'So, what kind of girl is she, bro?' the little child asked her brother.

'Well… she is a little shy, but otherwise really cool! I'm sorry I'm asking you about this, but…'

'Haha, it's OK! I know about those things, don't I?'

The two children giggled.

'Hey, how about this?' the girl picked up a plastic necklace, made to look like it was made out of diamonds.

'Eh? Do you really think she'll like that?'

'It's alright! All the girls like jewelry, ahahaha!'

'But she isn't just an ordinary girl! She's special!'

'It's OK! Sayu will love it! I'm sure of it!'

Twelve years later

'Whoah! So THIS is my office? So cool!' the girl looked around.

'Yup. Your own office AND your own cases. You weren't assigned a partner, just as you requested'

The young girl went to the desk and sat behind it, relaxing on the comfortable chair.

'Congratulations, you're now a full-fledged detective', the man in the room smiled.

'Thank you so very much for everything, Mr. Queen!'

'Of course. Shuichi is a close friend of mine, after all. Not to mention… You yourself showed quite the potential'

'Thanks' she blushed.

'By the way… Are you ready to take on your first case?'

'My… first case?'

The girl looked at her boss. Normally, he wasn't the type who made jokes like that, but it also seemed unlikely that she would be assigned a case from day 1.

But still, in this city, anything was possible.

'Yeah' he said. 'And it's a difficult one. Not a single detective that worked on it managed to find anything. I need someone fresh… someone who thinks outside the box'

'Oh… Is it… murder?'

'Yeah. Of a police officer'

'How many detectives worked on it before me?'

'Four'

'Wow…'

'Yeah… no evidence, no connection to the culprit, nothing… not to mention, an impossible way of murder'

'Impossible, sir?'

Albert Queen threw her a folder. She opened it – inside were a few crime photos. She felt sick.

'Oh my God!'

There was blood. And tons of it.

'There's even more not shown on the photos'

'And what about… the body?'

'What was left of it was recovered and carefully examined, but… it wasn't much. It was like the person just exploded'

'Exploded?'

'From within, yes. The strange thing is, we found multiple bruises on the body, and the coroner said there was internal bleeding too'

The girl took out a profile.

'Is that the victim?'

'Yeah. Robert Parker. Just a regular police officer'

The young detective stared at the photo.

'He looks… familiar'

'Huh? How so?'

'I don't know, I just… feel like I've seen him somewhere…'

'That's impossible. He was out of the country for a few years, and returned just last month. And look at what happened to him… Poor guy…'

'It's just that… I can't shake this feeling…'

Queen kept silent, and the girl changed the topic.

'So, what am I looking for?'

'First – a possible motive. Then – the culprit'

'Got it'

'The previous four detectives couldn't really find anything, so it's all up to you'

'I'll check it out today, if that's OK'

'Of course. All the addresses are in the folder'

The man turned around.

'If you solve this crime… Then I assure you, good things will come your way'

The girl smiled.

'Thank you very, very much!'

Queen smiled back, then turned away.

'Oh, and Taylor!'

'Yes, sir?'

'Good luck'

The girl blushed.

After her boss left, she sat on the chair again and looked around.

'Jessica Taylor, age 22, homicide detective! Who'd have thought!' she said to herself.

After about an hour of driving, Jessica was already in front of the crime scene.

It was an ordinary-looking house, with nothing on the outside even hinting of what happened inside.

After parking, the girl stepped out of the car and went near the door, then quickly unlocked it with a key she found in the folder.

'Ah!'

Even though everything was cleaned since that day, the smell of blood was still pretty strong, and it caught the young detective by surprise.

She looked at the photos and compared them to reality. Besides the blood missing, everything was absolutely the same.

So if there were any clues, or hints… they were still there.

The crime scene was checked thoroughly for prints, and none were found, so there wasn't really anything lost during the cleaning.

The first thing Jessica did was to look around the house and just get the basic structure of it.

It was a single-floor building with 3 rooms – the living room, the kitchen and the bedroom, where the murder happened. There were no clues found by previous investigators in the kitchen or living room, but Jessica decided to investigate them anyways.

But first, the place of the murder.

A part of the upper half of the victim was found terribly mutilated on the bed. The rest was never seen.

Jessica looked at the photo again. She didn't even imagine the human body could store so much blood.

Naturally, finding the murder weapon was the first step of every investigation, but the previous detectives couldn't even get THAT far. That whole crime was a huge dead end. Nobody even knew HOW the victim was killed. An explosion could do something similar, but neither traces of gunpowder nor any burns were found on what was left of the victim.

"Something completely obliterated ¾ of the victim, that's for sure. Maybe…" Jessica thought.

*flush*

The girl turned around. She swore she just heard the toilet flushing. With a quick movement she took out her gun and approached the bathroom door, preparing to open it. Surprisingly, it opened by itself, and shortly, someone came out from there.

'Don't move!' she shouted. The man raised his arms.

'Please, don't shoot! I'm friendly!'

The girl looked at the stranger from head to toe, without putting her gun down. His clothing was a mixture between casual and formal, spotting a T-shirt and a tie right on it, topping it all with a sleeveless vest. His face was handsome, and his black hair made his dark eyes stand out.

'What the hell are you doing here? This is a crime scene!'

'Yeah, that's kind of the reason I'm here!'

Jessica took out her handcuffs.

'I'm taking you in for trespassing'

'Oooh, pretty cold towards strangers, huh… You don't make a very good first impression, you know…'

Jessica kept silent, but was still carefully approaching the man.

'Listen, I can explain! I'm a private dick, alright? I was hired to investigate this case'

'Yeah, and I'm the Tooth fairy. Turn around!'

'No, seriously! Here, check this out…' he reached in his pocket.

'HANDS UP!'

'But I have a letter from the person who hired me!'

'Which pocket?'

'That one!' he pointed. Jessica carefully reached in it, then took out the letter.

'What's the person's name?'

'Her name? Uhm… No clue, actually, she didn't say…'

'WHAT? What kind of private eye are you? Asking your client's name is the first thing you should've done!'

'Well, she seemed like a nice girl… She said she was the victim's lover, and was very saddened by this… her little eyes filling up with tears as she was talking about him… she was so cute!'

'What the hell's wrong with you? You can't help a girl with a murder investigation just because she's cute! You need to check her backstory first! Are you even licensed?'

'Hey, hey, calm down, kitten! So you're telling me I shouldn't help YOU with the investigation, seeing as we both have the same objective, because you're cute?'

Jessica blushed.

'That's not exactly what I meant… A-actually yeah, it is! That's exactly what I meant!'

