February 15, 1959.
I stepped out of my cab; it was brisk early morning and hardly 3:00. A gust of wind blew my auburn hair into my face, As glanced down to look at the paper which had the address to my first assignment as a crime scene photographer; 728 Vanders St. Los Angles California.
"Well I’m here I thought to myself, stepping up a small fleet of stairs. I began to adjust my camera, to a setting suitable for indoor use. A police officer by the name of Roy led me inside to the correct apartment.
"Tanya," said Harry, Harry was my employer as well as the assigned detective to this suicide case, He was a medium built guy with hazel eyes, and sandy brown hair combed back with gray coming out above his ears. What would you expect from a man at 40?
"This guy was probable nuts, come let me introduce you to Jack Thompson our suicidee." Jack Thompson was on a bed sitting in a reclined position,
"He's only been died... perhaps an hour" Harry estimated,
"See the bullet wound in his chest." I lifted my camera to take a picture of the body, "click. Too bad such a beauty had to be suicidal, I thought to myself. Jack Thompson, I know it sounds strange because he had a bullet in his chest, but he was quite handsome. He had dark hair that fell over his right eye, and His body structure was lean, tall, and you could tell he was stronger than he looked.
"He couldn't off been sober, just look at the bottles." I added, pointing my camera to the floor near the bed to take a picture "click.
"Very good Tanya," Harry said,” two bottles of white grape Champaign would do that to any man."
"The fire place mantel," I Gestured,
"What’s with the shrine?" The Mantel was covered in an Assortment of photos of Jack Thompson and some woman I'd never seen before; she seemed Spanish and had a face that belonged in movies.
"I don't know, like I said earlier this guy was nuts." my best guess is," Harry added, "she kicked him to the curb for a rich cat."
He ended that last bit with a weird grin. I gave Harry a quick nod of agreement, not because I agreed I didn't, but Because of the way he said it, like he knew he was right. I lifted my camera to the mantel,” click. In the middle of the living room, beneath the mantel was a coffee table staked with unopened mail. There was the regular bills and bank statements, but most of it was invitations some dating a year old addressed to him and a, Naomi Lopez, also letters from a man named, Benjamin Lerman. I lifted my camera, "click. I turned to the Dining room table to see thumbs of candlesticks left from the night before, and it was set for two, grilled lobster, French style green beans and buttered rolls. Both plates were hardly touched, though gnats and flies where feasting and swarming.
"Who did he plan for dinner?" I asked,
"Good question, and why?" Harry added, with a look of disgust.
I lifted my camera to take another picture,” click. but after I did I noticed’ that there wasn't any wax stuck to the wood flooring, though It looked as though it had hardened and dripped off the table onto the floor. I took a second picture focusing more on the candles.
As I turned around I saw Harry in the kitchen looking over a small bottle, it looked like a medicine bottle. I lifted to take a picture of him, "click.
"Did you just take a picture of me?" Harry asked.
"What if I did?”?
"Well, Harry said. I think I have seen everything I need to, How about you Tanya? Taken plenty of pics?" Harry asked.
"Just one Left," I replied.
I scanned the room quick for something that could be important. When I first walked in the apartment a while ago I saw that the place was a mess and smelled of cigarette smoke and alcohol, chairs turned over, a Nat King Cole album scratched sitting in the record player, books knocked off of shelves, even a shattered mirror spread out on the floor. I decided to take the last picture of the main room. Of the mess.” click.
As I moved the camera down from my face I took one last look at the scene of the suicide.
"Your right Harry," I said while turning to the door.
"This guy must of been nuts."
"Come on Tanya," Harry Said, I'll call a cab for you, Just make sure to get those photos developed before the 18th, So I could look em' over at our meeting"
"Yes sir," I said with a half-hearted smile while getting into the cab.
"Hey, Tanya" Harry said looking in though the car window.
"You did pretty good for witnessing a suicide for the first time. I've got some high hopes for you.” he said this staring deeply into my blue eyes, as rain started to sprinkle on Harry.
He turned to look up the street, the glow of dawn just starting to show. The look on his face was intense, like thinking deeply about how he would solve this new mystery.
"You should go now.-and- he paused, "get some sleep."
Harry turned stepped up into the apartment doorway out of the rain, and waved me off. Throughout the whole ride home I kept thinking about Harry, He just wasn't himself tonight. Normally he was a good guy and a great teacher, light hearted and cracking jokes. But it seemed something was weighing him down.
"Um," the cab driver interrupted my train of thought. “You can get out now Ms. La Rue."
"Oh, right, thanks." I paid the cabbie, and went inside, set my camera in the dark room and fell asleep thinking deeply about Jack Thompson s’ many motives for suicide.
