Barkeep

Chapter 6

Alex mumbled something about running low on ice and dipped through the backdoor of Goff's. Really, he retreated to his neglected apartment, the weight of his purpose heavy on his shoulders. The dim light of the bar faded behind him as he paced through the dark streets to his place. Finally, he stepped into the musty confines of his home, the familiar scent of neglect assaulting his senses.

With a determined resolve, Alex settled into the worn-out armchair in front of his computer, the screen casting a pale glow in the room's darkness. He wasted no time in pulling up his browser, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he searched for any information he could find about Gloria Bloom.

As the search results populated the screen, Alex's heart raced with anticipation, his eyes scanning each snippet of information in search of a clue. He clicked on the first link that caught his eye, a small article about a travel agency located near the library where Lu worked.

As he read through the article, Alex's mind raced with possibilities. Could Gloria Bloom be connected to Lu's murder somehow? Was she involved in some sort of shady dealings that had led to Lu's untimely demise?

With each passing moment, Alex felt the tension in the room grow, the weight of his purpose pressing down on him like a leaden blanket. He scrolled through page after page of search results, his eyes burning with determination as he delved deeper into the mystery surrounding Lu's death.

But despite his efforts, he found nothing concrete to tie Gloria Bloom to the crime. There were no mentions of any criminal activity or suspicious behavior, just a few glowing reviews from satisfied customers who had booked their dream vacations through her agency.

Frustration gnawed at Alex's insides as he closed the browser window, his hopes of finding answers dashed once again. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair in frustration as he tried to make sense of it all.

But as he sat there in the silence of his apartment, a nagging feeling tugged at the corners of his mind. There was something about Gloria Bloom that didn't sit right with him, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

With a heavy sigh, Alex resolved to continue his investigation another day. He couldn't let himself get bogged down by dead ends and unanswered questions. Lu was counting on him to find the truth, and he wouldn't rest until he had uncovered every last detail of her murder.

With the frustration of an unfulfilled search, Alex shut down his computer and retreated to his bed, the weight of the day's revelations hanging heavy on his mind.

As Alex lay in his bed, the silence of the apartment enveloped him like a suffocating shroud. He tossed and turned, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him like a heavy blanket. Sleep eluded him, slipping through his fingers like water as he grappled with the turmoil raging inside him.

In the dim light filtering through the curtains, shadows danced across the walls, casting eerie shapes that seemed to mock him in his restless state. Every creak of the floorboards, every whisper of the wind outside, sent a shiver down his spine, amplifying the sense of unease that gripped him.

His mind raced with fragments of memories and half-formed thoughts, each one a reminder of the life he had left behind all those years ago. He thought of Lu; her face etched into his mind like a haunting melody that refused to fade. He replayed their conversations in his head, searching for any clue that might lead him closer to the truth.

But try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that clung to him like a second skin. The events of the past few days had shaken him to his core, leaving him reeling in their wake. He longed for the sanctuary of Goff's, the familiar embrace of the bar that had become his refuge from the world.