This city's always moving,
Nothing stays still.
Somebody's always leaving,
Somebody always will - Jamie Lawson
''Yo, Wood!''
I was barely inside the room and Tennoji was already yelling, causing a slight frown on my face. I usually had coffee in my system before I arrived at work, but I had overslept. Nevertheless, I quickly located the redhead next to the whiteboard, much to my dismay.
''No reason to look like you're about to bite my head off.'' He grinned, obviously amused by the annoyance in my expression.
''She probably hasn't had any coffee yet, so pipe down Tennoji.'' Hanai spoke up from his desk where he was already buried in case files and paperwork.
''There's freshly made coffee in the breakroom, Wood.'' Eiki joined the conversation with what I considered the most important information.
''Oh dear lord, thank you, Eiki.'' I smiled and quickly dumped my bags on my desk next to Tennoji's before heading to the break room.
I could smell the scent of coffee as I got closer and I was already looking forwards to properly wake up and begin the day. Especially since I had noticed the two numbers on the whiteboard being the same, meaning that Tennoji had closed another case after I went home last night. I couldn't even call him a workaholic and get some satisfaction out of claiming to have a social life when it was the first night since I had transferred two months ago, where I had gone home first. Nevertheless, it meant that we were now tied.
A small huff escaped me as I opened the cabinet, looking for my favorite mug, and I briefly ran over the possible cases I could snatch for an easy win. While I hated looking at his smug grin, it was strangely attractive. Well, he was strangely attractive. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was attracted to the cocky detective but the fact that everything turned into a competition between us usually let me ignore those thoughts that concerned his looks. Another frown appeared on my face when I couldn't locate my mug and I had to settle for another, plain white one. Even without being drunk from my favorite mug, the coffee brought me to life almost immediately and I took another quick sip, feeling it burn my tongue before I walked back out the breakroom and approached my desk.
I sat down and closed my eyes, allowing myself to simply enjoy another sip of coffee in peace, but it was short lived.
''You must be pretty scary in the morning.'' Tennoji spoke as he sat down on the edge of my desk, completely ignoring my usual requests of not doing it.
''I just need my coffee.'' I spoke and looked up at him.
''Yeah? Doesn't make you sound like a workaholic at all.''
''Having an unhealthy obsession with coffee has absolutely nothing to do with being a workaholic.''
''Uh-huh, you keep telling yourself that. Either way, I'm guessing that you saw the numbers on your way in?'' He smiled in triumph.
''Yes. Congratulations of catching up to me. I was beginning to feel sorry for you.'' I returned the smile and watched his expression turn sour.
''You're pretty cocky for someone who's about to lose.''
''You seem to forget that there's still two weeks left before the competition ends.'' I reminded him and leaned back in my chair, turning so I sat with my front towards him and crossed my right leg over my left. ''You still need to choose something in case you win, which you won't, of course.''
''I'm taking my time to think of something good, don't you worry about that.'' He scoffed.
''Yeah? Well, I'm looking forwards to have you bring me coffee each morning for six months.'' I tilted my head slightly to the side and did my best smile.
''As if that'll ever-''
''Wood, Tennoji, I need to talk to you two.'' Kirisawa interrupted and we both looked up, finding him standing in the doorway of his office.
We glanced at each other before getting up and following Kirisawa inside, Tennoji closing the door behind us. Tennoji stood next to me as we both waited for Kirisawa to speak. He had sat down at his desk and his expression seemed more grave than usual. As horrible as it might be, I was actually getting excited to know exactly what type of crime would have him look like that. My pulse quickened slightly as we waited and I had to swallow when he finally looked at me.
''There's been a murder.'' His eyebrows furrowed as he spoke and his glance flew to the thin case file on his desk. ''The victim hasn't been identified yet, but we found her in an abandoned apartment building by the harbor. As things are now, the cause of death is believed to be by strangulation. The assailant used his hands to strangle her.''
A chill ran down my spine.
''Wood, your specialty was murder cases back in your previous division, so choosing you is obviously my best option. Tennoji, you're currently your number one case closer although you haven't had many murder cases that weren't gang related, but I think that you would still be a valuable asset in this. Nonetheless, Wood will be the one in charge.''
