Amitywood
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10th April 1999: 09:13am
It had been almost a week since the discovery of the young girl's lifeless body in the hills surrounding Amitywood but after only a couple of days of disorientation it seemed the citizens, even those who had witnessed the body, had been moving on or at the very least pretending to. It seemed like the way here to carry on. No sense in worrying about it until it had something to do with them. A very typical attitude for several matters in small villages such as these but rarely did the people of Amitywood have something this burdening to blank out their minds.
Indeed, even the investigation of the death had been taken out of Sergeant Lang's hands just three days ago to a group of two policemen from Marion Town, led by a Forensic officer named Stocks. The leading theory was that it had been a traveler passing through Amitywood, who had brought the girl from elsewhere and killed and dumped her here before moving on. this didn't sit firmly with most people, being that it would mean a stranger had been amongst them and hadn't been spotted by anyone but it did mean the team of Marion Officers didn't really suspect or bother the people of the village to any great degree.
This, coupled with the surprising abundance of fair weather in the last few days, meant much of the village had spent their early-evenings setting up the centre of the village with decorations and seats.
"AMITYWOOD WELCOMES GOVERNOR ALI GALLOWAY!" read the flowing banner that stretched across the modest village centre, currently being tied into place by Bobby Englund, who seemed to be using the celebration of the Governor's arrival to become more at ease with the fellow citizens of Amitywood.
It was working too, Sergeant Lang observed as he rounded the corner to witness the scene. As Bobby perched on top of the shakey ladder steadied by his wife, Becky, he was smiling and joking with Hughes down below him, who appeared to have moved most of his baker's shop outside in order to enjoy the preperations and also to furnish the many people helping set up with nourishment.
As Sergeant Lang passed, he exchanged nods and 'hello's with all of the residents in the centre. He never really went on patrols such as he had done in the last week, but to be honest he wasn't one-hundred percent sure if going on patrols was expected of him and had taken it upon himself to do so just in case it made the officers from Marion town suspicious in any way. Besides anything else it was frustrating having to share the tiny police office with the three unfamiliar officers. They seemed friendly enough, but any chance to get out and about was a chance worth taking.
He paused where the centre stage was being set up and stood in silent and mild admiration for a moment. On stage Young Jones was tapping a microphone to try and achieve some sort of sound but to no avail, and continued fiddling with wires and running around the stage in a small panic while Donald Ran stood by the plug socket and scratched his head in an unsuccesful attempt to fathom the problem. On the ground level, at the foot of the stage was Kathy Tourbillion who was presently straightening chairs that it seemed were unacceptable in her perfectionistic view while Mayor Grumbles scuttled about making sure everything was in order, picking up litter and questioning the people helping as to what still needed done, often knocking chairs slightly out of place, to angered looks from Kathy.
Sergeant Lang couldn't help but find a half-smile at the scene of the community, despite the unrest his mind had been going through thinking about the mystery murder and it let him understand, at least partly, why the citizens seemed to be getting so into the tasks of the morning.
"AH! Mr Lang!" came a bellow from the Mayor who stepped over a few chairs and squeezed his way through a few of the helpers to get to Sergeant Lang.
He was by no means a graceful man but well-spoken and respected by most at his hands-on attitude to mayoring, even if it was only a very small area he had to deal with. His face always seemed to be torn between smiling broadly and excitedly or scowling with a deep-seeded frustration that only those involved in politics seem to be able to understand.
"It's Sergeant Lang today, sir." smiled Lang, tapping the police symbol on his hat in mock authority.
"AHH! Right you are!" said Mayor Grumbles with as broad a smile as he could, "Come to help set up, or just doing your rounds, Sergeant?"
"Just on my way past... it looks like you have all the help you need already anyway!" said Lang
"Indeed! Indeed! Fine show everyone's putting on!" he paused as he surveyed the scene and his face slowly became his customery scowl "Any word about... you know what?"