The girl reached in her pocket and took out her badge, then presented it to the stranger.

'Here! THAT is what your client should have done!'

'Oh… Jessica Taylor, huh… Your name sounds familiar… And I feel like I've seen you somewhere before… Have we worked on a case together before?'

'That's completely impossible! I just got this badge three days ago!'

'Huh… Oh… Well, I guess it's just my imagination, isn't it, he he…'

"What the hell's WRONG with this guy?" Jessica thought, then lowered the gun.

'Alright then! I'm kind of in a dead end here, so if you, being the master of private detectives you are, point me in the right direction…'

'Great! By the way, I'm James!' he gave his hand.

'Don't touch me'

'OK' James responded quickly, kind of scared by the harsh comment, then went to the bedroom. 'Well, Jessica Taylor, the first problem we need to solve today is: How did poor Robert Parker actually die?'

'That's what I was thinking too. It can hardly be a bomb, seeing as there were no traces of an actual explosion around'

'Yes, that appears to be the case'

'But could it have been some kind of explosive? Maybe a microbomb that the victim swallowed?'

James smirked.

'That's impossible'

'And why so? I think it seems completely plausible. He swallowed a bomb planted by the killer, and then BOOM!'

'Unfortunately, there's one major flaw in your statement'

'Which is?' Jessica said, carefully observing her companion's actions and words.

'Tell me, Jessica Taylor… What happens during an explosion?'

'I don't think I follow…'

'What is an explosion, in it's basic core?'

The girl thought for a second.

'Fire…'

'Exactly. It's a spontaneous combustion, which releases a lot of fire. And you know what fire does?'

'Cut to the point'

James frowned.

'It cauterizes the wounds, beautiful'

'Wait… So you mean…'

'Exactly. There wouldn't be nearly as much blood if an explosion was involved in any way'

Jessica was shocked. He was completely right, about everything.

'Then… Then how DID he die?'

'And THAT is the million dollar question! Do you know why all other investigators quit the case? It's not really because of the lack of evidence. It's because they couldn't understand what exactly killed him. When even the autopsy can't give you any answers… then you know you're screwed'

The girl gasped. "How the hell does he know about the other investigators?"

'Great… just great… So we're back at square 1, huh?' she said.

'Not really'

'Huh? What do you…'

'Imagine that this whole case is a puzzle. And there's this tight spot in which we tried absolutely all of the pieces, but none of them seem to fit. What does that mean?'

'That the puzzle is broken?'

'No. That we've lost some pieces we need to find'

'So, this whole thing… it helped us how exactly?'

'We now know we're looking for something extraordinary. Something else that we didn't even know existed. The missing piece'

Jessica wasn't really sure she got all that, but decided not to question it any further.

'So, now what?'

The stranger reached in his pocket and took out a pack of gums. He put one in his mouth, then offered another to the girl, who politely refused.

'You know… In such a situation, my mentor would say that if we can't find the missing piece yet, we should just concentrate on the ones we have. Even if the puzzle is not complete, it's good enough to see the picture printed on it, right?'

'Yeah… I guess…'

James smirked.

'Let's just leave this "how he died" thingie for now, and concentrate on the next piece, shall we?'

'Which is?'

'Why he was killed, of course'

Jessica took out the folder and gave it to James.

'Check out his profile. There's nothing that could explain his murder'

The man read through everything quickly.

'This profile is useless. We need to think outside the box'

'Outside the box?'

The stranger made a balloon from his gum, then slowly broke it and put it back in his mouth.

'You know, when I don't have an idea about anything, I always ask myself questions. Answering them brings me closer to the truth. It helps me think'

'Yeah, a lot of people are like that'

'Let's try it, shall we?'

The girl was confused.

'I guess…'

'Alright, question one: Why do people get killed?'

'Why… What do you mean?'

'Well, nobody kills without purpose. There's gotta be some sort of objective the killer wants to accomplish by eliminating our Robert Parker'

'That's wrong! Maybe, if the killer was just nuts, they wouldn't need a motive to kill!'

Another balloon.

'I don't think so, dear Jessica Taylor. Look around. There are no clues, no witnesses, no visible motive, no way to determine the cause of death… it took a lot of planning for this one simple murder to make it perfect. A mad man would never be able to pull a stunt like that off'

'So the killer is sane? Is that what you want to tell me?' Jessica asked.

'Of course not. Would you really call someone who'd do something like this sane?'

The girl was confused.

'No, what I'm saying is that the killer had a motive. There was a reason he picked exactly this target. A motive does, in fact, exist, and it's up to us to find it. So, are you ready to answer my question, Jessica Taylor?'

'Question?'

'If you were to kill a man, why would you do it?'

'Well… maybe to keep his mouth shut about something… or for revenge… or maybe just for pleasure… Those are all the motives I can think of that fit this case'

'Bingo! This is exactly the answer I was looking for!'

'Eh?'

'Three motives. Just three possible motives fit this murder… But tell me, why would you want to take revenge on such a faceless police officer that never even made any arrests? And, for the same reason, why would you need to keep his mouth shut?'

'So you're saying it was done for pleasure? That the killer just felt like killing?'

'Are you listening to me? This murder was planned. But it was planned just for the personal satisfaction of the killer, nothing more. Actually yes, he did feel like killing. That's why he chose his target and executed the deed'

'So the motive is that there is no motive? The killer just feels satisfaction from the murder?'

'That appears to be the case, yes. And you know what that means…'

It didn't take long for Jessica to understand everything.

'Oh my God… OH MY GOD!'

'That's right, Jessica Taylor' Another balloon. 'We've got a serial killer on our hands'

'So… So he'll kill again? Soon?'

'Yeah, my guess is that it'll happen very, very soon, maybe in the next couple of days'

'I… I have to call the precinct! I need to warn them! Find possible victims! Protect them!'

'Don't do it, Jessica Taylor'

James pierced the girl with his look. She slowly took her hand out of her pocket, without taking her cell phone.

'But…'

'You realize it too, don't you? You're a smart girl. You do know that preventing the second murder is impossible at this point. We don't know where he'll strike'

'Isn't it obvious? He's after policemen!'

'And what if he's just after men in their early 40s? Government workers? Bachelors? People called Robert? The possibilities are endless'

'So you want to tell me that we have to let another innocent person to get killed?'

James looked at her.

'I'm sorry'

Jessica quickly ran through everything she learned in her head. That James guy… he was a genius, no doubt about it. So, even if he couldn't find another solution, then maybe sacrificing another life was the only way. Or was it…?

'Wait!'

'Huh? Do you have an idea, Jessica Taylor?'

