Murder in a Small Town

[Platipoo]

Ava was fumbling with Louis' car keys with her free hands when her brother pulled her into a very sudden hug, "I-" she really wasn't expecting this, and she wasn't sure whether she should be happy. Louis was full of surprises, and she wasn't sure whether it was him or the alcohol in his system who was in charge.


Ava hugged him back, though. It has been long since he last showed her any form of affection. Real or not, it felt good. The hug calmed her down a bit, enough to bring some sense into her. Over Louis' shoulder, Ava saw the morgue door swung closed. Luke wasn't there anymore, so maybe it was safe enough to tell her brother what had scared the world out of her, "Louis," she whispered slowly, "I need you to listen to me really carefully."


Ava closed her eyes shut. She had considered keeping it a secret, but they were siblings. Louis deserved to know the truth, "Dad didn't die in an accident.. He was murdered."

 

[Zediah47]

Louis pushed her away. “Okay, you’re going to have to dumb that down for me. He was murdered?”


He turned around. Morgan wouldn’t be too keen on overhearing this.


“What do you mean murdered? He died in a freakin’ car accident. Besides, how can you support that accusation?”


‘Oh right, she searched the body.’


“Ava, this is serious,” Louis whispered,” you shouldn’t say something like that unless you have definitive evidence? There’s no reason to put the blame on someone else for something that happened to us.”


‘Unless someone caused the car accident…’


He shook his head.


“Ava, I know you’re a smart girl and you wouldn’t say something like this unless you absolutely believed it, but you have to be careful with your words. Maybe your feelings are getting the best of you. What makes you think it was murder?”

 

[Platipoo]

Ava brushed her hair back with her fingers, "Let's get inside the car first. I don't think we should discuss it out here in the open," Ava clicked the button on Louis' car key to unlock the doors and gestured for her brother to follow her. Ava was tired and never really enjoyed driving, but she wasn't sure whether Louis was sober enough to drive safely, so she claimed the driver's seat and strapped herself with the safety belt.


As soon as Louis' car purred and they were well on their way home, Ava took a deep breath and declared, "I think Dad was murdered, Louis, and I've spent enough time doubting myself in that morgue. I can't find it in me to believe otherwise," Ava looked straight on the road in front of them, she refused to turn and see Louis' expression. There was a possibility that she hadn't considered before, at it was gnawing at her meager amount of courage: he might not believe her.


"The lividity pattern, they just don't add up," Ava halted. She should try to explain this slower and clearer, "The purplish bruises on Dad's body, they can be used to determine his position around the time of his-" Ava unconsciously pushed through quickly, "-death, and it looked like he was lying down for hours after he died. It didn't fit the position of someone who was found sitting behind the steering wheel, which means.." Ava slowed the car into a halt as she let an older lady and her grandson cross the street, "Someone must've put him into the car and purposefully staged it to make it looks like as if he'd driven carelessly and the car 'accidentally' slid out of the roadway, rolling down the hillside where he was found."


Ava massaged her pulsating temple slowly, the start of a bad migraine was just around the corner, "I ran a basic tox screen to find out how much alcohol was in his system. The results won't be out until later tonight but.. I'm pretty sure he wasn't drunk."

 

[Zediah47]

Louis sighed. “Following your train of thought, and let’s imply that everything you said is true, why not tell Morgan if he was right there? I mean, you are the coroner in this incident, at least technically. If what you say is true, and we are saying it’s true for the sake of this argument, are we not withholding information on a murder, the murder of our FATHER?”


Louis leaned on his armrest. “Again, let’s say everything is true. Who would do it and why?”


His nerves were on end. It had been a while since he had smoked, and it was already a long day. This new tidbit was not helping anything.


“If the tests come back negative, or positive which would help deny the murder, you cannot tell Morgan you told me. Being an accessory is not something I need, especially IF it is true. I can’t say anything against your judgement, I didn’t leave to study medicine.”


‘Hell, I never had a chance to leave at all.’


