A Time Of Crime..

*murder warning and graphic descriptions*

 #2

Flashback of part one:

I turned to Detective Sophie, ''Wow, Detective...'' She shook her head, ''Please, just call me Sophie.'' I nodded, ''Look, Sophie, we've got to go to the hospital now and go to the corpse room. We've got to give Robert a chance at giving Father an autopsy before he is buried.''

Sophie nodded her agreement and we exited the house and she drove a police car, with Robert in the front passenger seat and me alone in the rear passenger seat.

 ~ ~ ~ ~

We arrived at Saint George's Hospital in the blink of an eye, located in the heart of bustling London. We entered the colossal building through the limpid glass doors.

Once we entered, we strolled to the desk lobby, and the receptionist asked us with her dazzling smile, ''Hello there, welcome to Saint George Hospital for invalids, who are you to visit?''

Robert opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Sophie, ''I'm Sophie March, Senior Commissary working with the Scotland Yard.'' Sophie smiled meekly, ''We're here to investigate Mr. John Watson's body, I believe you know him? I am quite sure he was brought in this morning, body number 265?''

The receptionist hesitated for a moment, her golden head tilted to one side, ''Oh! Ms. March, I do know you, I think your friend, Mr. Connor Tance, was the one who brought the body here. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Lena .'' Lena shook Sophie's hand.

Robert and I shook hands with her too and after introducing us, Sophie went straight back to business, ''So, Lena, can we go to the corpse room?'' Lena nodded and waved her hand toward the direction of the room, then proceeded to lead the way.

We followed her through the long hospital hallways, past doors, stairs and many nurses and doctors running around with a decidedly worried look on their faces.

We finally arrived in front of a door with a sign stuck right above it that read, ''Mortuary''. Lena, evidently shaken at the thought of ever having to go inside, gave a little sigh and took a deep breath as she pushed the door open slightly and it creaked.

The smell of cadaverine wafted out the door, and the buzzing sound flies were suddenly very clearly heard. Lena took another push of the door then stepped in. We three followed suit.

The moment Lena closed the door, an automatic light turned on right above us. The corpses were put in ''racks'' that looked like bunker-beds but with no soft mattresses and think blankets, with rather thin covers.

They, that is, the corpses, were all safely sealed out of sight, secured in many HRPs (human remains pouch). Except one.

My dad's.

His body was still pale and cold, his face terrifyingly contorted in fear, his mouth agape, his eyes wide and bulging out, his eyebrows lifted high.

Sophie made a bee-line straight to him, cutting through the room with brisk strolls. Lena, Robert and I followed her. We arrived at the body, laid down on an examination table, and nude.

I flinched when I saw that Father was naked, for I had never seen him so, so shut my eyes when I first saw his body. Robert got closer and did a minute examination of Father's body.

First he sniffed his agape mouth, then he traced his nose, then he got out his magnifying lens then stared into his eyes with eyes magnified by large.

When he was done examining Father's body, he looked up at Sophie, ''Ms. March, was he in possession of anything when he was found dead in his own bed?'' Sophie thought, ''Yes, I think he was, but I forgot where they were kept, but most likely they're kept at the police station.''

Robert nodded acknowledgingly, ''Right, then we shall go there right now.'' Lena was surprised, ''I- But you all have just arrived, surely you would enjoy some of our refreshments on the third floor?''

Robert shook his head, ''Thank you very much for the offer, but I'm afraid we'll have to leave as soon as possible,'' Sophie looked beseechingly at him, ''Maybe we can, have a sip or two of tea. I haven't had any breakfast all day you know..'' She added, though I kinda knew it was a lie.

Robert must've felt it too for he turned sharply to look at Sophie, ''Ms. March, if you would like some refreshments, you can do so, but Ava and I will leave you here, to enjoy some ''refreshments''.''

Sophie looked highly offended, ''I'm sorry, Robert. Let us go now.''

Lena shifted uncomfortably between them and I sensed it. I took Robert's hand and dragged him to the front door.

We thanked Lena heartily for helping us and then we left with a different car.

We drove for about 15 minutes until we finally arrived at 3:46 in the afternoon at the police station. Sophie got out first quickly and was practically feeling herself, for she waited at the station's doors for us.

Once we were together once more, we entered, and once we were inside the building, I felt a heavy, kind of formally strict air and as Sophie steered us into her's boss's room, that feeling escalated quickly.

Sophie's boss, whose name tag read Walt, nodded importantly to Sophie as she took her seat in her office. Sophie pressed some buttons on her walkie-talkie then spoke some words to it.

''Sophie March, of the Detective Division, Detective number 20, section 12. Please reply: Connor Tance.''

A long pause of silence came after that, and finally static was heard from the walkie-talkie, and Connor Tance's voice rang out, ''Hello? Ms. Sophie March? Connor Tance on stand-by, what's going on?''

Sophie's hand flew to the walkie-talkie as it sounded, and she pressed some buttons again, ''Connor! In my office now.'' Static. Then, Tance's voice spoke again, ''Yes. Right away, Ms. March.''

Exactly 159 seconds later, a quick knock rang at the door. Mr. Walt turned to look at Sophie, then nodded to the door. Sophie jumped up and pulled back the door, revealing a grinning human being named Connor Tance.

