Veil of Crimson

Just Another Strange Day In A Detective's Life

I don’t think I’ve ever dug this deep for an investigation. I mean, I did my fair share of obsessive investigating, but this … I have literally everything on him that I could get my hands on. Financial records, job history, criminal records, dating history, which is a long ass list …

But nothing. Everything seems to be by the books. The man doesn’t even evade taxes. I mean, come on, he doesn’t even have an account open in any of the world’s tax havens, how is this possible? How is he so clean? It doesn’t add up.

I drag myself to the hotel late in the afternoon, deciding to give my previous landlord a phone call. I have no energy left to actually hunt for apartments. I can’t get that man out of my head. What’s his game? There’s something about him that’s leaving me restless.

The landlord doesn’t answer immediately. But he calls me back ten minutes later, when I’m waiting for my dinner in the hotel restaurant. I answer after gulping down the wine I was just sipping on.

I know I’m drinking way too much, but what my mother doesn’t see won’t hurt her. I need alcohol after the past couple of days. My previous landlord greets me like an old friend and asks me what he can do for me.

As I tell him what I want, he seems incredibly conflicted. I know what it means immediately. “Listen, Elise … I would’ve loved to give your old apartment back to you, but … It’s taken you know. Indefinitely. I wasn’t looking for any other type of contract and this young family signed right away,” he apologizes.

I’m disappointed, but I was kind of expecting this. Of course, he wasn’t waiting for me to come crawling back. “Oh, no, that’s alright Frank. It’s only reasonable you gave it away as soon as you could. I’d do the same thing if I were in your place. No hard feelings,” I assure him.

Deep down inside, I’m a little bummed. I really liked my old apartment. I can’t believe I gave it up to move in with Brandon after he proposed. My jaw clenches in pain. I’m not showing it to anyone, but I’m actually really hurt by what he did to me.

His betrayal literally branded me as a person, who’s too naïve for her own good. But I’m not. I just put my faith into the wrong man. You can trust me, when I say I’m never going to repeat that mistake again. Even if it means that I’m going to be lonely for the rest of my days.

“I’m glad you’re not mad. I’m really sorry. Though … What’s your rent budget?” he then asks, making me perk up. Finally, this sounds more promising than anything else I’ve heard in the past few days.

“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. Something around the amount that was in our contract,” I tell him, knowing that it’s a long shot. We’ve signed that deal more than five years ago. Prices have gone up astronomically since then.

He lets out a sharp breath, clearly hesitating about this whole deal. “Wait, let me talk to the landlord and I’ll call you back, alright? I’m not sure what his prices are, but his apartments are … Well, they’re a little bit more on the high side, if you know what I mean,” he tries to explain.

I bite my lower lip. Sure. I knew it was too good to be true. “Ah. No, okay, you can still call the landlord. It doesn’t hurt to find out what his price would be,” I still agree to his suggestion, making his voice light up instantly.

“Okay, great! You won’t be mad if I tell him a little bit more about you, will you? After all, you’re an officer of the law, these are bonus points. I can say you’ll make his other residents feel safer about living in his building,” he tries to persuade me.

I chuckle in response, feeling so relieved to hear myself make that sound. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to smile so soon after a breakup. Especially after such a nasty one. “I’m actually a homicide detective now, but sure. You can introduce me,” I give him the green light.

“Oh, I didn’t know about that, congratulations, Elise! You’ve earned it!” he congratulates me, putting me in a slightly better mood. Frank was really the best landlord I’ve ever had. I’m not sure the next one is going to measure up to him.

“Thanks, Frank. Call me back later, will you?” I tell him in response and we tell each other goodbye before hanging up. I really hope he’s going to call back soon. I can afford the hotel for a few more nights, but I also have to eat somewhere.

As I’m waiting for my dinner to arrive, random information from the case keeps popping into my mind. I don’t know why, but my mind keeps circling back to Fleur de Lys. How was LeBlanc able to be by the body so soon and not see anyone?

If he and Rousseau both ran out at the same time, they should’ve both gotten to the scene about at the same time. Yet his chef specifically stated that he saw his boss standing over the body. But if LeBlanc actually killed Roberts … Where did he put the weapon?

I know that I’m being biased. I shouldn’t be. But I have nowhere to turn. I have no evidence whatsoever, no murder weapon, no liable suspect, let alone any witnesses. It’s a disaster and it’s my first independent case. The first one that I’m actually leading, instead of investigating from the shadows.

After I finish my dinner, I stop by the reception to check if the light in my room has been fixed. I really don’t want it to go out again like it did yesterday. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling and it didn’t help with getting a good night’s sleep.

“Oh, let me just … a hundred and seven?” she checks, making me nod in response. She scratches the back of her neck awkwardly, then turns back towards me. “You said the light just went out yesterday, right? You were in the bathroom and it wasn’t working when you got back in the room?” she speaks up.

I nod in confirmation, wondering what this is about. “Yeah, that’s right. I was taking a bath and I left the light in the room on. When I got out, it wasn’t working anymore,” I confirm her words. She seems conflicted, like she doesn’t know how to tell me what she’s about to say.

