A Phantom Passion Read online

  The staff and security began to drag Lee away from the morgue entrance, despite his constant cries. On the brink of hopelessness, the morgue doors opened. A middle-aged man wearing a soaked brown overcoat, a wrinkled white button-up shirt with a red tie, and dark gray pants stepped through. He ran his fingers through his black and gray straight hair as he shook his head.

  “What the hell is going here?” he shouted.

  Another middle-aged man entered the hall from the morgue. He wore a white coat, wire-rimmed glasses, and had a very stern expression – the pathologist.

  “Detective Daemon, this man was trying to enter the morgue...” the officer started.

  Lee immediately interrupted as he rushed towards Daemon, “Sir, you need to let me into the morgue, it's very important. I need to get in there now.”

  Daemon stared at Lee as the patrol officer pulled him back.

  “Please, sir,” Lee continued as he clasped his hands, “You have to let me in. Please.”

  Daemon shook his head and responded, “No, I can't do that, and I won't do that. We're in the middle of an investigation, you understand? When we're finished, and if you're part of the family, we'll let you say your goodbyes.”

  “N–No,” Lee stuttered, “I need to say my hellos.”

  Daemon's brow creased in confusion before swinging his arm upward and shouting, “Get him out of here! Go on!”

  The staff and security began to drag Lee away from the morgue. On the verge of tears, he stared up at the blinding lights. What do I do, Lee thought, how do I get in there? In that instant, another idea sparked.

  “Wait, wait!” Lee helplessly shouted, “Detective, I know about Gina! I know... I know everything about the diner!”

  As the morgue doors swung, Daemon rushed back through them and shouted, “Hold on, hold on! Drag him back here!”

  Security immediately released their grip on Lee. Lee quickly walked towards Detective Daemon as he coughed and grunted. He straightened his wrinkled clothing and wiped the sweat dripping from his brow, like if he were preparing for an interview at the very last second.

  “Sir...” Lee started.

  “Shut it,” Daemon said, “I only have one question for you: what do you know about the diner?”

  “I know everything about the diner. I can tell you anything you need to know, I swear.”

  “How?”

  “I was there. I recorded everything,” Lee pointed at the camera dangling around his neck.

  “Show me,” Daemon demanded, “Show me now.”

  “No, not yet,” Lee said, “You let me into the morgue. I need to speak... I mean, I need to see Gina. You let me see her and you can have all of the videos and photos you want. That's the only way.”

  Detective Daemon continued to furrow his brow in confusion before asking, “Who are you, kid? A brother? A boyfriend?”

  Lee's eyes watered as he sharply responded, “My name is Lee. Gina loved me and I loved her, that's all you need to know about us. I'm not going to show you anything until you show me what I want to see.”

  “Geez, kid, I don't think you want to see her like that. As a matter of fact, I'm doing you a favor by keeping you out. Give me the evidence and go home. Don't do this to yourself.”

  Lee stood with his shoulders locked as he slowly shook his head and stared deeply into Daemon's eyes – a stare deep enough to penetrate the soul.

  “You know you're hindering an investigation, right? I can take you in for that...”

  “You know... I can delete everything on this camera... then, I'll smash it to Hell, if you don't let me see her. We'll see if you can salvage anything for your investigation.”

  Lee slowly stepped back and held the camera up, cautiously looking at the surrounding officer and hospital staff. Daemon had a stern expression. After a brief moment, he smirked and chuckled as he looked over at the pathologist and the patrol officer. He gave the expression of “can you believe this guy?” Lee simply continued to stare at Daemon.

  Detective Daemon let off a large sigh and motioned towards the morgue, “Hurry up and get your ass in here.”

  Chapter 10 – A Terrifying Revelation

  Lee quickly rushed into the morgue before stopping himself – it was unexpectedly cold and eerie. The farthest parallel wall from the entrance was covered with steel doors; columns three units high and rows twelve units wide. Two doors were opened with the tables retracted, a white cloth covered the bodies. Another body lay on the morgue table at the other end of the room, presumably awaiting an autopsy.

