Firstly to returning readers of my work, and new ones, welcome to a brand new story! I was originally grinding through this as I was posting Undercover: Romance.
This story is censored because of the rating. Full story is on the other site.
Ed stared at the bloody mess in front of him. A blanket of crimson staining the walls, cobbled floor and the very person it came from. It wasn't a sight for the faint hearted. And by 'the person it came from' that meant the mound of body parts littering the alleyway. He let his torch light glide across the scene over the mangled remains of flesh and organs. In his time of being a police officer he'd never seen anything like this. Someone so brutal, as to do this to any other human being, deserves all that was coming to him... and more.
He joined the police force to make a difference, to make the streets safer from the corrupt, the muggers and thieves, the murderers, kidnappers and rapists. Yes he hadn't been in the force for very long, only three years, but at the age of twenty-one the blonde had done more than the higher ups could ever do. He was already promoted to detective - something officers who are in their forties could only dream of. He didn't care if he was hated because the people he used to call 'sir' are now the ones calling him 'sir', it just showed he did a much better job then any of them.
This was his first serious case as a detective, but this was the fourth victim of some sadistic killer. Previous officers before him couldn't cut it, but this was a challenge and Ed was in no way going to back down. When he looked over the previous reports it was clearly stated that each victim had literally been blown up. Their life was taken from them in the most gruesome of fashion.
Footsteps were heard behind him, but he didn't turn around knowing it was the forensic team.
"Doctor." He spoke as the man stood next to him surveying the scene.
"Detective." He sighed. "Looks like you've been thrown in at the deep end."
"They never make it easy."
"I don't have to tell you this is the exact same m/o as the other victims."
"I'm fully up to date on the investigation."
"Well you also know there is little you can do at this moment in time. Leave it to us to try and get as much as the person as possible to determine gender and identity." The scientist tapped him on the shoulder.
Ed turned to look at the man beside him. Even though he was covered with a white suit as to not contaminate the scene, his eyes were re assuring. Of course Ed knew that this man was one he could fully trust.
"Call me as soon as you find anything."
The head forensic nodded in conformation and walked into the scene of nightmares to record, photograph and bag whatever he could find as Ed turned and walked back to his car.
He sat still in the drivers seat with his hands on the wheel just taking in what he saw and not trying to throw up in the vehicle. The photos of the previous scenes were bad enough, but experiencing the matter in real time, with your own eyes, was another experience in itself. He took a deep breath and started the ignition, allowing the engine to run a while until his stomach had settled before driving back to the precinct.
xXx
Sitting back at his desk the blonde went through the case notes of the previous victims. Three males and a female, all with criminal back grounds ranging for assault to shoplifting. But that was where the similarities ended. None of the victims were associated with each other as friends, acquaintances or family. Each from different backgrounds, different minorities. They may have been all working for one person, they may have been independent and got on the wrong side of a group. There were so many theories as to what may have happened that following every thesis would take weeks, even months, at a time and by then there may be more victims to this person or persons that it wasn't even worth the risk.
Turning on his computer and accessing the database he searched for the keyword that link these people - explosives. He looked in disbelief at the search results leading into the hundreds. All these people had been arrested at some point or another dating back decades. This was highly likely what his predecessors found before him, but there was nothing to show that they interviewed any of these people. They were obviously waiting for a stronger lead to cut down the list.
He glanced to the side of his resting hand to see his phone come to life before the ring tone broke the silence.
"Elric." He swiftly replied as he accepted the call. It was how he answered his phone to anyone these days.
"Ed, we've got a breakthrough." The voice on the other end was excited, but was trying his utmost best to stay somewhat calm.
The blonde was quick to grab his notebook and a pen. "What have you found out?"
"A type of casing was lodged in the brickwork. I'm not one hundred percent certain until it gets verified by an expert, but it looks to be a grenade."
"A grenade?"
"Like the ones used in the Ishvalen civil war. My guess from the state and spread of the body that it was forcibly pushed into the victims mouth, maybe even down the throat before the devise explodes. Of course I have no concrete evidence to support this and I need an expert to verify the type of grenade, but the fact that we can barely make a skull from parts found in all cases suggest the epicenter of the explosion was the head area ."
Ed quickly wrote the findings down. "What makes you think it was forced into the victims mouth?"
"C'mon, would you happily hold a grenade that will kill you in a matter of seconds?"
"Fair point. How do you know it's Ishvalen?"
"Because I specialize in forensics. I know these things called clues." He chuckled. "I'll show you when you next come over."
"All right smart ass. I'll get right to it, probably see you later if you aren't working too late."
"As you." The line went dead almost instantly.
Even though it had not been confirmed by an expert Ed knew the man was right, he was always right and returned to work, immediately returning to the database in front of him.
He didn't know a tremendous amount about the uprising all those years ago, it was surprising that even the forensic scientist knew.
Three people. Just three people compared to the hundreds from before came up when he typed the two keywords in. All three from the 4th Amestrian Central Grenadiers. Ed knew that just because they were called the grenadiers didn't mean that they focused on the throwing of the grenades like they did centuries ago. It may be a dead lead, but at this moment in time Ed would happily take any lead. He clicked the first profile Nile Guians, private. Shortly after the war he shot and killed his neighbour before turning the gun on himself. Second profile Andrew Fathom, Sergeant. Committed a string of robberies when the war ended and was currently serving six years in prison. Final profile Solf J. Kimblee, Major. The endless lists of assault wasn't what alarmed Ed. It was the fact that his last recorded place of work was not far from the most recent crime scene. Surely this case wouldn't be solved as easily as this? He didn't just want to charge in there and demand a man that may be innocent.
