Author's note - murder mystery told from the POV of Asami, hope you all enjoy ! P.S. Leave me some reviews please, first time writing a story like this :3
Queen - The Queen can move any number of spaces in any direction. Task: Write about someone who is supremely capable, but not a leader.
Prompts
easy - (dialogue) "You can't rush these things"
medium - (character) Opal
hard - (poem) A Poison Tree by William Blake
Word Count - 2297
"Congratulations, Kid." Lin says, walking up behind her and clamping her hand on the shorter woman's shoulder.
"Uhm… For what?" A nervous laugh escaping her lips as she looks back.
"You got the promotion, what else?"
"Oh! Thank you!" She said with a start, standing up and turning to shake hands with her superior.
"No problem, Kid. Now get back to work."
Opal looked up from the paperwork sitting on her desk and glared at Korra, her anger visible on her face.
March 22, 1932 - 0900
I didn't think of it much at the time, but looking back this could have been what started this whole mess that we're in now.
My name is Asami Sato, and I'm a detective for the Republic City Police Department, one of the best there is.
I was assigned this case not too long after one of my co-workers and my long time girlfriend, Korra, was murdered last month.
So far, I haven't had many leads and progress has been slow. I'm still looking for possible suspects and motives, but I have a hunch that this all started in this very room I write this from.
The purpose for writing this you may ask? In case anything happens to me I want there to be record of my thoughts and findings so whomever takes over can continue my investigation.
Republic City Sheriff Defence / Incident Report
Casenumber: 1932-069361
Event Information
Reported On: 01/09/1932 8:32 AM Incident Occurred Between: 01/09/1932 3:00 AM and 01/09/1932 5:30 AM
Timed Arrival: 08:30 Zone: 01
Offense #1: DEATH INVESTIGATION Com/Attn: C Statute #: 000.00
Offense #2: Com/Attn: Statute #:
Location: 548 OLD WEST DR REPUBLIC CITY 32414
# Offenses: 01 # Victims: 01 # Offenders: #Premises Entered: Business Name:
# Vehicles Stolen: Forced Entry ?: Location Type: Weapon Type:
Clearance Information
Officer Reporting: O. BEIFONG ID #: 00463 Division: FSD
Supervisor: L. BEIFONG Clearance Type: PENDING Date Cleared:
# Arrested: # Offenses Cleared by Arrest: Adult/Juvenile: A Exception Type:
Case Assigned to: A. SATO Date Assigned: 01/23/1932
March 30, 1932 - 1200
Recently I compiled a list of everyone who came into contact with Korra the month before she died, which wasn't too hard considering we lived together.
After visiting and speaking with each person of interest, I have ruled out mainly all; the facts and the stories they fed me didn't equate to anything useable, at least not to create reasonable suspicion in a court of law.
Looking back, I should have kept a better eye on her, and made sure she was safe, checking for anyone whom may have had ill will towards her. But you know what they say… Hindsight is 20/20.
She hadn't made any big drug busts or arrests during the time. Although she had gotten that promotion from the Chief… Maybe someone within the PD is responsible? Who knows. The only way to find out is to keep investigating.
Trust no one.
March 30, 1932 - 2200
While I was on break, I had an interesting thought. Two weeks before Korra's disappearance and alleged murder I heard Opal in the Chief's office having a heated discussion. I believed it to be about the promotion that Korra had just gotten.
"... -At are you trying to say, Opal?"
"I'm telling you, I deserved that promotion, NOT her. I've been working under you since I was old enough to walk, and she's been here what, three years!?"
"I'm sorry, I just don't think you're ready for that kind of position yet, I feel it in your best interest to stay where you are for the moment."
"This is ridiculous!" Opal shouts at her superior, storming out of the office with a flurry of papers and a slammed door.
"Is everything alright, Chief?" I inquire, quietly slipping inside the office as if I hadn't just been standing outside the door listening.
"Everything is just fine, do you need something, Detective?"