  From afar, Lee could see the body on the morgue table was a female. Gina, he hopelessly thought. Lee had not prepared himself for the inevitable gore he would see, he was not prepared to see Gina like she was in the bathtub. Regardless, Lee shambled towards the table, his heart beating faster and faster the closer he approached.

  Before he could reach the table, Detective Daemon tapped Lee's shoulder and said, “That's not Virginia, kid, that's the diner case.”

  Lee sighed and moistened his lips, “Then... where's Gina?”

  “You... You don't want to see her like this. Trust me.”

  “Show me. Show me now.”

  “Kid...” Daemon paused and coughed, “It was brutal, it was...”

  “I know, I know everything. She was cut up, right? Then, some bastard put his gun into her mouth and shot her, exactly like in the diner, right? Tell me I'm right, okay? I know...”

  Lee paced back and forth as he continued to indistinctly murmur to himself. Daemon stared at Lee, squinting his eyes as he tried to comprehend the situation. The pathologist and Daemon looked at each other and shrugged – what's up with this guy?

  “Show him,” Daemon told the pathologist.

  The pathologist led Lee to the opened morgue unit at the farthest end of the room.

  He held the white cloth and asked Lee, “You ready?”

  Lee bit his knuckle and nodded. The pathologist revealed Gina's pale and preserved body. It was a horrendous sight to see. Her limbs were partly dismembered; each limb barely hanging by the bone or a piece of damaged tissue. Her throat was slit from jugular to jugular. Her face, like the rest of her body, was black and blue – she was barely recognizable. She had suffered from a brutal beating before her death, it was overkill – it was devastating. Lee fell to his knees as he broke down in tears and bellowed loudly.

  “Gina!” Lee repeatedly cried out.

  Daemon bit his bottom lip and tried to divert his attention elsewhere, but Lee's croaking was overwhelming. The feeling of loss and helplessness was overpowering.

  “Come on, kid, get up,” Daemon said as helped Lee stand.

  Lee was wobbly, though, he couldn't stand straight as he cried. He moved closer to Gina as he wiped his face and composed himself.

  “You alright, kid...” Daemon started.

  Lee ignored Daemon as he started to whisper towards the dead body, “Gina... can you hear me?”

  Daemon ran his fingers through his hair as he contemplated Lee's mental health. Daemon looked over at the pathologist – his eyes widened as he shrugged in confusion and concern.

  Lee continued, “Talk to me, Gina, talk to me again. Tell me who did this to you, I'll find him. Maybe... maybe it can bring you back, right? Maybe it can save you?”

  “Lee,” Daemon interrupted, “What the hell are you doing? We already know who did this.”

  Lee quickly turned towards Daemon, his red eyes swollen with tears. Lee continued to stare deeply at Daemon without a single blink. Daemon scratched the back of his head and looked every which way – why did I open my big mouth!

  “Shit... I shouldn't have said anything. I shouldn't have let you in here in the first place,” Daemon said under his breath.

  “Tell me who did this. I can still do something, tell me,” Lee pleaded.

  “Lee, there's nothing you can do for this case. Okay? Nothing.”

  “Why? Huh? Why? Tell me something.”

  Daemon shook his head be
fore reluctantly continuing, “Her punk of a boyfriend snapped, he beat her, he slit her throat, then he killed himself. That's it. This is an open-and-shut case as clear as day. You get it now? There's nothing you can do.”

  Lee caressed his hair as he stared blankly forward. He was lost in his own thoughts – lost in a baffling mystery. What the hell is happening, he thought as he squinted his eyes and scratched his head.

  “Lee, you got everything you need now, right?” Daemon said, “So, hand over the evidence.”

  Lee ignored Daemon and continued, “Doug killed himself? Where? When?”

  “The same place he killed her, the bathroom of the apartment. The coward blew his brains out.”

  “No... No... You got that wrong, Daemon. You've got something wrong. Doug shot Gina first, then he killed himself, right?”

  “No, Lee, Doug beat and stabbed Gina to death, then shot himself. Only one round was fired, only one body had a gunshot wound – and that was Doug.”

  Lee shook his head and murmured, “No, that's not right...”

