Larry stopped the recorder and restarted it. “We received many 911 calls last night in regards to this same incident. I was one of the first detectives on the scene. In the courtyard, there were residents congregated outside in small groups talking about what they thought happened. It was like any other scene until I walked into your apartment. Each step I took further into your home, the air carried a starkly different smell. The living room had a faint serene lavender smell; as I proceed further into the apartment, I smelled romance still in the air. Then the sulfuric odor of the gun powder to a caustic metallic smell of blood.” Larry took the pitcher and poured himself some water.
“Oh, my God!” Sabrina exclaimed. “Did Carlos got shot?”
Larry stared at the curtain, probably wondering how to break the next events to Sabrina. She followed his gaze to see the answer written there, but nothing. He took another drink of water and continued. “I have been a detective for a very long time, and delivering these events to family and or loved ones are the worst part of my job.” He shook his head, looked back at the same patterned swirl on the curtain, and took in a deep breath.
“A man wrapped in a white towel sat on the floor next to the sofa…”
“Yes! Thank you, God!” Sabrina blurted out, and her arm pulled on the wires attached to the machine. The machine beeped in alarm of the noted sudden heart rhythm change. Novia came in to see what happened. She pressed some buttons, and the beeping stopped. “Does that mean Carlos is okay?” Sabrina asked when Novia left the room.
“Physically, yes, Carlos is not the victim. But mentally, he seemed confused, broken, and in shock over the incident.”
Larry continued, “His bruised, topless torso hung low with his head between his arms and legs. A police officer stood next to him gave me the nod. The bathroom door was wide open. The medicine cabinet hung on one hinge, and its contents crushed on the floor. There was blood splattered and other matters on the walls. A gun was in the bathroom sink. Behind the door, part of the shower curtain lay crumpled on the floor while the other part covered the face of another figure that laid lifeless in the bathtub. That person had on black jeans and a jean jacket and sneakers. It was another man.”
Tears rolled down Sabrina’s cheeks as the news anchored in her consciousness. She was happy that Carlos was alive but was nervous as to how he would react to her later. She had become infatuated with him and dread the thought of him not speaking to her after all that she had caused. This incident was the intruder’s fault, not mines, she thought to herself. Why should I take the blame for this? I was in the comfort and privacy of my home.
Sabrina turned to Larry and asked, “Were you able to identify the intruder?”
“Yes, we were able to identify the body by fingerprint in our database. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news…”
“Tell me, who was it?” Sabrina interrupted.
“Based on our investigation, he was someone you knew.”
To continue be continued.
Who could it be? Please tune in next Sunday for the reveal.
Ok, I said it!
Can’t wait to read the next episode:)