100 Theme Challenge #81

Sequel of #50, #51, #52, #54, #60, #68,  #69, #70, #73, #74, #76 and #79.

81. Insomnia

Part XIII

1010 words, I can't believe it! I wrote about 700 words in less than a hour, that's crazy.

Jack forced himself to go back home, to try to get a good night of sleep. Depriving himself of sleep would do nothing but deteriorate his ability to pursue the case. He now knew the killer had a solid connection to Paul Clark, and Gary would help him find how exactly in the morning. Yet, despite his best intentions, sleep wouldn't come. He laid beside Barbara whose back was facing him, far from him; his eyes trained on the ceiling until the first sun rays peaked through the curtains. Endless thoughts kept bugging and nagging him, and he pondered of every possibility he had, about the case; but also about his life in general. Why he liked to push himself into his cases, and never stay with his wife.

Giving up on sleep when the sun was a clear circle at the horizon, he got up and stretched. He shaved the stubble old of a few days, washed his face. Drying his skin, he looked up and noticed how hollow his eyes looked. They slightly burned each time he blinked, but he was used to it by now. He went in the kitchen and prepared some coffee for Barbara and him, drawing a cigarette to his lips. She came in while he was reading the newspapers while munching on a toast, and she looked confused for a moment by his presence so early. She finally sighed and retrieved a cup, her blonde hair dangling down her back in attractive curves. Her bathrobe hugged her slim figure, and yet Jack gazed at her face when he greeted her.

"Another case keeping you awake?" She asked, sitting in front of him at the table.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep because of it. I feel like I'm running in circles."

Barbara shrugged. "Maybe you should stop running around and look at the clues you have. Sometimes the most important things are hidden right in front of our nose," she replied. The only thing Jack was sure of was that the killer and Paul Clark were linked somehow, he was sure of it. He hope his instincts were right, but they usually were, like that time nobody believed him about who he thought was the murderer, but they caught them in the act. The agents all acted as if they'd believed him from the start, to which Jack only shook his head. He didn't need their approval to know his detective abilities.

"Thank you," he said to her, and his gaze softened as she smiled at him. She still cared for him, and he did too, but caring wasn't the same as loving. They ate through idle chat, and it calmed him a bit, distracted his exhausted mind. After a third cup of coffee, he kissed his wife on the forehead and left for the office. It was still early, but Gary had about the same habits that he did, despite having a kid – he had no sleeping pattern either. Their job was their life and sometimes sleep was more or less a formality, and adrenaline kept Jack going, with thoughts swirling around his head during the quick ride. Secretaries were already at their desk, warming their phones and typing on their loud machines.

"Morning, Jack."

"Morning. We need to find everything we can on that Paul Clark."

Gary smirked. "Did you find a clue last night, by any chance?"

"I had a spark and went to see his grave at the cemetery." He retrieved the card from his pocket and threw it on Gary's desk. "I found this card there, so there's definitely something here."

Gary nodded. "Let's look for that guy." They looked for any paper containing information on the man, anything on his death or personal information. According to his death certificate, he had been single and working at a theatre in that same neighborhood.

"Look at that," Gary told Jack, and he turned around to see what he was looking at. "I found a newspaper about a fire at Clark's last address, and it was a criminal one. I believe as much as you do in coincidences."

Jack frowned, read the article old of three years. According to the paper, the fire had started at the second floor and spread pretty quickly, if a witness' words were true. The building was still standing, by some good graces, but the fire had hit it pretty badly. All the residents had lost their home that night. Jack checked the report of Clark's case, and his death's date was the same than the fire. Clark had been seen nowhere for a few days before his body was found in an alley holding a game card to his opened chest.

"No coincidence indeed. Clark's murder probably happened there, then his corpse was cleared out of the building before the killer set it to burn."

"Or maybe the killer set off the fire, Clark ran off and got killed outside?" Gary replied. His chewing gum popped loud.

"That's a possibility, but why would he set his apartment on fire? Did they know each other before?"

"If the fire spread that quickly, he had time to prepare, so the murder happened before and the killer started the fire to hide the clues, or he came back after." Gary shrugged. "For what though, I don't know? Vengeance, evil intentions, who knows?"

Jack looked at the papers spread all over both of their desks and quietly sighed. "This apartment might be something though. It's abandoned now, but maybe I'll find a clue. Any clue would be good."

"All right. Do you want me to come with you?" Gary asked, still chewing that damn gum. Jack hated it.

"Nah, I'll be fine, unless you want to chat with the homeless who are probably squatting in the building."

Gary chuckled. "That'll be for another time, I'll leave you to it for this one time."

Jack picked up his coat and made sure he still had enough cigarettes before heading out, a felt hat on his head. Rain began to pour down.

(What is 100TC?)