Romance
Prologue
February 18th, 1947
THE NIGHT IS GORGEOUS.
Evenly flowing night air toys with the sky-scraping buildings, permanently frozen in glass and concrete. The atmosphere in it’s own is breathable; In contrast to the usual dry winter weather. Those were the notes Detective Primmer had collected. He stored the sightful observance of the obvious deep down in the cluttered desk drawer of the mind.
His shoes padded against the sidewalk, his face slightly illuminated from the distant glow of the street lamps that ran down the parkway, and stretch across the entire grimy city. Detective Primmer’s face was blank. His array of time drawn crow’s feet lay unused by the creases of his eyes, his thin lips stayed planted on themselves. Continuing his walk, Detective Primmer realized with a heavy sigh echoing from his hollow chest that he had tread no further.
Squad cars lined down the next avenue Detective Primmer yet to cross like a team of suspects, lining up for close inspection. Police Officers muttered into their radios, free hands either holding flashlights or tucked into pants pocket. They almost strutted casually. If the scene unfolding before Detective Primmer’s eyes came from Hollywood, cocky officers would be swinging sticks and whistling, oblivious to the unfortunate and untimely demise beneath their shined shoes. Alas, what Detective Primmer saw was not a scene from a blockbuster. The officers held vacant glances, checking their evidence and relaying components.
One of the Officers approached Detective Primmer. A young man, the officer was. Small blue eyes hid under his sloping eyebrows, the hair thick and dark. The Officer wore a mask of regret, a grim expression. “Good evening, Detective” The Officer greeted as best to his ability. Those squinted blue orbs burned into the Detective’s eyes, causing him to re focus his gaze to the concrete.
Detective Primmer nodded. “Carry on, son“
“As you know, we found a girl, sir. Deceased. Some bum found her in the Gotha alley, I guess he told the people running the shelter down the block. She was almost completely buried under trash bags, poor thing.” The sullen officer informed, giving his dark hair a awkward tousle. Both men didn’t know exactly who the dead girl was, her face hadn’t been slapped on milk cartons, or her missing name hadn’t been dropped over to county officials by means of concerned relative or friend.
“Mmmhmm. Any idea of time of death? Has the coroner arrived yet?” Detective Primmer puzzled to the officer. The young officer shook his head. “No, Sir. He’s on his way, though. Care to, er, take a look before the old chap comes? Maybe get a bit of a first hand investigation” With a outstretched hand, the officer lead a thought ravaged Detective Primmer into a claustrophobic alley, were straight in the middle, was the remains of that unfortunate girl.
Her face was pallid and sallow, drained of any color; Except for her lips. As in all the newly dead, the girl’s lips bore a small tint of purple, reminiscent of the aftermath of a child’s candy. Thick, matted and coarse brown hair hung limply from her fading scalp, brushing roughly the top of her bony shoulders. The dead girl’s skeletal frame lay stiff, half way swimming in the sea of abundant shadows that ravaged the narrow alley.
The morbid beauty that radiated from the girl gave Detective Primmer’s heart a stab. She looked so innocent, so undeserving of what came to her. The wail of a crying ambulance roared through the street, cutting the silence. Two grim paramedics slipped out of the car, aided with the squeaky alliance of a stretcher. Their nurse’s shoes hardly made a sound, they shuffled over to the alley with a good amount of speed. To be expected of them, really.
By the time Detective Primmer and The Officer began studying the corpse intently, the paramedics had bolted into view, with his careful strides. The coroner was in tow as well, and as soon as the rather pudgy man stepped out of his van, he set his equally pudgy briefcase down, and shifted through it’s contents. The item he searched for was chalk, and he had yet to find it. Both anxious paramedics tapped their feet in anticipation, their shoes making a soft, almost leaky facet like noise.
After much anticipation, the bumbling coroner drew a fat line around the girl. Detective Primmer still bore his amazed stare into the girl’s dark glassy eyes. Slowly, the paramedics lifted the body of that frail girl onto the stretcher, trying not to disturb the chalk lining around her. With a slam of the fire truck red door, and a the purr of the ambulance engine, they were gone. And the girl went with her.
