The Mafia's Doll.

The Arrival (1)

Valerie Gauthen

Two weeks earlier

listen to the assigned music while reading for a better experience..

"Detective Gauthen?" When the uniformed officer called out, a worried expression started to appear on his formidable face, but it faded as soon as I shifted to look at him. "Are you okay, you seem out of it." Officer Ortiz asked, tilting his head somewhat. I let out an extended breath and replied, "Yes I am okay, just been a long night."

Since there had been numerous crimes in this town, the truth was that I was inside my own mind. Knowing that I haven't yet solved any of them frustrated me since nobody seemed to want to come forward because of what the town's higher authorities were capable of doing mixed with the fact that there wasn't enough proof in each case.

The officer swiftly changed the topic of conversation, explaining, "It's a rough night for everyone; the other cops guarded the area and set a perimeter around the site. I nodded and promptly motioned in the direction of the crime. This would not be a typical crime scene, as evidenced by the lingering scent of mystery.

The elegant store, renowned for its lavish products, had been the target of a burglary orchestrated by the shadows of the thieves. The windows were purposefully made to be enormous in order to display some of their most magnificent item.

A hush dropped over the crowd of onlookers, their gazes shifting from the messy scene to me. When I got on the site, the community was aware that justice would be meted out ruthlessly even in the face of a crime committed by criminal organizations. I halted at the cautionary tape and proceeded to look at the shattered storefront door which was meant to be eye-catching to customers. 

I swept across the area, taking in every detail with a keen sense of observation. Due to the mayhem that had occurred during the crime spree, the air was heavy with tension. The store had lost all of its charm; jewelry had been stolen by breaking display cases, and glass from the thief forcing access to the building coated the floor. I lifted the tape and strolled further into the scene of the crime.

"Mister Sullivan," I greeted, approaching him with an awareness to not disturb any potential evidence that might lie hidden amidst the chaos. Jake Sullivan was a skilled crime scene photographer who knew how to capture every little detail of a case. He worked for me as an associate of an evidence collecting team. Before rising up, he snapped one more image. His nonverbal indications that he was intimidated by me made my lips twitch almost into a grin, but I swiftly wiped it off and held my head high.

"Good night, Detective Gauthen," he said whilst withdrawing the camera strap from heavying around his neck. "I documented as much evidence as possible, hopefully it will provide you with enough references to get through this investigation," Jake guaranteed his voice somewhat shaky.

I responded in a demanding tone, "There is no such thing as hopefully when you are working with me and you know that; I want you to capture more," then strolled away before he could express a reaction. I attentively examined the crime scene as I pulled my gloves from the blazer. I didn't hesitate to stretch the latex piece onto my hands before crouching down and gingerly raising a shard of broken glass. My senses warned me that there could be more going on here than just a straightforward robbery. 

I set the glass back down and pulled the gloves off my hands before getting up. I motioned to the cautionary tape and left the perimeter. "I want information about the owner and every last person who stepped foot into the building," I declared in a loud manner for my evidence collecting team to understand. 

I am simple, I know what I want and when I want it. I worked severely for this, from joining the police force and working my way through the ranks, I earned my respect because of my intelligence and dedication to stop these criminal organizations. This kind of stuff is nothing unusual, particularly in a place like New Providence. Everyone was aware that organized crime groups controlled every establishment and street in this modest town. The only location that wasn't tainted by the deals and demands of the vicious mafia boss and his associates was perhaps the department where I held my position. They were furious because we were not devoted to them.