'Let's check the house! Some serial killers leave marks, or signatures, anything! Something that could easily be overlooked if we're dealing with a normal murder, but is vital for a serial killer investigation!'

James sighed.

'Fair enough. Let's check the house out. There are two rooms left. I suggest you take the kitchen, and I'll cover the living room'

'Sending a woman to the kitchen, huh… How sexist of you'

'Well then, let's switch'

Jessica looked at him. What she said was only a joke, but if James really took it seriously, it would be better not to argue with him.

'A-alright then…'

'And make sure you check absolutely everything, OK?'

'Sure, I know the drill!'

Jessica stepped into the living room, and immediately regretted saying anything about sexism.

The living room was the biggest room in the house, with tons and tons of stuff in it.

For the next two hours, the detective was examining absolutely everything, with little to no success at finding a clue. She checked the books, the furniture, all the technology, and nothing really stood out. The books were primarily mystery novels, from Agatha Christie to Dan Brown. The victim apparently owned an extensive music collection, all but a few of the discs containing classic rock.

'Any luck?' James peeked and asked.

'Not really…'

'Damn it! Well, keep looking! I'll do the same!'

Another half hour passed, with still no success. There was only one place in the entire room that wasn't thoroughly checked - the TV and anything around it. The TV was set to a news channel, and none of the other channels seemed out of place. A DVD player was connected to the plasma TV, which Jessica found quite odd considering she didn't find any discs for it in the house.

'Hey, James!' she yelled. 'Have you seen any DVDs in the house?'

'Not a single one. Why?'

"Odd. Really, really odd", she thought and turned it on. Surprisingly, there was a movie loaded in. She took the disc out and read the title.

"Philosophy of a Knife, eh?"

The girl quickly went to her companion and showed him the disc.

'Hey, James, have you heard of this film?'

'Huh?' the man picked the disc up. 'Yeah, I have'

'That's great, because I haven't, and this was the only DVD disc in the entire house. Could it be a clue?'

'I don't think so, but… it's possible'

'What's the movie about?'

James sighed.

'Have you ever heard of Unit 731?'

'No, what's that?'

'It was a Japanese medical facility during the World War II. Russian immigrants were kidnapped and brought against their will in the Unit, where they had to endure horrible things. They were experimented upon on a daily basis, and a lot of them didn't make it. All that just because they were different'

'Oh my God… I didn't know…'

'That movie is a pretty graphic documentary about the Unit. I don't suggest you watch it, you'll be sick for a week'

'So… do you think this is the message? Is this the sign?'

'I don't know. If it was, what would it tell us?'

'Well, you DID mention the movie is graphic, right? Are there any people being blown up from the inside in it?'

'I don't think so, but I think I get your point. I still consider it wrong, though'

'It has to mean something…'

'Once we find the killer, I'm sure everything will make sense' James smiled.

'But isn't the point in finding him through his message?'

The man put his hand on Jessica's shoulder.

'Listen… We can not prevent the second murder. But we WILL prevent the third one'

'But… but I…' the girl was about to cry.

'There's nothing neither of us can really do about it now'

The girl was shaking.

'How… how can you say that? How can you sacrifice an innocent person without even blinking? I… I never got that! Why? Why do you have to condemn someone? Isn't there another way?'

'Sometimes… there really isn't…'

Jessica looked at the ground.

'Write a report, and notify your boss about what you found today. We'll meet again, right?'

"No! I don't want to meet you again, because if I do, it'll mean that someone died, and it was all my fault!" her mind was screaming.

'Y-yeah, sure…'

James reached in his pocket and gave Jessica a business card.

'Call me if anything comes up, alright?'

'Alright'

'By the way, do you need a drive home? I parked my car around here, and I can give you a ride if you want'

'No, thanks. I already have a car parked'

Three days passed since the investigation. Queen praised her for the progress she made on the crime scene, and assured her that there really isn't enough evidence to prevent the second murder, although he mentioned he'll warn all police officers in the city to be very careful.

Of course, that didn't help, and soon Patrick Strong was found dead in his apartment, completely drained from blood, and with more than half of his body missing.

When the detective arrived at the crime scene, she noticed it was full with police. Taking photos, fingerprints, anything they could find. She was assured by the investigator everything would be done with in an hour at most, seeing as the scene was deprived from evidence again.

But then, she couldn't help but think that there was something… different there.

There was far too much blood, even by this murderer's standards. And not only on the place of the "explosion", but all around the room too.

'What does this mean…'

Soon, all the investigators except her left. And, as she expected, they didn't find anything. The body, what was left of it anyways, was also moved, but the blood remained.

Jessica picked up her phone and punched in a number.

'Hello?' a male voice responded.

'James, it's me… there's been another murder, just as we predicted!'

'Yeah, I know'

'Eh?'

'Turn around'

The girl did so, and saw James behind a window, waving at her.

'Can you please open? It's cold outside, and I really don't want to break it'

Jessica opened the window, and the man jumped in.

'So, what do we have?'

'Another murder, victim's a cop. Even more blood than before, still no evidence'

'Just as I expected'

'So, now what?'

'We examine everything, and try to answer the questions we asked three days ago'

'And eventually, catch the killer'

'If we can answer most of the questions right' James smirked, then put a bubble gum in his mouth, offering another to Jessica, which, again, she refused.

'And… are there any new questions for today?'

'Of course there are. Like, for example…'

The man went to a spot in the room.

'This is the place of the "explosion", right?'

'Looks like it'

'So naturally, the body of the victim would have landed right… there, correct?'

The girl tried to remember, and she recalled that the body was exactly where her partner showed her.

'Yeah, exactly'

'Well then… Why is there blood all over the room?'

Jessica looked around.

The whole apartment consisted of just one big room, which apparently the victim used for all his daily needs. Even though the "explosion" took place in a corner, there was blood all over the room.

'I… don't know…'

'And neither do I'

The girl sighed. She was used by now for her companion to answer his own questions.

Jessica sat on a chair that was, surprisingly, not even touched by the blood, and started thinking.

'Alright, we know that the "explosion" killed the victim, right?' she asked.

'I think we can assume that, yes'

'So this is the ending point, the final part of the murder' and then she suddenly got it.

'James! For now, we assumed that the killer broke in and exploded the victim right away!'

'More or less'

'But what if it's not true? What if the killer was here for more than that? What if he interacted with the victim, somehow?'

'You mean…?'

'Yes! Here, look at these traces'

Jessica got up and showed her companion the traces of blood on the counters and walls.

'Notice anything unusual?'

