Jack and I walked down the streets in silence; passing by different buildings.

"How did you get into forensics?" I asked, deciding to break the increasingly awkward silence.

Jack sighed slightly and shoved his hands in his pockets, "Well, my mother was found dead one day when I was 6 years old. I knew it was my father who did it- he was always drunk off his rocker morning or night. She had faded bruises from their fights before but no sign of a struggle was made that time." He ran a hand through his hair, "So, the police refused to do an autopsy; ruled it out as 'natural causes'." He paused for a moment, "I made a vow to myself that I'd never let anyone else go through that dread of never knowing how a loved one was murdered."

I nodded, feeling bad for asking, "I'm so sorry about your mother. . ."

I couldn't think of words to say. When my own mother died, I didn't want others sympathy or words. I didn't want their 'she's in a better place now'. My mother was a journalist for The World before marrying my father and having children. She wrote in the forensics and crime section of the paper. It was one night when I was 7 that she had gone to report on a murder at a nearby bar. As she was writing down the account from the bartender, the criminal had escaped the hold of the police outside; grabbing the pistol from an officer's holster and shooting the first person he saw. That person was Kate Pulitzer; my mother. She was the person that supported me the most when I had claimed I wanted to be a journalist like her as a child. It was then that her death pushed me to write in the forensics and crime section as she had.

My father would faint dead away if he knew what I was doing right now.

We opened the door to Jimmy's bar and walked inside. The rough, smokey scent of cigars and hard alcohol wafted through the air as clearly drunk men sat on bar stools, laughing too loud and chatting at a high volume.

I walked up to the counter to see a man cleaning drinking glasses. I cleared my throat and he looked up.

"Hello I'm looking for the man who discovered the body of Anne Harbor." I tried to sound as professional as I could.

The man's expression darkened, "That is classified information.  We do not spread this around."

"I'm a reporter for The Sun." I explained, pointing with my pencil to the notebook that rest in my other hand, "I was asked to write a story on this."

He squinted at me through wired spectacles, "And just what is your name?"

I hesitated for a second- why didn't I think of a name?!

"Keith." I said quickly, "Keith Plumber."

I heard Jack cough loudly from behind me to cover up the laughter he was about to let out.

The man sighed, "Right this way Mr. Plumber.  Your assistant may tag along." He said, eyeing Jack behind me.

I gave Jack a smug look of satisfaction, "Come on assistant." I teased.

He rolled his eyes and followed us into a back room.

"Stay here for a minute."

The man left the room, leaving the two of us sitting on a small couch in silence.

"What are you going to ask him?" Jack looked over at me quizzically.

"I'm figuring it out along the way." I said, tapping my pencil against my leg.

"Well you'd better figure it out quick."

The door opened and a new man stepped in. He wore a tweed jacket and glasses, black hair smoothed back with hair gel. He reminded me of how my cousin would dress.

"Mr. Plumber." He greeted, a hand outstretched to shake mine, "My name is Jimmy Barker.  I hear you will be writing a report on what has happened here. I do hope you do this justice."

He took a seat on a chair across from Jack and I.

"Thank you Mr. Barker.  Now, who was it that found Ms. Harbor? And at what time?"

"It was me who had found her." Jimmy said, "I was closing the bar at around 1 in the morning when I went to lock the back door.  That is where I found her laying in the alleyway with blood pooled around her." He paused and closed his eyes as if trying to erase the memory that would always be etched in there, "I ran back inside and phoned the police as soon as I could."

I continued writing as I talked, "Did you move her body at all?"

"No."

"What time did the officers get to the crime scene?"

Jimmy took a moment to think, "It couldn't have been later than one fifteen in the morning."

"Did you know or have any relation to Anne Harbor?"

"She'd come into the bar a few times." He rest his arms on his knees as he talked, "I recalled she would usually come in with a man-"

"What did this man look like?"

