Dear Friend

Chapter 3- Investigating The Dead

This time I couldn't control myself and heavy tears slid down my cheeks...

There he was, dead, lifeless and pale. He was just.. there.. but he wasn't. The lively guy whom I've always known is.. dead. I couldn't bare the sight in front of my eyes, the joyful and playful Mary I've always known was crying her eyes off, trying to wake the body. I knew that everyone wanted to pull her away from her dead husband, but they couldn't, I couldn't.. A small part of me wanted to go to her, and comfort her, but if I did, I knew I wouldn't be able to control myself any longer and I might have just broken down. I knew I would've hit and slapped him for leaving us all.

Just then, Greene came behind me, pat my right shoulder and shook his head. I thought to myself, "He's right! I cannot afford to waste even a single second on shedding tears or watching this scene. I have to solve this case no matter what. If not for me, at least for the sake of Mary, for Walter. I swear to God, I will find whoever killed Walter and no matter who he or she is, that person is going down" and with that I wiped of my tears, and with no other choice, went to Mary. As they all say it, 'Family before Work'

Controlling myself, I held the shoulders of the devastated lass, and slowly, picked her up. She followed and didn't fight back. Thank God. If she did, I had no idea what to do. I knew how she felt and if someone were to do that to me, I would just slapped him. I let her sit on a nearby chair, in another room. As she sat down, I asked Greene to bring a glass of water.

I knew she wasn't ready for any questions in the moment, but I thought even she knew that we both wanted to get to the bottom of this case.

"How are you feeling now?"

She just nodded.

I wiped her tears off and gave her a tight hug. If Walter was here, I knew he would've wanted to do this. I let her go and without any further hesitation, I decided to ask her.

"Do you have any idea how his happened?" My voice came rather high, like I couldn't hear anything worse than this.
But there could be nothing worse than this..

Right?

...

I didn't know why I expected an answer.

She didn't say a word. Maybe because she couldn't.

Instead, she gave me a folded piece of paper. I opened the paper and saw inside.

It was blank.

I was confused and thought to ask Mary about the paper. This time she was sobbing silently but stopped as soon as she saw my disappointed face. By then, Greene was already back with the glass of water in his hand. He gave her the glass, and we both watched as she gulped down the water in a flash. After she was done, she kept the glass on the coffee table and said that she found the paper on Walter's left hand. The same arm that was cut on the wrist, the reason he died.

There was nothing written in it. I spent the next 15 minutes just staring and flipping the paper over and over hoping that there was something written so small that I couldn't see or miss. But I swear it was blank. Greene checked it too. I had no choice but to leave if for now. I slipped it into my pocket and continued on to the body.

That was the hard part.

I told Greene to investigate on his part by questioning each and every one. Even the kids. I wanted him to find out where everyone were when it happened and what they were doing. And if possible, get an alibi for each and every innocent one. At first, Greene did not agree and wanted to help me investigate the body but i insisted and after saying 'I'll be okay' after a thousandth time, he agreed and said to call him if I needed anything. I gave him a tight smile and went back to the crime scene.

Looking away, I took out my rubber gloves and started the investigation on my part. I did not, not even once, saw his face. I couldn't. I knew this was the time I needed to be professional but I couldn't. I couldn't stop my feelings from taking the best of me.

With a blurred vision, I searched for something. Anything that could prove something. It was when I checked his pocket that I found his wallet. I slowly opened his wallet, thinking the last time he opened it, he was still alive. In his wallet, I found a tiny picture of me, Walter and Mary, celebrating his last birthday together.

"If only I knew it was his last..." I thought to myself.

I still remember that day like it was yesterday. Mary had telegraphed me the details of the surprise party, including the time, place and dress code; which was 'back to school'. I had dressed up as our gym teacher/coach because he was Walter's favorite teacher. Of corse he was. Meanwhile Mary dressed up as Mrs. Coulson, the teacher who Walter hated the most as she would always give pop quizzes on the day he was absent or sick. When Walter arrived, he wasn't surprised, instead, he laughed his ass off seeing us dressed like somebody had forced us to. Mary had hired a professional photographer to take as many pictures as he could because she said 'it was going to be one of the best nights in her and Walter's life, she knew nobody could have ever forgotten'.

She was, sure as hell, right !

There was nothing else in the wallet except for a couple of pounds. I knew Walter to that extent that even though he was filthy rich, he would never show it and would only keep a couple pounds in his wallet, until he really needed the money.

I decided to go on to the next pocket.

I checked the pocket and, finally, some hope..