Morning Birds Sing Deep into the Night

Chapter 6

"...Jolene's dead." Everyone froze as Christopher spoke in a somber tone, his gaze hollow and limbs stilled. Ashley stared agape, widened eyes resembling a deer caught in the headlights. Clenching his knuckles tightly, William grit his teeth and looked down. From my own state of shock, I barely registered the whisper that came from the woodworker. "Why..." Christopher caught the disbelief in William's voice, breathing out a lingering sigh. Guilt swarmed inside his mournful eyes, an undeniable tremble laced throughout his next words. "I found her in the kitchen. She must have been killed when... I left earlier. I offered to grab the mail for her earlier this morning; so she wouldn't have to worry or risk being vulnerable, but... it backfired horribly." During his speech, Christopher had ducked his head down low, unable to continue as he was forced to pause and regain the energy to breathe. To steady his emotions. My shoulders, previously bunched up from knitted nerves, lost their tense composure. I had first-hand experience on discovering a body, but I knew there was no reason for me to feel guilt towards the cause of the murder. He felt like his actions left her able to be easily targeted, when he initially intended the opposite. I felt the urge to comfort him, although I understood why he felt guilt over Jolene's sudden death. All I could do right now is grieve with him.

William was the first to speak after everyone became even more crestfallen at Christopher's words. "I'll... call the police, after we investigate the body." The wind that typically ripped past the town and rattled the factory's window shutters was absent. The rest of us nodded in agreement at the honest man. Despite the harsh wind being gone, the air still felt daunting and frigid. I hadn't realized my fingers digging into and scraping the edges of my shirt until Christopher glanced at me with a raised brow. 'You alright?' he mouthed, eyes glossed over with the unfiltered, emotional turmoil of a shy and timid soul. Unable to cast a smile, I forced my nerves to unwind before nodding. Once we stepped into the kitchen, everyone's gazes fell onto the body with an uncanny level of somberness. Silence continued to bestow itself among us, the sharp pattering of our hearts and slowing of breaths the only thing heard. There were no strands of hair pulled out, or bruises on the neck. Her face remained eerily calm as recent blood continued to leave it's trail down her face. There was a dull, stained frying pan laying next to her outstretched hand. Coated in red. Her eyes were closed, lips tugged into a firm line. As if she were simply resting peacefully rather than being a slumped over corpse. Outside, the wind could be heard and seen picking up again from the window pane across from the stove.

Strangely enough, there weren't any cooking utensils or ingredients strewn about. It wasn't just the state of the body that appeared off for a sudden murder, further indicating there was some level of preparation for it. What kind of preparation and by who, was another question. William's face was partially scrunched in confusion as he glanced around the room, most likely thinking the same thing I was. Ashley's nerve ridden and tight-knit gaze flicked back and forth between Jolene's body, the state of the kitchen, and us. Christopher stood closest to my side, brows furrowed and lips pursued as if pondering something. All of us were stiff-limbed, unable to conceal any occasional twitches as if we were in a light slumber. Voice riddled with curiosity, Ashley spoke with a fixed gaze on the cleared kitchen counters and motionless body. "There aren't even any signs of a struggle..." My own eyes narrowed, the light within them already diminished from what Christopher had said in the meeting room earlier. William cleared his throat, an emotion-bearing rhythm pinpointing his tone. "I believe we've examined the body enough..." He trailed off briefly, sight locking onto our rigid forms. "I'm going to call the police. Then we can establish alibis." We sent him a single nod, almost simultaneously, before he stepped out of the room while reaching for his pocketed phone. We all backed out of the kitchen after a moment, each of us bearing withered looks as we stepped into our respective work rooms.

Christopher and I have been exchanging our gathered information in secret, so when he tapped my shoulder with a questioning gaze, I wasn't surprised. I merely nodded, not trusting myself to speak in case the others may overhear, despite them being out in the hallways now. The mechanic gestured with a flick of wrist towards my room, which was the least visited by the others. With a subtle click, the doorknob churned and we both stepped inside. Thoughts reeling, I forced the words to tumble from my tongue, with a throat as dry as burned out coal. "I'm pretty sure we're already both on the same page, here. Either someone caught her off guard before intentionally cleaning up the supplies, or she..." Christopher gazed at me with sorrowful eyes and finished my sentence after the words died on my tongue. "Or she killed herself." His voice was a somber whisper in the quiet room. I nodded, listening to the strain of his voice as he spoke of what could be a haunting truth. The air felt as if it were filled with scattered stones. A knock on the door sounded, the tapping of cool knuckles causing both of us to grow tense and whip our heads around. Ashley's voice rang through the cracked wood. "I'm assuming both of you guys are in there, we're going to discuss alibis in the meeting room now, before the police get here." We both blinked at the familiarity of her voice, shoulders unwinding themselves in short-lived relief.

Christopher turned the doorknob, opting to nod at the kindly painter rather than responding verbally. It was almost as if I could sense everyone's bundled-up nerves emitting from our very souls once we slipped into the room. Subconsciously curling in on myself slightly, I met my coworker's steady gazes, restrained fear reflecting in the diminished lights of their eyes. In a rare moment of courage, I decided to start the dreaded conversation first. "I heard Christopher leaving earlier this morning to get the mail, which matches with his alibi. I can also recall Jolene thanking him before then." The tell-tale clatter of the tools he uses aren't exactly easy to miss. I can always hear when he sets down his equipment to leave the room. William piped up, the rough edges of his voice smoothed over with a focus that could rival a skilled hunter. "Considering the type of work equipment he uses, it would be obvious to hear when they're set down. So I can agree with you on that statement." I glanced at everyone's solid gazes, our once fog-like eyes were now clear and determined to solve the cases. Ashley gave a sharp nod of acknowledgement to William's conclusion, and Christopher nodded in agreement while flashing a small, thankful smile at me. I felt a spark of light flow through my veins, realizing that if we had each other's backs, there was hope in solving the murders.

As we fell into temporary silence, I noticed a glint of silver peering through the right pocket of his jeans.