Julian Stewart kept his eyes solely on Simon. He had to interrogate him more privately he didn't know how but he knew he just had to do it.
Detective Jones was his ultimate pass to this. To get to Simon he had to pass through Detective Jones, exactly what he was doing.
"I work with the Greekside Daily papers," he shook hands with Detective Jones when the meeting was over, "Detective Decker can't be here, he's got his hand full with, you know..."
"How would you like to be a part of my all-exclusive interrogation team?" Detective Jones shook his hand once again with an offer he couldn't turn down, "This town counts on me, I need extra skill sets to dig through this."
He couldn't have been more flattered to be on this team and didn't hesitate to harp on it.
"Pick your pass at the front desk on your way out, time and venue will be communicated soon." Detective Jones gave him a sudden and unexpected pat on his shoulder.
He didn't know how soon and dared not ask. It was a great leap to be on this team. His grin grew boundless even as the middle-aged detective stiffly disappeared back into the private exit with Simon in tow, Julian felt somewhat accomplished.
First, he would stop by for lunch and send reports to the office. He pulled over for some burger and soda. That could do until he was much settled into a flat.
His interest was off the Mountain Dew and impossible burger before him, the edges of his lips tugged to his ears in a boundless grin. Somewhere in his soul, he wished he could share this great feeling with Shirley.
Why not?
He called her on FaceTime. No answer came. He chose to text instead and was left to read. She was still mad.
These distractions kept his mind active, void of the reality of his breakup with the woman he loved. Staring into Simon's haunted eyes had ignited the passion for unraveling this mystery. The thrills that accompanied this great feeling were one he wished Shirley cared enough to share in.
However, he understood she had a life. He feared he'd forced her all along to fit into his mold. Now there was a need for a heart-to-heart, if she felt that way then he definitely was the problem.
His phone beeped, a message from Hilary. He didn't expect such a quick response from his editor but here she was.
"This is totally our best headline yet."
He could hear the joy in her tone. He could imagine her smiles.
"To think we're only getting started." He took a sip of his drink. He was now a part of Detective Jones' interrogation team, the pass waiting in the front seat of his truck stood out as proof. This was too good to be true.
He hadn't been mistaken from the onset, this case was his breakout journey. He had dreams, achieving this first height was only going to open great doors for his career and mostly experience. How could he ever have given this all up for Shirley's shriveled mindset?
But he missed her. He sighed, bit into his burger, relished it, and consoled himself with the great taste of lunch. Nothing could beat his peace of mind.
He had work to do. These moments were all he lived for. He got to his feet and headed out to his packed car the second the sudden pour subsided. Distracted by the messages sent to his phone from the office and the need to slip behind the wheels before it started to rain again, he nearly missed the note clipped between his windshield and the wiper.
Parking ticket. He huffed, whipped out the sheet to realize it was still dry. He had a few bills to spare so it wasn't much of a deal.
His fingers worked to expose what lay under the neatly folded paper.
A note.
A fat droplet of rain left a splotch on the paper making him duck for shelter, hurried into his car, and remained calm. In the warm car, he read the message on the sheet.
'This path grows thorny. You have the choice.'
"D.O.D"
He whispered the name on the note and an eerie sense of being watched settled over his unnaturally still frame.
Whoever this person was had to be somewhere around, his eyes squinted through the frosty windshield and windows. Pushing his truck open, he stood with one leg in and his eyes scanning the seemingly empty driveway not minding the droplets starting to leave him sodden.
The note was left after the pour. Whoever it was took his time to dry out the windshield before he placed the note. Someone must've seen, the CCTV must've captured this.
He turned back through the glass door towards the flirty brunette behind the counter. Her smile dropped the second she saw his wet face and desperate eyes.
"This note was left on my car and I need to know who. Can I look at the footage?"
She hesitated, bit down on her cherry-red painted lips before she forced a grin.
"Could be a lover going incognito. Sorry," She winked.
Julian realized he sounded more like he'd lost his mind the second she flashed him another smile and stretched her hand towards him, offering to read the note.
It sounded lame. He sounded lame. Instead of a more embarrassing chat, he chose to walk back out, through the exit towards his car. His gaze roved the driveway in a faint attempt to uncover this mysterious man.
Detective Jones might understand him better, if he explained things. All he needed to do was to give him a call and explain things then he'd be issued a warrant to look at the footage.
Was it the killer who left the note just to warn him off the case?
If so, then this killer was close. His mind reminded him over and again as he wheeled his truck down the driveway. First, he was going to take the note to the lab to see what he could gather, and when the time was right, Detective Jones would give him a chance to explore the control room but for now, he needed to calm his nerves first.
How could he blend so perfectly with everyone else? Why was it so hard to spot him with a mind as dark as his?
Did his note signify his desperation to halt this investigation?
D.O.D. Hilary was right, this maniac at some point was bound to flop. Looked like he was starting to.