Chapter 1 (First draft, unedited, uncompleted chapter)
Time: Tuesday, 20th of the Month of Gold, 2070 NE, 4:10 a.m.
Terra Laurelle-Yagan slid her folder brimmed with cases into her briefcase. She walked over to her vanity and checked her flawless makeup for the third time that morning.
Her eyes glanced up at the large grandfather clock in the centre of her master bedroom- she didn’t have much time to spare.
“Honey, are you ready?” she asked leaving the vanity and making her way to the en suite bathroom.
“Yes, yes” Jupiter Yagan II sounded as he met his wife at the door before shutting it behind him
Terra smiled
“You look nice” she complimented, as she pulled her long yellow blonde hair into a tight neat bun
“As do you” Jupiter acknowledged “We’re going to be late”
“It’ll be fine, I got rides for Johnathan and Jaime”
“Oh okay, from Chase and Kirmin?” questioned Jupiter straightening his tie
Terra nodded silently before picking up her suede leather briefcase and leaving the room. Jupiter followed his wife down their grand spiral staircase
“Leaving at the same time is odd isn’t it” Jupiter smiled as they reached the bottom of the staircase
“Well with a child serial killer on the loose I actually don’t mind working the longer hours… especially since Interpaltz has called you in too”
Jupiter nodded, the butler dressed in a starch black suit opened the door for the couple
“Thank you Keith”
“Of course Master Yagan” the man nodded humbly
“5 murdered in the past week…outrageous” Terra mumbled as she sat in their very expensive Remilius brand vehicle already looking through her files
“It’s escalating” Jupiter acknowledged as he drove the car unto the main road, they were now on their way to Interpaltz…hours away
“Or maybe this is just a constant” Terra sighed
The murders were getting worse; it was the worst localized killing spree that the Empire of Gibaltz had seen in years, but what made it so much more horrific were the victims- they were all children
Terra being a mother of three could sympathize greatly, to be honest she didn’t know what she’d do if she ever lost her children, she couldn’t even fathom the thought
“When I get my hands on that disgusting, filthy-”
“Hun, calm down, there is nothing you can do”
Terra sighed, she loved her job more than anything, but sometimes the frustration would seep in.
She, along with her brother, Solis were the best prosecutors in all of Gibaltz maybe even on the Caludis, and they had to be they were Laurelles.
They had come from a long line of lawyers dating all the way back to their great ancestor Laurelle said to be one of the first true legal minds. She was one of the most feared prosecutors too.
Her field was counter terrorism, but she had been called into this case, this case that was garnering a lot of media attention
The radio sounded through the vehicle and Terra turned up the volume
“What is the government doing, our children are dying, how many more lives are they going to allow the Jerondale killer to steal?” the announcer blurted, his voice coarse
“Are they really going to call him that?” Jupiter asked
The Jerondale killer, Terra wanted to laugh at the name. The media wasn’t very creative, Jerondale was the principality where the killings took place and so the ‘Jerondale Killer’ was born
“They won’t call him what we do, so it will work for now” Terra mumbled flipping through her files for the fourth time
“Paedo-occisor, the reason I am getting over time” Jupiter sighed
Terra laughed, Jupiter was one of the few people who could make her laugh. Everyone else thought she never did, especially those she kept a professional relationship with, she was generally a serious person and hopelessly devoted to her job
Jupiter was the medical advisor on this case. He was amazing at his job, and that wasn’t just Terra’s opinion. Jupiter Yagan II was brilliant and it wasn’t only because he was a Yagan- though it did help, Yagans were known to be great scholars and academics. He was brilliant because like her he worked hard and hard work was something she found most admirable
“How many more hours?” Terra asked
“Two if I break some laws, four and a quarter if I drive like your mom”
Terra laughed again and headed back into work
“My phone” Jupiter said distractedly his eyes on the road
Terra connected it to the Bluetooth in the car
“Hey Jupiter, is Terra with you?” asked the familiar voice
‘I’m here Agent Ellsworth” Terra answered
“Right, good, because you guys need to both hear this”
Terra raised a brow. Agent Marx Ellsworth was the lead investigator on the case, and he had a seat on the CLN assembly- a seat Terra had her eyes on
“What is it?” Jupiter asked his voice piquing with interest
“Another one” he said with a sigh
“Another one?” said Terra in horror, the last kill had only been mere hours ago, and now there was another
“Are you serious?” Jupiter questioned
“Yes” Marx said quickly
“Are you sure it’s the same killer”
“That’s why we need you Yagan”
Jupiter nodded. Terra sighed, her workload had now doubled, and another child was now dead…
WA: How did you do it?
KO: Gutted out his throat so he couldn’t scream
WA: I hate screamers, glad you shut him up
KO: My pleasure, as always
YJ: We should write a book about this
WA: Always so ambitious, we could make a movie
KO: Haha
OJ: Another success?
