The Debt of Death

Interesting, you think there is a deeper connection between Sinje and Mr. Jenkins." Alyx scratched the back of her head. Cole had just finished explaining the key points of the department's day out. There was no excitement in her voice, but Cole picked up on a flash of interest in her eyes; he might have actually found something important.

"While this does set up a baseline for Sinje lying to us, do you think that her emotions are centered on guilt?" Cole asked. He knew that Sinje's breakdown was a key part of the case, but he couldn't fit it into the puzzle. Would someone who had brutally bashed in their coworker's skull, cry for their victim.

Alyx blinked. "It's time we visited the widow." Cole shuddered, once he had learned that Mr. Jenkins was married, he had been dreading meeting the man's wife. How was she even relevant to Sinje? 

"When do we leave?" Cole did not question Alyx as he steeled himself for what was to come. "Eh… we can leave now, I wasn't doing much anyway." Alyx leaned back in her chair. It had been a while since she had been in the office, and she apparently did not want to stay any longer.

"Shouldn't we question Sinje again? Or maybe Sara?" The department outing had happened yesterday, and Cole thought if they didn't talk to Sinje soon, she might deny that she had ever broken down. "We can do that later." Alyx waved aside the idea as she sprang to her feet.

Minutes later, the pair was screaming through the tunnels, in Alyx's flying vehicle. Cole gripped his handrest tightly, Alyx had disabled her steering assist, and she flew with reckless abandon. 

He had not flown with her often, but there were always close shaves when she drove. Somehow the vehicle never got any scratches, but that did not make Cole feel safe as Alyx dove under the rail, and swerved past another vehicle.

The company building was not near the elevated district where Mr. Jenkins' home was located, and Cole tried to calm his labored breath as he shakily stepped into a large elevator. 

Luckily it took a long time for the elevator to shoot towards the clouds. The elevated district was a collection of the highest buildings in the city. Some of the buildings reached the ground, but a majority of them floated, or were supported by smaller neighbors. From a distance, the motley collection of structures built a mechanical disjointed quilt of shapes and styles.

When the elevator finally stopped, Cole and Alyx stepped into a sleek hallway. The elevated district was the newest part of the city, so it was not crumbling. Instead every inch of the district emanated with current technology.

"Mr. Jake Jenkins, 14175." Alyx spoke into the empty hallway. An instant later, a vibrant blue light raced through the hallway, creating a hovering trail, which Cole and Alyx promptly followed. As they walked, the ground felt like it was subtly shifting, and after a few minutes they arrived before an arch.

Through the arch, Cole could see a small house standing alone, near a patch of grass. It was odd seeing a building without neighbors, but then that was one of the prestige factors in living in a house.

The structure was rectangular, with sleek white walls that had no sharp edges. The corners rounded slightly into a curved roof made of the same material as the walls, and the windows were round. The house was on a raised platform that allowed the building to have a slight porch, made of the familiar white material.

Cole looked up to see a bright sun and clear blue skies. The absence of heat betrayed the fact that the scenery was projected, causing Cole to frown. Could it not rain in the elevated district? Cole hoped that the district was not the future of the city that the current mayor had promised.

As they got closer to the house, two doors became visible, and Cole was reminded that Sivil had mentioned that Mr. Jenkins only owned half of a house. Fortunately the blue trail ended at one of the doors, disappearing only when Alyx tapped on the door. It was the same white as the rest of the building, visible due to a faint outline of light.

After a few minutes of waiting, the door slid open. "Who are you?" A short dark haired woman with bags under her eyes spoke tersely.

"I am Cole and this is Alyx. We work at the company, and are trying to find justice for Mr. Jenkins. We are very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Jenkins." Cole spoke politely, knowing that Alyx would give a gruff introduction.

"I am her mother. We couldn't leave her on her own." The woman gestured them into the home. "I suppose you want to speak with Mara. Please be gentle with her." Cole and Alyx found themselves sitting on a plush purple couch.

"Actually, could we ask you a few questions first?" Alyx spoke for the first time. "Nothing too serious, I just want to know your thoughts on your son in law." Alyx continued, after noticing the woman's apprehension.

"He took good care of my daughter. He also paid for my home, when my husband and I were struggling." The woman said as she turned to leave.

"Wait. If you had to say something negative about him, what would it be?" Alyx stopped the woman, who had never introduced herself.

"It doesn't do to talk ill of the dead." The woman snarled at Alyx, who blankly tilted her head to the side, clearly still expecting an answer.

"Whenever we saw them together, he seemed detached, and I hated his ambition. I knew it would only bring suffering." The woman sighed. "You better not think that is enough motive for me to kill him. I knew his death would break my daughter, I would not do that."

"You and your daughter are not suspects. It wouldn't even be possible for you to have done the deed." Cole spoke when he noticed that Alyx had gone silent.

"Oh, I thought you two were part of the team that came a few days ago to deliver the financials. Those types always try to weasel out of giving away money. I am Emeta by the way." Emeta was much friendlier after hearing she was not a suspect.

"No, we are only trying to catch the killer. If you don't mind, could we talk to your daughter now?" Alyx piped up when she noticed that Emeta might start a conversation with Cole.

Emeta nodded and turned away, returning a few moments later with another woman. She was much taller, with broad shoulders, than her mother, but she had the same dark hair. "I am Mara. Please ask me anything that will help with your investigation." Mara's voice was soft, and as she sank into a chair, her broad form seemed incredibly frail.

"We are very sorry to bother you. We are trying to get a better picture of your husband, his coworkers were not the most forthcoming." Cole answered before Alyx, sure that she would jump straight into her questioning.

Mara looked at Cole and nodded, causing him to notice the dullness in her eyes. They were like brilliant orbs of autumn leaves, but Cole was forced to imagine the spark that brought them to life.

"Was your husband any different from usual, in the last few months? Alyx tapped her finger against her knee as she spoke.

"He was the same as always… maybe a little more distant than usual. But that sometimes happened when he was busy at work." Mara wiped a tear from her eye, as if she blamed herself for not bridging the distance.

"And did he talk much about his work, or his coworkers?" Alyx ignored the tear. "No, never." Mara said quietly. "That was the only aspect of his life that he kept from me."

"Could you tell me what he did outside of work? Did he have hobbies that he liked to do alone? " Alyx did not slow. 

"When he finished work, we would spend most of our time together. We have the same hobbies… He did like to watch different things from me, so maybe that was his alone time." She gestured towards a comfortable looking chair in the corner of the room, as if to say that was where Mr. Jenkins liked to watch his media.

"Do you know if he had any enemies?" Alyx was relentless. "Everyone that knew Jake liked him. The only animosity he faced was at his work. He never told me about it, but I could tell that he sometimes came home in a bad mood because of his coworkers." Even as Mara spoke quietly and mechanically, Cole could tell there was a sharp intellect buried under her grief.

Alyx stood up. "Thank you for your time." Cole said quickly, before following Alyx out of the house. The pair remained silent as they made their way back to the elevator. 

"That is one of the worst parts of this work. It is so taxing." Alyx stared at the roof of the elevator, and Cole noticed a faint ripple in her eyes.