April 7, 1932 - 1600
Since recalling what I had overheard between Opal and the Chief, I have turned my investigation inward to the people within the department as I haven't had any outside.
This turn hasn't been spoken of to no one, as anyone could be responsible.
I've been pouring over all the official reports, reviewing and double checking everything, looking for anything I may have missed. So far nothing.
Republic City Police Department
FORM C-625 (CORONER'S DIV.)
VICTIM'S NAME (FIRST, LAST, MIDDLE)
Korra, Sato
SEX AGE RACE WEIGHT HT
F WT 5'7"
DESCRIPTION OF CORPSE
Bruised and Bloody, Head and Abdomen lacerations
EXTERNAL INJURIES
Lacerations to the head and abdomen, large areas of bruising to the legs and face
INTERNAL INJURIES
Swelling of the brain as well as internal organs
MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS
Homicide:
Cause of death blunt force trauma to head
NOTES
Victim shows sign of struggle. Found skin under fingernails from Unknown source
April 8, 1932 - 2400
Upon further investigation of the Coroner's report, there was a finding of skin underneath the fingernails.
Could it be that when Korra clawed her attacker? Why hasn't this been investigated further?
These samples need to be collected and taken into the lab and viewed immediately.
Republic City Police Department
Republic City
Report of Examination
Examiner Name: Jinora Date: April 15, 1932
Unit: Chemistry Phone No. (222) 765 -0900
Class ID #: 98A - DL - 60165 Lab No. 980911002 5 JA ZJ
Results of Examination:
Skin cells found beneath the victim's fingernails were DNA tested, and a positive match was found within the database for O. Beifong.
April 17, 1932 - 1000
With the recent rememberings of the past events, and the finding of the skin cells found belonging to Opal, I've started to become suspicious and want to bring her in for questioning. In order to do so I have to talk to Chief first, I'll do that first thing tomorrow morning.
"Chief, I need your permission to question Opal. I have reason to believe that she may be responsible, if not involved in the murder of Officer Korra, and I have physical proof to back it up."
With a sigh Lin looks up from the papers she was reading. "Let me see your evidence."
Cautiously I hand over all the documents that I have gathered since the beginning of my investigation.
"If you look at the coroner's report, you'll see skin from an unknown person was found underneath the victim's fingernails, and when I sent it to the lab for a DNA scan it came back positive as Opal's. I've also got reasonable suspicion from things I've seen and heard around the office while Korra was still here."
After a long pause and examining the documents handed to her the Chief looks back up.
"Why don't you take the rest of the day off and come back in tomorrow? You can't rush these things. Give me some time to mull over your request… You've been hot on this case since Korra was murdered."
"But.. But.. I think this is an important lead, and I need to know what happened," I began, thoroughly flustered and bewildered by what I was hearing. "You have to let me follow up on this, it's my job."
"And I'm saying you need a break from your job. Go. Go for a walk, go get some rest. Anything but sitting down at that desk again. I'll look into this."
"But this is my case, Chief!" My voice rising an octave higher with each word.
"It won't be much longer if you keep this up!"
With a huff I turn and walk out of the office, grabbing my coat off the back of my chair on the way out.
Opal's eyes follow me as I exit, I can feel them burning holes into my back until I'm out and around the corner of the building.
The wind starts to pick up as I pass down the sidewalk, hands in my long red coat and arms tucked up close to my body for warmth.
Wish Chief would just let me finish this case, I just want closure…
Meanwhile back at the station…
"Chief I told you, I had nothing to do with it." Opal said, a huff escaping her lips.
"That's not what this report says. You have a lot of questions to answer, and when Detective Sato gets in tomorrow morning you're going to answer Every. Single. One. Is that clear?"
Silence permeates the air as neither speak.
"If you're that concerned that I'm the culprit then why haven't I been arrested yet? I've read the case files, and everything in it points towards me as the murderer. Why not call in Detective Sato right now and question me, I'm sure she's dying to know if I've been hiding anything or not, and what've I got to hide?"
