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1. the corpse

"Welcome to Edgecomb." The carriage driver said, turning back to look at the detective. He nodded at her and gazed at his surroundings. It wasn't much to look at. There were a few large houses on the outskirts, surrounding by enormous fields filled with crops. The majority of the town seemed to be in the very center, where there was an abundance of smaller buildings with faded boards plastered on the front. "So where do you want me to take you?" The carriage driver asked, a cigarette hanging from her lips.

"The coroner's office..." The detective replied, holding his breath to avoid the pungent stench of her breath. She smiled through her crooked teeth and pulled the reins on her horse. The horse pulled the old carriage down a dirt road, towards the small town. The detective suddenly felt a shiver as they neared the buildings. He had an odd feeling the moment he stepped on the godforsaken island but he had been ignoring it until now, blaming it on the sickening smell of salty sea air. Now the feeling had intensified and he felt beads of cold sweat form on his brow. He was beginning to regret taking this case.

He closed his eyes and recalled reading the report. Twenty-six year old woman, found frozen to death in a forest near Edgecomb, a broken chain wrapped tightly around her left ankle. At the time, it peaked the detective's interest. It would've been his first real case and no one else had wanted it so he quickly accepted it. He had to read up on Edgecomb, before beginning his journey.

It was the only town on a tiny island, far from the west coast. It was founded in the early 1700s as a coal mining town, attracting thousands of people for the new prospect of making money. The town became famous for its fishing and farming. For such a tiny island, Edgecomb was surprisingly abundant in resources. For the first half century after its founding, the townsfolk lived lavishly. With a steady income from coal, crops, and fish, the people of Edgecomb never had to worry about anything. 

Until the coal ran out. And the famine came. And the fish migrated. Without its main resources, the income of Edgecomb suffered greatly along with its people. The richer townspeople were able to leave, chasing their fortunes elsewhere, but those that were less fortunate stayed, trapped by their own doing.

But that was not what the detective saw. As the carriage took him past the farms outside the town, all he saw were golden fields filled with healthy crops. It confused him. If the crops were healthy again, why did no one know about it? It was within the realm of possibility that the townsfolk chose to keep it a secret this time to avoid overpopulation but the detective ignored that thought. Something smelled fishy to him and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Here we are." The carriage driver pulled on the reins to stop the horse as they pulled up in front of a shabby building. The detective furrowed his brows and cleared his throat.

"And where is here exactly?" He asked, clenching his jaw and staring at her.

"The police station..." The carriage driver laughed, her voice harsh. "The coroner is inside, if you can even call him that. Now my pay..." She extended her hand expectantly. The detective nodded and gingerly handed over a few notes that the carriage driver quickly pocketed. "Don't be a stranger..." She bit her lip and fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Thanks for the ride." The detective said, hopping off the carriage with his luggage. The driver made a sour face and grabbed the reins, ordering her horse to pull her away. The detective watched her leave, waving away the plume of dust she left behind. Then he turned around and opened the wooden door of the police station, cringing as it let out a loud creak.

The inside of the building was dimly lit, the only light coming in from the half open shades. There was only one desk at the back of the room and it was filled with stacks of paper, empty bottles, and cigarette butts. But the worst part was the smell. It was the dusty old smell of a dirty building. It made him want to keel over and vomit but he resisted.