Unwritten

Chapter 2 Part 2 - Amateur Sleuthing 101

After David left, I had thought further about what he had said. Maybe I was playing God, but was it fair that an innocent twenty-something girl should die while a murderer could live to his hundredth birthday? I certainly didn't think so and now I had the power to do something about it.

I picked up the book and rested it in my lap. I placed my palm face down the book's cover and thought of Gracey, as I had done before, and opened the book. Unlike last time, no ink blotches or characters appeared on the page. I repeated the process several times without any success. I searched my mind for any step that I might have missed but couldn't find anything. Eventually I gave up and threw the book to the floor in frustration.

I knew I would have to have to do this the old fashioned way, by getting off my bum and throwing accusative questions at people and until they stuck. Leaving the dorm, I headed for Gracey's place of work.

It didn't take too much time to reach the outside of her office, after a couple of changes on the underground, I was basically there. It was obvious to me that I couldn't just go waltzing in requesting to speak to her without a good reason. Instead I was going to employ a more subtle approach.

I picked a nearby café which had a good view of her office and waited. I knew at some point she would exit the building for lunch. At that point I would make my introduction to her.

I waited for an hour, checking my watch periodically but she still didn't appear.

After yet another hour passed, she still hadn't gone for lunch and it was almost 2pm. At this point, the barista was occasionally harassing me for refills. I knew if I didn't accept, they would serve me my eviction notice. After a couple more hours, I was starting to run out shrapnel to fund the hot beverages, and I felt the barista was starting to look suspicious of me. As if I had another ulterior motive besides drinking their fantastic coffee. Which looked and tasted like liquefied bats dung masquerading as a specialist coffee. I had a feeling they may have noticed my grimace with each gulp that I took.

I paid the remainder of my tab and found a park bench to sit on, while still maintaining my gaze at the foyer entrance. It was around about half five when she emerged from the office. I sprang from the bench and made my way towards her. I waited until she reached the footpath and then deliberately bumped into the side of her.

"Hey watch it!" she shouted as she regained her balance.

"Whoops, sorry wasn't looking where I was going again. Wait, is that you Gracey?" I asked trying to act surprised.

"Ye-Wait! Is that you Atticus, Where have you been? What you doing around here?

"All in good time Gracey. I was just seeing a friend who worked nearby. Fancy grabbing a bite to eat and catch up?"

Gracey's face contorted slightly as she conquered her indecision. "I would but I have a ton of legal prep to do? I'm sorry but I gotta go home. But take my number."

We swapped numbers, and hugged goodbye.

I watched her walk and away and stop suddenly in the street.

"How about pizza? At mine?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Atticus, I should probably tell you this."

"What it is it?"

"You have dog shit on your arse. Well I kinda hope it's the dog's, otherwise I'm buying you a nappy on the way."

"What!" I spun and cursed every dog in the known universe that day; realizing it must've been from the park bench earlier.