Greater Darkness: A Short Story

Greater Darkness

The blood drop was slowly moving down, leaving red trail on the surface of shattered mirror.

***

Roger opened the door, leaving the cabinet.

“And don’t forget to read the book,” said Mr. Greenaker. “Ten pages per day – no more, no less. Okay?”

Lad didn’t answer, just nodded. Running down the stairs he didn’t even noticed the woman going up. Roger was in a hurry.

Need to go out on the street, need to breathe the fresh air.

Roger was not thinking about Mr. Greenaker while riding his bicycle. On the way back home he stopped, as he always did, at the local bakery and bought a bag of croissants. Roger loved these croissants, and he was certain that they would be the only good memory of his childhood.

Reaching home, he left the

“Is there anyone left in the department?” asked Alecia, looking with irritation at the crowd.

“Sorry for that. It’s just…” Mercer paused, “nothing like this happened before in our town.”

“How bad is it?”

“Double murder. Please follow me.”

He turned around and headed towards the house, forcing his way through the crowd. Alecia followed. She saw a car parked in front of the garage and two policemen dragging out a bicycle from under it. Alecia and Mercer stepped into the house. The foul scent of blood strengthened.

***

Coming back to home Mrs. White proceeded to the kitchen. Need to put the bouquet of red roses in vase with water before they spoil. She smiled and again brought the roses to her face and smelled them. Happiness of the moment overwhelmed her.

“Roger are you home?” she called her son still smiling. “I saw your bicycle. How many more times we have to tell you not to put it there? You are twelve years old. It is about time you start cleaning after yourself.”

Miss White filled the vase with water, put the roses in it and only then felt that she was not alone in the

Alecia on the other hand was standing right in front of dead body of Mrs. White. Left ear, brow, eye, left half of woman’s nose, lips and scalp were missing. Blood and roses scattered on the white floor of kitchen.

“Bones of her nose are broken,” observed Alecia.

“We didn’t found the weapon so we thought maybe he beat her by his bare hands.”

Alecia looked at the pool of blood. Dark red liquid was flowing under the sink and the oven standing nearby. Looks like the floor of kitchen was uneven.

“Mercer please give me your pencil.”

Policeman gave her his pencil, and even turned around when Alecia got on her knees near the oven. Detective reached under it holding pencil in her hand and after a second of struggle rolled a baseball ball from under the oven. They could clearly see blood on the ball.

“A ball?” Mercer could not pull his gaze from new evidence. “He beat her with a ball?”

“No, he threw it at her,” said Alecia climbing back at her feet. “She fell down, lost her conscious, and then he cut her throat. Where is the second victim?”

“This is just a nightmare,” whispered Mercer. “It is a quiet town, things like this never happened here before.”

“Where is the second victim?” Alecia repeated her