A bar called Flame. Nothing out of the ordinary, a very popular bar in the night scene. But the place was run by a man who has one conviction of theft over six years ago, everything else from a vast array of offenses were all dropped before court. There was no picture of this man on record but he at least had a name, Roy Mustang. But his employees were a different matter. Heymans Breda, Kain Fuery and Vato Falman had all convictions for drug smuggling, supplying and assault. Riza Hawkeye, Alex Armstrong and Jean Havoc for firearms offenses, plus both men were also convicted of assault and unlawful imprisonment. All five of these people had been there for over three years meaning they would have worked with Kimblee.
xXx
Parking his car on the opposite side of the street he looked to the empty entrance. It was a couple of hours before the place opened to the public, but there was a rather well built bouncer already on the door, definitely not someone you'd want to get on the wrong side of.
"Can I help you?" The bouncer pulled out his muscular arm in front of the blonde to stop him proceeding any further as he tried to make his way into the premises.
Ed flashed the mustached man his badge. "Detective Elric. I'm just doing some inquiries on a recent case and would like to talk to Roy Mustang." He replaced the badge back into his jacket pocket.
The man stared at him. It may have been to look menacing, but the small tuft of blonde hair on the top of his head made him look like the least menacing person in the universe.
"Follow me." He pulled out a large chain of keys from his pocket and opened the front door. Keeping it open for the young detective to walk through before he followed himself and locked the door behind him. From there Ed was escorted through the main bar and dance area. He glanced at the bartender making sure the bottle of spirits were aligned and the glasses were sparkling clean. Kain Fuery. They made eye contact, Ed slowly turning his attention to where he was walking whilst Kain's followed them into the VIP area.
In here it looked like a dead end. Just a darkened room with padded red velvet walls, obvious soundproofing. He looked to the bodyguard who walked straight to a wall and put his arm out, immediately pushing a panel and revealing another passageway. At the end of the passage way was a desk and sitting behind it was Jean Havoc. His legs slouched on top of the wooden top with an unlit cigarette in his mouth staring at a porn magazine.
"Wait here." The body guard told the officer as he gently knocked on the door in front of him and walked in, quickly closing the door behind him.
The snapping shut of a lighter drew Ed's eyes back to Havoc, who stared at him as he inhaled the tobacco before pulling the stick from his mouth and exhaling in a smooth motion. The door in front of him clicked open. Out stepping the body guard, holding the door open for Edward. He took one last look at Havoc before walking through.
"That will be all Alex."
Ed's eyes were locked on the man sitting upright behind his desk. Messy raven hair, obsidian eyes, ivory skin and well dressed in a navy three piece suit. His voice was deep and made Ed's hair on the back of his neck stand on end, in a good way. This man was handsome.. very handsome and he wasn't afraid to admit that.
"Detective Elric." Ed walked up to the desk and showed the man his badge. Roy took the item and scanned it carefully before looking back at the blonde and giving him his identification back. "I'm making some inquiries into an incident that was discovered a few hours ago."
"What kind of incident?" Roy questioned. His dark eyes had never lost focus from Ed's golden.
"A murder."
Mustang leant back in his seat. "So how does this bring you to my establishment detective?"
"I'm making some inquiries on a Solf J. Kimblee. We have records saying he worked for you."
"Kimblee hasn't worked for me for some time now detective. One day I came to my office and he left a resignation letter with immediate effect."
"You don't know where he has gone? The people he meets?"
Mustang shook his head apologetically. "I'm afraid not, he always kept to himself."
Ed mentally sighed and jotted down some notes before putting the jotter back in his jacket.
"Well thank you very much anyway Mr Mustang. I apologize for using your time." The blonde turned and headed back to the door. It was probably best to see if any of his employees would know anything.
"I have an address." Ed's hand stopped on the door handle and turned back around to focus on the man still seated as he flicks through the rotating file on his desk.
The blonde watched as the rotations slowed and a card was pulled out from it's casing. If this address was where Kimblee was staying this could be an open and shut case. There may be evidence from the killers victims there, the grenades he's used.
The older man rose from his desk and walked up to Ed with the card in between his middle and index finger. He held it out to the blonde, only to retract it before Ed could get his fingers anywhere near it.
"This isn't time for games Mr Mustang."
"No it isn't detective." He stopped right in front of the blonde. "What do I get in return?"
"What do you mean by that? You are going to help us catch a serial murder."
"I mean that if I give you this information. I want something in return."
"A reward? Well we can talk about that when we catch the culprit. If your information leads us to an arrest and conviction."
"No." Roy placed his arms either side of Edward's head. "I want something from you."
Roy was now in his personal space. "Back away." Ed ordered him, but he stayed exactly where he was.
The older man smirked.
This was not the time for Ed to be mentally cursing himself for leaving his gun in the glove compartment. He was going into a bar with multiple criminals, regardless of whether it was just an inquiry or not he should have known better.
"It's been a while since I've had a decent hand job. If you do that I'll give you the address."
Ed's eyes widened in disbelief. Did this man just seriously ask a police detective to give him a sexual favour in return for a lead?
"You're a strikingly handsome man detective." Roy moved a hand away from Ed's head and took the blonde's hand, placing it to his crotch. "I definitely would not mind if it was you."
Ed quickly pulled his hand back and pushed Roy away. Instantly grabbing the door handle and leaving hastily out the office.
Havoc watched the young blonde man hurry past him before looking at Roy in the door way. "New toy boss?"
Roy smirked. "Quite possibly."