I just received confirmation that my submission was not selected, but because it was so specific to the opportunity, and I liked it so much, I thought I’d share it with you.
The maximum word count was 750 for a crime and mystery micro-fiction.
Cole’s Notes
The notebook lay open on the coffee table, its blank pages glaring back. Smoke from a recently blown out lavender calendar wafted throughout the otherwise pungent apartment. Unwashed socks, shirts and blankets scattered the linoleum floor of the bathroom and kitchen, witnessed from the living room. The open concept familiar to the visitor as he lived just next door.
Working from home was a blessing and a curse for Cole. Being on the first floor helped, though being in a less than secure building made him hesitate the move from his offsite office. The increase of the rental fee, however, was the final push he needed. Renovations were off limits, so he worked hard to keep his own open concept living area tidy, especially when he knew a client was scheduled to arrive.
This time, however, there was no client, really. Just a curious and concerned landlord who asked Cole to do him a favour and check on the tenant in apartment B. Cole tended to keep to himself and was grateful his neighbours were private people himself. He’d know him to see him but did not know his neighbour’s name or occupation. “You have the key,” Cole reminded his landlord Jack. “Can’t you just go in?”
“I could but wouldn’t know what to look for. That’s your job. I’ll open the door, attest to giving you permission, if necessary, but you have the better knack for this.”
“Why go in at all?”
“Let’s just say, he hasn’t been paying rent and there’s a smell.”
“Fantastic. I guess there’s no time like the present.” On the way out Cole grabbed some Vick’s as he may have had a good eye but smells, that he couldn’t stomach.
As promised, Jack unlocked and opened the door and stood nearby. The smell coming through had Cole wiping a dob of Vick’s under his nose. It wasn’t the worse smell he dealt with, especially after his visits to the morgue, but he didn’t want to risk living his own DNA behind.
The kitchen, while not anywhere close to clean, seemed void of anything concerning, so Cole made his way slowly to the bathroom after getting the consent and encouragement from Jack. The bathroom, unlike the kitchen, was filled with evidence. It was clear that the resident, though recently vacating the premises, was in a rush to dispose of whatever it was making the place so rancid. Bleach and debris were still circling the drain of the bathtub. The sink was stained with what could have been beet juice, natural hair dye or blood.
Cole wished he thought to bring gloves though took care in not touching anything during his initial walk through.
“Um, Jack, you may want to call the police. This is more of their expertise. I look for people who are still alive and able to tell their story. They handle the dead.” Cole backed out of the bathroom and ran into a familiar face, just not Jack who seemed to be long gone.
“Oh, sorry, I…” Cole stumbled as he tried to get around the tenant. He wished he could remember his name. He wished more that he could escape.
“Cole? From next door?”
“That’s me. I thought my cat ran in here. The door was open. I don’t see him though.” As Cole worked his way out of the apartment, he heard the man exclaim, “You don’t have a cat! And it’s a pet-free complex.”
He was right, of course, on both accounts, but Cole wasn’t going to argue with the killer. Back in his apartment, with the door locked behind him, Cole dialed 911 and quickly told them the situation.
Cops showed up in less than ten minutes and knocked on Cole’s door before visiting his neighbour. Cole quickly explained what he was asked to do, what he saw and how quickly he needed to get out of there, assuring them he didn’t touch anything and had permission to be there.
From the peephole of his locked door he watched the police then visit Charlie, the name suddenly coming to him. Seeing Charlie opening the door, hearing him laugh and inviting the cops in confused Cole who then crept out of his safety zone to stand by the open door of his neighbour. Jack crept up beside him as they heard the confession…
“Sorry to have troubled you. As you can see, I’m a writer and was just doing some research. Look at my notes.”
Thanks for reading,
Sarah Butland