Bloody Canvas

At the university of Gregory Johnson, a new creation has been brought out to the public to be seen. This masterpiece is called murder.
Soon after the grand opening of the art gallery near the university a man was found dead in his private chambers. The man was Richard Lang, the manager of the gallery. His body was found by one of his pupils, Lee Marven.

Immediately after discovering the body Lee ran to the lobby where Detective Kiel was admiring the works. Then after identifying the body Kiel called the police and ordered Lee to locate all other pupils that were currently in the building during the time of the murder. Detective Kiel had estimated the murder had taken place only half an hour ago. So between one and one thirty in the afternoon.

When the police arrived, Officer Henson was quite surprised to see Detective Kiel had already arrived. “Kiel! When did you get here?”
“I’ve been here since noon, my friend. I had arrived to talk with Mr. Lang, the victim, about a few things. When I ran into one of his pupils on the way. Mr. Marven here.” Kiel pointed to the young man beside him. “I see, then you could also be the killer.”
“I’m sorry to say that, that’s not possible. Since I have no motive and an air tight alibi. For proof, you can ask Mr. Marven. He was with me the whole time.”
“Is that true Lee?”
“Um. Yes, I had left at one point to check on Richard, to see if he had anytime to talk with Detective Kiel.” Suddenly a thought popped into Detective Kiel’s head. “Henson!”
“What?”
“Please question the rest of the suspects for me. I have something to attend to. It will only take a moment.”
“What is it?”
“Shhh! It’s a secret.” Kiel ran out of the lobby and turned the corner. He looked like a thief shrouded in shadows with his long black trench coat on. “Oh well, everyone please come to me. I need to question you all for alibi’s and motives.”

Officer Henson lead everyone to a small room. Where one by one all the suspects were questioned. First was Miranda Cobbs. She was one of the many pupils that were in the building at the time of the murder. “So where were you at the time of the murder?”
“I was in the bathroom, checking my make-up. In the East hall.” Her face was flushed and she was fiddling with her hands. “Then that would put you in the same hall way as the victim. I’m sorry to say that, that makes you our prime suspect.”
“But I didn’t do anything! I couldn’t have.”
“I understand how you feel Ms. Cobbs, but your motive is also important. Our records show that your brother committed suicide. Then when you were questioned on the fact you claimed murder. You also pointed your conclusion on Richard. Why is that?”
“He did kill me brother. Maybe not physically, but mentally, yes. My brother had sent Richard one of his best works. He was hoping it would be put in this gallery, but when his answer came. Everything was shattered. Richard had said it was the worst thing he had ever laid eyes on. He told my brother to burn all his works so no one else would have to bleed from their eyes and hold back their laughter from looking at such filth! He was a monster!”

Miranda couldn’t stop crying. She had jumped out of her chair and fallen to the floor. Weeping from the pain that had consumed her for so long. “That will be all.” Officer Henson left the room for a moment, until Miranda came back out. She was still crying, but not as much.
“So tell me Mr. Den. Where were you at the time of the murder?” The next one questioned was another one of Richards’ pupils. Mr. Steven Den. He was a rouged looking man. As he slouched back in his chair he said, “I was talking with possible clients that might want to support the gallery. I was in the South hall at the time.”
“Then that puts you out of the loop of time for the murder, but your motive is another question.”
“My motive?”
“From what we know, we’ve found that you have a little gambling problem.”
“So what if I do?” His voice had gotten louder. Steven was a very ill-tempered man.
“We have discovered that you were asking Richard for money to pay of some loans, but when you didn’t stop gambling Richard turned on you. He refused to pay. Didn’t he?”
“I don’t have to listen to this crap!”