  “You can check the bodies yourself, Lee. Gina's right in front of you and...” Daemon pointed towards the other opened morgue unit across the room, “Doug is over there.”

  Lee was overwhelmed by the confusion. He looked towards the other refrigerator unit – Doug's unit. The door was slowly swaying back-and-forth, emitting a loud creaking noise – like the swing at the park. Lee was speechless.

  “Now, you saw what you wanted to see. You know what you wanted to know. Hand over the evidence.”

  As Lee stared blankly forward, his face scrunching from the anxiety and confusion, Daemon rolled his neck and stared at the ceiling.

  He continued to murmur, “I have a murder-suicide, a diner murder-robbery, and a missing rookie...”

  Daemon finally stared back at Lee and said, “I don't have time for this, kid. Please, give me the damn evidence before I have to arrest you.”

  Lee was still preoccupied with a plethora of thoughts: Gina died from a slit throat and a beating? Doug shot himself, like the woman in the diner? Have I been talking to Doug or Gina... or myself? What the hell am I doing?

  Lee shambled forward, shocked and baffled. He pulled the camera from around his neck and handed it to Daemon. He continued to depart without a word, he looked like a zombie wandering aimlessly.

  “Don't you want the camera?” Daemon asked.

  Lee did not respond. He walked through the double-door entrance of the morgue and slowly walked down the hall. Daemon and the pathologist stood at the doorway and watched Lee shamble away.

  “Lee,” Daemon shouted, “Don't go to her apartment, it's still a crime scene!”

  He continued to whisper to himself, “It might be the crime scene of more than one crime...”

  Chapter 11 – A Malevolent Guest

  Lee drove down the empty streets as he departed the hospital. The tears continued to roll down his crimson cheeks as he found himself lost in dreadful contemplation. Who was I talking to, he thought, what am I going to do? Lee drove into the Hill Apartment Complex and parked normally. Looking at his phone, he could see it was 5:45 in the morning. The sun was barely rising as Lee walked past the vacant police vehicle.

  “Where the hell have you been?” he whispered under his breath as he looked at the cop car.

  His mind wandered between his many perplexing thoughts as he walked through the desolate lobby and rode the elevator up to the third floor. The narrow halls of the apartment complex were still empty. Lee shambled to the first neighbor across the hall from his apartment and banged on the door.

  “You home?” he shouted.

  No response.

  “Is anyone home?” he shouted down the hall.

  Again, there was no response. Lee looked at his apartment, then at Gina's apartment. He cycled between the apartments as he contemplated his next move. Just go home, Lee, he thought, it's over, don't pursue this any further. But, every time he looked towards Gina's apartment, he could see an image burn through his rational thoughts. The apartment was calling to him, Gina was calling to him.

  Lee walked towards Gina's apartment and shoved the door open. Again, it howled and creaked, like a person crying. Lee immediately associated the noise with Gina's crying – it was painful and somber. From the doorway, he peeked into the apartment; his eyes shifted left-to-right and up-and-down as he inspected the bloodied and obliterated home.

  The light from the sunrise was illuminating the room better than ever before. Lee placed his right hand up to his nose as he stepped into the living room and witnessed the massacre once again. Gina, he thought as he stood quietly in the living room, or Doug? The apartment was silent. In fact, the entire apartment complex was dead silent – not a single rat in the walls or a child screaming down the halls, only eerie silence.

  “Gina...” Lee whispered, “Can you hear me?”

  Suddenly, the front door slammed shut behind him – the noise echoed in the apartment. Lee stared back at the door, startled and frightened. Gina, he thought, can you read my mind again? A loud creaking noise emitted from the bedroom-bathroom hall. From the sunlight seeping into the hall, he could see the bedroom door was slowly opening.

  Lee cautiously walked up to the door, constantly looking over his shoulder. Aside from the bedroom door creaking, the apartment stayed in silence. He stood in front of the bedroom door as he inhaled and exhaled loudly, mentally preparing himself for any nightmare that awaited. With a slight shove from his right hand, Lee slowly pushed the door open.

  From the doorway, he could see the room was seemingly normal – as normal as it could get for a crime scene, at least. There were holes punctured in the walls, broken picture frames, and drops of blood on the bed sheets and rug – it shared a similar atmosphere to the rest of the apartment.