For the first time that night, Detective Primmer spoke. “Any evidence of foul play?” He turned to the second officer. She shook her head. “No. We have some evidence of a possible suicide, though. If she was murdered, it was the cleanest one I’ve ever seen. No bruises, no scratches. Nothing”
“She was pronounced dead, correct? A doctor came and everything?”
“Yes, sir. He arrived and left before you did. She’d been dead since the early morning”
“Was she homeless?”
“Actually, no - or at least, we don’t think so. Her- her clothes were decent, and the people at the hospital said that they were missing one of their candy stripers. Y’know, the girls who cheer the dying patients up, that sort of thing.” Stopping, the officer turned to Detective Primmer.
“Did someone identify her properly?”
The officer skimmed through a full notepad. “No, sir. Well, kind of. Basic features down, but then again, all of that pretty much changes when you’re dead.”
Rubbing his sore temples, Detective Primmer glared meaningly at the young officer.
“Ford hospital or Sand Lake? I mean, where did she work?”
The officer seemed phased in her line of duty, Noting that Detective Primmer asked so many questions. She would later deem it as his way of cracking a case; But the eerie interest left her shaken. Snapping back into the present reality, she answered. “Ford”
He nodded absentmindedly. “Makes sense.” Detective chewed on his bottom lip, then continued “How old was she.” His question was more of a statement then the reality.
The officer lowered the notepad. She took in a deep breath. Exhaling, she replied, “Sixteen. She was only sixteen, sir”
Regret stabbed Detective Primmer’s heart. The girl was only sixteen. And now she was dead. Thrown half-hazardly into the grimy back alley of New York City, and left to rot. Sure, he’d seen much worse cases....But this, this was cruelty of the matter.
However, the curious question burned into Detective Primmer’s solemn mind... “Who exactly was this girl?”
He would find out.
THE NIGHT IS GORGEOUS.
Evenly flowing night air toys with the sky-scraping buildings, permanently frozen in glass and concrete. The atmosphere in it’s own is breathable; In contrast to the usual dry winter weather. Those were the notes Detective Primmer had collected. He stored the sightful observance of the obvious deep down in the cluttered desk drawer of the mind.
His shoes padded against the sidewalk, his face slightly illuminated from the distant glow of the street lamps that ran down the parkway, and stretch across the entire grimy city. Detective Primmer’s face was blank. His array of time drawn crow’s feet lay unused by the creases of his eyes, his thin lips stayed planted on themselves. Continuing his walk, Detective Primmer realized with a heavy sigh echoing from his hollow chest that he had tread no further.
Squad cars lined down the next avenue Detective Primmer yet to cross like a team of suspects, lining up for close inspection. Police Officers muttered into their radios, free hands either holding flashlights or tucked into pants pocket. They almost strutted casually. If the scene unfolding before Detective Primmer’s eyes came from Hollywood, cocky officers would be swinging sticks and whistling, oblivious to the unfortunate and untimely demise beneath their shined shoes. Alas, what Detective Primmer saw was not a scene from a blockbuster. The officers held vacant glances, checking their evidence and relaying components.
One of the Officers approached Detective Primmer. A young man, the officer was. Small blue eyes hid under his sloping eyebrows, the hair thick and dark. The Officer wore a mask of regret, a grim expression. “Good evening, Detective” The Officer greeted as best to his ability. Those squinted blue orbs burned into the Detective’s eyes, causing him to re focus his gaze to the concrete.
Detective Primmer nodded. “Carry on, son“
“As you know, we found a girl, sir. Deceased. Some bum found her in the Gotha alley, I guess he told the people running the shelter down the block. She was almost completely buried under trash bags, poor thing.” The sullen officer informed, giving his dark hair a awkward tousle. Both men didn’t know exactly who the dead girl was, her face hadn’t been slapped on milk cartons, or her missing name hadn’t been dropped over to county officials by means of concerned relative or friend.
