Dark Jazz

The darkness of the alleyway shrouded the face of the mysterious figure. The final puff he drew from the short, stubby cigar smothered and burned his lungs, making him cough up a cloud of smoke. The trumpets and saxophones blared from the nightclub beside him, and the only soul around was the pestilent rats and the constant buzzing flies. By now it was already midnight and the moon shone down through the alleyway, forming an eerie pale shadow on the walls of the nightclub. The figure stumbled down the alleyway, crashing into the rusted dustbins, spilling their contents onto the concrete. He wondered over to the dead end, and crazily started to pant, frantically scratching his nails up and down the rough bricks. He let out his one final scream and flung his smartly dressed body into the wall, slowly falling onto the cold concrete ground. A large splatter of thick red blood started to drip from the wall, creating a shallow pool around the figure's head. The character's finely tailored hat rolled into the opening of the alleyway, almost inviting someone to come and inspect...

"10-4, 10-4 we have a possible homicide in an alley on Argyle Street, suspect has appeared to have escaped the premises just after the crime, over"

"Should we respond to that officer?" Questioned the deputy head of inspectors Seymour Pine, a middle aged man who had seen his fair share of deaths over the course of his police career. He had a finely cut moustache and thick black hair that was always slicked back with a lot of wax. His face was slightly aged however he did take care of his looks, trying his best not to look his age. Normally a quiet man, he really opened up his true personality with his companion.

"Er well we could if you want to... But you know what I'm like with dead bodies Sargent. That's why I didn't and won't join the war." Replied Officer Pine's work partner Officer Derek Archer, a considerably young (and much better looking) man, in his early twenties. He enjoyed a good conversation, or an opportunity to reflect his charismatic self on others.

"Roger that governor we'll take that, we're just a couple of blocks away" Replied Pine into the of the art radio. It was true and unfortunately known around the office that Archer didn't enjoy the excitement of life on the battlefield, as he could clearly see through the government's propaganda, noticing that once you left for war, you normally never came back.

"I'm glad that I'm a police officer with you Archer, I don't know what I'll be doing if I didn't have that job... Probably six feet under the ground with a Japanese bullet lodged into my lifeless chest ahaha, Laughed Pine."

"Right then, lets inspect this crime scene, It's been a while since I've been involved in a mystery, or is it a mystery? Maybe it was just a drunken accident." Contemplated Archer. "Well there's only one way to find out sir, start the engine." The old Ford car conked into action and the two men quickly sped off into the busy streets, mystified to what they will discover in a few minutes. The disguised police car screeched around the corner of the same old familiar streets, and the two men busied themselves with the music playing from the car's radio, playing those tunes that were at the top of the chart for months.

The polished police car rolled up into the desolate Argyle Street, appearing to be the only motor there, apart from the few taxis that were lined up outside the Fine Pearl nightclub, waiting for the drunken customers to come staggering up into them.

"Have you ever been there sir? Asked Archer with such an enthusiastic tone.

"Yeah once I did, I wish I never though, it's probably the roughest club you'll ever come across in Manhattan. I went in with money in my pocket, but then came out penniless. But that's what happens when I go in any nightclub." Officer Pine explained.

"I 'pose so." Said Archer in such an agreeable tone.

The two men emerged from the low roofed car, and both simultaneously adjusted their outfits and pushed forward their hats. When they arrived at the crime scene, the forensics expert was already standing there, below the entrance to the nightclub, waiting for the men to approach him. The moonlight was starting to fade away, and the sun was very near, but not apparent yet.

The forensics expert was about fifty years old and had dark grey hair, almost like a dirty sliver. He wore small circular glasses that made him both look scientific yet it made his eyes look rather small.

"Hello boys, we have a young Caucasian white man, that seems to have been dead for about four hours. Feel free to inspect the area and ask any questions about the circumstances." The well educated scientist explained out carefully, as if he was speaking slowly to a young boy.

Pine smiled thankfully, " Thank you sir we'll have a look about and report back to you after. Er, please keep away all citizens for now and tell them to stay back or move along."

"Yes sir" replied the scientist.

"Sir..." Uttered Archer nervously,"Sorry if I'm not my most responsive and joyful right now... I just hate the sight of death and all things related. I'll do my best though."

"It's completely fine Archer, I completely understand where your coming from, thanks for facing it and being brave." Reassured Pine.

They both walked into the alleyway side by side, treading on the concrete the victim once strolled across, just a few hours ago. Pine wondered straight over to the body, whilst his companion slowly edged over to the tipped over bin to examine the rotting waste. The darkness in the alley intimidated the two investigators slightly, especially Officer Archer.

Pine stared into the victims cold eyes, examining the face. There was a small gash on the man's forehead, that was still seeping dark blood down onto his cheeks and lips. Pine crouched down to the dead man's level, so he could inspect the body in more detail. He then slowly rolled his eyes downwards, fixating on the mans loosely hanging tie and the blood stained shirt that lay beneath it. The man had his top two buttons unfastened, exposing a hairy chest, that slightly disgusted Pine, not that the large splatter and the pool of blood didn't disgust him.

Then, Pine ran his small, but brute like fingers down the man's deep blue, silky lapel, hoping to find some pockets contains some sort of identity of the dead man. He pulled the blazer over slightly, so he could see the patterned inside. This revealed a small inside pocket, the was loosely locked up by an almighty blue button. The hands of Pike once again visited another button, gracefully, but masculinely unfastened it, as if he was an expert. TO BE CONTINUED...