“But if there is truth in your words, I say let the authorities know as soon as possible, an let us be one with it. We already have to bury a body; let’s not have to dig it back up while we’re at it. By what time will the results be in?”

 

[Platipoo]

Ava pulled Louis' car over as soon as she saw the sign of a small drugstore. All this ordeal was probably harder on her than she imagined, "The result will be in around the time of that reading-of-the-will dinner Morgan said the town lawyer was planning.. Did you hear about that, by any chance? I didn't even know Dad had anything worth whipping up a formal will."


Ava sighed. Another surprising detail that might not have been quite a surprise if she had stayed put in town, "Anyway. The result doesn't really matter. People still get into car accidents even when they're sober, but dead bodies don't lie around for hours and then suddenly just decided to get up and drive their car down a hill on their own," she stopped. Her head was killing her, and she was never good at hiding panic, "I'm sorry. I just.. I couldn't imagine even just one reason why anyone would want to kill Dad.. I feel like I can't trust anybody. Not even Morgan. You told me when you called that he was the one who found Dad's body on his patrol. He could've been the murderer, for all I know."


Ava covered her face with both hands, "I considered telling him, but when I saw his service gun, I chickened out. I have no problem getting out of this town at the tiniest sign of a threat, but I feared for you, Louis. You wouldn't leave this place even if you know for sure that the person who took Dad's life was out to get yours, would you?" Ava groaned, pressing her temple. This headache's going to be really ugly.

 

[Zediah47]

“…You know, you’re a selfish person, Ava. You were looking out for yourself, and in doing so you just broke the law, getting BOTH of us in trouble!”


Louis felt his jaw clench.


“Anyone could be the murderer, hell, I could be the murderer! Yet you told me! Morgan is a licensed officer; officers check the scene of the crime all the time. There are more cops here, let’s tell them! And who are you to tell me what I would and wouldn’t do!?”


Louis turned to her. He could feel his earlier annoyance rise again. ‘She knows nothing about me.’


“It would take less than a second for me to leave; I have no connections to this place. With father gone and mother dead, what reason do I have to stay? But I would not leave out of cowardice like you; I would at least do my part and stay to fix what I could. That’s just like you, always wanting to leave as soon as things become uncomfortable for you. It’s what you’re good at doing.”


Louis silenced any objection.


“Look, I don’t give a damn about your theory, not yet anyways. I will wait for the results, but if he had any alcohol in him, you tell Morgan; if he didn’t, you tell Morgan. Let them deal with it, and leave me out of it. They can take care of it, and you can leave and take care of yourself. Problem solved.”

 

[Platipoo]

"I haven't told Morgan because he gave me a day to write the autopsy report. I didn't tell him it was an accident, nor did I tell him it was murder - yet," Ava groaned, irritated, "It's just that I need time to make sense of it. I thought you could help me figure things out since I'm probably not in my right mind - and you deserve to know. Would it kill you to see how hard all this is for me, too, Louis? I'm not the heartless sister you seem to believe I am. Telling me how crappy of a person I am isn't helping. I didn't leave town because I hate you, Dad, Mom, or even this town itself. I found that I love medicine, and I can't have that if I stay here! I still wanted to be a part of your life, and you didn't seem to see that!"


Ava took a deep breath and sighed, "That's another talk for another day. My head hurts too much for any of this right now. Forget it, just-" she winced in pain, "Can you please help me get some headache pills from this drug store and drive us home? I don't think I can drive safer than you right now," she slowly leaned back in her seat, releasing the safety belt, "Truthfully I have a gut feeling that I can't trust Morgan, but if you think this isn't our concern, fine."

 

[Zediah47]

“The fact that you are willing to let me drive shows how bad off you must be at the moment.”


Louis sighed. “Let’s just drop it for now. I can get the medicine, and you can sleep off your headache at my place. Do you have a place to stay here? If not, you can stay with me while you’re here. I would have offered earlier but it never came up.”