"Oh, no, it was somebody else each time.  She would come in and the men would buy drinks.  Other times she came alone.  I'd seen her that night.  She sat at the bar alone and we held a conversation."

"Can you recall this conversation?" I asked.

"I cannot remember exactly what was said.  She was talking on about how difficult life had become as the kids were growing up more.  She also told me how school was going with the children.  She had a few drinks- but nothing that could get her too intoxicated."

I nodded once more as my pencil scribbled against the paper.

He took a breath, "I can show you the spot she was found."

My pencil stopped abruptly.

"I have the keys to the back door.  Do you want to take a look?"

I quickly said yes and leapt to my feet, grabbing Jack's sleeve and yanking him up with me.  We followed Jimmy to the back door and he unlocked it; leading us outside.

My shoes crunched against some gravel on the cobbled path.  I saw the chalk outline that barely resembled a body and the dark red color of dried blood.  I shuddered slightly.

Jack pulled out his own notebook and pencil from where he stood beside me and began scribbling.  I looked over his forearm to see him sketching out the scene- strikingly accurately too.

"I'm sorry I can't be of anymore help." Jimmy said sadly, "But I wish you two all the best in your investigation."

I gave him a thanks before he walked back into the bar, the door closing behind him.

"Do we consider him a suspect?" Jack asked after a moment of silence.

I shook my head, "That's the job of the police-"

Jack let out a laugh and I turned to him, brow raised and my hip subconsciously jutting out, "What?"

"Says the one here on a murder scene in disguise.  Face it Plumber, you're trying to solve this as much as the police are." He grimaced, and shook his head, "You may be trying to solve it even more than them."

"So what if I am?" I asked, now becoming annoyed.

"I must say, it is quite attractive." Jack muttered under his breath, smirking as he went back to sketching.

"No I don't believe Mr. Barker is a suspect." I said quickly before slamming my notebook shut and shoving it in my bag with my pencil.

I turned on my heel and began walking back the way to Jacobs' Mortuary; Jack following behind quickly to keep up with my strides in my hope of getting there faster. I'd like to get my old clothes back as fast as I could to keep the heat off of my face that only turned brighter every time Jack took a glance at me. That scoundrel.

I pushed open the door to the mortuary and found my cousin down the hall inspecting jars on a shelf. I slammed the door to the room open with a loud thud!

Davey nearly dropped the vile he was holding, "You don't how to open a door quietly, do you cousin?" He muttered.

"We got a lot of answers." I said, throwing my notebook onto the table beside him and beginning to take the bobby pins out of my hair, "Jimmy was the one who found her in the alleyway. He doesn't seem like a suspect."

"Isn't that the job for the-"

"For the police." I muttered as I walked back to the closet and closed the door, changing back into my old clothes, "The police are the ones who. . . aren't doing anything! They've already asked for your help. . . Jack is your apprentice so he's helping alongside you. . . I'm alongside both of you." I finished struggling with my clothes and pushed the door back open, striding out, "So if the police aren't going to solve this, we are. And," I continued before either boy could get another word out, "I'm helping."

"Katherine," Davey said, "we want you to be safe. You can be a bit. . . reckless at times."

I rolled my eyes and folded my arms, "Well do you see anyone else coming into the mortuary asking to help?"

"Well there's others here but they're dea-"

Davey elbowed Jack hard in the side and he doubled over.

I wouldn't mind to say I enjoyed that a bit.

"Fine." Davey said after we'd stared each other down for a few seconds, "You may help. If anyone asks, this is specifically for writing." He saw my grin and raised a hand to continue, "But, if it becomes too dangerous and either Jack or I say so. You will have to stay back. Okay?"

I nodded.

"Do you promise Katherine?"

I quickly and secretly crossed my fingers behind my back, "I promise."

•

sooooooooo yeah! it's uh, been quite a while since i've updated this. so sorry! i've been busy as heck and had finals and am now in another musical and just whew! but I'm trying to keep the writers block from going on too long! i hope this long chapter makes up for it!

~ ky❤️