'Hey, I'm no blood specialist, so…'

'No, look. We said there was blood all over the house, but… It's really only those walls right there, and the explosion point'

'You mean…'

'Yes! Look at this corner right there!'

She pointed at a completely clean corner of the house.

'So, what does this mean, exactly?'

'OK, imagine that I'm the killer. I entered through here…' she went to the door, then approached the wall directly to the right, 'grabbed the victim, then hit him and pushed him all over this wall, and the wall in front. Finally, I threw him in a counter and exploded him'

'That actually makes sense… But there's one problem. For the victim to have left all this blood, he needed to have flied and hit the walls and furniture. Isn't it more convenient to just hit him on the counters? Why throw him?'

'And that's the question we need to find the answer. But, my point stands! You know what I mean, right?'

'The victim… he was tortured before he was killed…'

'Exactly! He was repeatedly thrown into the walls and furniture, while bleeding excessively'

'Wow… not bad, Jessica Taylor, not bad!' James smiled. 'This discovery by itself may turn our case around'

'How so?'

'Before, we assumed that the killer just takes satisfaction in killing police officers. However… when you torture someone like that… Why would you do it?'

'For… pleasure?'

'Then that would mean the killer is just sadistic'

'Simple and easy explanation'

'And most likely untrue'

'Eh? How so?'

'True, the killer is sadistic, most likely. But that's not the only reason'

'I'm confused'

'We already established the killer is not mentally ill. So, torturing the victims just for self-pleasure would be… inappropriate'

'Still not sure what you mean'

'Think about it! Why would you torture someone?'

Jessica thought. And found out.

'Revenge…'

'Exactly. Our killer here is taking his revenge on the police force. That's what he wants to tell us'

'Do you think it's an ex-convict?'

'Most likely, yes. That would be another reason as to why he's so careful about fingerprints, as finding even one would get him caught'

'I see…'

'Listen, Jessica Taylor. When you go back, I need you to look for convicts that were released soon before the first murder, and with a strong enough motive to kill two police officers violently'

'Yeah, I'll do that'

'Good. But before that…'

'Find more clues. Got it!'

The first thing Jessica looked for was a DVD player, or a DVD disc around, but there was neither, and with so much blood, it wasn't surprising.

'Let's check the clean corner. If something was put here by the killer, it's most likely there'

'Yeah, that makes sense'

There were a few books put in the clean corner, all of them classics – Hemingway, Shakespeare, etc. In the drawer below were a few scissors, pieces of paper, duct tape, and various similar tools. And, on top of the books, was an action figure.

'Isn't it kind of inconvenient to put it right there?' Jessica said and picked it up. 'I mean, if only a single book is taken out, the toy would fall. And putting it back up and down again… Why not just place it down to begin with?'

James stared at the figure.

'Yeah… it's too inconvenient…'

'Wait… you don't mean…'

'This right here is an action figure of a character from a Japanese videogame. Putting it on top of books from English classics would be too… stupid'

'So, you mean this is the clue?' the girl picked the figure up. It portrayed a Latino man with white hair and a grey visor on his eyes. 'A robotic superhero? What could that mean?'

'Actually, it's not a "robotic superhero", Jessica Taylor' James corrected her. 'This guy right here is called Godot'

'Oh, you mean like in that play?'

'Sort of, but not really. He's a prosecutor. He was poisoned, and was in a coma for five years. When he woke up, he found out the love of his life was murdered without him being able to do anything about it'

'How sadly romantic', the girl noted. 'But I still don't get how this is related to our case'

James made a balloon.

'I do'

'Eh?'

'But I'm not sure'

'Please, tell me!'

'Not yet. I want to be sure first. I don't want to confuse you. Maybe you'll come up with a theory that's better than mine'

Jessica looked at the ground. It appeared to her that her companion was just using cheap tricks to keep the suspense up.

'I see… So, is that all? Did we find everything here?'

'I don't think so. I still feel like we've missed something vital on the crime scene…'

'Same here…'

'So… Shall we start with the questions again?'

The girl rubbed her forehead. She knew she was missing something vital on the crime scene. She found both the clue and the motive, but there was something else…

'Shoot'

'Alright then. What do we have?'

Jessica started thinking. This was a trick question, no doubt about it.

'What do you mean?'

'What do we have pointing for sure towards the killer's identity?'

The girl sighed.

'Nothing… All we have are speculations and theories… They won't hold up in court if we catch the bastard…'

'That is correct. And why is that?'

'Because there weren't any. The killer hasn't left absolutely anything he doesn't want us to find! Everything we've done by far was foreseen by him! He's playing with us! He… that's it!'

Another bubble-gum balloon.

'Well done, Jessica Taylor'

'The killer is smart, no doubt about it. And he has a grudge against the police, also true. Now he's just playing with us. This whole thing right here is part of his revenge plan! Not only is he killing us all… He's also openly saying that we can't touch him. He's… playing a game… with the… police…'

Jessica went pale. James looked at her.

'Hey, are you alright? You don't look very good'

'Yeah… yeah, I'll…'

She felt light-headed, so she sat on the chair.

'He… he thinks he's better than us… the killer… he wants us to chase him… it's part of his plan… to prove his superiority… he's… playing with us… I HATE PEOPLE LIKE THAT!'

James was standing besides, observing, as he noticed Jessica's eyes filling with tears.

'Come on, that's all we can do here. You did great. Now let's go. OK?'

The girl wiped her eyes.

'Y-yeah… sure… I'm so sorry, I…'

'Don't apologize. Try not to think about it. Come on, I'll drive you home'

'No, I… I'm fine now, thanks… I can go home myself… but what about the final piece of evidence? The thing we're both missing?'

James sighed, then smiled.

'It doesn't exist. Just our imagination'

'I… see…'

'Come on, all this blood here is really getting to you. I'm not hearing any objections. I'm driving you home'

Soon, the girl realized it was pointless to argue with her friend, so she just smiled and let him lead her to his car.

The next morning, Jessica accessed the police records from her office, trying to find about any released or escaped prisoners that could have committed the murders, unfortunately with no result. She picked up the phone and dialed a number.

'Hello?'

'James, it's me. I'm looking at the police database right now. In the past 2 months before the murder, only five prisoners were released in the area, two of which from Juvenile'

'I see. And the other three?'

'One was serving a one-year sentence for robbery, and another a 3-month one for hacking'

'What about the last one? The fifth one?'

'I… don't know'

'What?'

'The information's classified. It's a female that escaped from prison and is now believed to be in LA, but absolutely nothing more. There's not even a name or a description'

'Weird… really, really weird…'

'Could she be the killer?'

