The Falcon Feather

Chapter 16: The Place Of Peace

You look around the dusty warehouse, coughing a couple of times when the dust flies into your mouth and nostrils. 

'Jesus this place is terrible'.

Angela mumbled as she went over the same evidence from before, 'look (Y/N), I really don't think we should be here, we've already gone through this stuff'.

'Yeah I know, just ignore that blood from there, lets see if there's anything else, I feel like John and I missed something'.

You move deeper into the large room and your eyes wander past the old machinery, the sound of your footsteps echo through the warehouse.

There's gotta be something else.

You're wandering around aimlessly until you notice something out of order, huh? You notice a bag, a bag that wasn't here before and it look far from dusty.

'Angela?'

You call back, 'what? Don't tell me you've found something', she joined your side, 'oh, someones' bag, who does it belong to have you checked for anything?'
You dig your hand inside and grab what seemed like a wallet and when you open it up your blood runs cold.

'Oh shit'.

You recognize the face.

Donald Ralph.

'Hey!'

The both of you spin around and you see him standing behind you a few meters back, 'get out of my bag- what the fuck're you doing here?'

'I could ask the same thing to you'.

He suddenly approaches you and you and Angela freeze, but he doesn't hit you, he just grabs his wallet, shoves you to the side and grabs his bag.

'So... What are you doing here Mr Ralph?'

You ask out of curiosity and he sighs, 'look... I'm doing the same thing as well, I'm checking this place out'.

'But you were never told of this place'.

He looked you straight in the eyes, 'this is where Stacey and I last met... We go here every now and then to...'.

You don't want to know more, you got the picture.

'But... Why are you here now?'

Ralph sighs and slumps against one of the work table, 'I like to go here and... I just, sit down and take in everything... I did this even when Stacey was still alive I just... I don't know'.
You can tell that he was lost, very lost but something seemed to be troubling him, 'spill', you suddenly say and Ralph looked at you in confusion, 'the hell are you talking about?'

'I have a feeling you have more to say'.

He hesitated before sighing, 'Melody... Staceys' friend came here once, but now when Stacey was around. I happened to be here on my own'.

'And what happened?'

'She confronted me, said that she didn't like me being with Stacey'.

'Huh, that sounds about right, what else did she say? Did she assault you in any way?'

Ralph chuckled, 'she slapped me but that was pretty much it', he pointed to his right cheek, 'she's a little crazy, but I like her fire'.

'Mr Whitlock?'

He frowns at you, 'who?'

'Someone she knows'.

A smile creeps onto his face, 'by know you mean she was seeing', he was on the right on the dot... If what Sam Whitlock was saying was true.

'I understand why we were having fights now, she didn't really have any feelings for me anymore'.

He raked his fingers through his hair and sighed, 'anyway, I'm not leaving town like you said, there's not much else for me to say'.

'Try and stay away from this area if that's okay, just until this is all over'.

You don't want to push him away completely but judging by the way Ralph was, he wouldn't fight at all.
You turn to Angela and give her a big smile, 'looks like I'll be paying a visit to the Smiths', you jump when you feel your phone vibrate and when you see who is calling your blood runs cold.

'You went against the Lieutenants' order didn't you?'

Angela looked at you deadpanned and you cursed, 'get ready for a bumpy ride'.