The Gateway issue 4

Issue 4-
SS-all black page with quote in the middle

“Warm summer sun, shine kindly here; Warm southern wind, blow softly here; Green sod above, lie light, lie light — Good night, dear heart, good night, good night.” –Mark Twain


-THEN-

SS- Phillips at the door to MG’s place

P-“Mason!” “Mason! Open UP!”

SS-Philips looks concerned then kicks in door

P-“Shit! No Mason no, not like this!!” “Please, not like this.”

-NOW-

SS- MG in room with prostitute, she is trying to take off his shirt

MG-“Please, not like this.”
Whore-“What’s wrong baby, just relax let me take care of you”
MG-“Look here’s a twenty, I just want to talk.” “I know you girls like to keep your clients under wraps, in more ways than one, but there’s more money in it for ya if you give me a little info. You understand sweetie?”
Whore-“Uh-huh, you a cop or something?”
MG-“Or something” “Now, you know of any guys around town that like to party away from this bar with multiple girls?”
Whore-“No girls leave this bar with clients unless the clients leave collateral or lots of cash, by lots I mean hundreds of thousands, and I might know of someone.”
MG-“Give me the name!”
Whore-“It’s gonna cost ya baby, three-hundred.”

SS-money changes hands

MG-“Gimmie a name.”
Whore whispers into his ear-“Dan Snyder.”

SS-MG stares straight ahead, blank expression on his face

Whore-“He was in here a week ago, and the girls never came back.” “It’s a shame, sweet girls really.”
MG-“Ya know, you’re a sweet girl, it pains me to see you in here like this.”

SS-MG walks out

-Then-

SS-MG’s hospital room Phillips walking out

P-“It pains me to see you in here like this.”

-It wasn’t supposed to be like this, I should be dead. I’ve heard people say there are things worse than death, now I believe it. I took an innocent mans life, a man with a family to take care of, but yet the man with no family, and anchors of guilt still breathes. It’s a damn shame.-

SS-walking out of hospital

-I get out of the hospital two days later, and immediately hand in my badge. There’s no place on the force for an emotionally unstable bastard, especially when half the guys in there think of me only as the guy who killed Williams, I don’t blame them, I feel the same way. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, I still feel like shit, but the rent could care less. All I know is police work, and if I can’t be on the force, I gotta do what I can. I’ll start small; leave the serious shit to the pros.-

-Now-

SS- MG waiting outside Dan Snyder’s insurance agency, nighttime

-There are two things that don’t make sense right now. One, whoever was in the room that night, if they saw me they would have had to already know who I am to be able to figure out where I’m staying. Two, I’ve never met Dan Snyder in my life, I only know of him from his picture in the Gateway Gazette classifieds section for his insurance company. On top of that, why would he commit the crime across the street from his own building, makes no sense, but this is the only lead I’ve got, and I can’t wait for them to come to me, so I gotta lean hard on Snyder.-

SS- Dan Snyder is seen locking up the front door of his office, MG corners him in the alley besides his building.

MG-“Evening Dan, going home for some quality time with the wife and kids?”
DS-“Who the hell are you, what do you want?”
MG-“Six days ago you walked into the Gateway Heights Apartment complex across the street, you had two whores with you, you left by yourself after you got off, and cleaned up the blood, or did you clean up the blood first?”
DS-“I don’t know what your talking about, six days ago I was here all night because my office almost burnt down, I had to put out the fire and fill out hours of paperwork for the insurance claims.” “If I would’ve been anywhere else that night this building would be rubble, so whatever you think you know, you’re wrong; so get the hell out of my way before I call the GCPD!”

-I believe him, the fire alarm did go off, and I heard it. This whole lead could still be valid, whether I’m wrong or not, I lean on him harder.-

SS- MG throws DS against the wall and puts his forearm against his throat choking him.

MG-“Regardless of what you say I got pictures, and I know you know something, I got a whore calling you by name as a client, and I got you within a hundred feet of the crime scene the night of the murder. If nothing else you’re a cheating bastard, I see that ring on your finger, and I’m not the moral authority but damnit that sure as hell pisses me off!” “So one more time, tell me something, before I break you’re $#$%*$# neck!”
DS-“Who…who are you?”
MG-“I’m the guy that’s gonna end your affair with prostitutes and murder.” “I’m the guy who’s sticking his nose in the wrong places, for all the right answers. “And….”

SS- MG gets hit in the head from behind by a man in a mask, the man then shoots Dan Snyder in the head

Masked man-“and you’re the sonova’ bitch that left me for dead.”