chapter 7

Sunday, 04 March 2018.

At the High Tower Manhattan, property of Wine & co, New York City.

It’s ten p.m. when the cops arrive at the crowded building. Some of the cops order the party guests to calm down while they will do the investigation regarding Barbara’s sudden death.

“Oh, my God! Oh, my God! I can’t believe this is happening! What the actual fuck?” Sonia grumbles restlessly, while Emilie and Illana stand silently and bewilderingly beside her.

Everyone still in shock with this sudden unexpected circumstance. Some of them even starts making rumors. Was she sick? Or was she murdered? Was she dying from drinking a poison?

Those speculations only lead to a series of sentimental thoughts among them. Nobody really knows what really happens that night with her unexpected dead.

Afterwards, a tall man with sharp eyes walks among the cops. His face looks so firm and dull at the same time. He wears a long cream coat. His teddy-brown hair looks a bit messy. It’s like as if he just having a rough day, or maybe he is.

He keeps staring at the three clique girls. Sonia is the first one to stare back bewilderingly at him, then follow by Emilie and Illana.

“Who is he?” Sonia mutters.

Emilie agape herself when seeing his arrival here, especially when he is walking toward them. And then she says, “Oh, oh… isn’t that the detective from the old mystery show on TV?”

“Whops, the old mystery show? Wait a minute…” Sonia mutters again while thinking. “No wonder, I find him looking so familiar.”

“But that television mystery show has long gone now. It’s old stuff anyway,” Illana adds.

Sonia then crosses her arms and says, “So what? Now he’s back on the real duty call?”

Once he meets them all, he starts smiling stiffly. “Greeting, ladies. I’m Detective Lee Buchard…”

“You’re the detective host on that mystery show. Oh, what’s the name again? Yeah, Mystery Island,” says Emilie while she keeps staring at his pale face.

He takes a long sigh. It seems he’s embarrassed about it that he can’t look at them in the eye for a second.

“Ah, that’s a long time ago. I thought it’s already forgotten. Glad to know there’s someone who notices me as the most infamous tv host here,” he says while chuckling awkwardly.

The three of them nod and still stare cautiously with his presence here.

He starts speaking formally again, “So, let me introduce myself as a detective here. I’ll be in charge of your friend’s death case, and her name…”

“Barbara Megan,” Emilie finishes his words for him.

“Yes, Barbara Megan,” he murmurs as he takes out a small notebook from his coat and prepares a black pen to write. “And if you all don’t mind; I have to ask some questions regarding what happened tonight.”

The three of them immediately cross their hands and starts staring nervously at him.

He slightly observes their defensive behavior. “Okay, so…”

“We really didn’t know what happened to her,” Sonia snaps impulsively.

Illana also adds, “Yes, she just suddenly died and fell on the floor.”

Detective Lee observes them once again, looking at their anxious face. Then he says, “Uh, I haven’t even given you my question, ladies. Just chill a bit, okay?”

“Oh, my God. So what? You expect us to look chill with what just happened tonight?” Sonia snarls emotionally at him.

“Our friend just died. Of course, we’re panicking,” Illana adds again.

“I still can’t believe that she’s dead,” Emilie mutters sadly.

Detective Lee scratches his messy hair for some times. He is really looking dull and awkward before he even begins this interview session.

Then Sheryl walks toward them from behind. She greets him, “Hey, you must be Detective Lee Buchard, right?”

He chuckles for a second and says, “Wow, I can’t believe you all know my name here. Was that tv show really popular that time?”

“Hey, this is a serious matter!” Sheryl suddenly snaps and looking so angry.

They quickly get startled with her annoying loud voice.

“Barbara’s death has nothing to do with this annual party that is held by Wine & Co. I just want you to take a note on that,” Sheryl says firmly, and her eyes keep popping out.

He clears his throat for a second before he says, “Okay, so, I heard you are all establishing a social group, which is The Elite, correct?”

“Yes, correct,” Sheryl snaps, her voice sounds flat and ignorant.

He asks curiously again, “The Elite, is it like a group of the elitists? The rich kids? Weekly social gathering?”

“Yeah, you can say so,” Emilie adds.

