He looked like he'd been dead for a while.
——
I stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Richard's lifeless body slumped on the sofa. My face went white, and my eyes burned with tears.
"How... how is this possible?"
"Richard, wake up! Please, don't do this to me!"
My hands shook as I reached toward his nose to check for breath, but my mother grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.
"Debbie, what are we going to do? Your boyfriend is dead again!"
"We need to call the police. Right now."
My mother was the most timid, law-abiding woman alive. Her only instinct when something went wrong was to call the authorities.
She dialed with a chalk-white face. "They said they'll be here soon!"
"Debbie, stop looking at him."
I sank onto the couch, hollow and numb.
"How could this happen again?"
"Mom, that's the fourth one..."
My mother looked at me with pity, sighing heavily. She seemed to have aged a decade overnight.
Before long, the special task force arrived with a team of forensic examiners and surrounded the apartment. Chief Finch took one look at me and my mother and let out a long, weary sigh.
"How is it your place again?"
"What happened this time?"