A Great Leap (First Draft) - Outer Realms Book 1

Chapter 11

The long, two story building lay at the end of a cul de sac, almost entirely hidden behind other buildings and backing on the Parramatta River. The front gate had signs for three different companies but a small plaque for PID pointed Mikayla and Joel to the first door.

Mikayla and Joel entered the small reception with an unmanned desk. Looking through the archway, Mikayla saw an equally empty and unlit office. The space was eerie in dark silence. She was reminded of seeing her children sleep and being so careful not to make do anything that could wake them. She dismiss the thought.

"Hello?" She called out, "Anyone there?" There was no response.

"You think there's someone in there?" Joel asked.

Mikayla pointed at the reception desk. "The front door was unlocked but that much dust... Someone's been here today."

"And they plan on coming back. Even if they're not on top of the dusting."

"We can't risk waiting for them to come back. We'll have a unit keep an eye on this place while we check out the house."

A half hour later, Mikayla pulled up to an ordinary house with freshly mown lawn, clippings still littering the yard and footpath, the scent filling the air. There were branches from the recently pruned shrubbery and trees piled neatly out of the way. There was a four wheel drive in the driveway, only a light dusting of dirt around the wheels marring the white paint.There was an older sedan parked behind it, a graffiti design painted down the side of it.

"Someone's home," Mikayla said as she and Joel approached the house. "Get the plates."

When Mikayla knocked on the door she heard a male voice call out. The door was answered a mountain of a man after a short wait. He was more than six and a half feet tall and bulging with muscle. His wore only a pair of shorts and he smiled pleasantly. His face looked like it had been roughly chisseled out of rock by an ameture sculture and stray locks of brown hair hung down the side of his face. He glistened with sweat and there were streaks of glitter on his face and torso.

There was something about his eyes; an uncommon and unsettling keenness in an otherwise vapid expression. His eyes wandered in every direction though he seemed more distracted than observant.

"Sorry," he said in a rough gravelly voice and tried to push his sweaty hair back, "I'm kind of in the middle of something. Can I help you?"

"I hope so," Mikayla said, "I'm Sergeant Wallis and this is Constable Donaghue. We're hoping to talk to Dominic Shaw. Is that you?"

"Nah, not me. Haven't seen him since last night," the man said, "Went to catch up with a friend. I heard him come in pretty late but he was headed out again before I got up. Dom likes to keep busy. He might have called but I haven't looked at my phone. Been in the gardens then got distracted. I can check, if you'd like."

"Can I ask your name, sir?"

"Right," the man said with a bashful laugh, "Mike Darrow. Michael but no one really uses my full name."

"Michael Darrow? Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure," the man grinned, "It's the name I've used all my life unless everyone's been lying to me. Why?"

"What's your relationship to Dominic Shaw?"

"We're housemates," Mike answered, "Best mates too, most days. Do you want to wait here while I get my phone? I'd invite you in but like I said, I'm in the middle of something."

"What exactly are you in the middle of?" Joel asked.

"A pair of C cups and about eight inches," Michael answered with a proud grin, "I guess you can come in if you really want. Just give me a sec to find my phone."