Steven pushed his chair to the floor and kicked the door open. He was handcuffed by the guards outside. “I’m sorry, but we cannot allow you to leave just yet.”
“Whatever.” Steven took a set in one of the chairs, still handcuffed.
Then came some footsteps. Walking slowly down the hall way. Then out of the shadows came a figure, it was an old man. He was pulling a wagon behind him. Inside was a canvas, a journal, and some paintbrushes. “Here you are Officer. The evidence to prove the killer is one of the pupils.”
“Who are you?”
“You don’t recognize me, Henson?”
“Kiel is that you?” The old man smiled and ripped off his face. Underneath was Kiel. He was in disguise. “What is this Kiel? A joke!”
“I found it in the trash.”
“The trash? And what about all the other things you have?”
“There from the crime scene and the killers room.”
“What? Who gave you permission to take evidence.”
“I’m sorry my friend, but the only way to sniff out the killer is to think like one.”
“Alright, so what do you have?”
“First, do you remember the position of the body? It was laying on top of the canvas holder, but there was no canvas. And there was obviously paint splitters on the floor. So it only makes one wonder where the canvas had run of to.”
“You’re right! There was no canvas, or paintbrushes! So those paintbrushes and that canvas belong to Richard?”
“Yes, I found them in a ceiling tile. I think that the killer had to have put them there. That could only mean that the killer had to have been in the room with Richard when he died.”
“That means it had to have been one of the pupils!”
“And the culprit is my new friend Lee!”
“But Detective! I was with you at the time of the murder. You said so yourself.”
“I lied. You said you were going to check on Richard, like you told Officer Henson here, but you told me you went to your room. So tell me, which it the truth and which is a lie?”
“Damn!”
“The rest of the proof is this costume and Richard’s dying message.”
“What? Richard left a dying message!”
“It was his final painting. A bloody canvas, painted in his own blood.” Kiel picked up the canvas and presented it to Henson. “I don’t see anything but streaks of colors.”
“Look closer my friend. It’s an allusion. First you have to look at it real close and then back away from it slowly.” Henson did as he was instructed. Soon his eyes widened and shouted out, “It’s Lee, it’s Lee’s face!”
“Yes, Richard painted Lee’s face.”
“But when we looked over the video tapes. Lee was no where to be seen.”
“Remember the costume I had on earlier. That was Lee in disguise. If you watch the video again, I’m sure you’ll see the same old man.” Officer Henson immediately ordered one of his men to get the video tape and bring it to him. When the man returned. Officer Henson popped it into the video player, located in the small room, and pressed play. When it came around to one fifteen clock, there was an old man walking the halls. “There he is! The same old man!” Kiel smiled, for he knew he had won.
“There’s still no proof that, that was me, and that man was getting old. He could have painted the wrong face.”
“Trying to fight your way out. How pathetic!”
“What!”
“I already know how you did it and I have the perfect witness.”
“That’s impossible!”
“I’ve also discovered your motive. It’s all in your journal!” Kiel snatched the journal from the wagon and skimmed through it. “It’s a very interesting journal. No words, only pretty pictures. But now that I look closer I see that some of these pictures are on display here in this gallery. Although, none of them give you credit for them, all the credit was given to Richard.”
“Fine, I killed him! He stole my ideas and painted them. Then took all the credit! When I found out about it I went to talk with him. And you know what he said, “Young people have all the time in the world to do great things, but old men like me don’t. So get over it sonny and get out.” He took my dreams away from me. So I decided to do something about it.”
“That’s when you decided to pretend to want to talk things over his Richard. He was painting at the time, and you had a hidden knife on you. When you went to let some light in, you crept up behind him and stabbed him in the back. Then you ran into the bathroom in the room and changed your clothes. You hide your clothes and knife in your walker. Then left the room.”
“It was fool proof.”
“No it wasn’t! The one thing you didn’t think of was the possibility of there being a witness. That witness was the janitor. He was turning the corner, the same time you left the room. He didn’t recognize you and got worried. He knew me and told me what he had saw. I told him to stay calm and go back to work. Then a few moments later you arrived and told me you had found Richard. That’s when my suspicion of you being the killer arrived. So I decided to leave, and investigate myself.”
“You really are a great detective, Kiel. You got everything, to the last detail.”

Lee smiled as he was being taken away. He had no regrets about what he had done. Only pleasure. “I guess I better get going.”
“Wait! Kiel, a call came for you earlier today.”
“A call? From whom?”
“Some guy named Samuel Frances. Do you know him? Kiel?” Kiel didn’t answer. He just walked away slowly. When he arrived home to his rundown office. There sitting on his desk, playing with a yo-yo. His raven black hair and dark green eyes staring back at him. Was a man in white. “It’s been awhile Killer Kiel, or isn’t it Detective Kiel now. How easily society is blinded by your childish mind and clever gestures, but you don’t make a fool out of me. You cunning fox.”
“What do you want?”
“Oh, tightening your grip on the situation won’t loosen mine on your neck. You know why I’m hear, you know every well why.”
“The case is over, so just give up and go home. While you’re still able to walk the distance.” Kiel walked closer to the man. Stopping at times when he started to speak.
“Is that a threat? It seems my dear foe is still in there waiting, waiting to be unlocked again.” The man smiled. He was having fun, toying with Kiel. “I wish I knew what you were talking about, but nothing comes to mind. So I will ask again, for you to leave, please.”
“Fine. I’ll go, but I will not disappear. I’ll be your shadow, your conscious, and your enemy.”
“Good-bye, Samuel.”
-to be continued-