What's a good read?
Gully Books launched a call for submissions last November 15th, 2021 (on I Love To Write Day). This young writer answered: “The Missing Pen” is a short story written by Mark Joseph Alvero.
On Friday night, Gilbert Fernandez phoned his children to tell them to celebrate his grandson—Christopher—twenty-first birthday at his house. On Saturday night after the celebration, exactly eight o’clock in the evening while heavy rain was falling, the Fernandez family’s night was disrupted after they saw the cold body of Gilbert Fernandez inside his bedroom with multiple stabs in his chest. Because of what they saw, they immediately called the police and the twin detective—Cipher and Esirnus—to examine the crime scene and find out who did this.
By the time they arrived, Cipher immediately went to the crime scene and noticed that the window inside the crime scene was open. He also noticed that there was dirt on the floor and seemed to have arranged the belongings lying on top of the desk; while Esirnus asked everyone in the house one by one with the same questions: “What have you been doing all day?”; “What have you noticed since this morning?”; “Where are you before eight o’clock?”
The first person Esirnus asked was Christian—the victim’s eldest son—about what had happened.
“This morning, we celebrated Christopher’s birthday. Then I saw Dad talking to Alfred in the kitchen, and they seemed to be fighting, but I ignored them because I’m a writer and I was busy writing a new story in my old room. Then after we celebrated Christopher’s birthday, around six in the evening, he went up to his room to rest and said to call him when the food was ready. When it was almost seven o’clock, I went to the bathroom, and after that, before we ate, Julie went up to his room to say that the food was ready, but Julie told us that no one was answering in his room, so she thought he might be asleep. Then after we ate, I went upstairs to call him, but I noticed that his door was not locked so I opened it and I saw him… I saw his lifeless body.” Christian said while holding back his tears.
After Esirnus spoke to Christian, he immediately spoke to Alfred—the victim’s second child and Christopher’s father.
“Yesterday, he called me and told me to just celebrate Christopher’s birthday at his house, and he also told us to stay overnight so that he would have someone with him, even just for a day. Earlier, when Christopher and I arrived here, my youngest sister and her daughter Shaina and also Shaina’s boyfriend preceded us, but I don’t know why her boyfriend was also here even though he was not part of our family. And then I talked to Dad in the kitchen to say thank you because Christopher’s birthday was celebrated at his house even though it was just a small party.” Alfred said.
“I’m just wondering, where are you before eight o’clock?” Esirnus asked.
“Oh… I forgot to say that before eight o’clock, I was the one who cooked our food, and as far as I know, Julie went upstairs to call Dad, but she said no one was answering in his room. So, Julie thought maybe Dad might be asleep. And when we finished eating at eight o’clock, Christian went upstairs to check Dad’s room to make sure if he really left, but we didn’t expect what we saw.”
After Esirnus talked to Alfred, he immediately talked to Gilbert’s youngest daughter—Julie.
“This morning, my daughter, her boyfriend Jerwin, and I arrived here first, then my older brother Alfred and his son followed, and the last to arrive was my oldest brother Christian and his daughter Kate,” Julie said.
“Hold on, wait a minute. Where’s Kate?” Esirnus asked in astonishment.
“She left early. I think around six o’clock because her mom called, and she said goodbye to everyone before Dad went upstairs.”
“Okay, continue.”
She was temporarily mentally blocked before being able to speak again. “Then… around four in the afternoon, I saw Christian was busy writing something in his old room, and then I saw Alfred and Dad were talking, but I didn’t know what they were talking about, while Christopher, me, my daughter, and her boyfriend were singing in the living room. And then, around seven in the evening, I went upstairs to call Dad to eat, but he said he wasn’t hungry yet. So when I went downstairs, I immediately told my older brother that Dad was not hungry and that he might go to sleep. And then after we ate, Christian went upstairs to call him to eat, but we didn’t expect Dad to be dead.”
After Cipher investigated the crime scene, Esirnus went upstairs to look for more evidence that could be used while Cipher interviewed the three remaining suspects. In other words, the two of them switched what they were doing to make it easier to find out who killed Gilbert Fernandez.
When Esirnus entered the crime scene, he immediately looked under the pillow on the bed and noticed that there was something hidden in it. When Esirnus lifted the pillow, he saw there was a pen underneath. Esirnus also noticed that the window was open, but he noticed that the criminal did not go through it because the window was too high, and the person who jumped through it would definitely be crippled.
When Cipher finished interviewing the three remaining suspects, he immediately went upstairs to talk to Esirnus. He immediately said, “None of the last three I spoke to commit the crime, but it was up to three siblings who could have committed it.”
“How did you say so?” Esirnus asked.
“Those three haven’t separated since this morning, and they haven’t gone up to Gilbert’s room either. And earlier, while you were talking to the siblings, I think it’s all because of heritage.”
“I have an idea of how we would know who the killer was. I saw this pen hidden under the pillow, and I’m sure you didn’t see it, and I don’t think the killer knew he had any evidence left. My plan is… whoever picks up the pen I’m going to drop secretly or whoever says he’s the owner, catch him right away. Don’t ask why.” Esirnus said seriously.
Esirnus immediately called everyone in the living room to tell who killed Gilbert Fernandez. He still doesn’t really know who really killed Gilbert, so he just makes up a story and simply drops the pen under the table.
As Esirnus continued to tell the story, Shaina noticed the pen under the table and immediately picked it up and said, “Uncle Christian, is this the pen you were looking for before we ate?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m looking for. Thank you very much.” After Christian said he was the owner of the pen, Esirnus immediately signaled the police to arrest Christian.
Everyone was shocked by what happened because they did not expect Christian to kill his own father. Esirnus explained to everyone how he found out that Christian was the killer. He said, “The open window and the dirt in the room is just a diversion. If you look out the window and jump out of it, you may be lame and unable to walk, and the dirt? It was just put on the floor because it was so well placed. And I also saw in the picture that one of Gilbert’s hands was under the pillow, and that’s where I saw the pen. It means, while the crime was happening, Gilbert got the pen from Christian and hid it under his pillow before he died. And the only way to know who is the murderer? is to find out who owns the pen because that’s what the evidence points to.”
“And based on my research, Christian is addicted to gambling and has a huge debt. Since he is the eldest, he knows he will inherit more, and he can use it to pay off the debts, but that will only happen when his father is dead.” Cipher added.
“Every action has consequences,” Esirnus whispered.