That was actually a lie, but Louis didn’t want to admit it. He had been ready to tell her the first time he met her, but his feelings had come into play and changed that. Unlike with his car, he had made an effort to make his home presentable in case she did stay (which he actually had forget to ask before she made her way here), but she also didn’t need to know this.


“What do you say?”

 

[Platipoo]

"At first I thought I was going to use my old room at Dad's, but I think your place sounds much better," Ava sighed, dragging herself out of Louis' car. She walked slowly towards the passenger door, "I've never been to your place, now that I think about it."


Ava stared at her brother hard and long before she finally muttered, "Sorry, Louis," she waited for Louis to get out of his side of the car and snorted pathetically, "It seems like I keep making your day worse. I didn't really mean to make it that way.. I can go into the drugstore and get something myself, if it's too much trouble for you."

 

[Zediah47]

‘It would be very odd if you had actually been to my place, seeing as you haven’t been back in years’.


Louis really wanted to point this out, but it seemed as if his sister was having a bad enough day; they both were. As it was, he felt he wasn’t being very helpful in the big brother department, or any department that required sympathy for that matter.


“Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I have something at my apartment. I’ll drive you straight there.” He patted her back as he passed her. She felt cold to the touch, much like he did. He knew they were both suffering. “I may be an ass, but I can be helpful at times. You leave this to me.”

 

[Platipoo]

"I don't think I have any other option except to trust you, big brother," Ava felt weird having Louis pat her back. It felt.. Nice. His hand was rather cold, maybe because of the autumn weather, but it made her feel warm somehow. On the other hand.. His touch felt foreign, surreal. She kept thinking about it, but her mind wasn't cooperating and it felt good, being able to just lean back to her seat.


"I'm sleepy, wake me when we're home, Louis," Ava was already dozing off. She caught herself calling Louis' apartment, a place she hadn't ever seen before 'home' and it tickled her, yet it felt right at the same time. She decided not to think too much about it and let herself fall asleep, feeling safe for the first time since Louis' call this morning.

 

[Zediah47]

“Well, we’re home.” Louis wasn’t sure what kind of response he would get; he would be surprised if he actually got one. He looked at the sister in his arms and smiled.


‘I hope she doesn’t mind this.’


Louis wanted to wake Ava as they neared, but she looked so peaceful he felt it would be wrong to do so. He lived on the second floor of a newly built complex, “new” being a genial term for within the past 40 years; if anything it looked nice with the array of foliage growing along its sides (Louis often found himself dismembering vines along his balcony). Carrying Ava, which was a lot harder than he remembered, he opened the door to his room.


It was quaint, nice and small, just the right size for a single person or two if another decided to stay the night. The room was a cleanly mess, stacks of random debris littering the walkways, from books to side projects Louis enjoyed doing. The complex contained a small kitchen, a bathroom, and two other; outside of the living room, the other rooms were clean. The living room had always been dirty, and this seemed the best he would be able to fix it. The room was dim as he entered, the only light present that which came from the blinds. Very gently, Louis placed Ava down on his couch. He quickly scavenged a blanket from his room and laid it over her.


‘I should probable make some food.’


As Louis started cooking he placed a glass of water and some medicine on a table near her.


‘She’s a smart girl, she’ll get the idea.’


He hummed as he began cooking.

 

[Platipoo]

Ava felt her migraine dissipating as soon as she fell into a hazy dream of their family - her mother old, her father alive, her brother smiling - spending a leisurely Sunday at the lake. She took a dip in the lake after that, she felt herself swaying along with the lake's current. The water felt warm to her skin, and later she smelled something delicious cooking. It was the happiest she has been for hours - actually, maybe years.


Ava's eyes flickered open to find herself snuggling a freshly-washed blanket. The unfamiliar room was dark, but it clearly was Louis- "Wait, what time is it?" Ava fumbled to find her phone and sat herself up, "Louis?" She called aloud, muttering a low Oh, jeez! as she stood, "It's 8! I think we're late for the dinner at that lawyer's house!"