"No, not really." said Lang, snapping his hands behind his back as if called to attention "You know... they still think it must be someone who passed through here, probably nothing for us to worry about really..."
"Yes.. good good. Fine job those Forensics gents do, fine job..." he trailed off as he scanned over the scene before them slowly as though looking for some clue to set his mind at rest in amongst the people there.
"Excuse me.." came a voice from behind them which made them both jump a littleas they turned
It was Evan Tourbillion, Kathy's husband, who ran a hotel in Marion Town but had lived in Amitywood since his youth. He always had a concentrating frown on, such as many businessmen, and rarely was he seen not wearing his customary single coloured suit, today was no exception.
"Mayor.. I wonder if you might tell me when the Governor is going to be making his apperance?" he said without a hint of expression from his face
The mayor took a few second sto respond, still a ilittle startled "Umm.. yes! He should be here by 12 noon, Mr Tourbillion!"
"ahhhh.." said Evan, clicking his tongue and leaning his weight from one foot to the other for a moment "Pity, I may not be able to make it... busy day today at the Hotel you see."
"Well... yes.. a shame, Mr Tourbillion, we would have enjoyed your prescence here."
"Yes, well we'll see. Maybe I'll be able to hang around... ah! excuse me!" he said motioning towards his wife as he went off and sat next to where she was brushing dust off some of the slightly more speckled chairs.
Lang and Grumbles turned to face the stage again, where Jones's sister Deb had bravely tried turning on the microphone and solved at least one set back of the day. Evan and Kathy sat having a serious discussion about something-or-other in one of the rows of seats while Donald Ran had enlisted the help of Del, who had been onnocently walking by, to help him fix the altar which had been dropped earlier in the morning.
It seemed in spite of murder, Amitywood would continue to live in the tranquil world it always had.
Presidential Offices - Capital City
10th April 1999: 09:22am
President Galloway sat behind his desk, idly flicking through the morning newspaper while he vacantly listened to his brother, Ali, on the other side of a phone line to Crystal Lake City. There was a slow creak of the door and the Vice President, Argee, peered around the door. The President looked up and nodded him in. Argee stepped in and quietly shut the door and took a seat on the opposite side of the room and waited patiently for the President to wrap up his call.
It was onlky a few moments before the President said his goodbyes to his brother, hang up and looked across the room to Argee.
Argee rose to his feet "Mr President, I just felt I should report that there's been more Catholic protests... there was soem minor damage caused again... " he said, flicking through soem notes he had brought in before setting them down in fron of the President
"I see, I see" sighed the President grimly, as he viewed the documents, "It's only a matter of time till they come around to logical thinking, eh?"
"Well, Yes Mr President" said Argee "But wouldn't it be easier if... if there weren't any? Or if they couldn't meet to start these tragic events?"
"Weren't any what? Catholics? Are you mad, Argee? We can't stop people practicing their religion, no matter how badly we feel against it! For one thing we'll be run out of office! I wish you would stop thinking so extremely... this will just take time..." he continued to read through the documents
Argee sighed and let his brow wrinkle "Very well, Mr President... what shall we do then?"
"Well.. arrest the one's who caused any damage.. and say we're defending peace, don't go making it sound like we oppose a religion! People think I'm anti-religious enough..."
"If you stood against them, the people will follow" Argee said, sticking his chest out slightly
"That's enough, Argee!" snapped the President, before taking a breath to calm "you know, if it weren't for your outstanding work in almost every other area this outrageous phobia you have of religion would be enough for me to take you out of your place in office... remember that..."
"Yes, Mr President" said Argee as he left the room rather sulkily
The President sat back and rubbed his forehead and took a minute's contemplation before returning to his early morning read of the previosu nights protests...
Back in Amitywood, Blue Canary woke up with a start, he looked at the clock and realised he should have been up hours ago. He never overslept, not this much... He gathered his thoughts and looked out the window to see what had actually awoken him. All he could see was the shed door lying open, blowing in the gathering wind. The lock had obviously been forced open.
(to be continued...)
