All Chapters of So LOUD A silence: Chapter 1
- Chapter 10
17 chapters
The Man from The Land of Silence
SERGE WRIGHT, a thirty-year-old, seemingly from the land of the soft- spoken, highly economical with words yet confident, sat on the veranda visibly shaken and disturbed. The tie hung loosely from his neck – his jacket was forsaken to the ground. But he cared less.As tears streamed down from his eyes, Serge gently rubbed his palms after an almost perfect- timed interval.The door behind Serge opened and two uniformed men wheeled out the dead body in a bag on a stretcher in a cautious yet swift manner.Serge made it to his feet and laid his hand on the bagged dead body as the men move past him to the ambulance parked just in front of his house. Tears, more tears, well and flowed his eyes and marred his handsome face as the he watched the men helped the dead body into the ambulance.A couple of police officers and two coroners matched out of the house with samples and pieces of evidence in a box before POLA BROWN, in her early thirties, a newly enlisted police detective, emerged. Every
Last Updated : 2023-07-19
The Autopsy Report
At the door of hospital’s Autopsy room, a gentle knock was heard before the door swung open.Ian and Pola strolled in. In the fairly lit room, the pair were greeted by the sight of a few dead bodies laid on the carts and covered in blue sheets.ELOHOR, a seasoned pathologist believed to be a cornrow faithful and chief of those who fail to maintain eye contact, tucked a pencil behind her ear and remarked in a tone weaved in disappointment, “You still don't wait to be invited in.""Nice seeing you too, sweetheart," Ian responds with an awful degree of indifference. "This is Pola." Ian then jagged at Elohor, "My good friend, Elohor."Pola pleasantly weighed in, "Hi.""Hey," Elohor responded as walking to one of the cart and uncovered the remains of Ivy. "I hope you're not as disgruntled as he"Pola looked at Ian and smiled.Ian motioned to the Ivy's body, "What do you have for me?""She was murdered," Elohor made reply and carefully opened Ivy's left arm. "A sharp object was driven throu
Last Updated : 2023-07-19
Lone Figure by The Grave
Mourners, mostly clad in black, retired to their vehicles after paying their last respects to the late Ivy at the cemetery. Her body, enclosed in a casket, had just been committed to the ground and buried.Serge, after greeting and appreciating some sympathizers took his place in the car behind the wheel. Veins ran on either side of the head. His eyes burnt with tears that had hardly dried during his entire stay at the grave yard. His countenance fell. A sign, perhaps, of how terrible and unbearable the last few days had been for him and the rest of the bereaved family.As he reflected on what had been and how life's shape will be like without her, Serge saw a lone figure on a wheelchair by Ivy's grave. HOPKINS WHITE. A frail and fairly skin-wrinkled man, in his seventies, with a tremoring left hand that served as testament to his never ending battle with Parkinson's disease. The late Ivy's father and sole surviving parent.Serge composed himself and steps out of the car, and slowly w
Last Updated : 2023-07-19
A walk through the Rain
In the back office of a famous Pharmacy Milton, visibly not at ease, sat on an executive chair. Pola and Ian sat on the other end of the table with an inquisitive gaze at Milton. For a moment, silence takes center stage until Ian pushed Ivy's picture on the table to Milton, "do you know her?"Milton picked the picture and made reply, "Yes. She’s Ivy. One of my customers. Is there a problem?""She was murdered a week ago," Pola responded.Milton reacted inquisitively in a startled manner, "What...? She was murdered?""Her burial was two days ago," Pola responds.Milton's eyes gaped on the photo as he swore, "Damn. God damn it."A silence- coated moment flew by before Ian delved in, "Besides business, is there anything you would want us to know about you two? I mean, You and Ivy"Milton sinks back in the chair and gives his statement, "Well, here's the thing..."FLASHBACK...Rains gushed down from the dark and heavy heavens in the late evenings.Milton stood by the entrance of the Pharm
Last Updated : 2023-07-19
"What happens in Rome..."