'I highly doubt it. There's something fishy about it, obviously, but no proof it's related to our case'

'I see… So what do we do now?'

'We wait'

'EXCUSE ME?'

'You heard me. We need to wait for the third murder'

'How could you say that? We already sacrificed one life, we can't waste another! All two victims until now were bachelors, but what if the killer kills someone with a family? What are you going to tell them, huh?'

'Jessica Taylor, list—'

'Stop addressing me like that! You're gambling with lives, going after innocents and guilty alike! Just like—'

'L?'

'What?'

'Nothing. I'm sorry. Like who?'

A moment of silence.

'Never mind…'

'Listen, your outbreak yesterday, and your outbreak today… I don't like them. I think you should quit this investigation'

'What?'

'It's not good for you. You're taking everything too personally. You're ruining your psyche'

'You're not the person to worry about my psyche'

Another moment of silence.

'Do whatever you want. If you find any evidence, feel free to contact me'

'… Alright'

Ten more days passed since the second murder occurred. During that time, Jessica ran complete background checks of four of the released convicts, and made sure neither of them were capable of committing the crimes. She also returned to the crime scene a few more times, desperately trying to find something she missed the first time, with no success. It was just a matter of time before she heard the fatal words, meaning she was too late again.

"Another murder"

Saddened, she waited a few hours until she was sure the investigation team would go away. She wanted to be by herself on the crime scene, as she really couldn't bear to look at all those people that trusted her with the case in the eye. Finally, she decided to go.

Again, the victim was a single who lived in a relatively small house, also with three rooms. The body was found in the kitchen, mutilated and "exploded" just like before. She looked at the blood covering the room.

Again, he was tortured before his death.

Yet another police officer died in agony because of her.

Suddenly, the door behind her opened. A familiar person wearing a tie emerged.

'Hey' he greeted.

'Hey'

'Listen, I… I want to apologize for what I told you before. It wasn't right of me to tell you those things'

'No' she intervened. 'You were right. About everything. I should have listened to you. You obviously have more experience than me. Hell, this is my first case. My very first case. I was stupid, and I let my emotions get the best of me'

'It's not your fault. You're only human'

Jessica smiled sadly.

'So we're even then?' James returned it.

'Yeah, we're even'

The girl looked at her friend from head to toe.

'James… how old are you?'

'Twenty four'

'Tell me… you appear to have more experience than most veteran detectives. How so?'

'Well' he smiled. 'It's a very long story, but… I have been investigating murders since I was 15'

'How's that even possible?'

'Hey, I'm a private detective, remember?'

'But still, a 15 year old private eye… I sure wouldn't hire someone like that to solve a murder'

'Well, you can say that I had connections…'

'I see…'

A moment of silence.

'But… why DID you want to become a detective in the first place?'

'Heh… that's even a more complicated story… Both me and my brother decided to catch criminals for a living one day. We were both inspired, but… we took different paths in life. And, to be honest, I kind of envy him. He chose the better one'

'Where does he work?'

'FBI'

Jessica smiled.

'That's where I've aimed at, too! It's been my dream to be an FBI agent for six years'

'That's a good dream'

'But… you have the talent and all! Why don't YOU become an FBI agent yourself, since you seem to like this path better?'

'Well… I thought about that too, but… I can't. I have a certain image to build first. I've promised'

'To who?'

'A lot of people… including myself'

'I see…'

'And what about you? Why do you want to join the FBI?'

'I guess… I was inspired by someone, too…Besides, I have… an obligation'

'Obligation?'

'Yeah…'

'I see…'

'By the way, James… Do you and your brother keep in touch? You're leading different lifestyles, but are still in the same sphere of work, right?'

James looked down.

'My brother… I haven't seen him in 15 years'

'Oh… But you were both still children back then, right? How do you know so much about him then?'

'Hey, I have contacts, you know!'

'Heh. When I enter the FBI, I'll be your contact! I'll spy on your brother and report everything to you, until the day you decide to meet him again!'

James laughed.

'Sure, sure. Alright then, let's get to work. As far as I can tell, this murder is the usual "Torture and explosion", right?'

'Yeah, that's it'

'I see. So, the best thing we can do now is to find the clue. You look in the kitch… bedroom, and I'll look at the kitchen, OK?'

Jessica laughed.

'Whatever you say'

The girl left the blood-soaked crime scene and entered the small, but tidy and comfortable bedroom. The bed there was double, although with only one pillow, and seeing as the victim was pretty big in size and single, he probably was sleeping alone. There was a wardrobe next to the wall, but other than that the room was empty. The wardrobe was full of clothes of all kinds – from T-shirts to formal suits. Jessica noted that he most likely didn't wear both at the same time, referencing her companion's strange sense for fashion.

But besides the clothes, there was nothing out of place that could be called a "clue". Before she quit looking, the girl took the sheets off the bed and moved the pillow.

And under it was a postcard.

'James!'

The man came.

'What is it?'

'Look what I found!' she gave him the postcard. Of course, nothing was written on it, but the front was a picture. It was a drawing of a red devil running away from a bunch of villagers armed with axes and torches.

'What a cool postcard!' James exclaimed.

'That's not why I showed it to you! Do you think it may be a clue?'

'Why do you think so?'

'Well, all the clues we found were things that were out of place. A sole DVD disc. A Japanese toy next to English literature. And now, a postcard under a pillow'

James looked at it.

'I doubt it'

'Why so?'

'It doesn't fit the model'

'What model?'

'Remember when I told you that I knew what the clues meant?'

'Yeah, but you never explained what it was'

'I think that all the clues we found were pieces of a puzzle, with the overall picture telling a story. In order to fit the model, the clue we find needs to contribute to the story'

Jessica laughed.

'So what, the killer's trying to tell us he's a horned demon chased by villagers?'

James' eyes opened wide.

"Horned"

"Demon"

"Chased"

'!' he screamed and fell on the bed, then crawled to a corner, shaking.

'What is it? James, what's wrong?'

'Of course… How could we be so stupid… It all makes sense now! The clues, the murder method, the classified profile…Everything matches out!'

'James, relax! YOU are not making any sense right now. Lie down for a while, let me bring you some water'

'No, wait! I got it! The killer! I know who it is! Or rather, I know WHAT it is!'

'What do you mean?'

'The killer… it's not human!'

'Eh?'

James' reaction seemed extremely out of place. For someone who was always cool and collected, and who dismissed a theory if it sounded even remotely far-fetched, claiming that a supernatural being killed three police officers was funny, at the very least.

'So you want to tell me the killer is a horned demon?'

