Gabriel's Story - Roxas Winchester (best non fiction books of all time txt) 📗

minute later. The man was in his forties, balding, and a look that revealed his obvious dislike for mornings almost as strong as Gabe’s dislike for mornings. “Brian, where’s the file on that Brekman lady? Oh, who’s this? You know the rules about letting civilians, oh wait, it’s you. Nice to see you dressed properly for once, instead of your usual t-shirt and torn jeans with boots.”
Gabe glanced down at himself, seeing the crisp white dress shirt, black suit jacket, black slacks, and loosened black tie with his old, worn trench coat and heavy boots. “Some things don’t change about how you dress, though; still wearing those god awful boots and your gun in its shoulder holster. What, you worried someone in here is going to start shooting the place up? You’re not even supposed to have that thing on the premises. I should confiscate it from you now.”
“Marks, you know better than anyone else to never get between me and my gun. I’m here at that guy’s request.” Gabe pointed his thumb at Brian as he spoke. “So if you have any problems with my being here talk to him.”
Marks looked at Brian who had started to look panicked. “Why’s he here Brian? I know he’s good on cases, but we don’t need him on this case. I’ve got it covered.”
Gabe leaned back against the desk, crossing his arms. “Apparently you guys do need me for this case for Brian to come for me.”
That got Marks furious at Gabe. He lunged at Gabe, accusing him to fall back on the desk, but Gabe reacted quickly. His gun flashed as it was drawn from the shoulder holster and pointed at Marks’ shoulder. “A shot here will hurt like hell even after you heal. Get off me or you’ll learn why nobody goes nears me like you so foolishly did just now.”
Marks got off Gabe and backed up, “Have you ever actually shot that thing, or do you just wave it around to intimidate people?”
Gabe raised the gun again towards Marks. “You want to see first hand?” Marks watched Gabe’s gun glinting in the light, then his eyes flicked to Gabe’s pale blue ones, chocolate brown to icy blue. His position was challenging, like he wanted Gabe to shoot.
“Mr. Belbrin! Put that thing away!” A 21 year old intern came running into the office, getting between Gabe and Marks. In his few weeks at the agency he had been warned about the dangerous, but brilliant detective Gabriel Belbrin. In all the stories he had been told of Gabe one thing was always the same, his hot temper and his sidekick- his gun- he always had with him everywhere he went. “Mr. Belbrin, it’s an honor, truly. I have heard so much about you in the little time I’ve been here, but I can’t believe it actually is you. Oh, the guys back at school will never believe I really, truly met you.
Gabe’s gaze whipped towards the boy who looked like he had just met his all-time hero. “Don’t call me that, just call me Gabe like everyone else does, or you’ll be in Mr. Marks’ position on the other end of my gun here.”
The intern looked startled to have gotten been talked to like that the Gabe Belbrin. “Uh, yes Mr. Bel-I mean- Gabe. Yes, sir. Mr. Marks, I was told to help you on this missing case till it’s solved. I know I won’t be much help, but I think it’s so I can see the method used for it in action, not just in theory.”
“And you’re complaining about my being here.” Gabe holstered his gun then crossed his arms over his chest, relaxed. “You do realize you’re wasting time right now? You know, time Amelia is still missing during, and could most probably die during?”
Marks thought about that for a moment, then remembered something he learned three years earlier. “Gabe, you shouldn’t be on this case. Amelia’s your cousin or something, right? So your opinion will be useless due to the fact that you’ll want to leap at any hint or clues we get.”
“Actually, you’re wrong about that. I hate her with every fiber of my being. Brian came in my house last night and wouldn’t shut up or leave until I agreed to help him on it. She’s just another victim, no relation emotionally for me, so I’m fine on this case. Sorry to disappoint you.” A smile Lucifer himself would have danced on Gabe’s lips, causing him to look devilishly stunning. Marks stormed out of the room furious at Gabe.
Brian turned to Gabe after Marks had left. “Gabe, why do you always antagonize Marks like that? You and him were fighting the first moment I introduced you guys three years ago. Why can’t you two get along like normal people do?”
“Because normal people don’t have lunatics that kill their entire family including their dog when they’re only sixteen.” Gabe looked over at the intern standing by the door wide-eyed.
“Your family was murdered when you were sixteen? Why did nobody tell me about that before I came here?”
