Chapter 36: The Break-In

The window of the second floor was unlocked just like the other day. Even though it's a room where they're keeping a corpse, isn't this too unsecured? Well, because of that, I could sneak in easily so there's no problem for me in it.  

            I had already made a sensor barrier around the building, making it possible for me to perceive the presence of people at the radius of 500 meter.I had to make sure no one was inside the apartment room, and perceived the movement around the building. Nothing was steering my way at the moment, so in this murky room, I held back breathing in too deeply at the dusty room and urged myself to inspect the skeleton. 

            Slowly, I zipped down the sleeping bag, revealing the whole structure of it's body. I wonder if it's Lora's doing that the skeleton so clean, I don't know how long a corpse's stench last, but there wasn't a particularly bad smell. If it weren't for the 'bad' presence it had around, I would believe in anyone when they say it's just a model.

            Taking a closer look, I realized obvious points that I had overlooked, which was the size of the skeleton, anyone would say is a child. When I realized the kind of skeleton it was, I felt a deep anger lit inside me. Just from the size I knew the child's age wasn't far from my own, maybe even younger. To have a life so young to be taken and kept alone in this room was intolerable. 

           I held the hand of the child, it was cold and hard, and no one was even able to bury it. "Don't worry, you'll have your rest once it's over." 

            Speaking with the dead is not something hard for a standard magician, but since I don't even know who the corpse is, there's no way to call on her soul or even the residue of her spirit. 

            "Should I start checking the mother's room?" There was no one at the moment so as long as I don't gave away my trace then it should be fine. 

           [Light] 

            I flicked my finger along with my chant, and three small bulbs of light came up from my fingertips.  I checked on her wardrobe, it was as disorganized as I imagined. There was remain of takeout foods, the clothes and lingerie weren't sorted, and only one hanger was used to hang one pair of jeans. 

            She kept her jewelry in one tiny box at the corner, and even that didn't look like it was that precious enough that it would sell high. For the wife of such successful man, you would think the father is neglecting the family too much. 

            I look through the other cabinet and found some important looking document like birth certificate, wedding certificate, and old photos that had mold on it. 

              There were only a few photos of her old days, yet she looked so cheerful in it that she looked like a completely different person. I looked through every single photo and found one I found significant. 

            It was a photo where it was dated around 8 years ago, around the age she should have bear Lora. The problem was, the man beside her was not her father. He looked a few years older than her, he had a square head, and smooth straight hair, he had a big smile that showed his gleaming white teeth. His features looked awfully familiar even though I'm sure I never met such person. What I'm most curious is she looked like she is deeply affectionate with this person yet this is the only photo with only the two of him so far while there were a lot of photos with Lora's father or the three of them. 

             However, call it a woman's intuition or what not, I know the look of someone in love when I see one. Judging from these photos, the three must be really close, it wouldn't be weird if they got caught up in a love triangle, she might even had an affair with him. That photo was the last of the bunch I found. I thought about checking on the trash bags, but then I felt the familiar presence coming toward this building.

             Oh God, Lora's back!

            I put all the things back to where it was place, and swiftly take my leave through the window.
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Three chapters finished as promised.
Writing a mystery is so much harder than I would imagine,  I had to ad lib half way through yet stay connected with the facts I put in
Anyway, hope you like it, because this mystery is more than meets the eye.

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