'Yes, that's exactly what I want to tell you!'

'James, what's…'

'Please listen to me! The killer! It's a Diclonius!'

'A what?'

'Huh? Haven't you heard of them? The Dicloni?'

'That's the first time I ever heard this word'

'Alright, let me explain. The Dicloni are people born with horns on their heads. Some claim they're the next step in evolution'

'Oh? Why so?'

'Because they possess incredible psychic strength. They can kill you just by wishing for it'

'WHAT?'

'Yeah. Most information about them is kept a secret from the public, but one of my cases a lot of years ago was concerning them'

'And?'

'Normally, all Dicloni are either killed right after birth, or kidnapped and held in medical facilities for the rest of their lives'

'So you want to tell me that… OH MY GOD! THE CLASSIFIED PROFILE!'

'Exactly! That profile was exactly of an escaped Diclonius girl, most likely our killer'

'You can't be serious!'

'Think about it! All these clues we found until now… They revealed her history to us'

'History?'

'Yes. She was different, and she was chased because of that. She was closed in a medical facility and experimented upon. She escaped and started looking for vengeance'

'But why police? Wouldn't she take her revenge on the scientists from the facility?'

'And THAT is the question we need to answer!'

James sat on the bed and bit the tip of his thumb.

'So, now what? We know who the killer is!'

'No, we don't. We don't know her name, or how she looks like, only that she's a female Diclonius, and an incredibly smart and violent at that'

'Damn! If only that profile wasn't classified…'

'How classified was it?'

'I'm not sure, but I think FBI agents and their superiors can access it. Wait, that's it! Maybe we can have your brother read it and tell us the info'

James sighed.

'Yeah, yeah, I know' Jessica said. 'It's illegal for him to be leaking information, but it's all OK if we catch the killer, right? Please, please, can you speak to him?'

James looked at her in the eye.

'Jessica… My brother died six years ago'

'Wh… what?'

'He was killed in action'

'But… why didn't you tell me?'

'I had my reasons'

'Oh… I'm so sorry, I…'

'It's OK. As I told you, we weren't very close. But the really bad news is that we can't find out what the classified information is'

'There's gotta be a way! I'll hack into the system if I have to!'

'Since when did you become a hacker?'

'Well, I… Urgh…'

James looked at the ceiling.

'There's nothing more we can do here. We now know who the killer is. All that's left is to catch her. Jessica, your job will be to find out her name and, if possible, description'

'Got it!'

'In the meantime, I'll try to do the same. I have contacts, you know'

'Alright'

'By the way…' James looked her in the eye. 'The next murder can happen anytime, so we should both hurry!'

'What do you mean?'

'The interval between the first and second murder was more than a month. The time between the second and third – only about ten days. That means it'll probably take no more than a week for the fourth murder. We need to catch her before that. Right?'

Jessica looked her friend in the eye, then laughed cheerfully.

'Yeah!'

Four days passed since the third murder. Jessica couldn't really find out anything about the mysterious Diclonius. After begging her boss for help, it turned out that even the FBI and CIA didn't have complete access to the data. Her boss explained to her that most likely only the FBI boss and other high-ranking Government agents can access it.

Desperate for answers, she started asking around. That girl needed to live somewhere, after all. So hotels, motels, even landlords were thoroughly questioned about a horned girl renting a room, with no success.

And then she checked her e-mail.

It was from an unknown sender, most likely encrypted e-mail address. And it said only two simple sentences.

"I've got her. Come to my house tonight"

Jessica gasped. It was obvious this was written by James, but the strange thing was he was using a text message.

'Where DID you get my e-mail from anyways?' she said and picked up the phone, dialing his number.

It was off.

'Is this some sort of test?' she asked herself. 'Well, if you need me so badly, I'll come!'

The girl got up and went a few doors to the left from her office, then knocked.

'Come in!'

She entered. Inside, a nerdy-looking guy with glasses and a labcoat was sitting in front of a PC.

'Fred!'

'Jessica! So nice to see you! How's life!'

'Shut up. I need a favor'

'Sure, as long as you don't ask me to hack into police records like last time!'

Jessica frowned.

'I got an e-mail from an unknown sender. Can you check it and tell me where exactly it was sent from?'

'Hey, who do you think I am? Just give me about three hours!'

'Three whole hours!'

'Well, I could've done it for 20 minutes if I had a fast processor, and an even faster Internet connection, but the PCs here suck!'

'Alright, alright, but please do hurry!'

James looked at the clock on the wall. It was already 6 PM. "Come on, where are you?" he thought as he put another bubble gum in his mouth. "You haven't forgotten about ME, have you?"

Then, the door slowly and quietly opened. A few silent steps could be barely heard.

James was sitting on a chair facing the now extinguished fireplace, with his back towards the wall.

'So you FINALLY came. I was starting to worry'

A quiet gasp.

'Y-yeah…' a female voice responded.

James slowly turned around and looked at the person in front of him – a young girl dressed casually, but wearing an out of place winter hat. He reached in his pocket and took something out.

'Bubble gum?' he offered her.

'No, thanks. Uhm… how did you know I would come?'

'Oh, come on now, isn't it obvious?' James smiled. 'After all, I'm the last bachelor left from the LA Kira task force'

'Ugh!'

'To be honest, I was kind of hoping that I'd be second or third in your list. Why did you leave me last?'

'It was a coincidence'

'I see. By the way. I found all of your clues, and pieced your story together'

'So you were investigating the crimes? Personally?'

'Yeah. I had no choice. I needed to see all the crime scenes by myself'

'I see. It's kind of sad… how you weren't able to protect yourself'

The man smiled.

'Yeah'

With a slow movement, James got up from the chair.

'So… Are you going to kill me or are we going to talk about the old days all night?'

'You seem eager to die. If I didn't know you well enough I'd say this was a trap'

'You don't know me well enough'

'I do. I observed you all day'

'I know'

The girl smiled.

'Just what I expected from his successor…'

'Don't call me that. I can never be as good as him. There are far more worthy for that title out there'

'Aren't all of them dead?'

James laughed.

'Actually, yeah'

'And now you're gonna join them'

'We'll see about that. By the way, that over there on the wall is a second degree black belt'

'Oh… then you'll be fun to play with'

Jessica quickly parked the car, then ran as fast as she could towards what she hoped would be James' home . Surprisingly for her, he lived in a small and comfortable house in the east part of the city. She was just about to ring the doorbell when she heard a scream from inside.

Quickly kicking the door down, the girl busted in, pointing her gun at the nearest moving object she saw.

Which was a girl standing there, and James, covered in blood, levitating next to her.

