Edgar's Crime
1349 Words
The old brick house was just a stone throw from the beginning of the street. Mikhail, starting the day with a resolve to not smoke, felt his hand twitch in his pocket. The sun was starting to lose heat, signifying the nearing of winter. It was the worst time to quit.
He rang the doorbell, waiting for a response. This time, he was wearing a striped blue shirt and black jeans, white converse, and a small sling back on his side. The chief lectured him about approachable looks, making sure it stuck in his head.
He was getting fairly tired of waiting. It had been 30 minutes and he had rung the doorbell about 7 times.
Finally, the door slowly turned on its hinges and an aged head poked out from the small gap created. There was a look of skepticism on the old woman’s face but as the door was finally answered, Mikhail wasn’t giving up.
“Good morning ma’am. My name is Detective Grisha and I’m from E district police station. Here’s my license” he showed it to her, making sure it was visible enough. He moved closer so he could make escape impossible for her.
“I’ve come to ask for your son, Mr. Edgar. Is he in?”
The expression on her face changed. There was a hint of panic in her eyes and her expression became guarded.
“He’s not here”
“Ma’am, lying to a police officer is a criminal offense”
“How do you know I’m lying?”
Mikhail was impressed she didn't flinch while answering. He always liked a seasoned liar. They made for the most interesting investigations. However, this old woman lied, Mikhail was an expert at identifying body language.
“I’m a detective. I need to ask your son a few questions”
“Now you’re lying. A couple of cops came by the last time and said they wanted to ask him questions too. They took him out and I didn’t see him for four days!”
“Well ma’am, do you know Erin Walsh, the singer? Your son may be involved in her murder. I am investigating to find out whether that is true or not”
“My son is anything but a murderer!”
“I have heard that countless times ma’am. I won’t arrest your son, I give you my word. Just let me see him”
The aged woman had a fierce look in her eyes. She was unwilling to let Mikhail in. Mikhail was unwilling to give in. He didn’t have a warrant but he wouldn’t leave there even if the sky fell. An appropriate exaggeration for such a stubborn man.
“Fine. I don’t have money for a private investigator so if you can prove he’s innocent, I’ll let you in whenever you went”
Mikhail felt like he had passed some form of test. He didn’t hate it, stepping in right after her. The house was like a throwback into the past, giving an estranged air. Based on everything that had happened since he came, he made many assumptions.
One, the aged woman was overprotective over her son since he was probably the only one she had. However, she was getting tired of his s**t. Two, their relationship was slowly changing and they were getting into probable arguments. Three, the aged woman was a softie. Many women were over their children, despite how bad they got.
“Edgar, you have a guest” she knocked on the white-coated white pines door.
“I’m not expecting anybody” a muffled shout came from the other side.
“Just come out”
“I’m busy. If it’s the cops, tell them I’m not in”
Mikhail met the woman’s panicked eyes. He smiled and signaled for her to be calm. He twisted the knob and walked in.
“That’s probably not something you say in front of a cop”
The 160 pounds, in his mid-thirties male seated in front of a desktop playing games turned around in shock. He looked ready to bail but Mikhail’s build made him think twice. Mikhail ignored him and looked around the room. It was messy with clothes and papers scattered everywhere. There was even porn on the bed.
It was underaged porn in an unauthorized magazine. A very popular one in the underworld. He walked to the bed and picked it up.
“I’m going to ask you some questions, Mr. Edgar and I want you to answer me honestly or this….” he flapped it in front of Edgar.
“This will be going with me to the police station”
“T-That’s not mine!” Edgar squeaked. Mikhail made a buzzer sound.
“Wrong. I’ll give you this grace. Let’s try again”
Edgar nodded frantically like a chicken pecking rice.
“Have you ever met Erin Walsh?”
Mikhail looked with anticipation. Edgar, who looked eager to answer before, was silent. Mikhail urged him.
“Well…….”
“..........I have”
“When was the last time you saw her?”
Silence again. Mikhail was getting tired of watching him try to pick excuses in his head. He picked his phone to call the department. He wouldn’t be the one to arrest the man just as he promised.
“Wait! I’ll tell you. I can’t go back there!”
Mikhail closed his phone, pleased they were finally getting somewhere.
“I saw her last a few weeks ago. She came to visit, telling me about her scandal”
“So, you admit to being the videographer of the porn she starred in?”
“Yes. I was just trying to get some quick cash and shooting porn was the way to go. She said the others involved in the production had been bribed so only I was left. She found it hard to find me because I erased my traces and used a code name when I shot it…….”
I don’t know how I got caught- the unsaid statement. Mikhail knew of the department’s extensive resources so Edgar being caught was no big deal. It was just how Erin found him with the help of the Negotiators. To think they had resources as extensive as the one the department possessed, just how capable was the CEO?
“You denied every involvement in her murder”
“Yes. I didn’t even know she was dead before I saw the news. I just got paid and forgot about it”
“Hmm. Mind explaining to me why you have this. For someone who used a codename to produce an underaged porn film, you don’t seem very cautious”
“Like I said, it’s not mine. It arrived in the mail a few days ago”
The aged woman was a good liar. Her son, not so much. Mikhail cracked his neck and slammed his hand on the desktop, trapping Edgar between the desk and himself.
“Do I look like a fool to you, Edgar?”
“I-I-I’m not lying!”
“Look, I promised your mother I wouldn’t arrest you. That doesn’t mean I don’t have colleagues who would want nothing more than to put your ass behind bars. They just happen to be wonderful mothers that I have on speed dial. So, would you tell me the truth now or face the wrath of good-natured mothers”
When Mikhail left the house, he felt a sense of elation mixed with anger. The elation that he was finally getting somewhere and anger because the mystery seemed bigger than the case at hand.
Whatever it was, there was an involvement of a mysterious person or organization known as Person B. They were apparently popular in the underworld.
Before getting into his aged silver corolla, he looked at a particular telephone pole. There was a humanoid shadow that had been there ever since he had been ringing the doorbell.
He was right on track to be trailed by two different sets of people.
- Writer