KO: Of course
OJ: Excellent, you guys are the best
YJ: That we are
OJ: When will they find out another one is dead?
KO: Anytime now
OJ: Efficient
KO: Of course
WA: When will it be my turn?
YJ: Wait it out, it will be so worth it when you do
WA: I am itching to slit a throat
KO: Slitting a stomach for entrails is the best
YN: You guys are horrid
KO: Haha
YN: Death count now 6
YJ: This is just the beginning
OJ: That it is =)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Time: Tuesday, 20th of the Month of Gold, 2070 NE, 7:16 a.m.
Agent Marx Ellsworth picked up the snow globe off his expansive deep wood desk. It was nowhere near the winter months on Caludis which was a good thing. He hated the cold, he hated it as much as he hated the criminals he was paid exorbitant amounts to catch…or maybe more if he were being honest
He placed the globe back on the desk and glanced outside the window, the silver skies of the Caludis met him, the sky was clear, the two suns shining in all their glory. It was soon to be summer, one of his favourite times…and now he had more cases than he could stomach
So much for all his vacation plans, then again he was being paid for all the extra, if only criminals lined their heinous acts with his schedule
A knock sounded from behind his door
He sighed, he could already feel a headache coming
“Come in” he called out eventually
“I thought you’d never answer” Solis Laurelle spoke as he entered the office
“You’re impatient, that’s all”
“And you’re a grumpy old man, but that’s beside the point, is Terra on her way?”
“Yes, yes” Marx said, Solis’ comment was true…but he wasn’t an old man, at least not really. Was forty-nine old?
“Good, but I can handle his myself” Solis said passing his hands through his long silver-platinum blond hair
“I thought you’d like to work with your sister” Marx laughed
“Terra is a pain in my side, but maybe she can bring some new insight into this thing so I can wrap it up”
“You Laurelles are a pain in my side, but it’s not your job to investigate anyway, criminal law is your forte after all” Marx said offering the silver head a seat opposite him
“I have many a talent” Solis said with a hint of amusement, but as Marx noted long ago Solis never smiled- maybe he couldn’t
“How’s your son?” Marx asked taking out a glass and pulling out a bottle from his top draw
“Oh Elliot, he’s fine doing well in school, he’s a Laurelle after all”
“Of course” Marx smiled. The Laurelle’s were a proud family, and they ought to be- they had the best legal firm in the Gibaltzan Empire or maybe even the planet (Caludis).
They also held the hereditary title of Marquis for Centreast a margrave with five principalities, making them not only a noble house but a very rich noble house
“And your wife?” Marx questioned pouring the drink into his glass
“Oh Ray is fine, as eccentric as ever” Solis said with a sigh before glancing over to Marx’s glass
“Drinking on the job?” Solis smirked
“I am pretty sure I should be on my bed right now”
“Point taken” Solis said taking the other empty glass on the desk and letting Marx pour him some as well
“So another dead” Solis sighed taking a sip and putting the glass down
“Yes, and in Jerondale as well”
“Their calling our Paedo-occisor the Jerondale killer, how un-creative” Solis mulled
Marx always cringed when Solis spoke about the cases- laying claim to the criminals like they were his own
“How did he do it this time?” Solis questioned before taking another sip as he crossed his legs
“Slit the throat…clean, efficient…horrid”
“Very much like our Paedo-occisor” Solis said stroking his face, his grey eyes lost in thought
“Well I’m glad Jupiter is coming with Terra; he’ll look at the body while you siblings can work together”
Solis scoffed and took another sip. The siblings had lots of money, Marx often wondered why so many nobles chose to work…and with the siblings’ beauty they could find less…strenuous work
Solis’ look was rare, platinum silver hair, grey eyes- most Gibaltzans had your average brown hair brown eyes much like himself.
Solis was striking but he didn’t seem to care. Terra was beautiful herself but unlike Solis she knew and she cared
“Do we have any potential suspects, any at all?” Solis asked leaning back into the comfortable velvet chair
“We have a preliminary list; many are incarcerated…by well… us” Marx sighed
Solis shook his head, it told Marx that he thought the list wouldn’t do
“I’ll try my best today”
“Yea, we need to hurry, but not be rash…our Paedo-occisor doesn’t seem to have much of a cooling off period, once we get the body delivered here to Tirethez there might being another child with their throat slit”
Marx nodded
Solis was right, the Paedo-occisor was acting quickly and they had to wrap this up soon before the media made an even greater mess of the situation
“They’re here” Solis said glancing at his tosh phone- a very luxurious brand of technology
“Good” Marx said with a sigh
“This will be fun” Solis admitted
Agent Marx Ellsworth didn’t know what could be fun about this…but this was Solis Laurelle and he lived on challenges
-----------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment