Pessimism (Book One)

Chapter 8: The Search

I hate my life, I thought as I followed the damn light. Was I even seeing the light in front of me or was I just dreaming? I continued. I don't remember Elaine and Grant leaving my side when in the car with them, but then I wouldn't know because their doppelgangers. I was nearing the crime scene of the man that was run down or shot or poisoned. I saw two figures blur into sight. They were Elaine and Grant. What were they doing there. They seemed normal, looking for something or someone.
"Grant!" I called out. They turned to me. They were looking for me. I could see the relieved expression on Grant's face. "What happened to you two?"
"We got into a little trouble." Elaine huffed. "Stupid car can't tell the difference between us her owners." I figured she was talking about Talia.
"What happened with you?" Grant asked me. I tried to think of way to explain it. I remembered the explosion.
"Hey did you guys see the explosion that came from the bar?" I asked them looking at the untouched bar.
"It looks the same to me." He said.
"When did you guys get here?"
"About five minutes ago." He answered. That should have been more than enough time to see it. And there should fire and smoke coming out of it.
"What trouble did you guys get in?" I wanted to know if they had seen the doppelgangers.
"Some two of us tried and successfully hijacked our vehicle." Grant laughed. I wonder why they were laughing.
"It isn't funny Grant." Elaine pushed him. "If you had been paying attention on how fast you were leaking."
"And you?" Grant started to argue. "Where had you gone?"
"Me?" She pointed to herself. "I... okay maybe it was both our fault." She said. I tried to smile, but I couldn't understand what I had saw not too long ago. The man, the explosion, the guards and the bricks on top of me. Had it all been an hallucination?
"No." A whisper came from behind. I looked behind me. Grant and Elaine didn't seem to notice. They were too busy arguing. No what? "It wasn't." It whispered again. I looked around to hear and see where the whisper was coming from.
"Is something wrong Ean," Elaine watched me. "You look like a dog chasing its tail."
"Yes." I lied. "Did you guys hear that?"
"Hear what?" Grant and Elaine stayed quiet. "I don't hear anything."
"Yeah I thought so." I paced back and forth. Its voice was very soft and was a woman's. It isn't the same as the double dream I had, was it?
"Yes." It whispered again. What was it? Then I noticed. It was right in front of me the entire time. It was the ball of light.
"You?" I asked it.
"Yes." It answered. I looked at Grant and Elaine. They didn't seem to notice.
"Who are you?"
"Time will tell, Ean." The light glittered. I couldn't believe Grant and Elaine weren't seeing or hearing this.
"Okay, Grant, Elaine," They turned to me. "Do we have a lead on the man?"
"No, but..." I interrupted him.
"We can interview all the people that were witnesses. If you were on the scene fast enough, then the culprit may still be here. He couldn't have gotten far, not in this ran. And if he isn't far, then he is still here." I ordered.
"Spoken like a true detective, kid." Elaine smiled, but that quickly changed. "If you ever order me again, I will..." She whispered in her deadly voice.
"Okay Elaine, that's enough." Grant chuckled. Elaine looked at him and he shut up. "I was just about to recommend that, Ian. Brilliant idea." Grant and Elaine started to get their papers together and find all the witnesses.
"You coming Ian? It was your idea." Grant asked me.
"I'll be right there." I called out to him. Something caught my eye. It was a store. A store I saw not too long ago. "Coco's Chocolate Box?" I whispered to myself.
"Yes." The light agreed. The sign on the door read, "SCHEDULED FOR REPAIR."
"What in the world?" I walked up to the glass pane revealing the inside. The entire place was destroyed. It seemed blown up. "Was it..?"
"Yes." The light answered.
"Ian!" Elaine yelled. "Come on!" I wanted to investigate this, but I had no time and I already had my answer.
"Coming." I followed them. The light chased after me. It seems this light thing has all the answers.