 

[Zediah47]

“Think, I know we are. Turns out you’re a heavier sleeper than you look.” Louis opened the microwave and made his way to Ava. The smell from the dish was amazing. “it tasted better when it was fresh, but it’s not so bad now either. Maybe a little dry, but my ego can take it.”


Most people wouldn’t guess, but Louis was an excellent cook. He wasn’t sure when it became a passion of his, but at some point he learned to enjoy cooking. He never cared for the single diet most bachelors had, and he also didn’t enjoy eating a meal by himself; for once in a long time, he was actually cooking for someone else.


“There’s medicine on the table if you still feel bad. Unless you have clothes, you’re probably going to go in those. My bath is open for you to use and I do have cologne if it counts.”


Louis paused. He could the worry grow in Ava’s eyes.


“You don’t have to worry about being late. I called ahead and told them we’d be there later. I got this.”

 

[Platipoo]

"Ah. That's a relief.. Thanks, Louis," the smell of a warm meal hit Ava's nose. She wouldn't acknowledge it out loud, but while she was a decent cook, Louis was on a completely different level. The fact that Ava has never gotten over her hate of vegetables didn't help much to improve her cooking skills. The only kind of greens Ava could eat were the ones that Louis cooked. He was that good. Her stomach let out a low rumble, "I guess I should eat now since you've gone through the trouble of cooking it. I'm not taking the risk of going to an old geezer's dinner party that might only serve stupid all-veggie dishes."


Never having been girly, Ava casually sniffed her armpit, "Meh, I'll just wash my face and brush my teeth later," she quickly decided to just slap on a fresh polo shirt later, and she should be ready to go.


"Have you eaten yourself, Lou?" Ava took a deep breath, inhaling as much of the delicious smell as she could, "And yeah, I saw the pills. I felt better already, thanks," Ava sat herself down and reached for the spoon, "Would you kindly tell me about the dish you just served, Chef Grey? Wait- is that a carrot?" Ava poked at the suspiciously orange small pieces with a scrunched face, the kind of face she has always made when their father tried to trick her into eating veggies - more for his own amusement than a real effort to make Ava eat healthy.

 

[Zediah47]

“It’s just tandoori chicken,” Louis called while rummaging through the fridge,” with caramelized vegetables. I prepared the chicken first and then cooked the vegetables while waiting for the meat to tenderize. It wasn’t too difficult, I used to make it all the time for…” Louis paused.


“Those are carrots, and the rest you can see for yourself. I ate while waiting for you to wake, so no need to wonder about me.” He pulled out two bottles.


“Don’t worry, this is soda. I always preferred glass to plastic anyways.”


He walked over and laid one near Ava. “You can take your time getting ready. We don’t have to leave for another hour, and by the ways things are going we’ll probably miss their food as well, so enjoy this while you can.” He uncorked his bottle and waited for Ava to do the same.


“Cheers”.

 

[Platipoo]

Ava only barely heard Louis' sentence trailing off, she was too busy lightly poking - and later, carefully scooping - one of the now-confirmed pieces of carrot. Her eyebrows got glued to each other as she tasted her first spoonful, "It doesn't taste like veggies. Job well done.. As usual, I guess," Ava flashed a riddiculously childish grin towards her brother, though she changed her expression abruptly to a more formal one.


"Cheers.. To Dad.. To a life well-lived and a man well-loved," Ava smiled a softer smile as she clinked the two coke bottles. This was just like her last dinner in town. She had came home late from the town's post office, the letter from her university announcing her admission had arrived a month earlier, but it didn't really make everything feel real. It was only when her dorm assignment detail and room key arrived that she felt sure she wasn't dreaming. Ava had packed, and her father had filled his old truck's tank full of gas for the long ride tomorrow, but Ava hadn't told Louis. She wanted it to be a last-minute surprise. Louis would be so proud of her - they would celebrate together all night, overslept, and slept through the whole 6 hours drive, Ava thought.


