The Case Puzzle

Chapter 4

Now, what do I do? Enjoy the show? Though there was no good show from my audience seat.

I just hid behind a tree in a daze for at least five minutes before I regained my composure. I shall enjoy the show. From the first row seat.

There was no one guarding the entrance and the surroundings. That means they were sure about their hiding and that no one would discover them. But guess who's here, lads!

I crept to the back of the warehouse. I was going to hide against the wall, but seeing the moss-covered walls with small insects crawling around, I refrained from even touching it.

But from my position at the back, I couldn't see anything, nor could I hear anyone. This isn't going to work. I need to slip in without them noticing. I walked around moving to the side of the building. The skittering of a few pebbles that I kicked echoed around, making me move to the moss-covered ground that helped to stifle the sound of my footsteps.

I marched to the left side of the building where the light from inside seemed dim. The people inside were probably far from where I was standing. I looked up and spotted the window...or the lack thereof. There was no sign of any bits of window glass which meant I could easily slip in. This was gonna be my entrance.

Seeing that it was a bit high, I decided to jump and hold on fast then try to crawl in. I regretted it as fast as I fell back. The surrounding seemed a bit rusty and cut the palm of my hands as soon as I held onto it.

I tugged onto the hoodie's sleeves to cover my hands as I held on again. Damn, the hoodie is getting dirty! Someone is going to be mad at me later. Ugh, nevermind. I'll just buy her a new one.

With some effort, I threw one leg inside and balanced half of my body. I stayed still for a few seconds to make sure no one is nearby. Then I entered the room in a backward position. I steadied myself with my hands on the wall. Well, it seemed cleaner inside!

But the air seemed eerie.

I looked around but it was totally dark. My hand reached out for my phone as I turned on my camera flashlight. The light helped me scan my surrounding a bit, which seemed empty. The door was kept slightly ajar.

I started to walk forward when my left foot met an obstacle. I stood back into my steps rigidly. The obstacle didn't feel hard enough to be an object. As I took a deep breath to calm myself, a smell hit me. I pinched my nose snd closed my eyes for a few seconds.

Sending a quick prayer to God, I directed my camera's light below on the floor. And all I saw was white. Something wrapped in white. Or someone.

I let out a silent gasp as I fell on the floor and scurried back into the corner of the room. I kept my trembling hand pressed over my mouth to prevent myself from making any sound. I stared, stared and continued staring with wide eyes. I felt my heartbeats echoing around the almost empty room. It was not every day that I encountered a dead body. This was not in my job description!

Taking a deep breath, I flashed my light again on the body. Should I check it? No, no, I can't touch...that. I was supposed to be investigating on a supposedly escaped prisoner. Could this be him? Now I knew what that smell was. It was the putrid foul smell of the decomposing body. Whoever the person is, he must have been dead for a while.

My breaths quickened. I needed to get out of here. The smell started to be suffocating. As my hands reached towards the window to escape, I heard faint voices outside. I immediately retracted my hands. Maybe going out would be a bad idea for now.

I moved towards the door instead. The door's handle was rusty so I pushed the door to open it further and peeked outside. No one in sight! I started to move out slowly. I turned off the light in case I'd get noticed by one of the men.