September 15th, 1955, New York City
JJ Warren, known to us as Jim, lay on his bed with a partially snoring nose and half-dim eyes filled with water due to a cold he had caught. Lying in his warm bed with a blanket, Warren dragged the remote from a distant table towards him and decided to start the television. The television started with a flash of news, which usually contained humanity's adventures into crime, murder, threats, and more. A person with a cold usually feels irritated at little things like this, trust me. And when we have a frustrated detective who has spent his entire youth solving crime and dealing largely with psychopathy, things get even worse. Detective JJ Warren was about to switch off the television soon when he decided to stay for some moments and skim through the news quickly. Although, it didn't bother him anymore.
A man murdered his client and master together after they had harassed him to the peak of his mental tolerance. The man hid their dead bodies cleverly in a nearby graveyard. However, with the help of a new squad led by the brave police officer, Charlie Spencer, who was once a partner to Warren, the murderer was convicted. Some other news said that Mr. Greg Williams, the leader of the New Horizon party, had been making rough comments on the acting ruling party. He had previously threatened to bomb all the taxi drivers who were in riots, torturing thousands of civilians for baseless demands. But the news projected that after a month of his actual speech, a bomb blast did happen in the dock of taxis. Luckily, no one was dead, but quite a few were injured. Mr. Williams has been under public prosecution for his statement, while the case remains a conspiracy. Some other news said a mysterious murder case of Detective Brian Denis last night at 2 o'clock, but no traces of any sort of poison were found in his blood, according to forensic experts. Yet, the investigation is still ongoing. Warren's eyes easily widened after hearing such cases, where investigators usually miss out on slight details. "If you can't find poison in his blood, try looking out for what he ate, isn't that simple enough?" Warren exclaimed to himself and turned off the television with a nose of disappointment.
For the next few hours, he decided to look at the ceiling of his room, recalling why he even became a detective in the first place. What was that moment that made him go around with such a decision that he would regret for the rest of his life? This decision led to the death of his fiancée, Olivia, who actually died at the hands of a murderer whom Warren was investigating. Does this happen to all the detectives who take up an assignment, or was it just Warren's fate?
November 5th, 1926, New York (The Great Depression)
The Warren family could hardly afford a private detective because the police weren't ready to work. Becca Warren and their thirteen-year-old Jimmy Warren were sitting under the bed playing with dice and some imaginary characters. In the other room, Elizabeth Warren and Jonathan Warren were discussing the case of their missing son, Henry Warren, since last week. Elizabeth had cried so much that the stains of her tears were still visible down her cheeks, and Jonathan was carrying himself forward somehow to hold the strength required in these times. "So, did he leave anything behind?" asked Detective Oscar, a private detective hired by the poor Warren family who invested their entire savings in this man. Jimmy heard Oscar's voice and rushed into the other room along with his sister.
"This is important to know because this is how we can know if he has been abducted or killed?" said Oscar with some hesitation in his voice, and evidently, this led to weeping Elizabeth again. "Henry left a pile of money that always used to be there in his room. He was collecting money for Jimmy's education, and he left a train ticket," said Jonathan. "Well, I might conclude that..." Oscar was about to keep his point when Jimmy intervened, "We can conclude that Henry left hastily and forgot to take important things like money, which means he wasn't going with a plan, and hence it could possibly be an abduction or murder. Since it's been a week, and no one has asked us for a ransom, I am afraid it could be the latter," Jimmy spoke boldly, keeping the testimony he had been working on since the past week since his brother was missing.
"Jimmy! Do you realize what you are saying? This filthy lamb!" shouted Jonathan, who got discomforted after hearing what his adopted son had to say. "Wait, I want to hear him. How do you know all this?" Oscar inquired. "I have been working on my own investigation since he left. I would like to help you in finding my brother," Jimmy proposed to Oscar to help him in his investigation. Oscar thought for a while and then gave a smile to Jimmy, agreeing to take him along for this case.
"Well, your brother had a pile of money for your education, so why do you still work along with your father?" Oscar asked Jimmy while walking across the street. "My brother works at a construction company, and all he gets is a very small amount, so he saves whatever he gets. And that isn't enough for me to go to school," said Jimmy. "How long has he been working now?" asked Oscar, and Jimmy stopped walking, standing still and started pondering. "What's wrong?" Oscar asked. "He has been working for more than five years, and since a few months, he has been paid a decrement in the amount. I suppose it might be something to do with his boss," Jimmy wondered, when Oscar found some lead. "Then let's inquire his boss," Oscar said, heading towards the construction company for which Henry worked. On inquiring from the boss, Oscar learned that no money was being deducted for Henry. "Your brother probably spent it all on drugs, I am supposing," said Oscar. "He cannot do that, sir. I know him. He isn't a drug addict!" Jimmy exclaimed.