"I got here as soon as I could, Chief. What's going on?"
"After you left I had a little talk with Opal, hoping that what you found was something that wasn't too big of a deal, and could be ruled out. She agreed to sit down and have a chat with you, and answer all of your questions… Even though I sent you out today for some R&R. So go in there and ask your questions - but this is your only chance."
Hearing what the Chief had just said, my mind started to race a mile a minute, ideas and possibilities running through my head.
"I'm on it Chief, you won't be disappointed."
"I'm going to stay on this side of the glass, watching and recording everything, just so you know. There won't be any funny business."
With that being said, I entered into interrogation room A and sat down facing the could be murderer of my dead fiance.
"So, I see you've come back to the station. Ready to accuse me of murder already are we? I can tell you right now that I didn't do it, Detective Sato. Although I know you won't believe a word I say."
I stare silently at my coworker, intense green eyes staring into equally intense and vibrant green eyes with faces blank as the metal walls surrounding them.
"Well you're quick to speak," I quipped. "Let's get started. I saw the way you glared at Korra the day she got her promotion. Were you jealous of the promotion she received?"
"Yes and no. Yes because I thought it was my time to shine, to move up the latter in the department, but no because I was happy for her."
"How can you be so sure? I heard you arguing with Chief Beifong in her office a few hours later, you didn't sound too happy about it."
"IS THAT what this is about?" Opal yelled. "YOU THINK THAT I WOULD KILL A COWORKER BECAUSE OF A STUPID PROMOTION?!"
"That is not what I said, now is it?" I say, taking deep breathes to keep my composure. The air around us practically buzzing with the tension from the woman sitting across from me.
"The reason I wanted to question you is because pieces of your skin was found underneath the fingernails of the victim. Care to tell me where you were the night that she was killed?"
With a glare that could kill, Opal launches into her telling of her alibi.
"Yes, one could say that I was angry with the Chief for not giving me the promotion, but who wouldn't be? I've worked for years, long and hard trying to earn the position of Detective while Korra, who hasn't been here half as long as I was gets it.
We had a discussion, which it seems you heard a part of, but nothing became of it, life went on.
The night that Korra was killed I was out. I went to dinner with a couple of friends at Qwong's, then we went out to watch a mover. After that I went home and went to bed.
From the report I got at the crimescene the next morning, the victim had been killed between the times of three and five AM, which I would have been in bed for, nowhere near that side of town. So how could I have done it?"
The whole time Opal is talking, I take down notes on her words and the behavior she exhibits. I'm not sure what to expect to come of all that I'm hearing. She was way too quick to want to talk in my opinion.
"Korra and I weren't on the best of terms when she was murdered, but it wasn't me.
I may know who it might have been though. For a while Korra and I were talking behind closed doors, because she was recieving weird letters from someone, the only thing i know is they called themselves 'A'. Who ever they are, they really scared Korra and she didn't feel safe, and didn't want you to worry.
Night and day I saw her worry about this, and for a while she was showing me the notes. Mostly they were along the lines of 'Do what I say, or Detective Sato get's hurt. -A.'
Korra had a lot of fear about all of this, but she never let it show in front of you. About two weeks before she was murdered, she stopped showing me the letters she was getting, so I thought they had stopped… The next thing I know, she was dead."
After Opal finished talking, I pushed up from the table and stalked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind me.
"Asami, wait!" Chief yelled after me as I stalked out.
No. There's no way that what she's saying could be true… Korra told me everything, and I never saw any signs of her being upset about anything…
Author's note - use of the poem might not be 100% clear in this. The poem is used in Opal's story about Korra, how she was scared, but kept it to herself until one day she wound up dead (for those who have read William Blake's poem) Could Opal be Detective Korra's killer? Or is she working under A? Think I should write another chapter? Tell me in the reviews :D