Crime novel Callie and Alex
When Alex picked up the phone that morning, the incessant ringing cutting through a rather pleasant dream involving free movie tickets and an endless supply of popcorn, he was not at all surprised that the voice on the other end belonged to Callie. He was, however, surprised at the words she greeted him with.
”You gotta come down to the station.”
He rolled over on his stomach, checking the radio clock on his bed-side table through drooping eyelids. The neon digits read 05:30 am.
”What station,” he managed to say in between yawning.
”Goddamnit, Alex, wake the fuck up. The police station.” Not even sunrise and he had already managed to annoy her. Great.
In response, he groaned slightly, burrowing his face in the pillow. Not the right response, judging from the noise of aggravation that met him through the earpiece.
”Alex. My roommate went and got herself murdered. They think I did it. You’re my alibi, so I need you to come down here and spell it out for them.”
At that, Alex sat up straight, a tiny jolt shocking him awake instantly.
”Murdered? Like, crime scene, bloodshed kind of murder?” He tried to still the slight edge of excitement to his voice.
Another impatient sigh on the other end. ”No, like the happy, unicorns dancing on rainbows kind of murder,” she deadpanned, her tone icy. ”Seriously, you’d think that with all your intelligence-”
”Hey, how come you’ve never told me you’ve got a roommate?”
There was a pause on the other end. This time it was not so much a sigh, rather something akin to a deep intake of air. He waited.
”Fine, fine. I'll humour you. But any more irrelevant and completely idiotic questions and I will break that laptop of yours when I get back,” she warned, waiting for his meek ”yes, m’am” to continue.
”I didn’t tell you I had a roommate because she was the dumbest piece of silicone enhanced flesh to ever walk the planet. I can’t really blame them for making me the key suspect, really, I’ve dreamt about pushing her down the stairs on more than one occasion.”
Alex bit his lip. It proved harder to contain himself than he would have thought.
”So did you see the body? How badly mutilated was it?”
”Really, Alex, really?”
He lay back on the bed, closing one hand over his eyes. Stupid.
”Sorry. Didn’t mean to... so where did you say the station was again?”
”You gotta come down to the station.”
He rolled over on his stomach, checking the radio clock on his bed-side table through drooping eyelids. The neon digits read 05:30 am.
”What station,” he managed to say in between yawning.
”Goddamnit, Alex, wake the fuck up. The police station.” Not even sunrise and he had already managed to annoy her. Great.
In response, he groaned slightly, burrowing his face in the pillow. Not the right response, judging from the noise of aggravation that met him through the earpiece.
”Alex. My roommate went and got herself murdered. They think I did it. You’re my alibi, so I need you to come down here and spell it out for them.”
At that, Alex sat up straight, a tiny jolt shocking him awake instantly.
”Murdered? Like, crime scene, bloodshed kind of murder?” He tried to still the slight edge of excitement to his voice.
Another impatient sigh on the other end. ”No, like the happy, unicorns dancing on rainbows kind of murder,” she deadpanned, her tone icy. ”Seriously, you’d think that with all your intelligence-”
”Hey, how come you’ve never told me you’ve got a roommate?”
There was a pause on the other end. This time it was not so much a sigh, rather something akin to a deep intake of air. He waited.
”Fine, fine. I'll humour you. But any more irrelevant and completely idiotic questions and I will break that laptop of yours when I get back,” she warned, waiting for his meek ”yes, m’am” to continue.
”I didn’t tell you I had a roommate because she was the dumbest piece of silicone enhanced flesh to ever walk the planet. I can’t really blame them for making me the key suspect, really, I’ve dreamt about pushing her down the stairs on more than one occasion.”
Alex bit his lip. It proved harder to contain himself than he would have thought.
”So did you see the body? How badly mutilated was it?”
”Really, Alex, really?”
He lay back on the bed, closing one hand over his eyes. Stupid.
”Sorry. Didn’t mean to... so where did you say the station was again?”