Hopkins sat alone in shear silence in the lounge of his mansion. He stared at the large portrait of Ivy mounted on the wall. In his right hand perched a walking stick. The door to the main swung open and Serge, having composed himself after the verbal bout with the detectives, charged in rubbing his hands. Serge announced his presence, “Father.” Hopkins, without disturbing his stare at the portrait acknowledged Serge’s presence, “Any news about my daughter's killer?” “No father.” Serge took a deep breath. “The police haven't yet made any arrest.” “The police?” Hopkins wondered aloud and rather disappointed. Serge kept his cool and assured, “Yes. They are doing everything possible.” “I tasked you to do one thing. Just one thing” Hopkins raged on. His left hand trembled vehemently. “To do whatever you can to bring the culprit to me. You come here to report about the damn police? Did I tell you to go to the police?” “No father.” Serge still kept his cool. He dared not let his chi
Last Updated : 2023-07-20
A missing piece. Maybe
Moments LaterPola, behind the wheel, brought the car to a halt behind a sea of vehicles on the high way that obeyed the red traffic lights just ahead on the high way.Ian, drowning in an ocean of thought, sat on the passenger's seat hamming along to the music mellowing from the car's speakers.A new black Grand Cherokee - Jeep that screamed opulence and class with it's every detail, driven by Serge, approached from behind and pulled over by Pola's car.MICAH, a real estate guru, in her forties, who normally hid behind dark sunglasses, sat on the passenger's seat in the other car talking angrily with heavy gestures. Serge, unnoticed by Pola and Ian, sat quietly behind the wheel taking in whatever Micah was trying to communicate in an angry fashion.Pola looked on and commented after a moment, “If you ask me, whatever that he did must be serious.”“Who?” Ian tuned back to reality in a flash.Pola pointed at the vehicle driven by Serge and uttered, “Him.”“Two things.” Ian chuckled mild
Last Updated : 2023-07-21
A Wolf in a Sheep's Skin
Father JAMES, a catholic priest in his sixties, lit up the candles and took to the knee for a word of prayer in the most reverent manner. The incense- filled church auditorium spoke volumes of how much organization and decorum within its walls was chiefly regarded. The furniture and fixtures were all arrayed in an orderly yet beautiful manner. And the floors sparkled free from dust. Father James loved it there. In fact, word on him, had it that he would rather be in the house of prayer at any given day and time clad in a black shirt and trousers, and a pair of black shoes. And above all, his white priestly collar always took it’s spot around the collar of his shirt.Pola and Ian stepped foot in the revered place of prayer and walked to the alter where Father James had knelt. The duo was armed with guns but they were thoughtful enough not to parade the weapons.Sensing intrusion by the duo’s entrance, James discontinued his lone pious ritual and sprung back to his feet. He looked at th
Last Updated : 2023-07-23
Kilogram's invisible footprint
Back at the police headquarters Pola, visibly shaken and still a prisoner of shock, sat on her work- station gnashing teeth. The Police Chief stood adjacent to her by the window with both hands in his pockets. He could not hide his disappointment and straight away jumped into making his anger known, “Let me get this straight. You went to make an arrest without back-up? Your partner is shot... you still couldn't call for back-up? “Everything happened so fast.” Pola reported. “My bad.” The Chief countered glaring at Pola, “Your bad? You risked people's lives, you almost got the suspect killed, your partner is battling for his dear life and you risked your own life, and all you can say is, 'My bad'?! Pola took a deep breath and looked straight into the eyes of the Police Chief, “With all due respect, sir, What was I supposed to do? The gun- man was not our target. We didn’t know he would be there. Note also that we were after the clergy man. As expected, he was not armed nor resistant
Last Updated : 2023-07-25
Face to Face with the Wolf
Behind the ‘spy- mirror’, in the interrogation at the Police headquarters, Pola stood looking rather rested, smart and reorganized. Her hair, as on a normal, is pushed back neatly and tied. She had swam above the toll that the previous day had taken on her. Steam meanders from the mug cup of coffee in her hand. Her gaze rested squarely on James who sat calmly with one hand cuffed to the table. Despite the composure and easiness, he looked rather tired, dehydrated and hungry. It had been a tough few hours for him. And it had to be rightly so.Pola observed James for a few more minutes before walking into the interrogation room. After taking a seat opposite him, she unobtrusively sipped the steamy coffee. And she quietly placed the cup on the table and inquired, “Is he your sidekick?”“What are you talking about?” James, looking Pola in the eyes, parried almost immediately.‘The shooter. You hired him,” Pola without blinking laid her argument down.James took a deep breath in astonishme
Last Updated : 2023-07-28
Clueless Detective
Micah, wearing an intent- screaming face, hastily meandered through the sizeable crowd at the shopping mall without looking back nor the sides. Pola matched Micah's pace but from a distance. Micah made a few swift turns to the ladies' convenience rooms. The latter observed the former’s every act and turn – she vowed not to lose any more ground from the assailant. She was determined to catch- up with quick steps. The goal was to corner Micah and interrogate her. But she was nowhere to be seen.Pola cautiously but vainly entered and searched each and every convenience room for Micah. A sigh of exhaustion escaped her mouth as she scanned the last room. Hopes of getting first hand first-hand information from Micah regarding any possible involvement in Ivy’s murder were fast fading away. Pola remained rooted in the convenience room vividly perplexed. She was not ready to walk away empty- handed but there was little to no light at the end of the tunnel. But there she was – Micah, the viciou
Last Updated : 2023-07-29