The night started out perfect, Ava came home with flushed cheeks from going too fast with her bike in the cold weather. Louis had offered to reheat a late dinner for her - he had eaten the skillfully-cooked soup himself - and they sat themselves across each other, Louis uncorking a bottle of soda for her. That meal didn't end well, to say the least, so even though Ava wanted to have a long talk of mourning and reminiscing their father, so she pulled back and changed topic in fear of ruining this meal just like she ruined their last, "You always loved cooking, Louis - and you're so crazily good at it. Did you really open your own restaurant while I was gone? What do you do these days?"

 

[Zediah47]

“Restaurants are for people who have talent, not someone who practices the craft part-time. I mean, could you imagine me running a restaurant? I would last two weeks before another side project caught my eye; I would never be able to run such a place.” Louis leaned over to sit. There weren’t any chairs near this table, the kitchen a little way behind him, so he made due with the wrinkly carpet.


“I’m more of an entrepreneur than anything. I like to start little side projects, and watch them bloom. I own a lot of little businesses around here, but I don’t manage them. I usually plant the seeds and plow the earth, but I let others water and raise my profit. I own a little fishing place on the lake, and two other small businesses. The one I’m proudest of is the store not far from here. I bring fresh produce and other products to this town we otherwise wouldn’t have. I spend a lot of time there helping out. I don’t get paid for it, at least not by working there, but it’s nice to see how the towns’ people appreciate it.” Louis realized for the first time how much he was saying.


“Sorry, I must be boring you with my tiny tidings. What about you? How’s life in the city? Must be fun in such a different place."

 

[Platipoo]

"You always do that," Ava waved her spoon at Louis' general direction while rolling her eyes, "Aw- hot, hot!" she swallowed quickly and took a sip of her soda. She put the bottle down lightly and scooped another spoonful, blowing softly on the chicken, "You're not boring, you know. I think you've got Dad's knack for turning the things you touch into gold while making others happy at the same time, and it's actually really interesting to hear you talk about yourself."


Ava found the right pace to eat her meal without burning her tongue in the process, so she leaned closer over the table and lazily rested her cheek on her left hand as she ate, "Well it's not exactly 'fun'. Work is great, it's rewarding, there's always new cases to figure out.. I've never been a people person but I'm decent when it comes to patching them up," she played with her food a bit as she munched, "Mostly I'm still the shut-in I've always been.. I've got a small, cozy apartment for myself now. It's real close to work, and I don't really go out aside for work - no surprise there, huh?" Ava giggled a little, that was just who she was. There were things about herself she wasn't proud of, but being a loner wasn't one of those. Ava knew she was one, and she truthfully liked herself that way, "I do go out with people from work when the occasions arise. I'd watch a movie alone when I had nothing better to do - maybe treat myself to dinner at a fancy city restaurant from time to time.. But most of the time I just cook something at home, then curl in the comfiest blanket ever with my laptop or a book."


Ava has always been a speedy eater, she was finished in practically no time. She licked her spoon clean and placed it on her plate, "Now that I think about it, even back when I was still in town, you or Dad were always the ones to drag me out of the house.. Anyway, is it okay if I just wash the dishes later? I think we should get going."

 

[Zediah47]

“Yeah, no problem. Down the hall is are three rooms: my room, the bathroom, and guest room. The guest room is moderately furnished, but I hope you like it. I laid some clothes on that might fit you on the bed, but I’m not entirely sure. If you need anything else, just ask. I need to get changed too, so I’ll see you in a bit.”


Louis stood up, taking Ava’s empty plate.


“I’ll put this up and be on my way.”


He turned around, but not before letting out a small chuckle.


“In a city filled with millions of people, and you still find a way to be alone. You haven’t changed at all, Ava.” With that, he left.

 

[Platipoo]

It took Ava several minutes to process the words that Louis had spoken. Ava spent those minutes staring at the spot where Louis was standing before, later whispering, "You're probably the only person who believed that I've changed at all."


After another few minutes of aimlessly sitting around, Ava made her way into the guest room and put on the shirt Louis had prepared. Ava decided to keep wearing her dress pants, she wasn't sure whether or not she was expected to dress formally. Tying her hair up into a messy ponytail, she walked over towards Louis' room and knocked, "Lou? Are you done?" She yawned, "You're going to drive, right?"

