I'm so happy to be back in this story! I've decided that if I do any more parts it'll be called The MPS (which you'll understand later on), since I feel it's weird to call all the stories Accused when that only really applies to the first one, since David has now been proven innocent. Anyway, Merry Christmas!
“I don’t want a lot for Christmas…”
I woke up.
“There is just one thing I need…”
I cursed as I got out of bed.
“I don't care about the presents…underneath the Christmas tree…”
I walked out of the bedroom to see Logan, twirling tinsel in his hands and singing the song playing.
“I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know…”
I coughed to get Logan’s attention. He turned and gave me his usual grin. I noticed the Santa hat on his head.
“David! Nice to see you’re up!” He put the tinsel up to where he was trying to hang it. “Do you think I should put it lower or higher?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, higher?”
Logan gave me a small two fingered salute and put the tinsel up higher. Once he was done, he admired his work.
“Nice right? Christmas is my favorite holiday. You know, it’s just so…fun.” Logan turned and walked to the table, putting a cloth decorated with Christmas trees over it.
“Me and Marina go out and get fast food, usually fried chicken, but you’re obviously coming this year. Then we come back here, light the tree, not on fire don't worry, open presents, and watch Home Alone 1 and 2. Not the others, of course,” he rambled, finishing with the cloth and then coming over to me. He put his arm around my shoulders as he finished his rant.
I stuttered. “Um, look Logan, I’m not much of a Christmas person. I don’t really celebrate it other than with the coffee creamers.” Logan almost looked like I had shattered his hopes and dreams, and I wished I could’ve taken back my words or gone back in time or anything to not see those emotions cross his face.
Then he smiled again, as if it never happened. “Well then I’m going to have to show you just how awesome Christmas is.” I laughed lightly. “Alright. You’re on, light-wright.”
Logan smiled and shook my hand. “May the best win, Sherlock.”
“Boys,” Marina yelled from the other room. Logan and I looked at each other and then ran to help her. I mean, she was the closest I had ever gotten to a mother figure, I wasn’t letting anything happen to her.
When we found her, she was in the kitchen. I ran in first, Logan right behind me. We spoke at the same time.
“What happened?”
“Are you okay?”
Marina looked at us as if we were part chicken. “I’m fine,” she said slowly. “I took care of myself before you two came around, you know. I’m older, but I’m not helpless.”
I put my hands up. “Of course. Is there something we can do for you though?”
Marina motioned to the table, where there was a newspaper. I went over and read it.
Woman Murdered in Her Own Home by Christmas Decorations
I had to reread that about 5 times before it processed in my head.
“Wait, what,” I asked, looking over at Marina, who had sat down across the table. Logan was behind me, and I could tell from the way his breath hitched that he was just as shocked as me.
Marina shrugged. “You want to be detectives, don’t you boys? Well here we are, a job. Just be careful. Remember what happened the last time you two tried to save the world.”
Logan leaned forward. “We succeeded?”
Marina rolled her eyes. “No, you both almost got killed by a demon.”
I had to admit, that was fair.
I looked at Logan. “Want to check it out, or are you still putting up Christmas decorations?” He narrowed his eyes but nodded.
“Fine. Let’s go.”
We wouldn’t have been let into the crime scene if I hadn’t seen Elliot, my old partner. He was more than willing to help us out.
“So what exactly happened,” I asked, looking at the dead woman on the ground.
Elliot shrugged. “By the looks of it, strangled by a garland. It’s weird, there’s no sign of breaking in or anything, but I don’t see how she could’ve done this to herself.”
Logan crouched next to the body, unwrapping the garland slightly and seeing the marks on the woman’s neck, and then checking her hands. They were bruised, as if she had been trying to rip the garland off her.
Logan stood up. “She definitely fought. There was no one else in the house,” he asked. Elliot shook his head.
“Door was locked. Her sister came back here an hour later, she’s the one who found her like this.” Logan nodded.
"What's this," he asked, grabbing the woman's arm and motioning to a mark. It looked like a pile of three blocks, each one with a six on it. Elliot obviously hadn't seen it before. "I don't know. I can ask the witness." Logan nodded.
“Anything else important to tell us,” he asked. Elliot shrugged. “Not that I can think of. David, can I talk to you, alone?”
I looked over at Logan, who waved it off, though he seemed a little annoyed. I assumed it was because he’d have to check the crime scene himself for anything suspicious and weird.
Elliot put his arm around my shoulder and led me out the house. “Elliot, are you okay,” I asked as he moved in front of me. He nodded.
