Hostel M2

M2-Part XXIV

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Without another word, Professor Parker and Henry exited the ward. As soon as they stepped into the lift, Professor Parker pulled out his phone to make a call.

Meanwhile, over at Professor Wells' apartment, police vehicles and ambulance vans had positioned themselves in front of the house. The entire neighborhood came alive seeing the somewhat unusual activity of having the cop and ambulance vans-which often spelt trouble. The neighborhood was enveloped in a sort of tension, here and there, you'd notice people peeking from a corner of the window and others on the front porch, all attention focused on the Wells' apartment.

Inside the apartment, the tension didn't seem to ease down one bit. At a corner of the living room was a woman, her eyes turned red from crying and beside her was a lady somewhat in here late twenties trying to calm her down. Police officials moved from one room to another, clicks could be heard and flashes of light could be seen often as forensics took shots of various spots around the apartment.

Detective Maloney's phone buzzed in his pocket, his hands turned sweaty as he pulled it from inside his coat and saw who the caller was. He couldn't answer it, especially not when his partner, Detective Miles, was around so he typed a quick reply instead, stalling the caller before hurrying to catch up with Miles who was just stepping into the apartment. They were welcomed by the officer in charge who'd introduced himself as Clark, he briefed them on what was happening before Miles left Maloney's side for a while over to where Professor Wells' wife was to console her and ask a few quick questions.

As soon as Miles left, Maloney's phone buzzed again. He pulled it out to see a new message which read; Urgent, we need to talk now. He glanced over to where Miles was squatted at the feet of Mrs. Wells before typing a response explaining he couldn't talk since he was in the middle of an investigation.

"Get rid of the phone and make yourself useful here," Detective Miles' voice startled Maloney, he hadn't noticed his partner leave Mrs. Wells or walk up to where he was. He quickly dug the phone into his pocket and then followed Miles as they were led down the hallway by Officer Clark.

"I can't make meaning out of this, gentlemen," the officer said as they entered the Wells' room where a couple of cops were. The place was neatly arranged impressively, the sealed entrance to the bathroom however stood out from the design of the large exquisite room. "According to Mrs. Wells, there wasn't any intruder and the professor had been in perfect health."

They were now inside the white tiled bathroom and the temperature there was oddly cold. The detectives' breath stopped for a moment as soon as their eyes met the covered bath tub with a very pale hand hanging out loosely. They walked over to the bath tub and the officer pulled open the curtain which hid the tub. Miles let out a curse and Maloney moved back one step as his breath hitched.

Seated in the bathtub was the pale body of Professor Wells, stiffened in solid ice. The unnatural stillness in which his body remained, the dried bloody trail that had stained his mouth and swollen chin, down his jaw a well as his close-to-white body all seemed surreal to Detective Maloney as he tried taking it all in.

"This is totally out of our league," the officer said, gesturing to the water turned solid ice in which Professor Wells' body was, "and the bathtub, Mrs. Wells claims they just came in last week."

Miles bent down to take a closer look at the rusty body of the bathtub which was said to be new. He looked closer before swiping his hand across it and taking a sniff.

"It's fresh rust," he said, rubbing his fingers.

Maloney excused himself, clutching his pocket as he stepped out of the bathroom into the hallway.

"You're going to have me lose my job," Maloney whispered into the phone.

"It's better than losing your life," Professor Parker replied, "do you have information on where Mr. Jones was laid?"

"What?!" Maloney scoffed, "you gotta be kidding me."

"I don't have much time now."

"It's going to be in one of the documents, I'll forward it to you," he paused, "Professor Wells is dead."

There was no reply for a moment, as soon as he heard Miles and the officer exit the bathroom, he quickly ended the call and forwarded Mr. Jones' profile before stepping back into the room just in time to hear them say something about the cops having to break their way into the bathroom since the door won't open on its own even when the locks were still fine.

Detective Miles cast a quick glance at his partner which made him uneasy as he slid the phone back into his pocket. Miles took another look around the large room once again, from the finely designed ceiling to the neatly carved window and the broken bathroom door as if trying to find any clue to what happened from somewhere.

They stepped out of the room into the hallway; Officer Clark talked about how the medics were having a hard time getting the cold body of Professor Wells out of the solid ice. As soon as they reached the living room again, the voice of the sobbing Mrs. Wells who was surrounded by a few friends couldn't be ignored.

"All I wanted was for him to answer the phone," she said in between tears, "but the door just won't open."

Detective Miles looked over to Maloney with a raised eyebrow as if something just registered. Maloney swallowed, trying to keep his cool as he played along. Miles turned over to Officer Clark;

"I'll like to take a look at Professor Wells' phone," he said to the officer who squinted his eye in hesitation for a moment before hollering at a colleague to bring over the already packed phone.

"W...what do you need the phone for?" Maloney said, almost stuttering.

"You'll see." A smirk crossed Miles' face as he fixed his finger s I to the latex gloves he'd been given earlier. He undid the plastic bag in which the phone was and fiddled with it for a moment. "Last caller, Professor Parker," he announced and then turned over to his partner whose face wore a mask of guilt.

"That doesn't really say something," Maloney said.

Miles nodded. "Can I have your phone?"

Maloney's eyebrows creased, his heart sunk in his stomach and a blast of tension flushed through his entire body. "Why?"

"Give it." The calm tone he'd been sounding in had changed to a gruff vexed one. All the while, the detective remained there, lost in their little drama.

There was no need playing innocent anymore, Maloney knew he had been made and his little undercover game had been blown. He passed the phone over to Miles and when Professor Parker's name also showed up in his 'recently contacted' lit, he smirked.

"I should've known all this while," Miles said, the smirk on his face having disappeared a he squeezed Maloney's phone. He passed the phone back to Officer Clark and then stomped out of the building with his partner following behind.

"I can explain all of this," Maloney started as soon as he emerged the apartment behind Miles who marched furiously towards the parked vehicle. "I mean, you can't tell me you don't suspect anything unusual with all that's been happening. Man! This isn't what we do."

"Shut up! And get in the car," Miles ordered, grinding his teeth in fury.

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