Chapter 2- A murder in town

Collette stood in front of the tall building with all her bags in hand. She ended up buying the headset anyway. It's not like I won't be meeting Adam till eternity. He was bound to show up one day or another.

Collette sucked in a deep breath and fixed her thick, brown curls as she walked towards the gate. The only contrast to the blinding white was the black gate of intricate designs swirling up in a Romanian design to adorn the institute's name on top.

Jennings Elderly Medical Institute or JENI.

An institute, housing several teams of psychiatrists, nurses, nutritionists, and several other healthcare members looking after psychologically ill patients. They varied from PTSD patients, depressed elderly, autistic grandparents who have no one to look after them, and the likes.

"Ah, morning Mrs. Woods."

Collette smiled widely at Mr. Till, the gate guard. They've established a friendship over the past couple of years due to Collette's frequent weekly visits. Sometimes even twice a week if necessary.

"Morning Mr. Till. How are the kids?" She greeted the forty-seven years old man. His hair was already graying and his smile lines clearly visible around his eyes. This man has seen happier days than sad.

"Good. Good. Zoe is graduating high school soon so everyone's preparing to celebrate."

Collette's smile widen. "Send her my best wishes Mr. Till."

"Sure will dear." The old man winked.

Collette made her way inside the building, the familiar eerie, white walls giving her the usual shivers. Goosebumps crawled up and down her skin as she rounded the corners of the hallway to her mother's room.

Knocking twice, she opened the door to be met with a pair of blue eyes similar to hers. Yet the ones mirrored in front of her were duller.

"Hey mom." She greeted with a big smile as she engulfed her mother in a warm, much-needed hug before pulling back.

Her mother's hand cupped her cheek softly with a smile mirroring the brown-haired girl sitting in front of her. The same brown hair she inherited from her father.

Laura's hand left her daughter's cheek and reached towards the table beside her, grabbing her writing board and marker.

"What are you doing here, I thought it was your anniversary today?" She wrote down.

"Adam cancelled. Something came up at the station and he had to stay there and work."

Laura reached for her daughter's hand giving it a light squeeze.

"Don't be sad sweetie, I'm sure he'll make it up to you when he's got time."

Collette nodded her head in understanding, finding no words to say.

"Tell me how have you been mom?" She changed the subject.

"Feeling way better than before." Came the written reply.

Unconsciously, both ladies stared into each other's eyes for what felt like hours, both heavier than mountains. They felt entrapped, too tired to look away and it only took.

"When will I be able to hear your voice again mom?" Collette unconsciously voiced her wish. "It's been so long mom."

Her words caused Laura to look away, towards the window on her side. They both wish.

"I've been through the same thing as you mom. Even worse maybe. Why can't you just get over it!"

Collette knew that she was being hard on her mother but she couldn't stop herself at this point. "I want us to have a normal life for once mom. Please." Her tone faltered as a tear slipped down her cheek. But Laura was cheap with her expressions as she kept her face turned.

Collette sighed for the millionth time today and was about to speak again when she was cut short by the opening of the door.

A short, chubby nurse at the prime age of forty-five peeked inside the room. Her lips parted into a wide smile.

"Collette my dear. You're here."

"Good morning Susanne." Collette smiled back at the approaching nurse. She held a tray of food in her hand which Collette held in her place.

Laura made no reaction of even acknowledging Susanne's presence.

"She hasn't been eating for a while now."

"Mom. You need to eat." Collette begged her stubborn mother but still came out empty. "Mom you-" She started out again but suddenly stopped, knowing it was of no use.

She grabbed her belongings and attempted to leave when her mother's thin, bony hands wrapped themselves around hers. Collette looked back into her mother's pleading eyes, winning her empathy like every other time.

She bent down and gently kissed her mother's forehead. "I'll be back mom. I promise. Maybe next time I'll have Adam with me."

Laura smiled and nodded her head before letting go.

"I'll make sure she eats properly till then my dear." Susanne winked at Collette.

Collette waved them goodbye and left the room. However, and just as she stepped outside into the hallway, the door behind her opened again and Susanne emerged from inside.

"Hey sweetie, don't worry about your mother. She's doing much better." The understanding nurse sympathised. "At least the nightmares had stopped and she gets her good night's sleep."

Collette fashioned a tight-lipped smile in gratitude despite her heavy heart.

This is not how she imagined this day would feel.

Collette made her way outside the institute just as her phone started ringing once again.

"Adam." She answered in confusion.

"Hey pumpkin. You up for some pizza?"

"Pizza?" Collette parroted in puzzlement.

"Yes. Some hot, cheesy chicken barbecue pizza. Your ultimate favorite." Adam responded cheerfully making his wife chuckle at his singing tone.