“Yeah, I’m great. It’s just been really weird without you in the precinct. But that’s not important. I just wanted to know why you wanted to see this. I mean, it’s not exactly pretty,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets.
I knew this would come up eventually. I knew I’d have to tell him what I was doing. But I couldn’t tell him about the supernatural part. He would think I was crazy again, and I’d rather not have to deal with that on top of everything else.
I wasn’t lying, I reasoned. I’m just hiding a piece of the truth.
“Me and Logan, we’ve decided to become detectives. I may not want to be part of the precinct, but I still want to help people, you know?”
Elliot thought about it for a minute, then shook his head. “Honestly, not really. I can’t imagine a life without being a police officer. But I trust you, so I’ll try to understand it.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
He scoffed. “Oh come on, I’m the one who should be thanking you. When you left, guess who got a promotion?”
I could feel my eyes widen and my smile grow wider. “You’re kidding.” Elliot showed off his badge, shiny and new. His smile was that of a child who just got candy.
I gave him a pat on the back. “You more than deserve it,” I said. He shrugged. “Well, I learned from the best, didn’t I?” There was a brief moment of silence between us before I heard a voice cut through the air, like a knife.
“David, can you come over here please,” Logan asked, sticking his head out the door. He looked at Elliot, and his eyes hardened. Then he turned back to me, and the look was gone.
“I should go,” I told Elliot. He waved me off. “No of course. Go do your job.” I gave one final smile before going over to Logan, who led me inside.
“I don’t trust him,” he whispered.
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Who, Elliot? Why?”
Logan shrugged. “He doesn’t know what we’re doing, what would happen if he found out? Also, I got nothing on him.”
I rolled my eyes. “Want me to get a piece of his hair for some experiments,” I teased.
Logan seemed to be considering it for a minute. “Nah, it would be too much work for too little…oh shut up!” I hid my laughter behind my hand.
Logan changed the subject fairly quickly. “So, can I show you what I found?” I nodded. Logan simpered and motioned to a plate of cookies. Some of them had bites in them, and crumbs coated the bottom of the plates.
“What’s this about,” I asked. Logan squinted at me and tilted his head, still smiling.
“Never heard of Santa Claus, huh Sherlock?”
I shrugged. “Of course I know who Santa is, but what has that got to do with anything? It’s not Christmas just yet anyway, and all that stuff’s just stories told to children, they’re not real.”
Logan’s eyes widened. “No need to ruin the magic. You’re such a fun killer,” he joked. “But in all seriousness, the witness says these weren’t here when she left, and her sister was a big Christmas person but she never took out cookies until Christmas Eve. And then there’s the bell.”
I paused. “I’m sorry, the bell?”
Logan nodded. “Yep. Big brass one. Weird right?”
He handed me the bell. It was so heavy I almost dropped it. The shine must’ve come off ages ago, because it was fully dull and rusted. I turned it and noticed that the clapper wasn’t in it.
“Apparently, when the sister walked in she heard a faint bell ringing, thought it was just her imagination,” Logan explained. He took the bell from me and put it in his pocket. Stealing from a crime scene was probably going to be a new low for us, but whatever.
“So,” Logan said, motioning around at the house. “Our type of thing?”
I took a deep breath. “Definitely.”
Logan hit my arm playfully. “A Christmas special for the MPS,” he said enthusiastically.
“...The what?”
Logan shrugged. “The Magical, Paranormal, and Supernatural detective agency, obviously.”
“We’re not calling ourselves that.”
“Oh come on!”
“No.”
“David,” Logan whined.
I sighed. “Fine.”
Why do I feel like this fits them? Sorry, I had to.
I'm kind of excited for this! Halloween will always be my favorite holiday, but Christmas is also great! Also, I absolutely love these idiots and can't wait to write more of their adventures. And I am sorry for the Mariah Carey in the beginning, but you know she is too powerful this time of year, I had too.
What do you think is the killer? Do you think Logan is justified for not trusting Elliot? And of course, do you think they'll have a good Christmas in the end?
I'm delighted to see Logan and David back in action! The MPS. That's a fitting name for these two and the last image captures their mood. Hehe.
What an intriguing story! A woman killed by garland. I can't wait to see how this story unfolds. Maybe the culprit is Santa? Or a Santa wannabe? I enjoyed the camaraderie between the two detectives and your dialoguing is well crafted. Well done. Thank you for writing your story in the Scholar N Scribe community. !LADY 🙂
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Really like what you have done with these characters. Their dynamic is very entertaining. Should be a fine storyline that you can take in any direction you choose.
I do wish we would have gotten more into the "mystery" in this part but I can see you needed to develop the characters more here. Looking forward to continuing this story.
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