Murder in Mineral Town
By: Gomamon

Chapter 6 – Cliff

Cliff noticed there was something different in the cemetery when he first arrived by the church. In appearance, it was just one more tombstone standing lifelessly amongst the many others, but just the presence of it had an overwhelming effect on Cliff. He suddenly remembered that Anna's funeral was supposed to be held tomorrow…if there is still a funeral tomorrow.

He stood at the entrance of the church, hesitant to walk through the doors. Originally, he had planned to do the right thing. He was supposed to see Harris and make the brutal confessional, selling out a person who is very close to his heart. But at the very last minute, his flimsy heart second guessed himself and Cliff ended up doing what he did best – running away from his problems. Just like how he escaped fromhis hometown years ago, Cliff chose to run away from justice yet again.

When he first arrived at Mineral Town as a mysterious strangerwithouta past, all the doubtful villagers avoided him but Carter. Only he welcomed Cliff with open arms. Only he helped Cliff adjust and adapt to the new environment. The pastor was Cliff's first friend in this village, and he wasn't about to tattle on his first friend, his only friend.

Cliff took a deep breath and pushed open the church doors. He didn't bother knocking, since he knew Carter wouldn't respond. If Cliff knew his friend as well as he thought he did, Carter would probably be locked inside him confessional room right now, asking the Harvest Goddess for forgiveness of his sins.

"Carter, it's me," said Cliff uncertainly as he closed the church doors. He was right, Carter was nowhere in sight. "It's Cliff. Don't worry, I'm alone!"

An uncomfortable silence filled the room for the next few seconds, almost as if Cliff was talking to himself. Eventually, the door opened. Carter slowly walked out, carrying a tight grip to a gun in his right hand. Cliff recognized that gun.

"You know." Carter mumbled in a soft, barely audible whisper. But Cliff wasn't listening; he was too busy eyeing the gun gripped in the pastor's hand. He immediately regretted not bringing a weapon to defend himself. It could be the one mistake that would lead Cliff into the same fate as Anna.

"I knew, for quite a long time." Cliff nodded his head, struggling to stay calm and confident. "You were the only person with a gun, my gun, in the village besides Harris. It had to be you."

Carter didn't say anything. His crestfallen eyes cast upon the church floor, as if it was too ashamed to meet with Cliff's.

"I gave you my gun for safekeeping years ago, when I first came to Mineral Town, trying to escape from my past. You assured me that if I gave up my gun, it would make me feel less hostile with the villagers around here." Cliff continued, "But I would've never thought you will use the gun to…to…to kill."

"It wasn't like that, Cliff." Carter shook his head frantically, mumbling – almost whimpering – something that sounded like a plea. "I didn't intend to…"

"But why?" Cliff asked earnestly. "Why did you kill Anna?"

It probably wasn't the wisest thing for Cliff to say, provoking an emotionally unstable murderer who had a weapon in his hands. But what he said must've hit a nerve in Carter's system. He finally gazed up, lookingfiercelyinto Cliff's raven browneyes.

"I had an affair with Anna for almost two years, but it started long before that." Carter explained, sounding shaky and nervous. "She came to the confessional room daily, venting about her loveless marriage with a negligent husband who loved his career more than he loved his trophy wife. And I listened, very attentively, to all her problems and sorrows. I spent hours learning about her darkest of secrets, divulging into the bottom of her soul."

Cliff stood there numbly, astonished and disgusted with the sudden revelation. If Carter wanted to get a reaction from Cliff, he had succeeded – but Carter wasn't telling his story to get a reaction. He spoke because he wanted somebody to know about the truth.

"She was a very captivating woman. When you spent hours of your life listening to somebody share her most inner, most private, most revealing thoughts with you, you…you start to connect with them. I felt like I've known Anna better than I knew anybody else before." Carter said weakly, shaking his head in remorse. "It didn't take long before I realized that I was falling in love with her. Before I knew what was happening, we were making love passionately every time she visited. For a while, I truly thought I was doing the right thing. I was making her happy. I was driving her misery away. I was her escapade.