"And what about the lead you found?"

"Nah..it was a false alarm like usual. I swear baby, this case feels like a curse cast upon us by some wicked witch." He sighed.

"I'm sure you'll get somewhere eventually. You are the lead investigator after all for a reason."

Collette tried to support her husband.

"Fingers crossed. Where are you now?"

"I just left the institute." She answered, unconsciously looking back at the name written in golden.

"Okay just stay where you are I'm five minutes away."

Collette ended the call, a new ray of enthusiasm blooming inside of her. She looked down at the AUX headset and thanked God she decided to buy them nonetheless.

True to his words, it didn't take Adam time to be parking his car in front of his waiting wife. He opened the door, eager to hold the woman he missed terribly.

He pulled her against his chest, wrapping his strong arms around her small body as he buried his face in her shoulder. Collette almost instantly secured her own arms tightly around his neck.

"God, I missed you." He murmured into her skin.

"I missed you too Adam." She whispered back into his chest, her smile wide.

They pulled back only slightly so they looked into each other's eyes. Adam cupped his wife's face and pressed his lips to her forehead in a soft kiss. "Let's get ourselves some pizza."

Rick and Rainy's was their all-time favorite pizzeria run by an elderly couple who sported their own family recipe. And according to Adam and Collette, it was the best pizza place in the country.

The pizzeria wasn't the most lavish of places. With its vintage interior, parquet flooring, and matching parquet walls and wooden ceiling it sure sets a homey aura. Like a cottage made of wood in the far depth of the woods. The walls were accessorised with an array of old pictures of family and friends of the elderly couple, the Danvers.

While the ceiling only had four fans hanging down from them. And even those, Adam thought were too heavy for the seemingly weak wooden top.

"I got you something." Collette announced happily once the waiter was done writing down their order.

Adam's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He watched as his wife rummaged through a plastic bag, slipping out a medium-sized box wrapped in red gift wrapping.

"Happy anniversary Adam." Collette spoke as she handed the box to him.

Adam on the other hand was speechless as he took the gift his wife bought for him. He looked up at her with gleaming, excited eyes. She smiled widely a nodded her head.

Adam unwrapped the box gently, careful not to ruin the wrapping paper.

"Is this the new AUX headset!" He couldn't help his amazement and Collette chuckled with an excited nod that matched.

It was true that the person giving is happier about the gift than the one receiving.

Adam looked up at his wife in awe. "I can't believe you actually bought them."

"I knew how badly you wanted them so.." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

Adam's smile widened as he reached for his wife's hand and bringing it up to his lips, waiting a brief moment or two before separating them.

"I love them." He whispered. "Thank you so much baby girl."

"Ah! I got you something as well." He left her hand suddenly and fetched for something inside his pocket. Slowly, his closed fist emerged and was raised up in front of their faces. Adam let loose two fingers, allowing the silver chain to dangle freely from his hand and dance in the air like a ballerina.

Adam got up from his seat and walked around the table so he stood behind Collette, gently placing the necklace around her neck. The sun-shaped ornament nestled between her collarbones luxuriously.

He finished securing the chain then moved his hands so they settled each on one of her shoulders. "The sun represents how you manage to shine my life every time pumpkin. No matter how hard or how dark it got, you always managed to lighten your way through."

Collette looked up at her husband, her neck bent at an uncomfortable angle. But kt was a mere background nag as their lips came together in a chaste kiss before letting go.

Suddenly, their moment was caught out of attention when the suspicious squeaking of the ceiling echoed through the place causing everyone to look up.

There were a couple of silent moments, and just when everyone was about to get back to their own affairs, more squeaking and a ray of dust cascading from above alarmed everyone.

More dust lines started making their way through towards the floor and the wood above creaked and wailed painfully.

"Everyone leave this place now!" Adam was in full alarm mode.

They didn't need to be told twice before everyone was scurrying from their places, crowding together to leave the place or step farther away from where the dust was falling at the centre. The cries of the ceiling intensified and it was of no doubt that the centre was about to fall.

Adam quickly pulled Collette to her feet, hiding her behind him just as the ceiling, as anticipated fell from the centre in a war of wooden logs and metal from the fan, dust, and electric wires, leaving the rest of the ceiling by its pillars.

An array of screams sounded along with the crash and everyone was doing their best to protect themselves and loved ones from the chaos.

The place was fogged with blinding dust clouds. That is...until the fog started clearing. The coughs that once filled the place were replaced by sudden gasps and screams at what behold in front of them in the remains of what was once the centre of the ceiling above.

There, strapped onto a chair was the lifeless body of a man.