  There was a large queen-sized bed towards the middle of the small room with a nightstand at each side. Across from the bed, there was a large, intact TV sitting atop a brown wood entertainment center. The furthest wall had a large window, the wall diagonally to the right of the window harbored a small closet. Aside from the damage from the vicious fight, it was fairly clean and well kept. It was also very similar to Lee's room.

  “Gina, are you in here?” Lee murmured as he stood at the doorway, “What are you trying to show me? Do you want me to come in?”

  Abruptly, Lee was pushed from behind by a powerful force. His limbs flailed as his body stumbled towards the bed. Lee quickly looked back towards the door, but to no avail – there was nothing at the doorway. As Lee searched every which way for the source, the bedroom door slammed shut and the lock clicked.

  “Gina, is that you?” Lee shouted as he reached for his chest, “You want me to be with you? Right?”

  My camera, he thought as he frantically tapped his chest, I lost my camera! Lee frantically looked at every corner of the room as he searched for a sign of the suspected apparition. As he pondered the situation, the queen-sized bed frame moved an inch. Lee sat motionless as he stared at the bed from the corner of his eye. Suddenly, the bed leaped half a foot towards Lee.

  Lee crawled back and continued to stare at the bed. The bed sheet that dangled towards the floor began to sway, like if there were a draft in the room – Lee could not feel any wind or gust, and the bedroom window was clearly closed. Yet, the bedsheets continued to sway back-and-forth.

  “Gina, if it's you, stop playing,” Lee cried, “Just... please stop.”

  The curiosity was overwhelming. Lee crawled towards the bed on all fours. This is stupid, Lee, he thought, you're acting like an idiot from a horror movie. Despite his thoughts, Lee was hypnotized by the swaying bed sheets – Lee was captivated by the idea that Gina was waiting for him under the bed. With one final deep inhale, Lee flipped the bed sheets up.

  Lee wildly crawled back towards the parallel wall, slipping and sliding as he struggled to control himself. He covered his mouth in shock as he stared at the violently mangled and bloodied body under the be
d – a body wearing a police uniform. The police officer looked very young, wearing a clean-shaved face and a short buzz cut.

  Unfortunately, like Gina, he suffered a brutal fate. His legs were broken forward at a 90 degree angle, and his arms were broken to the same degree in the opposite direction. His neck was purple and had a large bulge. His sealed eyes were black-and-blue, and he had blood throughout his entire body and uniform – he was severely beaten.

  As Lee stared in shock, a croaking noise emitted from under the bed. The croaking grew louder and louder with every second. Lee shut his eyes and covered his ears, but the noise would not stop – it was as clear as day, despite his efforts. It's all in my head, he thought, it's all in my head.

  “It's all in my head!” Lee exclaimed.

  The croaking noise lowered slightly as it evolved to a form of speech. Lee slowly opened his eyes – from his blurred vision, everything was seemingly normal. As Lee completely opened his eyes, he could see the police officer's eyes were wide open and his lips were quivering.

  “What?” Lee whispered as he slowly crawled towards the bed, “Are you... Are you talking to me?”

  “D... D... D...” the body repeatedly stuttered.

  Lee gripped the nightstand nearby as he crawled forward and continued, “What are you trying to say? Is that you, sweetie?”

  The dead body's voice erupted, “D... Do... Doug!”

  Suddenly, Lee felt his stomach plunge. His eyes widened as his body began to magically and freely levitate.

  “What the...” Lee shouted, “What the hell are you...”

  Before he could finish, Lee was tossed through the bedroom closet doors. Lee violently broke through the blind doors – the doors practically fell off the hinges. Lee stood up and shambled away from the destroyed closet, stumbling onto the bed as he held his injured back. Some blood dribbled down the right side of his head and onto his ear.

  Lee coughed uncontrollably as he cried, “Why?”

  After a brief moment of recovery, Lee unlocked the bedroom door and shambled out. He held his back with his left hand and his stomach with his right – the sharp pain continuously swept through his body. Across the hall, the bathroom door was opened.