"But the situation with her husband grew worse. As they have more and more arguments, her visits grew more frequent and frequent. I knew the situation was getting out of control. Four days ago, she came into the church at noon, looking like an emotional wreck. She wanted to run away with me and leave her family behind. While she was willing to give up her past forty years in order to be with me, I wasn't prepared to tarnish my reputation for her. What type of relationship could a married mother and a pastor have? But she didn't listen to my reasoning, and she refused to accept the truth."

Carter paused, as a few tears silently rolled down his pale cheeks. He turned towards the gun that he was holding in his right hand, his fingers dangerously toying around with the trigger.

"Somehow, she found this gun that I've kept locked away in a drawer. She threatened to shoot herself if I didn't profess my love for her in public. I told her that she was insane and tried to take the gun back." Carter said, pausing again to wipe his teary eyes. "At that time, I couldn't feel my numb fingers, but in the midst of the chaos and confusion, I had unconsciously pulled the damned trigger.

"And she was dead. I had murdered my beloved Anna."

He turned away from Cliff, perhaps not wanting his friend to see him in this reckless state of emotion. He felt too ashamed, he felt too guilt-ridden, he felt too betrayed by what he had done.

"I panicked, because I knew my secret will be revealed if they found her body in this church. It just wasn't the murder – but my relationship with Anna will be displayed all in the open. I was scared, my mind wasn't thinking logically, and I thought naively then that I could cover up the truth." Carter said, with a hint of bitterness (bitter towards himself? Anna?) in his voice.

"What about her body?" Cliff asked, "It was found at the Town Square."

"I knew I needed to get rid of her body from the church, so I cleaned up her bullet wound and mopped up all the blood on the floor. And then, I dragged her body to the Town Square without being noticed. As soon as I got back, Stu and May arrived at the church, ready for their playtime. I did not know then whom I was framing the murder against, as long as I was found innocent."

Carter closed his eyes, his sullen eyebrows frowning in disapproval. He was trying to block out the memories, the words, and most of all, the misery that haunted him each day and night.

"I've got away with the murder, but yet I do not feel relieved at all." Carter said. "It was only when I saw Mary's devastated face, when I heard Mary's heartbroken tears did I truly realize what I did was wrong.

"Here was a woman with a perfect family who loved her, a confused woman who needed guidance at her most desperate time. But instead of helping her, I steered her into the entirely wrong direction, eventually murdering her for my own callous sins. I have spent many sleepless nights, drowning in my own sea of guilt. And when I asked the Harvest Goddess for forgiveness, I could tell that she had lost all faith in me. I don't believe in anything anymore."

Cliff looked at the pastor, looking so fragile and so distraught. No longer did his face resemble the once friendly and harmless pastor that he remembered. This was a different man.

He knew better than to sympathize with a murderer – who was a preaching pastor of all occupations. But Cliff did feel genuinely sorry for his friend Carter. After all, he could've confessed to Harris about his suspicions for a long time, since he did know that Carter was the only person who had a gun. But an emotional Cliff refused to believe it, refused to accept the brutal truth that the friendly pastor could be a heartless murderer. He had tried, tried thinking of different scenarios and tried to come up with other possible suspects. But it was no use – he knew the murderer was Carter, the truth couldn't be hidden.

"I could help you, Carter," said Cliff finally, trying to console the weeping Carter. "You can still confess to Harris. It isn't too late."

"No! It is too late, Cliff." Carter suddenly retorted in a much angrier voice, shocking Cliff into backing a few steps in defence. He lifted his hand, the hand that was firmly holding onto a gun, to level the gun with his head. It was a motion that took only two seconds, but it felt like a miserable eternity has passed for Cliff. "Can't you see what I've became? A monster, an inhuman being, a vile and wretched murderer…"

It took Cliff several seconds before he realized what was happening, but by then all words of persuasion couldn't have changed Carter's mind. He had made up his mind.

"However much redemption I could get from doing this, I only hoped it is enough to give peace to Anna and her family," said Carter, closing his eyes.

And then without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

THE END

Author's Note: The mystery is finished. After being dissatisfied with the original ending, I've rewritten this one – ending it with a much darker ending to fit with the story's overall tone. I thank all the readers, especially the reviewers for all their kind comments and helpful critiques! I hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you.