Derek's brother arrived at Derek's apartment with irritation rather than fear because he thought Derek was wasting everyone's time again.
The apartment building looked normal from outside while Derek's car sat parked in its assigned spot with dust gathering on the windshield. The brother walked up to the third floor and stopped at Derek's door before pulling out the spare key their father had given him years ago.
He unlocked the door before stepping inside.
The apartment looked normal at first glance with furniture in the right places and nothing obviously broken, but the silence felt wrong when he closed the door behind him.
Food had gone bad in the kitchen while the smell hit him immediately when he walked over and found rotting takeout containers on the counter and spoiled milk in the refrigerator. Clothes were scattered across the bedroom floor in a way that suggested Derek had left in a hurry rather than for a planned trip.
