Murder at Winterbrook

Prologue

          The night was cold and eerie, as well as, filled with paranoia. The strong roaring wind blew from all sides, oscillating the direction of the rain to and fro along with its whistling and howling freezing breezes. The gusts of wind blew across the meadow, the pregnant drops pitter-pattered on the swaying yellowish-green grass. It was extraordinarily riot-causing. But the most hysteric of all was the murder that hid beyond the mind-numbing mystery. Each and everyone was google-eyed and open-mouthed, thoroughly panic-stricken. I was dumbfounded and shell-shocked along with the chaos-creating mysterious affair at Winterbrook.

...

Ting-a-ling

The black-coloured telephone in the office room rang rather loudly and noisily that everyone turned their faces towards the office then turned away, knowing that it was merely the telephone echoing around all four sides. Even though the orderly officer took the vibrating receiver, the sound still reverberated in the head.

"My husband's missing! His missing...!_ _" a beseech-voiced woman bumped into the receiver quite undeviatingly and unexpectedly.

"Soothe yourself down first, ma'am, then tell me what happened." the officer stopped told her at once considerately.

The woman took in a deep breath and sighed heavily then said, "My husband is missing. He didn't reach home and nine hours has already passed by... the clock already struck at eleven o'clock, and he's still not arrived from work which is quite unusual as he never came that late... and even though he didn't even call me."

"OK, so, tell me your name and your husband's name plus the address and name of the working place of your husband, please." the officer asked, ready to note them down on a small-looking brown-covered diary. 

"I'm Russel Franklin and my husband's name is Edgar Franklin, Mrs Russel went on, fluently, "We live in Winterbrook, Wallingford Road lane and Edgar work as an employee at Clayton Financial."

The orderly officer jotted down the information then dials up the number of the business name.

"Hello, who's speaking?" someone picked the receiver.

"I'm part of the police and you?" a Mr Edgar Franklin who works at the business is reported missing. Is he still there or_ _"

"I'm the manager of the Clayton Financial, Mr Daniel Derry, why?" Daniel Derry asked with an expression of puzzlement.

"A certain Mr Edgar Franklin who works at the business is reported missing. Please, can you give us some information on him?" the officer interrogated promptly.

"Well, I'm afraid that he didn't even come, and we did even try to call him but in vain," Daniel replied.

"OK, thanks." the officer cut the line and reconnected with Mrs Franklin who was waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Mrs Franklin?, I would like to know if he had some troubles like mental disorder or something?"

"Well, he was all to himself, totally normal." Mrs Franklin said indistinct faint fidgeting of the feet could be heard from the receiver as if the worry grew over more and more.

"When did you last seen him and what was he wearing?"

"I saw him leaving the house in his car, a white-coloured Toyota Corolla Hatchback in his usual brown woollen suit." Mrs Franklin said rather straightforwardly.

"OK, I'm sending our team to your house, don't worry."

"Yes, yes. Please be quick." added an urgent-appearing Mrs Franklin.

They finally ended up with a long questioning conversation.

"Kingsley!? Ashing!?" cried the officer, soon the two entering the office, "Who've got to send your team at Winterbrook, Wallingford Road, for a missing person called Edgar Franklin."

"Yes," both of them said forming a chorus, leaving the room and getting ready, preparing themselves for Winterbrook. 

 ...

When we reached the address, the clock struck at midnight. It was indeed a two-floored large-looking wooden house built over a small hilltop-like meadow in a steep-looking place cover at all four sides by deciduous leaf-shattering trees. The lady was outside when she heard the siren wee-wooing loudly along with the red-and-blue lights that flitted and flickered around the place, setting an angst-struck ambience. She had a heart-shaped face and hourglass-shaped body along with knotted ginger-brown hairs. She came to us and explained the matter again to us. We soon got out the dogs, two fine and fit-looking beefy German Shepherds, on the run, scenting the place on. We did the outer area first and getting to the back of the house, things got more unexpected. The dogs barked noisily at the closed roll-up garage door, pulling their leashes at the same time.  

We opened the door, sliding it open and surprise struck. The car all broken up appeared inside. The dogs walked up the side and barked again at the door of the driver's seat. The face of Edgar franklin appeared, sitting dead along with severe injuries. The car was mud and moss-covered and the side of it was cracked up. All four wheels were punctured. Both back and front glass smashed and scattered everywhere on the bonnet. Mrs Russel was utterly shocked, not believing her eyes. Her both hands covered her mouth to keep the scream in. We all stayed still in hyperventilation and horripilation. 

...