Page 38 of Princess
They got out of the car and ambled up the walkway. Sam banged on the front door a few times. Cooper looked around the street, noting the eerie silence. A deep odd sensation passed through his gut. Something was off about this street. Sam banged on the door again and soft footsteps could be heard making their way tothedoor.
The door opened slightly, restricted by the latched security chain. A small, disheveled man in dingy clothes and stringy hair stood at the door. The smell that permeated from him was enough to almost make Cooper take a step back fromthedoor.
“What the hell do you want?” The man was not cordial in his greeting at all. Sam tried to hold in his grimace but lost as the smell of booze and unclean humanhithim.
“My name is Detective Sam Colsten and this is Detective Zac Cooper. We received a call from this residence to the police station’s Crime Stoppers Hotlineyesterday.”
“I thought those calls were supposed to be anonymous,” the man saiddryly.
“Calling in a tip is not. We will never acknowledge your identity to the public,” Cooper said, the man’s beady dark eyes turned towards him. “We just want to discuss the tip, Mr. —” Cooper led on, hoping the man would give themhisname.
“Cleophus Miller,” he answered, his voice low andmonotone.
“May we come in?” Cooper asks, not really wanting to go into the house, but it was part ofthejob.
Cleophus shut the door for a second. The sound of the chain rattling could be heard before the door opened again, this time to let them in. He gestured for them tocomein.
The smell of the house was no better. Trash littered the tiny living room; piles of clothes lined the couch and loveseat. Piles of newspapers covered the coffee table. Pathways that led to other parts of the house were created around the massive amount of trash and junk crammed into the small house. This house could easily be featured on one of those extreme hoarder television shows. Cleophus shuffled over to the couch, knocking the piles of clothes off the couch and kicking them off totheside.
As if remembering his manners, he offered them a seat. “Can I get you detectives anything to drink? I think I have a few beers or waters in the fridge,” Cleophus offered, scratching his head, shifting his stance. Something was totally off aboutthisguy.
They both declined politely, not wanting to insult the man but also not wanting to chance what would be on his glasses. Cleophus muttered that he needed a beer and that he would be right back as he shuffled his way to the back of thehouse.
“What the fuck?” Samwhispered.
“Let’s make this quick,” Cooper responded, in a low voice, feeling his skin crawl as he looked around the room. The sound of cabinets banging drifted into the living room. Cooper pulled out his notepad with notes about their investigation, while Sam checked his phone. A few minutes passed and the sounds in the kitchenquieted.
Cooper looked over at Sam who noticed the silence also. Sam stood looking out the curtains of the front window. Cooper slowly rose from his seat and followed the path towards the kitchen. He pulled his weapon out of his holster, keeping it aimed at the floor. He didn’t want to scare the guy if nothing was wrong, but Cooper somehow knew that something was definitely off about this house. The hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. The smell of human waste, spoiled food, and trash made it harder to breathe, as he got closer to thekitchen.
He walked into the kitchen, stopping, stunned at the sight that greeted him. Cleophus Miller lay on the kitchen floor with his fixed eyes staring at the ceiling. Cooper didn’t need to get closer to verify that he was dead. He could see from the doorway that there was no rise and fall of hischest.
“Sam!” he called out, looking around the small kitchen. He moved towards the stairwell off to the right of the kitchen that led to a darkened basement. Cooper slowly walked over towards the side door, leading with his gun aimed high. “Sam, get your ass in here!” he called out again, not getting a response. What the hell? An eerie feeling settled overCooper.
He quickly checked the side door, noting that the deadbolt was engaged. No one had come or gone through this door. He glanced down the dark stairway not hearing any sounds from the basement. He decided to find Sam instead of going down to check out the lower level. He cautiously made his way back to the living room again, stopping suddenly as the breath left his body, as if he was hit in the abdomen with a two by four. His eyes locked on the figure standing in the middle of the clutteredlivingroom.
Xalak.