We were in Elaine's office. It wasn't too far from Grant's. Elaine sat on the swivel chair in front of a desk. Grant stood beside her and I sat on the couch behind the consultant's chair. I am to find any suspicion in the witnesses. Elaine hit the red buzzer beside her and a woman walked in. She seemed normal. Old was her worn out wrinkles. She took the seat in front of Elaine. Elaine's face was much scarier than before.
"Well Ms..." Elaine looked at her list. "Ms. Blockshim?" I almost laughed, but I managed to hold it in. The light hovered right by me. "So you claim you saw the man just fall?"
"Yes." Ms. Blockshim answered. "But there was more, I saw him fall down on the street." She nodded her head.
"Yes you answered that already." Elaine's patience seemed to be dropping. She squeezed the massage ball and you can see the sand start falling out.
"No, you said just fall, I said he fell on the..."
"Get her out!" Elaine yelled.
"Om my." Ms.Blockshim jumped. "Oh dear." Grant walked her out the door. I could see Ms. Blockshim cursing Elaine as Grant cooled her down. I was smiling the entire time. Five buzzers had gone by and Five people entered and left the room. Not yet, we haven't suspected anyone. She hit the busser. And old man, the third one today, walked in.
"Can I sit down?" He asked and Elaine just rolled her eyes. "You seem lovely today."
"Did he fall?" Elaine asked. She was making her questions short and to the point.
"Yes, maybe." The rubbed his head. "I don't remember."
""Grant." Elaine ordered and the old man was taken out. "Next!" Her voice shook me awake and I think that was what she wanted because after that she looked at me.
"Hello." It was a young boy. "You must be the lady I saw." He pointed at Elaine.
"Excuse me?" Elaine seemed interested. "Take a sit young boy."
"I saw you today as I exited 'Coco's Chocolate Box'." He placed a chocolate box on the desk. "Have some." He smiled. He was lying. The chocolate shop is closed down.
"The man, kid?" Elaine wasn't shocked as I was. Grant was yawning.
"Oh yeah." He placed his hands on the table. "I believe he fell. But before that he whispered to a boy." The kid pointed at me.
"What?" I stood up.
"Sit down Ian." Grant told me. I heeded his words.
"Leave." Elaine told him.
"Okay." the kid walked towards the door.
"Oh and kid," The kid was bare footed. "I'd hand it over right now if were you, unless you want you and your mother standing outside that door, to go to jail. But I believe you two aren't rich enough to bail yourselves out. I would take your home away, but you don't have that either." The boy started to cry and the mother barged in and hugged the boy. She looked at Elaine as if she wanted to kill her. "Oh, did I hurt your feelings too?" Elaine laughed. The mother was tearing too. "Now hand it over." Elaine demanded.
"Wait, Elaine. Stop it." I told her. I walked over to the boy.
"No." The light told me. I stopped and the mother pulled out a gun.
"Move any closer and I'll kill you." She threatened everyone. Elaine got up and walked towards her. "I will, I will!" The mother sobbed. Elaine was standing right in front of her. She took the gun and slapped the mother. I didn't see that coming.
"Really now, do you really want to go to jail? How about your son?" Elaine grasped the child's hand. "Hand It over." the boy, scared, gave her the diamond. "Thank you. You two are poor and don't deserve this. There is a reason you are who you are. Don't think that money will buy you happiness because you'll just end up where you two are now. If you really want to help your son, take him to school. It's free too." Elaine walked to her desk. "Take these two insignificant beings out." Grant did so and gave them both fifty grand. Elaine smiled. The mother cried happily. "That'll teach them not to steal again."
"You know Elaine, you somehow manage to be so mean and cruel, but nice at the same time." Grant laughed. It took me time to understand what had happened. Elaine threw the diamond into the garbage.
"It was fake anyway." She smiled. "Ean, how did you know to stop? It seemed you almost knew she was about to pull out a gun even before she moved her hands."
"What?" I looked at her. "Oh it was just a hunch." I lied.
"Fine you can tell us later." She hit the buzzer. Of the three last ones that came in, two were very suspicious. The first and the third.
"My name is Greg Viler." The first man said. His last name didn't sound too pleasing. It almost sounded like vile and I bet the stem of the his last name spells out vile. he had a scar on his right eye and was a very buff man. He was bald and wore a black coat. His brown eyes almost seemed pitch black.
"Well? We aren't here to learn each others names now are we?" Elaine grimaced.
"He died." I was surprised. He's the first that answered that way. He almost knew. Most people thought he had fainted. That would've been the best choice.
"How?" Elaine clasped her hands together.
"No man would just fall and stay there." This man was lying. Any man would. He knew something. Did he know that he was going to die? I waited for my light to answer, but it didn't. I wondered why.
"Stop playing games and answer the question." Elaine demanded.
"You won't find him. This won't work." A worried face came across the man's face. The phone rang. Elaine answered it and we all heard it. It sounded like a bullet. Elaine put the phone down and Mr. Viler seemed surprise.
"Leave." And Mr. Viler was exported. The third man came in after a long talk with an old man.
"Yes?" He walked in.
"Sit down." Elaine pointed to the sit. The man had light brown hair and hazel eyes.
"Oh thank you, but I prefer to stand." He smiled. He too was wearing a long black coat and black leather gloves.
"You know why you're here." Elaine told him.
"No I don't." He walked the room. Elaine glanced at her list and then quickly back at the man. She smiled behind her blank face. Was this man even on the list?
"No." The light answered. I looked at it. The man looked at me, confused. He noticed me looking at the light. He couldn't see it though, I knew.
"It's about the man." Elaine explained to him.
"Oh." He exaggerated it. "Now I remember. He was in the bar with me. Yes, he was a pesky one. Had a lot of background you know, or maybe you don't. I mean why would you make this search?" He laughed.
"Get out." Elaine ordered.
"No." He replied. The light next to me seemed to be getting redder as the man stayed here. Was it getting angry?
"Yes." The light answered. I looked at the light and the man noticed me.
"What do you keep looking at kid?" The man pointed.
"Nothing."
"Twice isn't nothing."
"Leave now." Elaine got up. "Unless you want to explain to us why you did it."
"Excuse me? You think I'm the culprit?" He laughed. "Oh you detectives, just can't keep your little hands from picking at things can you? It's not me."
"Then leave." Elaine's swift leg swung at him. He managed to block it.
"Liar!" The light yelled. I covered my ears. No one heard it.
"You did it again." The man pointed at me.
"Did what?" I asked.
"Why'd you cover your ears then?" He asked me.
"So you are the one who did it." Grant pulled out his gun. "You'll rest now, but not in peace." He Grant fired three times. In that time I yelled out what the light had yelled to me.
"Stop!" And Grant had missed two of the three shots. One of them went past the man's cheek and cut him.
"What is it Ian?" He was ready to fire again.
"Don't you want to know who he killed? we have to capture him first." I told him. The man was out the door in an instant.
"Come on, we found who we were looking for." Elaine and Grant left the room. I looked a the white light.
"You aren't mad anymore."
"No." The light shone.
"Let's go." I followed them. This is it. I can finally go home now.