'Oh my God…'

'JESSICA! SHOOT! QUICKLY!'

The Diclonius slowly turned around, then threw James into a wall and approached Jessica. The girl was frozen with fear, and couldn't bring herself to press the trigger.

James got up and, despite his wounds, quickly lunged at the detective.

'WATCH OUT!'

But he was too late.

Blood splattered everywhere. James looked at it.

'Damn it. Damn it. DAMN IT!'

Losing his balance, the man fell on the ground, then lost consciousness due to the shock and blood loss.

Jessica screamed, as she was staring at her friend's severed leg being launched at a wall. Quickly recovering, she caught the Diclonius off guard and shot a few rounds at her.

All were deflected.

Except one.

'Argh!' the horned girl yelled and fell on the ground, holding her bleeding shoulder. Jessica quickly jumped and knocked her out with the handle of the gun. After that, she ran to the man.

'James. James. JAAAAMES! Wake up! James!'

She checked his pulse. It was very weak, but still there.

Jessica quickly pulled her cell phone and called 911, then asked for two ambulances immediately.

Before the ambulances came, Jessica tried to tend to James' wound as best as possible, and managed to drastically reduce the bleeding by applying a tourniquet. Filled with a mix of emotions, she went to the Diclonius, the murderer that was fooling with her for so long. She pointed the gun at her enemy's head, intending to kill her and finally take revenge for all the innocent lives she'd taken.

She couldn't do it.

She didn't want to.

'Damn it' Jessica said as she lowered her gun.

'Urgh…' the man slowly woke up.

'James!' Jessica jumped on his neck.

'Hey, hey, easy now, kitten' he laughed.

Jessica sat back on her chair next to the hospital bed, then slapped her friend.

'What the hell was that? Why didn't you tell me you were luring her in? If I knew the details, I… I… I could've prevented all this!'

James tried to move his leg, wondering if what he remembers was true. Unfortunately, it was.

'I couldn't tell you. If I did, she'd have escaped. I only got a few seconds, and that e-mail was all I could type'

'But why from an encrypted e-mail address?'

'I send all my e-mails like that'

'But why?'

'Otherwise I can be found'

'I found you anyways!'

'You did? Interesting…'

'Don't give me that crap!'

James laughed.

'Anyways, did you catch the killer?'

'Yeah… She's a few rooms from here, tied so she can't move a muscle. Looks like I shot her pretty badly. She'll be in pain for some time'

'That's good'

'Eh?'

'When they're in pain, even the slightest one, they can't use their powers. That means we're safe for now'

Jessica sighed, then looked around'

'Something wrong?'

'Nothing, it's just that… I'm bad with hospitals'

'Oh? Why so?'

'Long story'

'I have time'

Jessica laughed.

'You sure are curious, aren't you?'

'Hey, you started it!'

The girl looked at the ceiling again.

'I was right here… Right in the same room, one whole night… praying my brother doesn't die because of me'

'And did he?'

'No. Not that night, anyways'

'I see'

Jessica bit her lip.

'Uhm… Something was bugging me for a long time, and… I wanted to ask you… You said your brother died six years ago?'

'Yeah'

'Well… how DID he die? Don't answer if you don't want to'

James smiled.

'It's all right. He died while on duty. Killed in action, as they say. A criminal killed him'

'A criminal?'

'Yeah. We got him a few days after, though. My brother's sacrifice helped a ton for the conviction'

'And… how did you feel when he died?'

'Well, he was my brother. Of course, I was sad, but… I helped catch the killer. I guess that's good enough of a revenge'

'Yeah… guess so…'

A nurse entered the room, then turned to the two.

'Uhm… the girl that you caught… she woke up… You mentioned you wanted to interrogate her, and…'

'Yeah, I will. Thanks' the detective said and turned at her partner. 'You coming?'

'Of course. Just give me a moment to find a wheelchair. You go on without me!'

'As you wish'

The girl got up and went to the room where the culprit of the crimes was held.

The girl was bandaged across her shoulder, and had her hands and feet, as well as her waist, tied with straps. As she saw her, she tried to smile, not very successfully though.

'You're… that woman…'

She took her badge out.

'Jessica Taylor, homicide detective'

'Wait… Taylor? You don't mean… I'm sorry, but… are you in any way related to Christoph Taylor?'

Jessica sighed. She didn't really feel like talking about Christoph, especially with a girl that just tried to kill her, but decided she had nothing to lose.

'Yeah. Chris was my brother'

'Really? What a coincidence! But he never told me he had a sister…'

'Huh? What are you talking about?'

'I'm sorry… Chris and I… we were friends a few years back… before that thing happened'

'I see… However, we're not here to talk about him. We're here to talk about you. Mainly, about the reason why you killed those officers'

'But I just told you!'

'Excuse me?'

'I told you the reason'

'You mean… Chris? How so?'

'Twelve years ago… Chris was my only friend. He was the only one that didn't treat me like a freak. He was everything for me, all my life. We were together all day'

Jessica gasped.

'Wait… you can't mean… Sayu?'

'Eh? He told you about me?'

'Yeah. I was very little back then, so I don't remember much, but… I do recall he was talking about you'

The Diclonius' eyes filled with tears.

'I'm so glad'

'I remember that one day he just… stopped meeting you'

'Yeah… I needed to go for a while…'

'In a Diclonius facility?'

Sayu looked at her.

'Huh? So… you too found my clues…'

'Yeah. It was thanks to the third one that we identified you'

'I see…'

'Now let's go back to the main topic. Why did you kill all of those officers? What did they have in common with Chris?'

'Huh? Weren't you investigating with that man?'

'You mean James?'

'I guess. I don't really know his real name…'

"Real name?"

'What about him?'

'Well… I thought he told you the connection…'

'He didn't'

'Well… I guess it's better if you don't know'

Jessica decided she couldn't bring herself so low as to beg a serial killer for information, so she decided to change the topic.

'And what about the clues? Why did you put those there?'

'Well… I figured that I'll need some sort of a sign that these are serial killings, and that there'll be more'

'And you decided to tell your story through them? Giving us information on you so we can catch you easier?'

'No, that wasn't my intention at first. I didn't want to be caught until I killed the right people'

'I see… And how many people did you have to kill?'

'Well… Technically, about 10, but… I was going to stop after 4'

'Why so?'

'Because… I didn't want the others' families to suffer'

'Is that why you chose only bachelors?'

'Yeah. No matter how evil someone is, or how many wrong things they've done… if there's at least one person left that loves them… then they shouldn't die! You should know that best of all!'