Sophie ordered, ''Tance, sit, here.'' And offered him a spare chair, then with us four all sitting down around Sophie's work table, Sophie started to talk.

''Connor, are you in possession of Mr. Watson's, the dead man, possessions?'' Tance looked troubled at the thought of my dead father, ''Yes, I do, Detective Lisa gave them to me.'' He said that with an all-important air, one of being proud at being trusted by a senior.

Sophie looked sharply at him, ''Where are they now, Tance?'' Tance replied, ''In my office, Detective.'' Sophie thought, ''Hmm, okay, bring them to me and I'll give you five minutes.''

Tance nodded, and flew out of the room like a gust of wind, and when he went away, Sophie turned to Robert. ''Mr. Langdon,'' She began with a rueful smile, but was cut off by Robert, ''Please, don't be too formal, just say my name, Robert.''

Sophie nodded, ''Okay, Robert, can you please write those lengthy descriptions of the murderer here?'' She fumbled through her drawer and finally pulled out a notepad and pen. She slide it across the table from her seat to Robert's.

Robert nodded, ''Sure, I can do that.'' And he started to write furiously in the notepad.

An awkward pause followed, the only sounds being the fast scratches of Robert's writing. Sophie turned to me, trying to break the silence, ''So, Elizabeth, you're still in college?'' I was happy for the distraction, ''Yes, I'm having my master's degree and will graduate in a few months.''

Sophie pressed the start button of the recorder under her desk, but I didn't know that. She spoke again, ''How has your father's murder affected your daily life?'' I hesitated, ''Um, I don't know, but I'm pretty sad. I guess my mountain of homework will do well to distract me from this tragedy, in a good way.''

She nodded, then leaned in closer, ''Is Robert your.. Partner?'' Robert ignored this remark, still writing his description and I blushed hard, ''No! I mean, no, Robert is not mine, he is engaged to someone else and I'm happy for him. We are very good friends and we both get on capitally with each other, but no, no romantics or such silly stuff.'' I said, with a huff.

Sophie looked guilty, ''I'm sorry to have offended you, Elizabeth. Anyways, you're quite smart for a youngster.'' She looked at me, hoping her compliment would calm me down, but what happened next was unexpected, ''No, I'm sorry Sophie, I'm not a youngster, and I rather dislike being called ''young'', for I am nineteen and legally of age.''

Sophie looked down, ''I'm sorry, Elizabeth. So, how is college? Fun? Tiring?'' She looked up again with the typical detective-y glint in her eyes as I replied, ''Yes, it's most definitely tiring, the professors give us piles of homework every after-class, we don't have much fun, unless it's somebody's birthday, and the whole campus gathers round to celebrate his or her's birthday. We have prom once a month, each month with a different theme, but it's never much fun, unless someone's brave enough to get on the stage and sing, it's usually just me though.''

Sophie nodded, ''Then?'' I replied, ''I hate mathematics because the questions are so complicated, but I try my best to not show it, for I learn a lot and hope to make my parents proud by having a good education, having already been sent to Germany for a higher education.''

Sophie nodded tightly, ''Same for me, I graduated from Doshisha University in Kyoto, for my parents knew how much I loved anime, manga, and all Japan-related stuff. They searched for the best Japanese tutor available in Australia and I practised every day except Sunday and holidays for three years until I finally got a certificated N1 in Japanese and flew to Japan.''

I nodded, admiring her, ''Wow, it's always been my dream to go to school in Japan, for I love Japan as much as you do, and I plan to get my Doctoral Degree in Japan and work as a doctor in Japan.''

Detective Sophie lifted her eyebrows, ''You want to be a doctor?'' I nodded excitedly, ''Yes, doctors are kind and amazing, and they help save people's lives. Plus, by being a doctor, I can be a benefit to my family, for whenever someone is sick, I can help cure them because I have medical knowledge. So yes, I will get a PhD in medics, for my biggest dream is to be a doctor and I can sing as a hobby and write books about my experience of being a doctor.''

Sophie nodded impressively, ''Woah, that's a truly inspiring idea, and I hope with all my heart you can cut off your chains and fly away, off to chase your dreams.'' I replied solemnly, ''Thank you, Detective. I appreciate your trust in me and I also hope you can replace his place.'' I tilted my head towards Sophie's boss's desk.

Sophie chuckled, ''Thanks, kid. I mean, thanks Elizabeth.'' After that jolly conversation, there was another series knock on the door.

Sophie yelled, ''Come in!'' And in came Tance, who was now holding a zip-log bag, in which there was a box of matches, a candy wrapper and two 1 dollar bills.

Robert finally finished writing his protacted description and excitedly examined the odd objects in gloved hands.

We watched patiently as Robert sniffed the candy wrapper then laid it flat out, then asked for a piece of paper and tape then he stuck the candy wrapper to the paper with tape, ''for portable evidence'' he said.

Then he carefully opened the box of matches and took out one match. Then he lit it with a scratch on one side of the box and as it burned steadily, it turned to ash. Robert produced a small test tube, complete with a lid, made with cork. He carefully put the ashes in the test tube ''for referencing references'' he said, and he shut the lid and slid the tube in his pocket.

Then he took out a small UV-light, shaped like a pen-light. He attentively shone the light on the dollar bills, punctiliously examining every inch of it.

After that was done, he went back to writing on his notepad.