Sheryl rolls her eyes. She looks impatient with this interview.

“Okay, so, let’s start our real interview, kids. Was Barbara Megan part of The Elite group?” he asks and ready to write anything on his notebook.

“Yes, she was,” Emilie answers.

“True,” Sonia adds.

Then Illana informs him, “Barbara had joined the group since the first time The Elite was established.”

“So, when exactly was that?” he asks further.

“It was about five years ago. When we were all still in college,” Sonia answers.

“Yeah, we were still studying in college back then,” Sheryl assures.

“I have read your track record regarding The Elite. You were all went to Kingston Public School, and…”

Sheryl narrows her eyes bewilderingly since he keeps asking about The Elite. And so, she just can’t stop her mouth from snapping him in return, “Okay, so, how is this all related with The Elite? You’re supposed to be investigating Barbara’s death.”

Detective Lee chuckles for a second, making these three girls feel more anxious.

“Oh, yeah, you’re right,” he says as he immediately closes the notebook.

Emilie stares bewilderingly at him too, and asks, “So, why you keep asking about it?”

“I just want to gain further information. Nothing personal, really,” he assures them.

“Yeah, and you’re not working alone here, Detective. There are some cops that already asking us a bunch of boring questions as the witnesses before you came,” Sonia snaps cynically.

“I agree, so, why are you investigating The Elite, instead Barbara’s death, huh?” Sheryl asks agitatedly again. “Just do your job properly, Detective. You’re so unprofessional.”

He looks a bit startle because of her annoying attitude. She is really impolite to him.

“Okay, I’m sorry, kids. I just do my job as a detective that’s being assigned here. I hope we can cooperate well in this case,” he says lazily.

And when he yawns tiredly, they start looking at him in disbelief.

Then he says, “We will talk later. Now I have to interview the boy zone.”

Immediately, they glance at the very quiet three boys at the corner of the room there. And right after that, Detective Lee starts walking toward them.

As soon as he meets eye to eye with them, he introduces himself, “Hello, kids. I’m Detective Lee Buchard. I’m in charge of Barbara Megan’s death case.”

They look at him silently. The boy seems sadder and quieter than the girls earlier, who keep acting all anxious and panic.

“Hello, Detective,” one of the tall and handsome boys greets him politely. “I’m Jack. And this is my cousin, Alec. And my friend, Jazz.”

“Hello, Jack, Alec, and Jazz. Do you mind if I ask a few questions?” he asks, although it’s not an option to refuse him anyway. “Do you know Barbara Megan well before?”

“Yes, of course. All of my life I knew her,” says the black skin boy, who is Jazz.

“She was a good girl. A very interesting person to be friend with,” Alec says.

“Yes, we went to the same college with her,” Jack adds.

“Okay, so, I assume that you knew her well then. Are you guys still joining The Elite group?” he asks further question that makes their eyes pop widely. It seems they gets bewildered this time.

Detective Lee stares back awkwardly at them. These young people react the same way when they are asked about that one high society group.

“Well, I mean…”

And before he can rephrase his question, Jack already shouts, “Yes, we are all still active joining the group.”

Even though so, their reaction looks more easier than the girls. Thereafter, Detective Lee doesn’t have to feel bad if he doesn’t aware of offending their feeling earlier.

“Is there any conflict happened in The Elite these days? Was Barbara Megan involved in an argument or a fight scene before…”

“Not at all,” Jazz shouts assuredly.

Alec adds, “We are all in a good term.”

Jack also nods agreeably.

Detective Lee still tries reading their facial expression for a moment that looks just sincere, really different from the clique girls earlier.

“But about the fight…” Alec begins to say, “it happens all the time between Emilie, Sonia, Illana, and Sheryl.”

“Oh, those pretty ladies that I’ve just interviewed?” he then points out his chin at those girls in the middle of the room. And right at the time, they stare back at him curiously from afar.

Alec and Jazz nods at him.

Then suddenly, his phone rings inside his jeans.

“Give me one second,” he says hurriedly as he picks up the phone call. “Yeah, how’s the forensic team doing?”

Thereafter, he just walks away from them, and disappears in the crowded room.