"Jimmy, sometimes our own victims are the culprits. As a detective, I have to be neutral, and only this is the way I can find out who killed your brother. Now listen to me closely, while inquiring your brother's boss, a tall man with a thick beard was staring at me for some while and then rushed outside. I suppose he knows everything we need," Oscar told his plan to Jimmy, who was prepared to face any consequences that arrive. The two followed that tall man at a good distance, so they do not lose sight of him and he doesn't notice. The man was too suspicious of Oscar that he would look around once every minute. After a long walk, the man went inside deep woods when Oscar realized the entire thing and halted Jimmy from moving any further. "I have figured it all out. Your brother's dead body will be somewhere on the other side of the lake. Until then, let's catch this man because he is the killer of your brother." Jimmy stood still after hearing Oscar make such bold decisions when Oscar took his gun inside the deep woods, while Jimmy was instructed to stay outside. After a few seconds, Jimmy heard two gunshots after which he rushed in to see what had happened. Oscar had shot twice on the man's leg to make him stop, while
Jimmy's curiosity burst out, "Why did you do that?" Oscar smirked at Jimmy and put his arm on his shoulder after taking out a cigar from his coat, lighting it up. "Little Jim, your brother was associated with the Cross gang, and he invested his money into their drug business which got busted last week itself. The Cross gang had killed several members to hide all the witnesses, and your brother was one of them. This man who is suffering in front of us is a hitman of the gang, and with his help, the police will catch their entire crew. And, you know the best part, You are now a part of all this young man!" Oscar explained the entire case to Jimmy who stood awestruck at Oscar's computation of the entire case, while Jimmy looked at the suffering, half-dead man in front of his eyes, while Oscar smoked his cigar.
November 7th, 1926, New York
After two days of rigorous findings, the police found Henry's dead body, which was identified by his parents. Jim broke apart to see his lifeless brother lying on the ground, while Oscar was looking into the eyes of the broken child, who had no hopes for the future, but a potential to make one. After the funeral was over, Oscar arrived at the Warren's house to demand his fee.
"Mr. Oscar, we are indebted to you for helping us out, but could you provide some apologies to us? Right now, all I have is my son's last earnings; you can have it all, but it won't be enough to pay you back. But I promise, until next month, I'll pay you the complete amount," said Jonathan Warren with eyes filled with pain. Oscar smirked and said, "From next month, my fee will double, and I can only spare interest on that amount of the sum, but I will not," said Oscar looking into Mr. Jonathan's helpless eyes. "Mr. Warren, being a detective, I risk my life for every other case that I take up. It was the Cross gang this time. I don't think it's a matter of doubt why I am asking for extra money," Oscar concluded. "I can keep my house mortgage, but don't worry, I will pay you back anyhow," Jonathan's eyes were filled with pain and shame at the same time when Oscar looked up at the ceiling and started laughing. "Well, your house might make up for my fee, but if you wish, there is another way for you to pay me back," Oscar tried making an offer to Jonathan. "And what is it?" Warren asked. "Mr. Warren, I am a man who seeks a legacy. I want my work to be carried on by someone, but because of my profession, I can't marry or have kids of my own. So I am planning to..." Oscar was interrupted by Warren before he could speak, "Say no more; my son Jimmy was adopted; you can take him, I will ask no more," Warren said. "It appears to me that your father doesn't know of your special abilities, eh, kid!" Oscar said, giving a look to Jimmy, who was present in the room all this time behind the door.
Jimmy came inside the room, and his father gave him a dead angry look in the eye for spying on their conversation, but in fact, Jimmy wasn't scared this time because now he knew what his father actually thought of him. "Jimmy was the son of my late brother and his wife, so we adopted him by the law," said Jonathan, when Oscar interrupted and said, "Mr. Warren, I am not adopting Jimmy; I just want him to carry on my legacy," said Oscar. Jonathan and Jimmy got confused and gave a mixed reaction to Oscar, who proceeded to say, "Jimmy's education has been neglected for a long while. I will educate him, teach him, and train him to become a detective," and these words charmed the eyes of little Warren. "If you will allow, I would pay all his school fees, and every other allowance, but from now on, he is my student," Oscar declared. Jonathan had no problem with all this, and thus, he agreed shaking hands with Oscar.
Oscar put his arm around Jimmy and started walking out of the house. Little Becca came out in the corridor to farewell her brother while Jimmy looked back to say goodbye to his sister, and Oscar subtly said, "Jim, lesson number one, detach yourself from the ones you love; you might never see her again." Oscar opened the door and took Jimmy along with him, leaving his past behind. Jim Jonathan Warren's journey began as a detective.
September 15th, 1955, JJ Warren's apartment (Evening)
After looking at the ceiling for half an hour, JJ Warren heard a knock on the door and a call from a familiar voice. "Jim! It's me, Charlie! Open the door, my boy!" Charlie had arrived at the door of his old friend JJ Warren. Warren stood up rapidly from his comfort seat, looked at the door, and smirked, in hopes of getting back to work, with Charlie arriving with an entirely new and fresh case. Jim Jonathan Warren's journey restarted as a detective.
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