 

[Zediah47]

“No shit,” he called, opening the door,” you don’t know where it is, and I would rather drive than risk the odds of you throwing my car off a cliff… well, technically us off a cliff, but I think the car out values us, and I don’t pay insurance on you, soooooooooo…”


Louis walked out wearing dark jeans and a blood red vest over a white shirt, and noir-checkered tie. He had nice shoes and no blazer, though he did have quite a few. His hair was done, stylized slightly, and he smelled of rich cologne. It seemed less like clothes worn at a funeral, and more at an outing, but the night was still young and the option to turn it into an outing was always there.


“You’re going like that?” Louis muttered, straightening his cuff,” I thought the shirt would look better, but I guess I forgot to iron it. If you want, I actually have something that you might like. Just give me a second.” Louis closed the door and came back out with a lengthy green dress. “Would this work?”

 

[Platipoo]

Ava's jaw dropped slightly, she completely forgot that Louis was so much better at dressing up than she did, "By Heavens, Louis. You outdressed me by a thousand miles," she shivered, wincing at the dress in Louis' hands, "No, no thank you. You know I don't even wear skirts, Lou. I haven't worn a dress since prom - and even that was because Dad kept pestering me to try on Mom's old gown."


Ava sighed and undid her ponytail, "Fine, I'll brush my hair with some effort at least," she went into Louis' room and grabbed the nearest comb she saw. Straightening her messy bundle of hair, she quickly made a tidier bun she used to make when she had to look prim and proper for meetings at the hospital. As her hands twisted strands of hair by muscle memory, she threw a longer glance at her brother, "You really look like Dad in the photos from the years when he just married Mom, you know."


Ava put some hairpins to secure the bun, and she just rolled her eyes at her reflection in Louis' mirror. She washed her face earlier, and that was the farthest that she was willing to do to make herself look presentable, "Why would you have such a pretty dress just lying around anyway.." She walked out of the door towards the front door.

 

[Zediah47]

“I know you meant that as a compliment, but that somehow came off the other way.” Louis muttered. “I look ten times better than dad did at that age. He was about a THOUSAND then; I don’t look a day past sexy.” Louis grin as he finished checking himself. “And are you really wondering about the dress when there are ten volumes of British almanacs not far from your leg? Just roll with it at this point; asking questions will get you nowhere.”


Louis turned to grab his keys. “And while we’re on that subject, I’m pretty sure mom taught you to dress better. Wrinkled pants and tattered hair: oooh, how she would feel to see you now!” Louis felt a smile play on his lips. “The dress is always an option, but hey, what do I know? If you’re good as you are, I say let’s go.”

 

[Platipoo]

The siblings spent a peaceful ride towards lawyer Jefferson's house, aside from Ava's snide remark as they neared their destination, "Did you by any chance delve into crossdressing while I was go- huh, is that the Sheriff?"


Morgan was leaning on the hood of a police car, with a cigarette in in one hand and a trail of smoke blowing out of his mouth. Ava tensed at his sight and averted her gaze, "I don't feel like talking about the autopsy results right now, I get what you want, Louis. I'll make sure I give him my report tomorrow," the Sheriff saw the car getting parked and approached with a smile as Ava was getting out. Feeling pressured into acting nice, Ava slapped on a business smile, "Good evening, Sheriff. Why are you out here by yourself?"


Morgan shrugged as he offered Louis a handshake, "I'm just escorting my Dad, he's the one who got a part of your father's inheritance," he rolled his eyes, "The old man and his friends from the town council wouldn't stop rattling about money and the Goddamned lake, and how it'd be wonderful to have it turned into a tourist spot in Mayor Grey's memor-" Morgan halted abruptly. He stared at both Louis and Ava and cursed, "Shit. That was inconsiderate.. I just couldn't stand staying inside, sorry. How- how are you guys holding up?"