Detective Bram was in his office that night when Officer Ted came in. "Hey, Bram. Here's the information on the dead eunuch and his dead broad." he said as he handed him two thick files. Bram cocked an eyebrow at Ted. He was about to say something but stayed silent instead.
"Thanks, Ted. Ahh, I'll see ya tomorrow...."
"Sure, thing. Brammy"
Bram flinched. He detested that nickname. April gave it to him but he could never tell her that her how much he hated that nickname now and not ever. He knew that she hated him. There was a very simple reason. He was promoted and she was not. It was strange that a lesser man on the force was elevated to a better position than a person who deserved it more than he did. Bram stared into mid-air for a few minutes, contemplating deeply and opened the first file.
The first file had all the information on the "dead eunuch". He scowled at the inappropriate codename that everyone on the force gave the deceased man and how they called the woman "the dead broad". He looked at the first page. Name, ID number, address, everything was there. The damned file even had the information on where they were last Tuesday and what they ate in Cafe Crepe the next afternoon. "Lecrimno City Police Department sure as hell don't take things lightly, do they?" Bram thought as he smiled bitterly. The "dead eunuch's" name was Dennis Steele. Worked as an accountant in some place Bram has never heard of. He leafed through the other file. "Ahh, so it's a MISSUS Steele" Bram thought silently. Brenda Steele (nee Greene), Dennis Steele's wife. They were both citizens of Lecrimno city since birth. Aged 27 and 25. Clean records. Lived quite lives and had faces which reminded Bram of toads eating lemons. He chuckled at the strange thought of toads eating lemons.
Bram read every word, every detail and looked at every picture but still, nothing. He racked his brains. Thinking of every single kind of motive the killer had and what the purpose of killing the couple was but yet again, nothing. He stared at the picture of the painfully plain couple. There was nothing interesting about them. Nothing at all. Bram thought deeper. Then a thought slipped into his mind.
"APRIL!! APRIL!!!" Bram yelled, running out of his office. "Over here!" she said, looking at Bram who had a strange look on his face "April, do you have the Steele's personal items?"
"Yeah, sure buddy. They're with Ron at that department where they keep stuff. Damn, I can never remember what the stinkin' department is called!!"
"The storage department?"
"Yeah!! That's the place!! Thanks Brammy!" April said, winking at him.
"Ok, alright. Thanks, April." mumbled Bram as he shrugged and cringed at the same time.
Ron was all the way at the basement. Bram took the elevator from his office on the eighteenth floor to the basement. On the ride down, his mind worked furiously thinking about the Steele's and their brutal murder. The elevator was filled with the annoying chimes of elevator music and the smell of stale coffee and dry doughnuts. Bram ignored both, concentrating so much until he almost forgot what he was in the lift for. When the elevator doors slid open to a dark dim lighted room with a loud ring of a bell, Bram snapped out of his trance and walked out into the large dim room. There are two very, very strange things about the storage department. One, it looked like an underground hotel lobby. The walls are the color of the sky on a rainy day, a calming mixture of light blue and light grey and the floor was covered with whitish-gray carpets with rich matching furniture. The storage room also had a reception which barricaded the guests from getting the real storage room. On the reception was a counter bell which was used to signal for Ron's services but in other words, wake Ron up from his loud slumber and the other strange thing was Ron.
Ron was a tiny young man with a pair of thick glasses. He could have been 25 or 43 and no one would notice or really care because of his thick glasses. His skin had a tan-grey quality and he wore his hair in a very awkward fashion. It was a dark red crew cut and he always seem to wear a cap. The entire was filled with loud snores. Bram couldn't take anymore of the irritating sound. He rung the bell and then, there was a loud crash and a lot of cursing. Ron came out from the Store Room. Bram chuckled. "Poor bastard must've fallen from the damned chair."
"Hey, Bram! Whaddya need?" Ron asked, gleefully.
Bram stared at Ron. He was awkward and strange in many ways. No one in the entire force knew anything personal about this guy. Yeah, sure details like address, identity card number and records of this guy but no one really knew him. No one knows what kind of place he lives, who he lives with, relationship status and lots more. Ron was like a strange puzzle. Ron once told Bram his personal motto, "Bram, want to know why I'm so damned lonely? Well, I stick to my motto" Bram recalled perfectly. "Stay outta people's shit and business, they got nothin' to do with ya." It was true. He never went to parties or socialized. Whenever anyone invited him out, he'd decline, politely. But everyone's gotten used to it.
"Uhmm, hey, listen Ron. Where are the Steele's personal belongings? Cellphones and wallets. That's what I need"
"Hold on. They're at the back" Ron said before he disappeared to the Store Room.
Bram stood in the "lobby", thinking again about the murder. "Here it is" Ron yelled as he burst through the door, holding four zipper bags containing the wallets and cellphones. "Thanks, Ron" Bram said, grabbing the bags before he smiled at Ron and left.
Bram was back in his office. He opened the first bag which had the name Dennis Steele. The bag had his cellphone in it. Bram turned the phone on and searched his call history. He received his last calls from the same unknown number. The calls were answered at first but went unanswered at last. Bram checked his voicemail. It was filled with the same number. Bram randomly picked a voicemail from the same unknown number and listened to the speaker of the voicemail.
"Hi honey. Did you get my presents? I hoped you really liked them. You must really love it because I bought it for you. Humm, wanna meet up later at Hotel Wellington? I'm paying. I'll meet you at 7 P.M, alright? I love you....."
Bram sat on his chair, horrified and somewhat disgusted. It was the same voice from the cassette recording.
