Lovers and Lawbreakers

Beginning

Mari was released early.

She had recovered quickly and was out the day after David had visited her.

She got back to the apartment complex she had lived in with Peter, and as she stepped into the elevator, she remembered her boyfriend wasn't going to be behind the door of their apartment, greeting her with a goofy smile and lazy kisses.

She held her breath and pressed a button, making the elevator lift. She watched the number above the door changed from one to two, from two to three, from three to four.

She walked out as soon as the elevator dinged, indicating that she had reached her destination. Mari shifted her purse on her shoulder and wandered the halls, messing with the keys she held tightly in her hand.

She reached her door and ran her hand over the square patterns, bracing herself from what laid behind it.

She put the key in the lock and twisted before opening it cautiously. She stepped through slowly, and stood in front of it as it closed.

The bang of the door closing was the only noise in the apartment. It seemed surreal, not hearing the loud noises of Peter's video games or television shows reverberating throughout it. She stepped farther in and placed her purse on the table, which still had the bowl Peter had ate cereal out of sitting on it. She shook her head and went to pick it up, but decided against it. She didn't want to disturb anything. It felt wrong to.

She looked over her shoulder at the book sat on the couch, opened to the page Peter had left on.

A book he'll never get to finish.

She ran her hand over the marble countertops in the kitchen, and saw the cabinet still opened. He was always bad with closing things.

The light in the bedroom was left on, no doubt by Peter. The bed wasn't made.

Mari surveyed the apartment. It looked like someone was living here.

Well, someone was. But the Mari that had lived here was the Mari before Peter had been taken away from her. A different person. A happier person.

No, Mari no longer lived here.

Mari would never truly live here again.

She fell to her knees in the living room and put her head in her hands. She doubled over and sobbed, something she tried desperately not to, but she couldn't stop the strangled cries of loss and loneliness from tumbling through her lips.

She had to get out.

*

Mari stayed in a hotel that night. She couldn't sleep in the same apartment that held all of those unfinished memories.

In the morning she made her way to the office building David had pointed her in the direction of and walked inside. It smelled like cleaning supplies and looked way too orderly for her liking.

She wrinkled her nose at all the prestigious-looking men and women roaming the halls. David hadn't looked at all like them, hell, he wore a T shirt and blue jeans when he came to talk to her. She couldn't even imagine him walking through this building stuffed in a suit with a tie hanging around his neck.

She reached the elevator and pressed the button, immediately being lifted up. It was a smooth ride, and she felt bad for leaning on the spotless walls, but she was tired.

She yawned as the doors opened and she quickly found her way to the office she was looking for. Outside on a plaque bolted to the wall read "David Moss"

She rapped on the door and soon it swung open, revealing Detective Moss himself.

"You're here early."

"I was released early," she retorted, striding past him and into his office.

It was the exact opposite of the building it resided in. Papers were strewn about, manilla folders littered the tops of filing cabinets with permanently half-opened drawers. There were two picture framed pictures on his desk of an African American woman and himself, and of an elderly couple. Papers were pinned on the wall. There was a window that allowed him to see into the hallway, but he had drawn the curtain, as well as the curtain on the window to the outside, so the only light came from the flickering lamp in the corner and bright computer screen, giving the office an eerie glow. On the whiteboard, surrounded by dozens of notes, was a picture of Peter, with the word "victim" scrawled in messy handwriting above it. An arrow from him pointed to a picture of herself, with the word "girlfriend" scrawled above it. The entire office smelled not of cleaning supplies, but of coffee beans and chocolate, which was due to the steamy mug held tightly in David's hand, and the desk drawer pulled open that she could just see, filled with different kinds of chocolate bars.

David noticed her wandering eyes and shut the candy drawer, set down his coffee, and pushed all the paper on his desk into a messy and very unorganized pile.

"Let's begin, then."

Mari smiled and dropped herself down on a chair in the corner, watching dust billow around her when she did. He must not get many visitors.

"Let's."

She sat her purse down on the floor, which she could see had a coffee stain on it.

David cleared his throat. "First thing's first. I don't want you getting in the way. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement either-"

Mari interjected, "what's that supposed to mean?"

David sighed. "Your boyfriend was murdered. I would assume you have some feelings toward this case, especially since you practically begged me to help."

Mari sighed and say back in the chair.

"As I was saying, don't let your emotions cloud your judgement. Remember that I am the detective here, and you haven't had any training in the area. I call the shots. I am in charge. The only thing you'll be doing is fetching me coffee."

Mari smirked. "We'll see about that."

David raised his eyebrows. "No, we won't."

Mari tossed her dark curls behind her shoulder and shrugged. "You never know."

"I always know. It's my job to know."

Mari rolled her eyes.

"Do you want to come along or can you not handle it?" David teased.

Mari bit her lip. "Fine, I'll behave."

"Thank you," David sighed.

"So, when do we begin?" Mari asked.

David smiled. "Right now."

*

Hey Gamers!

I'm excited. Are you excited?

I am so damn excited.

We're going to be getting to the part in the story where you can interact! As soon as you want to make a prediction about who the killer is, leave a comment and your reasoning behind it. There's no limit to how many predictions you can make! You'll all be like Lasercorn's other helper along with Mari. You guys can team up as well and work together, the person/people who get it right will receive a shoutout in the last chapter and a character based on them in a sequel if I do write one!

(Those of you who have been around long enough know for a fact how shit at sequels I am so don't get your hopes up on that last one)

Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!