'Yeah… I see'

'Hello, everyone!' James smiled, pushing a wheelchair.

'Oh, hi James!'

'Mr. James…' Sayu looked at him, then lowered her head as much as she could with the restraints, mimicking bowing. 'I'm so very sorry about your leg!'

'Heh, it's alright. Apology accepted! Not to mention, I'll look even cooler with a bionic leg, right?' he laughed.

'Mr. James…The people I killed… They didn't have any relatives, did they?'

The man sighed.

'No, they didn't. But that's no excuse to take their lives'

The girl smiled.

'Yeah, I know'

Jessica looked at her. The girl looked… so innocent, almost childish. Was she really a deranged murderer? It looked so unlikely, and yet…

'Hey, Jessica' Sayu changed the topic. 'Do you… hate Chris?'

'What are you talking about? He killed so many people! I can never forgive him!'

Another smile.

'I see'

Jessica smirked.

'He's my brother. Of course I don't hate him. I can never hate him'

Sayu looked at her surprised, then laughed happily.

'Thank God! I'm so glad!'

A few more hours passed. In the afternoon, several men dressed in black came and asked to have Sayu moved into a "private hospital". Jessica and James could only observe through a window as she was being taken away.

'Heh… I guess it's time' James noted, then put a bubble gum in his mouth.

'Time? Wait… you don't mean… they're sending her to the facility?'

'Yeah, they are'

'Wh… WHAT?'

'What did you expect? She escaped from there'

'But… But the facilities are illegal! She can't spend her life in there! She deserves to spend her sentence in a normal prison, where she will have rights, and… and where they won't torture her…'

'I know how you feel. But there's nothing we can do'

Jessica looked at the ground.

'Now what?'

James sighed.

'She'll most likely be euthanized. They won't risk having her around after she escaped once'

'WHAT? We have to stop them, they can't—'

'Don't worry too much about it. It would've been the same if she was judged here. Three vicious murders of police officers would've sent her on death row faster than you can say "Diclonius". At least that way she won't suffer too much'

'How can you say that? She… She… She'll die because of me! At that facility, alone! If only I'd been stronger, I would have been able to protect her! She would have gotten a fair trial… Another person dies because of me! I'm useless!' Jessica buried her face in her hands and started crying.

James sighed, then reached in his pocket. He took out a small package, then threw it to his friend.

'Here. She was going to implant this as the next clue after my death'

'What's that?'

The girl opened it, then gasped.

'But that's… that's…'

'I figured you'd recognize it'

Jessica put the item near her heart, barely able to stop herself from bursting to tears again.

'But James… why are you giving it to me like that? Packaged, and out of nowhere…'

'Well… think of it as a farewell gift'

'Farewell gift? No! James, don't tell me you…'

'I'm going to Japan for a surgery. This bionic leg won't build itself, you know! And after that, I'm going to investigate the next big case'

Jessica smiled.

'Hey, James… You're not really a private detective, are you?'

The man laughed.

'No, I'm not. Usually, the government gives me the cases'

'So you're an agent, then?'

'Not exactly. It's hard to explain, but… I usually pull the strings behind the shadows. This right here was my first field investigation'

'You mean… Just like L?'

'Yeah… just like him' he smiled.

'Oh… So you really are a big shot, aren't you?'

James laughed.

'Yeah, you can say that'

'I take it James isn't your real name then'

'No, it's not'

'Was everything you told me about yourself a lie, too?'

'No, I didn't lie about anything else'

'Then… how come your brother was an FBI agent, and…?'

'Fifteen years ago… My mother became a victim of an infamous serial killer. The detective in charge of the investigation is now known to the public as L. He managed to catch the killer, with a little help on our part. He said we're both excellent investigators, and he offered one of us a training, amongst other children, to be his successor'

'So you were offered and accepted?'

'No. Actually, my brother got the offer'

'What?'

'Yeah. But he refused. He said he doesn't want to take the easy way out. He recommended me. He said I had more talent for this type of stuff'

'Oh…'

'Yeah. That's when we parted ways, and I never saw him again. Well, actually, he never saw me again'

'Did you stalk him or something?'

James laughed.

'No, of course not. But… six years ago, I was asked by a Japanese VIP to lead a murder investigation. Behind the scenes, of course. And, by pure coincidence, he was part of the team too, as were about 10 other FBI agents'

'This investigation, from six years ago… Was it—'

'Yeah. It was the Los Angeles Kira case'

Jessica gasped.

'What?'

'Yeah. The truth is… your brother killed mine'

'Oh my God… I'm so sorry'

'I told you already that you shouldn't apologize, didn't I? It wasn't your fault, and the killer got what was coming to him'

The girl kept silent.

'Anyways, in that very same room, which I could only observe through a computer… I saw how he was investigating. He truly wanted to stop the killings and save the lives. He was a genius, my brother. He… went to your house with the knowledge that he was going to die that day. And yet… he still managed to keep his cool during the investigation. He was a great investigator'

Jessica looked at the ground again.

'The truth is… nobody told me to take this case. I was just… sick of having people die in my place. I wanted to risk my life, just like everyone else. After seeing that one of my former colleagues was killed, and that four investigators couldn't find anything, I decided to fly here by myself and investigate personally. My first field investigation…'

'Weren't you scared?'

'Of course I was. But, inside, I knew I had to do it. I broke into the crime scene, and… that's when I met you. While you were holding me at gunpoint, I… I really saw a part of him in you. My brother. You both had the same… determination, to solve the crime, without hesitating, giving your all…'

'So that's why you helped me'

'Part of the reason, yes'

The girl looked at the scenery through the window.

'You really wanted to help, but… I failed. Just like in everything else. Three people died without me being able to do anything about it. I couldn't even bring the murderer to justice. Not to mention your…'

'You did great. The murders stopped. You solved the crime which no one else could'

'If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be able to do it'

'All I did was to point you in the right direction. You did all the work. I just asked the questions that needed to be answered'

Jessica looked him in the eye.

'Thank you. For everything'

James smiled.

'Some day, Jessica Taylor. Some day we're gonna see each other again. I feel it. Until then, however… I bid you farewell!'

Jessica looked at her friend. She really wanted to cry, but felt she had no more tears left.

But after all, it was a promise, wasn't it?

'Farewell, James!'

The man pushed his wheelchair towards the exit, then turned at the girl again.

'My name is Alex. Alex Fredrickson'

Jessica laughed.

'Farewell then, Alex Fredrickson!'

The man smirked, then went outside.

In the hospital, only Jessica remained, holding tightly the necklace she got as a souvenir from her first case – a case she wouldn't forget until the day she died.