The drowning of Linda Barker

Chapter 2: The city of sorrow

I'd never even heard of the city of Arkan until I started working this case, when I got off the train the first thing I noted was the odd architecture of the city.

It was gothic in an uncomfortable way, with dirt everywhere stretching up the long intimidatingly tall towering buildings, cobblestone lanes that were lined in the cracked foundations with dirt that looks centuries old. I walked down the dirt stained path carefully placing my feet not to step in something horrible. Once I'd reached the police station I entered and was immediately bewildered at the carelessness of the officers and the grim state of things in the station, as a PI I'd been to many police stations across the years to inqure many a case but never had I been to one in such a state of disrepair. I looked down at my mud caked shoes and decided it would make no difference wiping my feet as I walked across the creaking wooden planks.
"I'm here to inquire about the Linda Barker case, I've been hired by the family to look into her death" I explained politely to the officer across the front desk.
"Alright" the officer replied barely looking up at me from his book he was reading.
"I received a letter from them to collect the case file from here then report back to the family." I explained to the officer further trying to ignore his rudeness.
"alright" the officer replied again I the same manner.
"could you point me in.. any sort of direction please?" I questioned raising my voice a little.
"Sorry, what?" the officer replied looking stunned as a deer in headlights.

I decided to just excuse myself and find my own way around going down the winding corridor until I found a room of desks and assumed this must be the detecives room and started to scan through the names on desks: Hobs, Smith, Ackles, Mcdonald.

As I grab the top case file of the locker as the back of the room labelled "Baker" I turn my heel to someone clearing their throat, a stoutly man of middle age in a tweed outfit complete with a bowler hat and a goatee that could rival an actual mountain goat stands strictly expecting some form of response.

"I was hired by the family to look into her death and was told to grab the case file, Mr?"

"Ah, the names Mcdonald good chap. Glad someone's looking into it hope you have better luck, truth be told we were sort of stuck with that one." He explains getting uncomfortably close while lighting a cigar he pulled from his blazer.

"Right yes, well best be going" I say trying to not sound rude.

"Of course, of course best of luck!" He exclaims as he rests in his worn leather work chair next to his desk and pulls a book out.

I immediately stuff the file into my backpack and begin to make my way to the Baker Estate.