did she come here? Is it all real? How long will she stay here? Like this? Can she trust anyone?
Mysteries will keep on piling…
…
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 50 x 50px
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