“Well, here’s the thing … Our maintenance worker has told me that your light wasn’t broken or anything. The light bulbs were missing from the chandelier,” she explains, taking me completely aback. I stare at her in complete shock, a thousand things going through my head.

That feeling that I got, like I was being watched. Maybe that wasn’t paranoia. Maybe there was some truth to it. “Excuse me?” I say after I finally manage to pull myself together. But it’s the only thing that I’m able to get out of my mouth, really.

She blinks a little too rapidly, smiling in an apologetic way. “I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, I’m not sure how that was possible. But I can assure you it’s not going to repeat again,” she tells me.

I nod in response, feeling myself panicking. “Of course. It’s not a problem,” I tell her, smiling back. Then, I head into the elevator to pick up my things. I’m sleeping in my car tonight. There’s no way I’m staying in that room again. Someone knows I’m staying here and I really don’t want to give them a second chance to break into my room.

I don’t have much in there, because all my stuff is in my car. I intend to drive it around until I find myself a more permanent place to stay at. But right now, I really don’t care how stuffed my car is.

I enter the room with my hand resting on the handle of my gun. I feel safer that way. It’s all perfectly fine. The light bulbs are all shining brightly on the chandelier as I turn the light on. I shiver in horror. I can’t believe I was being so reckless yesterday. I could be killed in my sleep and I wouldn’t even know it.

I don’t even dare to take a bath. I just wash myself quickly, then head to my car. It’s parked in the garage, so I won’t be sleeping out in the street, but still. It’s not the comfiest place to spend the night at, but I’ll manage. Anything is better than having someone breaking and entering into my room again.

Just as I’m getting settled, my phone starts ringing. It’s my previous landlord. He better has good news for me. “Hey, Elise! I have something great to tell you!” he greets me, almost making me cry out in relief. I don’t, of course.

“Really? Let me hear it, Frank,” I encourage him, hoping to hear that the landlord he just called has a free apartment somewhere near my workplace. No, scratch that. I just want it to be in New Orleans, it doesn’t even matter how far away from the police station it is.

“I got you a great deal. If you don’t take it, I might as well turn into a cockroach,” he jokes, making me smile. “Fifteen hundred per month, a small house right in the French Quarter. You have your own parking space in the joined space with three other buildings. And you also share an outdoor pool with them. One bedroom, one bathroom, and a really nice open space downstairs, joining the kitchen, dining room and living room,” he presents the deal.

I’m actually quite surprised by it. And to be honest, I was never really a picky person. Also, I don’t like to waste time on minor things that aren’t really important in life once you start thinking about it. So, I hear myself saying: “Sounds great! When can I move in?”

Frank chuckles in response, but his answer surprises me so much that I’m left speechless. “Right away!”

He’s met with silence, because like I said, I’m too stunned to say anything in response. He’s got to be kidding, right? No one in their right mind will let me move into their apartment this late in the day. I know we’re in New Orleans, but come on, it’s almost ten in the evening!

“Hello? Are you still there?” Frank wonders, forcing me to get it together. I take a deep breath before responding.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here. Sorry, you just surprised me, that’s all. I’d actually love to … Where do I need to go? Can you give me the landlord’s number?” I wonder, making the decision quite hastily. Like it’s burning behind my feet. I still have to check out of the hotel before I go, but if Frank is vouching for this guy, I have nothing to worry about. No one is going to break in there and watch me sleep at night like a creep.

I shudder at the thought, Frank’s voice forcing me to concentrate as he gives me the number. As I see it written down, it seems kind of familiar, but I don’t think much of it. He then provides me with the address as well and tells me that I can go there right away. That the landlord is already there anyway.

I thank him and hang up, then go check out of the hotel. I still get charged for this night, because it’s too late for them to sell the room to anyone right now, but I don’t mind it. I’d pay double of what I actually have to pay if it meant never feeling that horrible sensation of being watched again.

As I take off, I drive through the streets slowly. I Googled the location of the house, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to get it right in the darkness. But as I get closer, I actually manage to recognize the façade. I drive closer, parking on the street, because I don’t know where the inside parking space is.

There’s a light turned on inside the house, but I’m not sure I just want to go knock on the front door. I type in the number, letting out a soft sigh as I tap on the call button. Not even two rings later, a man already picks up.

“Hello?” he answers, making me frown. His voice sounds strangely familiar. Do I know him from somewhere?

“Hello, this is the Detective that Frank called you about. He told me I can move in right away. I’m … I’m actually in front of the house,” I explain, not knowing what else to say. There’s a short silence on the other side, before he finally speaks up.

“Of course, come in, please. You’re welcome to stay the night if you have nowhere else to go. We can deal with the details tomorrow,” he assures me. I thank him, then hang up. I keep thinking about why his voice sounds familiar until I knock on the front door.

As soon as it swings open in my face, I feel like shooting myself in the foot. You’ve got to be shitting kidding me.