This is my very rough draft of a creative writing piece. It is a basic storyline that hasn’t been developed yet, with a very abrupt ending. I still will add many details to it, because this is quickly done and not yet revised yet.
A crumpled, battered newspaper fluttered through the wind and slowly came to a stop, hitting a man walking on the sidewalk. He scratched the gray hairs on his chin before reaching down to pick it up. He took one look at the paper, and stuffed it into his pocket. The man proceeded to walk up the mighty concrete stairs of Hoffman Law and open the doors to the white building.
“Good morning, Mr. Coleman,” the receptionist said.
“Good morning, Leslie,” Joseph Coleman replied. “Beautiful Fall morning, isn’t it?”
“Why yes it is, Mr. Coleman. Here is some paperwork we have received this morning,” Leslie said as she handed him a stack of white papers.
“Thank you,” Joseph responded.
He walked past the front desk and headed into the back, where his office was. He took his coat off, and remembered the newspaper that had brushed his legs as he was walking. Joseph took the newspaper out of his pocket and began reading it.
Now, Joseph was a rather curious man, and had been since childhood, so picking up this random newspaper off the ground was nothing new to him. His curiosity was one of the reasons he went into the whole law business in the first place. Joseph had decided he wanted to be a lawyer, and had gone to Tennessee Tech University, where he studied law and government. After graduating, he settled into the small town of a Columbia, Tennessee, and married his wife, Tonja. His internship at this law firm had turned into a full job, and he had worked there since.
The headline of the newspaper said: GREENWOOD’S BAKERY OWNER FOUND DEAD IN HOME. This title caught his eye, and so he began reading it. The article explained how a man named Bill Greenwood, who had owned a small bakery here in town, was found dead in his own home. A biopsy revealed it was poison injected directly in the back of his neck, so they concluded it was murder. They also found no signs of a struggle, leading them to believe that it was someone Bill knew and voluntarily let into the house. The date on the newspaper said “June 29, 2007.” Joseph decided to go talk to his secretary about the case, to see if anything happened. He walked over to Jeanne’s office, where he found her busy at work.
“Hey Jeanne, can I ask you a question?” Joseph asked.
“Uh yea sure!” Jeanne replied
Do you remember a case here in town about 10 years ago, with a man named Bill Greenwood who was murdered?
Oh yea I do remember that! He was such a nice guy though, I used to go to his bakery all the time.
Well, did they find the killer?
Actually, after doing the biopsy to find his cause of death, the case just completely died, and no one even mentioned it. It was the weirdest thing…
Huh, that is weird, but thanks for helping me out!
I wonder what happened, Joseph thought. That case is really peculiar.
He decided he wanted to find out more about the the murder, so he started researching Bill Greenwood to see if he had any family. He found that he had one son, named Trevor Greenwood, who still lived in Columbia, as a police detective.
“I should go ask him about his father,” Joseph whispered to himself.
He walked down to the police station, which was just a few blocks to the right of the law firm. When he reached the station, he inquired about Trevor Greenwood. Joseph was led to Trevor.
Trevor was a slender, skinny man with dark brown eyes. He seemed insecure and very awkward. He was tapping his foot on the ground uncontrollably as Joseph walked towards him, and Trevor’s eyes kept darting around frantically, as if he was paranoid or suspicious about something.
“Hello, Trevor,” Joseph said.
“Hello… what is your name?” Trevor asked.
“I am Joseph Coleman, and I have a few questions about your father,” Joseph explained.
As soon as Joseph said “father”, he noticed a different look go over Trevor’s face, one of despair, but also like he was hiding something.
“Oh… okay,” Trevor said reluctantly.
“Do you know how your father died, or why?” Joseph asked.
“I don’t… they said he was murdered, with a syringe, and then they just stopped talking about it,” Trevor put his head down nervously. “That’s all I know, and there’s nothing more to it.”
“Okay, Trevor, well thank you for your time.” Joseph sat up and was escorted out, while many people in the office exchanged quick glances.
He went back to the office, and sat down at his desk, and contemplated the whole murder. This whole thing is just weird… he thought. What is Trevor hiding? He proceed to get back on his computer, and once again tried to look up news reports about the case. Shock crept over his face, as the computer screen now read, “No results.” He slumped back in his chair, realizing that someone just blocked him from ever inquiring about this case. At that moment, he knew he had to do something about it, and figure out what really happened. Joseph decided to wait until Trevor came home from work, so he could consult him privately and actually get answers.
Joseph found Trevor’s address online, and once it the clocked reached 7, he drove to his house and knocked on the door. Trevor opened the door, but seeing who it was, he slammed the door immediately.
“Trevor!” Joseph yelled. “Please, let me in.”
“Why?! I don’t have to do anything,” Trevor shouted back.
“Well maybe we can find out the real reason your father is dead if you just let me in!”
“I already know the reason.” Trevor scowled. “I killed him.”
“What?” Joseph stood in place, shocked by what Trevor had just told him.
Trevor slowly opened the door, tears streaming down his face, and let Joseph into the house.
“They… they made me do it,” Trevor said, sobbing.
“Who did?” Joseph questioned.
“Ch-Ch-Chief Carlson, the police chief. He said that the government ordered him to kill my dad, and, and, that I had to do it. He said he had access to everything I’ve ever done, and would ruin my life and reputation. He a-also threatened to kill my whole f-f-family.” Trevor explained.
“Why did they want him dead?” Joseph asked.
“I don’t k-know… he said that my father knew too much, and had to be stopped before he told anyone or found out m-more,” Trevor kept crying, and cried so loud that Joseph couldn’t hear the door to the back open.
A man crept through the hallway, and found the two talking in the living room.
He walked behind Joseph, so that he couldn’t see him. Trevor slowly stopped crying, and a deathly smile crept across his face.
“You should’ve just minded your own business, and none of this would’ve
happened,” Trevor said evilly.
Joseph struggled to find words, and sat glued to his seat, in shock.
A voice spoke behind him, “None of this had concerned you, but you know too
much now.”
Joseph tried to utter a scream but it got lost in his throat.
“You shouldn’t have meddled with this business,” the voice said, and the man
raised his gun. “But it’s too late now.”
The gun fired a single shot, and Joseph’s lifeless body crumpled to the
ground.
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