“Mmmhmm. Any idea of time of death? Has the coroner arrived yet?” Detective Primmer puzzled to the officer. The young officer shook his head. “No, Sir. He’s on his way, though. Care to, er, take a look before the old chap comes? Maybe get a bit of a first hand investigation” With a outstretched hand, the officer lead a thought ravaged Detective Primmer into a claustrophobic alley, were straight in the middle, was the remains of that unfortunate girl.
Her face was pallid and sallow, drained of any color; Except for her lips. As in all the newly dead, the girl’s lips bore a small tint of purple, reminiscent of the aftermath of a child’s candy. Thick, matted and coarse brown hair hung limply from her fading scalp, brushing roughly the top of her bony shoulders. The dead girl’s skeletal frame lay stiff, half way swimming in the sea of abundant shadows that ravaged the narrow alley.
The morbid beauty that radiated from the girl gave Detective Primmer’s heart a stab. She looked so innocent, so undeserving of what came to her. The wail of a crying ambulance roared through the street, cutting the silence. Two grim paramedics slipped out of the car, aided with the squeaky alliance of a stretcher. Their nurse’s shoes hardly made a sound, they shuffled over to the alley with a good amount of speed. To be expected of them, really.
By the time Detective Primmer and The Officer began studying the corpse intently, the paramedics had bolted into view, with his careful strides. The coroner was in tow as well, and as soon as the rather pudgy man stepped out of his van, he set his equally pudgy briefcase down, and shifted through it’s contents. The item he searched for was chalk, and he had yet to find it. Both anxious paramedics tapped their feet in anticipation, their shoes making a soft, almost leaky facet like noise.
After much anticipation, the bumbling coroner drew a fat line around the girl. Detective Primmer still bore his amazed stare into the girl’s dark glassy eyes. Slowly, the paramedics lifted the body of that frail girl onto the stretcher, trying not to disturb the chalk lining around her. With a slam of the fire truck red door, and a the purr of the ambulance engine, they were gone. And the girl went with her.
For the first time that night, Detective Primmer spoke. “Any evidence of foul play?” He turned to the second officer. She shook her head. “No. We have some evidence of a possible suicide, though. If she was murdered, it was the cleanest one I’ve ever seen. No bruises, no scratches. Nothing”
“She was pronounced dead, correct? A doctor came and everything?”
“Yes, sir. He arrived and left before you did. She’d been dead since the early morning”
“Was she homeless?”
“Actually, no - or at least, we don’t think so. Her- her clothes were decent, and the people at the hospital said that they were missing one of their candy stripers. Y’know, the girls who cheer the dying patients up, that sort of thing.” Stopping, the officer turned to Detective Primmer.
“Did someone identify her properly?”
The officer skimmed through a full notepad. “No, sir. Well, kind of. Basic features down, but then again, all of that pretty much changes when you’re dead.”
Rubbing his sore temples, Detective Primmer glared meaningly at the young officer.
“Ford hospital or Sand Lake? I mean, where did she work?”
The officer seemed phased in her line of duty, Noting that Detective Primmer asked so many questions. She would later deem it as his way of cracking a case; But the eerie interest left her shaken. Snapping back into the present reality, she answered. “Ford”
He nodded absentmindedly. “Makes sense.” Detective chewed on his bottom lip, then continued “How old was she.” His question was more of a statement then the reality.
The officer lowered the notepad. She took in a deep breath. Exhaling, she replied, “Sixteen. She was only sixteen, sir”
Regret stabbed Detective Primmer’s heart. The girl was only sixteen. And now she was dead. Thrown half-hazardly into the grimy back alley of New York City, and left to rot. Sure, he’d seen much worse cases....But this, this was cruelty of the matter.
However, the curious question burned into Detective Primmer’s solemn mind... “Who exactly was this girl?”
He would find out.