Every crime — well, every story — always has two sides. I wanted to write a story from both of those sides: the law and the killer. Both stories are going to be relatively the same (as far as evidence and things go), but the story that is told from either side may surprise you.
This is an idea I started on my NaNoWriMo project in November of 2015. I want to change the plot a little, rewrite it and present it in a whole new way. Hopefully it is entertaining.
I also want to apologize in advance if my rough draft writing style sounds familiar. At the moment, I am hooked on two crime shows: The Good Guys and How to Get Away With Murder. I am NOT going to plagiarize any plot lines from either of these — or any — shows or books about crime. However if there are some parallels that fall into play, I assure you that it is sheer coincidence.
Thanks for reading. I hope you like what I present to you.
- A.H. White
PART ONE: THE INVESTIGATION
PROLOGUE: The Detective
Detective Amanda Connors walked into the lobby of her precinct. She nodded a non verbal greeting to the officer on duty at the front desk. Coffee in hand, she headed back behind the line reserved to separate the authorized from the unauthorized.
She walked with a confident step. She kept her head held high as her feet made the familiar trek down the hallways and to her desk.
She placed the coffee on her desk and pulled her chair out from its precise spot. She looked around the room and smiled softly. She never felt more at home than she did when she was in her precinct.
She was just about to sit down at her desk when the chief came out from around the corner. He stopped and ushered her over to him. "Detective Connors, a word?" He asked. His suggestion was more of a command and Amanda knew she was not at liberty to object. Without question, she pushed her chair back into its hovel in the desk, grabbed her coffee cup and followed the chief back to his office.
When the two of them were alone in the room, the chief closed the door behind him. He remained standing with his back to the door and watching his best detective.
Amanda was a little on edge. The more time that passed without the chief saying a word, the more Amanda began to wonder what was wrong. After several minutes, she decided that she could not wait any longer to find out.
She cleared her throat. "Is there something you needed to talk to me about, chief?"
"Sit down." was all the chief replied. His suggestion was more of a bark and Amanda did exactly what he asked. She sat down quickly in the chair opposite his desk while he made his way to his own seat. He sat down across from her, his movement very slow. At first Amanda thought that he was sizing her up as he sat down but she quickly realized that his gaze was far off in the distance. She was confused. But she decided it was in her best interest not to speak before the chief could.
Finally the chief sighed heavily. He laced his fingers together and laid them on the desk. As he exhaled, he looked down at his worn hands. His eyes lowered. "A grave event has taken place tonight," he said tragically. "Our city's mayor, Mayor Goodwin, has been murdered."
Amanda was shocked. She had only been in the presence of the mayor in the last several days. She couldn't believe he was dead.
The first thing she heard coming from her mouth was a normal response to that kind of news. "Are you sure it was a murder?"
The chief nodded his head. "He was found by his wife in their Parkwood home about an hour ago." He looked up at her and his face was very heavy. Amanda had never noticed before how weathered her boss looked. But he had been friends with the mayor for decades. It was only natural that he would be upset at the news.
"Well did she know what happened? Does she have any idea who might have done it?"
Again the police chief nodded his head. He seemed to pause a long time before answering his detective's questions. Amanda just assumed that he was trying to decide what to say. "It was a stabbing," he replied. "And the prime suspect in this case is his wife."
Amanda's mouth fell open in surprise. She had met the mayor's wife several times. She was very wealthy — her family had left her a very generous fortune when they had passed. She was charming and always seemed very polite.
It did not make sense to the detective that that woman would have murdered anyone — least of all her husband.
"I want you to go to the home now and follow up. There are a couple detectives there and a forensics team. I want you to lead the investigation."
"Why me?" Amanda asked, regretting the question immediately. Of course the chief would want her on the case. She was resourceful and an irreplaceable person on this investigation. She shook her head, trying to convey to the chief that she did not mean what she had just said. Regardless he answered her question.
"Because I need my best detective on this case. This department owes a lot to Mayor Goodwin and I want to make sure that he is well remembered. His case is going to be very high profile and you have the exacting skills we need to keep the media hounds at bay." Amanda nodded her head in understanding and turned to leave the room. Before she was going to leave, she was stopped by her boss saying her name. She turned back on her heel to face the chief and waited for him to continue.
"You'll see a promotion in your future if you're able to clear this case up quickly. I want whoever killed the mayor to be brought to justice as soon as possible."
Amanda nodded her head. "I will do everything in my power to make that happen, chief." She replied. She then left the room.
