Monday 30 May 2016

Chapter 2 of the 4th Alcrest Novel ... Introduction of a new character

Hi, I'm trying a new thing where I post the chapters of the novel I'm working on.  I can't honestly say I will do it the whole way or if I'll keep up with 1 per week, but I'm having fun writing it.  Thanks for stopping by.  If you want to read the prologue and chapter one please scroll down and take a look.  If you don't here's chapter 2.



Chapter 2

 

“Who are you?”

“Chrys Alcrest.  I mean Wanderingspirit.  Chrysanthemum Wanderingspirit.”  She glared at her brother.  If he didn’t want her to be part of the family then she’d use her original last name.  Screw him.

“You don’t know your own name?”

Chrys blinked.  “Who are you?”

The woman in front of them rolled her eyes.  She wore rectangle glasses which didn’t hide the bags beneath her eyes.  She wore a leather jacket over a black top and charcoal pants.  She stood straight, no slouching. “Detective Washburn, Middleton Police, Homicide.”  Her voice had that commanding tone that said she was tired of Chrys already.

“Where’s Constable Wright?”

“He transferred out of homicide.  Look, I’ve been told about you and your brother.  I know you put your noses in where they don’t belong.  I know you’ve almost had those noses cut off more than once.  That can’t happen anymore.  I don’t need any damn vigilantes.”

Spencer put his hands up.  “I want none of this.  I’ve got my own stuff to deal with.  I was just along for the ride.  She’s the one you have to worry about.”

She’s the one you have to worry about?  What the hell was that supposed to mean?  Chrys looked at her brother with a “thanks for throwing me under the bus, bro” look.  He turned away.  Since when did he refer to her like that?  She’s the one.

Detective Washburn put her attention on Chrys.  “Are you staying out of this?”

“And you?”  The police detective was good-looking in that confident way.  She wasn’t stunning, but her demeanour made you take a second look.  She carried herself well.  That and legs up to her neck.

Chrys was both – confident and attractive.  Both were attributes that could usually draw people to her.  Of course they could also get her in a world of trouble.  She had that girl-next-door thing going for her that people either loved or hated.  She dropped her eyes like a little girl being scolded.

After seeing the body parts Jerry had backed the van up far enough that they could no longer see the hanging pieces before calling the police.  Chrys was tempted to get off the bus and go take a look.  Just a little peak to see if she could identify the dead person or find anything left.  She had the mystery fever.  As soon as the police were called Jerry backed the bus up even more.

Almost everyone was gone now.  The bus took them all back to the tourist center and their vehicles once the detectives spoke to them.  The Alcrest’s were told to stay.

“You haven’t answered me yet.”

Chrys looked up and snarled.  “I won’t do anything.  Okay?”

“Hey,” Detective Washburn snapped.  “From what I’ve been told you two have almost been killed yourself.  Stay out of this.”  She slipped an elastic band from her wrist and tied her straight blond hair back.  One strand fell down alongside her face.  The crime scene unit had large spotlights on tripods all around, so it was almost as bright as day.  “Didn’t I see somewhere that you two have ties to the Irish mob?”

Chrys puffed air out.  “Not even.”

“We know Liam O’Donnell,” Spencer said after stepping in front of his foster-sister.  He was pretty sure the detective knew everything about them.  There was no point in trying to lie.  “I wouldn’t say we have ties to the mob or anything.  He knew my father back in the day.”

He knew MY father, Spencer hated admitting that his dad knew the man who ran the loading docks and was suspected of every crime out there.  In the past year the siblings have had to depend on the killer for way too much.

“Sounds like ties to me.  Stay away from all of this.  If you don’t, I’ll put you in jail and won’t lose any sleep over it.”  With that she turned and walked down the road.

Spencer walked past his sister heading toward the police barrier and the park entrance beyond that.

“What’s your problem?”  Chrys quickened her pace to be beside him.

He pushed his hands in his coat pockets.  His blond spikes glistened with the early morning dew.  “Some of us have to work in a couple hours.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Jesus!  It means I work early in the morning, Chrys.”  Beyond all the police vehicles waited Spencer’s white 4x4.  As they got close the driver’s door opened and Hanni slipped out.

Chrys froze in her steps.

Spencer looked back at her.  She was still his sister no matter what he said.  “You coming?”

Without saying a word Chrys tried to show her anger and disgust in one facial expression.  She was getting really good at resting-bitch-face.  “I’d rather walk.  What is she doing here?”

“Come on, it’s three in the morning.  I want a little sleep.”  Spencer looked at her face and wondered what was up with her scrunched up nose and snarling lip.  He could see there was anger in her eyes, but the rest of her looked like she was having cramps.  After a second he decided he didn’t care.  “You do whatever you want.  We’re going home.”

“Oh, WE are going home.  Since when did you and Hanni become a we?”  Chrys caught Hanni’s “wicked witch” gaze as she walked around to the passenger side.

Spencer opened the driver’s door before responding.  “What the hell are you talking about?  What, Hanni?  She brought us my truck so you and I can go home.  I’m dropping her off on the way.  You coming or not?”

Thousands of people used Leigh Park every day, but that didn’t mean you wanted to be there in the middle of the night.  Even with the large police presence.  You never knew who or what would be out.  Plus their apartment was on the far side of the city.  Chrys was in shape and could easily walk the distance, however the want to do it wasn’t there.  She gave up and stomped to the truck.

With a quick look back at all of the police cars, officers and lights she regretted promising she’d do nothing.  Perhaps she’d have to do something else like put her energy into finding the clown.  Then getting him to go knock on Hanni’s door and scare the shit out of her.

Wait, she didn’t exactly promise to not investigate the hanging body parts.  Not in those words at least.
 
Please comment bellow with your thoughts. LO

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