The Unsolvable Cases of Illy Tha Rippa

Prologue

You can learn a lot about a man right before he dies. Now I'm not talking about the trivial stuff like his favorite color, or his first date. I'm talking about his inner thoughts, his personality, and his soul. When a man dies, weather he's a tough guy, or a coward, he begins to remember different points in his life that where peaceful, and sweet. It might only for a second, but right before life slips away I can guarantee he will always revisit the happiest moments in his life. I believe those final thoughts are our bodies way of telling us everything will be OK. It's a reflex that is designed to make our final moments easy and beautiful

I looked down into a pair of recently awaken eyes; they belonged to a 37-year-old black man and hey were too close together... I frowned, they also happen to be upside down, it made it a little difficult to read his expressions but I love a challenge. A few inches bellow the eyes sat a strip of duck tape. I had fixed it there myself of course before he had woken up. I looked into the eyes again, much closer this time; I smiled as I adjusted the black strip that covered his mouth. "Daryl!! I yelled, "Good Morning friend!! Well, maybe not so much for you now that I think about it." A chuckle dripped from my lips, I looked over at him. I twisted my head and slightly widened my eyes. I could tell he was afraid, good. My smile had to be frightening, and menacing. I wanted him to fear me; He needed to know I was in charge.

I crept across the floor, the room was dark and cold. I cold see my breath in front of me and now that Daryl was a wake I could see him shivering. Goose bumps emerged down his legs and arms, They began to rub against the cold steel on his wrists. I had cuffed his hands together and they now dangled below his head. His eyes began to dart around the room. I think by this time he was starting to realize what was happening. I like when they figure out the rules of the game before I could tell them, the ones who do require a lot less force and aggression.  I turned on the TV that was on a old bed side table, near where I stood. The 7 am news was about to come on. "We should be right on time Daryl, There is something I would like you to see before we get started." I smiled my evil smile. Daryl began to flail around, the ropes that entangled his feet began to tighten and dig into his skin. He swung his arms from left to right and made muffle sounds from beneath his tape. This kinda irked my nerves. Probably because he was naked, and I don't like flailing body parts. I picked up a thick leather strip that stat on top of the little TV set. I had fashioned a cloth grip to one end. "I don't want to have to use this Daryl, I'd like to hope you can learn to be civilized in your final hour. Stop flailing, now." I glanced to my left out of a window. "You Daryl, have a lot of sins to atone for."  As I spoke I slid a picture out of my back pocket and showed it to him, I had to turn it upside down. I don't think he could see it well from where I was standing but I'm sure he knew what it was. It was a photo of his girlfriend Tasha.

Tasha was a beautiful woman, brown skinned with long brown hair. She had it styled straight in this picture. His eyes focused a bit. She had on a puffy blue jacket, that I knew he would recognize because it was his, he had given it to her months before. She was smiling she looked happy.
"I got this from her apartment Daryl," he looked confused, "I went to her apartment after I saw her rushed into the Emergency room. I found it on her dresser, and I took it." a helicopter flew by over head; "I took this one myself the same night. I took it in the hospital, where you put her."  I pulled my phone from my pocket, it was already scrolled to the right picture. I was prepared. You could tell it was the same girl, but only if you knew what she looked like before.. You could tell she was laying in a hospital bed, the poor girl was battered, and beaten. Her left eye was swollen shut. Her nose was broken and two of her teeth had been knocked out. The paramedics recovered one, the other one she had swallowed. She was bloody and unconscious. She would probably have to be in the hospital for a few weeks to a month but she would live. I found it increasingly difficult to look at her picture, it hurt my heart. The room was quiet as a single tear invaded my eye site, it trailed along my nose before leaping from my cheek. As I rotated the photo to his angle his eyes widened. He studied the picture for a few seconds then he turned his attention to me and at that moment I knew he understood. He knew why he was there and he knew he wouldn't be leaving alive.