The Whitechapel Case [abandoned]

Part 3: The Usual Suspects (Chapter 2)

The Whitechapel Case

Fox-Trot-9

PG-13

Horror/Suspense/Mystery (How-Catch-'Em)

Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt or Death Note.

Part 3: The Usual Suspects
Chapter 2 

Day 3—Yesterday's three hour walk from the Davis house to the library took a mere thirty minutes on speeding wheels; but as soon as Katherine Street came into view, both cars slowed down and pulled into the parking lot of the Clocktower Cafe next to the library, much to the relief of the back-seat passengers in both. Except for Noll, of course; he still had a smirk on his face after the seeing the first signs of claustrophobia settle in on Mai's. She was pulling at the door handle to get out, but the door didn't budge.

"Mai, there is no reason for you to panic; they'll let us out soon enough."

Mai threw him a deadly glare, thinking, Keep this up, and I'll give you a reason to want to get out!

"Don't worry, Mai," said Bert. "Just keep your hands off while I disengage it," and with the flick of a switch on the dashboard, the doors clicked open, and Mai was free to go.

She stood glaring at Noll as he got out, saying in Japanese, "Next time, I'm sitting in the other car, thank you," and she walked off in the direction of Noll's parents. Probably to make a complaint.

Noll and Bert watched her.

"Noll, has anybody ever called you an asshole to your face?"

"No; nobody would have the guts to."

"Well, you're an asshole," and the kid looked at Bert. "Seriously, you are. Just because you're in pain over your brother's death doesn't give you the right to take it out on her."

"And how do you know it's about Gene?"

"Enough with the questions already, man; you're starting to sound like a broken record. I'm just saying you should take it easy on her, or you'll risk losing her. And that's coming from a repentant asshole who screwed up big-time with his own wife."

"That's your problem, not mine," and Noll walked in Mai's direction.

Yeah, and you're a fucking prick, too, thought Bert.

Though it stopped raining, the overcast above still hung around in darkening clusters. So Martin got out three umbrellas just in case it rained later on, one for himself and his wife, another for Lin and Madoka and another for Noll and Mai, while Jacob and Bert each had their own. Then all of them walked up the steps leading to the library entrance, which was still closed until 9:00 a.m., about thirty minutes away. A small crowd of a hundred or so students and a few teachers also waited at the door, many of them texting on their iPhones or talking on their cells. With Jacob and Bert dressed in plain clothes, Lin, Madoka, Noll, Mai, Martin and Luella blended in with the throng pretty well; none of the students suspected they were in the presence of an investigation team.

Mai stared at the massive structure of dull marble and brick, at the spires that seemed to go up and up into the sky, at the pilasters framing the massive windows above the ground floor and the lintels above those windows and the massive arch that formed the gateway of the entrance at the middle of the facade. And through that gateway, she saw the massive oaken double doors that had cured into a smokey shade of gray from continuous refinishing. She had seen monumental architecture in the photos and pictures in magazines and always wondered what it would be like to stand next to one so massive. It's not that she hasn't seen such examples before; she was a city girl, after all, who passed by many that rivaled this one in size on her way to work. She even went into mansions as big as this, but still. None of those had the imposing look and feel of the library in front of her. It looked like a castle from a fantasy novel.