Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Red Bull ❯ Vol. Two Chap Six: Living Dead Girl ( Chapter 6 )

Living Dead Girl

She looked like Ophelia. It was the maid who found her this morning. She phoned 110 immediately.

Vince examined the body. The empty eyes stared at the ceiling. Her soaked black party dress clung to her body. Her right wrist hung over the tub with a cigarette in hand.

“The victim's name was Watanabe Megumi,” his colleague said. “Heiress to the Aphrodite Whisper Match Company.” Vince turned his head. His colleague looked down at the body.

“I see,” Vince said. He looked down at Megumi's vacant eyes.

“Aphrodite Whisper Match, huh? I have seen their ads on TV,” he said.

“Oh yes. It's a popular matchmaking service,” his colleague said.

“Right,” Vince said. He got straight to work. First was the maid for questioning. The woman was about fifty.

“Tell me what happened,” Vince said. “You showed up to your shift and then what?” The maid fidgeted with her hands.

“I arrived at seven like usual. I have a key to get in the house.” She reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out the key.

“Okay. Then what?” Vince asked.

“I went to her room to wake her up. She doesn't like alarm clocks. She won't even use her phone.”

“Why is that?”

“She's not a fan of loud noises.”

“And then?”

“I knocked on her door. I told her it was time to get up. She didn't respond. Nothing out of the ordinary. So I went into her room.” The maid started trembling.

“It's okay. Take your time,” Vince said. The maid nodded.

“She wasn't in her bed,” she said in a low voice. “I thought it was strange. She certainly got home last night. I was going to call her when I saw her bathroom light on.”

“And that's when you found the body?”

“Yes.” The maid looked like she was going to faint.

“Thank you for your time,” Vince said. He and the team searched Megumi's mansion. They never found the heiress' phone.

---------

This case started out as a standard murder case. Megumi was quite the socialite. Many friends and an ex-boyfriend. They all seemed to love her. At least, that was on the surface.

However, things were about to take a turn for the… well…

Vince was at a local diner when he saw it. He sat at a table alone. He had his case notes in front of him. He had the victim and a missing phone. No sign of a break-in. She was dead before she was placed in the tub. On the surface of the body, there were no injuries. Her security system didn't pick up anything last night. So who got into the mansion and how did they kill her?

“Hey, isn't that the dead heiress chick from yesterday?” someone asked. Vince looked up when he heard that. All eyes were on the TV. A waitress turned up the volume. What the detective made his jaw dropped. Megumi was on the TV giving a speech. Vince looked down at the photos on the table. Yes, this was Watanabe Megumi. He looked back and forth many times.

“What the hell?” he asked. How was this possible? If Megumi was up there, then who was in the tub? Or if she was in the tub, who was up there on TV?

------------

Nina stood at the iron gate. She held out a printed copy of the email she got last night. An anonymous sender told her to come to the Watanabe house at three in the afternoon. There were no police around. Nina buzzed the callbox.

“Yes?” the maid asked on the other line. Nina swallowed. There was only one thing she was allowed to say.

“When do you bring in the horses?” she shouted. There was a pause. Nina pressed her lips together. Don't tell her this was a prank.

Suddenly, the gate unlatched and slid open. Nina hurried inside. She made it to the door and rang the bell. It was three p.m. now. Right on time. Nina tried to piece together what was the point. Who sent her this email? What was going on? Why the house of alleged murder victim?

Nina pulled out of her thoughts when the door opened. The maid poked her head out. Nina shifted in place.

“Uh… hi…” she said. The woman held out the email. The maid took the paper and read over it. She said nothing as she opened the door wider. Nina bowed her head.

“Thank you,” she whispered. She walked inside. The maid led her down the hall and up the stairs. Not a single word was spoken. Nina took in heavy breaths. Just get in and get out. Make it quick.

They arrived at Megumi's bedroom. The crime scene was cleared yesterday. The maid opened the door and moved aside.

“Thank you,” Nina said, bowing. She walked into the room. She looked at the message. Top drawer of the dresser on the right. Nina took a breath and opened it. Her eyes grew wide.

“What… What the hell?” she asked. The drawer was filled to the brim with letter to Megumi from Nina's ex. The woman sank to her knees. She felt her heart pounding in her chest.

“What are these doing here?” she asked. Nina felt like fainting as flashbacks filled her head.

---------

Meanwhile, Vince walked up to the receptionist desk of Aphrodite Whisper Match HQ. The woman behind the desk looked up.

“Good morning, can I help you?” she asked. Vince flashed his badge.

“Inspector Neil,” he said. “I would like to ask Watanabe-san a couple of questions.”

Double Trouble