“Do you talk about your painful memories? The only people who know what happened to my life that night are Brian and now you. If this gets or I’ll know exactly who leaked the information and you won’t be able to sleep the whole night through for the rest of your life; got it?” The passion in Gabe’s eyes burned brightly as he spoke. “People here hate me because of my personality. They also say I’m dead inside which is partly true as well. After I found my folks dead and my dog Blizzard dead as well, I suppose part of me died along with them.” As he spoke Gabe crossed the room, closed the door, and dropped the blinds so no one could hear or see what was going on inside the office. “Over the next two years I learned all that I could about my parents; who they knew, what everything they did was, and who could have wanted to kill them. I graduated from high school when I was seventeen and was accepted anywhere I wanted because of my I.Q. being so high. I managed one year in college before I dropped out due to boredom. I’ve been solving cases the best detectives couldn’t even solve, been around the world several times for detective agencies over seas, but I have yet to find my parents’ murderer. That’s the story of how I became what I am, only you, Brian, and I know that.”
The intern had sat down in one of the chairs that were in the office during Gabe’s story. “When did you become trigger happy? I mean, when did you get your gun, what made you want to get it in the first place?”
Gabe looked at the intern, “I’m not ‘trigger happy’ as you call it. I got this guy as soon as I turned eighteen. About a week after my parents’ funeral someone came to me at night and tried to do the same to me, but they ran off once I showed them that I’m not someone to mess with. I got their knife away from them and slashed it through the air cutting deep into the flesh of their shoulder before they knocked me unconscious. When I was out they took the knife and gave me a reminder of that night, a long gash from near my stomach to my chest. Luckily for me someone found me in time for medical help to save me, but now I can never forget what happened that night.” Gabe loosened his tie a bit more then unbuttoned his shirt to show the intern the thick, pale scar on his torso starting above his heart and ending just above his waist. Gabe buttoned his shirt back up as he spoke. “The person who did that thought they had cut deep enough to kill me so they left. Since I never properly saw them there’s no hard evidence of who they are, which is why I’ve been unable to catch them by now.” Gabe leaned back again; watching the intern’s eyes grow wider still from hearing there was someone who escaped Gabriel the mind-blowing detective. “What’s your name? I’m sure it’s not ‘intern’.”
My name is Mike Physher.”
Gabe thought about that for a few moments. “Mike, huh?” Mike nodded his head slowly. “Well Mike, you sure you’re ready to help on a case with me? I’m sure you’ve heard what happened to Brian a few years back when he snuck up on me, if you want to help us never get on my bad side or sneak up on me or you might end up in worse condition than Brian was. Let’s get started on this, shall we?” Gabe picked up the case file for Amelia and started flipping through it. “It says here that she was last seen in a store under the bridge in Troy N.Y. Is that correct Brian?” Gabe looked up at Brian who was sitting behind his desk on his computer.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Mike looked from Brian to Gabe, confused. “If this case is from Troy New York, then why is it here in Salem?”
Gabe looked at Brian, “Do you care to explain this to him, or shall I?” Brian shook his head ‘no’, so Gabe turned to Mike. “A little while ago Brian here decided to request any case in the U.S. that contained the name Amelia to be sent here because he knew I would be intrigued by them. That’s why a missing person from New York is going to be found by someone in Massachusetts.”

Two hours later Gabe, Brian, and Mike were still in Brian’s office looking through files, sorting through local news stories on Mike’s laptop, and scanning security tapes for any female resembling Amelia. Gabe sat hunched over by the desktop with Brian on the floor with photos spread out around him covering most of the floor.
Marks walked in then stopped abruptly when Gabe told him not to move without looking up from the monitor.
“What the hell are you three nuts doing?”
Gabe looked up from the computer to Marks with boredom in his eyes that could fill a lifetime. “I think it’s called sifting through evidence if you’re not blind. Are you going to help, or are you going to stand there dumbly staring with your mouth hanging open waiting for insects for fly in?”
Marks closed his mouth quickly then started talking as he searched through the file he was holding. “You’re wasting you time with those. Amelia’s dead, a video was sent to us just now that showed a person slashing her neck then disemboweling her mercilessly. It appears your last remaining relative has died Gabe.” As he said the last he watched Gabe’s reaction like a hawk watches its prey. Gabe’s face became distant, emotionless. “Where’s the body?”
“We don’t know yet, we’re working on it now.”
“Why the hell should I trust you on this? What have you ever done to me that gives me reason to trust you Marks?”
“Trust?! That’s a hell of a thing to say coming from you Gabriel! Who’s the one here who lives alone, hides his past, and never goes anywhere without a gun, then proceeds to shoot people who he claims are friends?”
Gabe was furious at Marks for accusing him of being a hypocrite. “You don’t know anything about me!” Gabe stood quickly, causing the chair he was sitting in to fall backwards on the floor. “There are some damn good reasons why I am the way I am, you have no right to come in here and criticize the way I live!”
“Gabe, Marks, calm down. It’s alright.” Brian said calmly, quietly in an attempt to calm the two