Juliet Shadows: a touch of velvet

Chapter 1

11:30 pm

I was having dinner at my apartment. My good friend Ollie was sitting in front of me, determinedly chewing on a piece of pizza. I was staring at the table, or rather my phone.
"Any particular reason you always give me the stringiest slice of pizza known to man?" Ollie asked through a full mouth. I didn't hear him. "Hello?" he said. He said a couple more times before I came back down to earth.
"Oh sorry just... um... thinking about..." Nothing came to me.
"Oh leave it out. You have been staring at your phone since I came in, making as little conversation as possible. I knew you loathed my company, but no need to give me the silent treatment." He joked.
"NO, I just. I can't." I took a deep breath and took a sip from the glass next to me then took another two minutes to gather the words in my head into a legible sentence. "I can't help thinking that another family has been ruined." The look Ollie was giving me gave the impression he was trying to get on the same page as me but struggling.
"I mean, that all day I've felt that, well, someone is thinking how to get, kill the body, hide the body and cover their tracks. I think someone has been murdered tonight." I said in the smallest voice possible. Ollie just stared at me before exploding into peals of laughter.
"I don't know how you do this job sometimes. It just seems so sad." He said while trying to calm down and find his breath.
"Well you don't seem particularly depressed by your statement." I said sourly.
"What do you do for a job again? I can never remember." Ollie said, still chewing the same piece of pizza.
"A homicide detective." I said, knowing that Ollie was American.
"Use your words." Ollie said. I never said he understood it.
"I solve murder cases." I said, exasperated.
"Trust me. No one has been murdered." Ollie said picking up his glass and putting it to his lips.

No sooner then he said this, my phone rang and vibrated against the table. Mine and Ollie's eyes shot downwards. We both saw the caller ID. Ollie spat out his mouthful of liquid so far it hit the window the other side of the room. I rolled my eyes before picking up the phone and putting it to my ear. After few one syllable words I shoved the phone in my pocket and took my plate and glass to the sink.
"I guess I was wrong." Ollie said.
"Yes, no changes there."
"No, I mean I can spit further then Caleb."
"You disgust me."
"My pleasure."
"Why do I let you come here?"
"Because I am your favourite."
"You not lying."
"No changes there then." Ollie grinned.
"I've got to go." I said reluctantly.
"What do you suppose I do?"
" You can stay here. Or you can go when you want. Help yourself to anything in the fridge." I said, to in a rush to say otherwise.
"I'll replace anything I eat." Ollie said sincerely. When he uses that tone, there is no changing his mind.
"You're a mate." I said, before crabbing my coat and rushing out the door.