''But-'' Tennoji instantly tried to complain, but the chief cut him off immediately.
''No complaining, Tennoji. Wood has more experience in this field than you, but I still expect you to work together as a team. Understood?''
We both nodded, Tennoji rather reluctantly, and Kirisawa let out a sigh.
''Alright. Here's the file. There's not much and I would suggest that you head out to the crime scene. There should still be some technicians working there.'' He stood and handed me the case file.
''Understood, we'll go right now.'' I spoke as I accepted it, glancing at Tennoji before I began leaving the room.
We both went to our desks and gathered what we needed to head out. I automatically assumed that he would be driving. It gave me time to look over the file and gather what little knowledge there was before we arrived at the crime scene. I glanced up in time to see him find his car keys, but I noticed something else on his desk.
I nearly spoke up, but I knew it had to wait until we were at least outside, so I kept my mouth shut. I didn't stop myself from frowning though and quickly headed towards the door, hearing him having to take e few hasty steps before he could catch up to me. I held the file in my hand as we walked in silence, not speaking until we were down in the parking basement.
''So you're the one who took my mug.'' I spoke up as we approached his car, my tone obviously not happy.
''Mug?'' He looked at me with a puzzled expression while I continued to the passenger side of the car. ''The blue one?''
''Which else?'' I grumbled as he unlocked the car and we both got in.
''It was the only clean one last night.''
''Only because I cleaned it before I went home!'' I groaned and put on my seatbelt. Then I realized something. ''Wait, how long were you working last night?'' I asked him and looked at him, meeting his eyes.
He quickly looked away and started the car while some color crept into his cheeks.
''Not very late…'' He gave me a vague answer and began to drive.
''Look, I know it's a fun competition and all-'' I started, but he quickly cut me off.
''No, I didn't stay behind because of that… I've been hunting that guy for a year. His trail usually goes cold after a couple of weeks and he's real scum. He sold drugs to some kids and one of them overdosed on the crap…'' He fell silent and the look on his face had me quietly staring at him.
''You know, you might be cocky and a loudmouth, but you're a good detective.'' I spoke as I removed my eyes from his profile, focusing on the case file instead.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the color in his cheeks intensify but neither of us said a word. We drove in silence and I occupied myself with reading through the vague file. Besides from the supposed killing method, there really wasn't much information yet and there wouldn't be much before the autopsy was finished and the victim had been identified. I walked into the crime scene with mixed emotions. Sure, I had had cases that had seemed more hopeless than this, but something about it already seemed off to me but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
''Alright, let's see if we can paint a picture of what happened.'' I spoke and looked at him, waiting for him to nod before we entered the apartment on the second floor.
Sure enough, technicians were still processing the scene but I quickly found something quite unexpected.
The body was still there.
''Hey, why is the body still here?'' Tennoji asked a passing technician while I moved closer to the body.
''The mortician is sick and the other is on another call. We're waiting for a substitute to come and pick it up.'' The technician explained before continuing taking pictures.
I found my notebook and pen while my eyes quickly scanned the woman. She looked somewhere in her late twenties or early thirties and was dressed in a black cocktail dress and wore a pair of black, high-heeled shoes. She lay on her back with her limbs sprawled out on the discolored linoleum floor. I kneeled next to her and focused on her face, scribbling down my observations. The expression on her face was familiar, but it still made my blood turn cold. You could still see the fear in her eyes and it would be etched in them until they were gone. The bruises on her neck confirmed the strangulation theory and they showed how much force the culprit had used. It wasn't exactly easy to strangle someone with your bare hands and it usually indicated that it was personal or that the culprit was enraged. Her mouth was slightly ajar, but there wasn't anything unusual.
Standing back up, I continued to write down a few things but stopped when I noticed Tennoji approaching me.
''I asked around and took a look outside. There's no other way in than the front door but since it's due to be torn down, there's no security camera outside. It rained this night and there's a dry mark on the ground that fits the size of a car.''
''it rained until seven this morning and she's been for…'' I glanced at her again, ''I would guess eight, maybe ten hours.''
''So he stayed here?''
''Either here or in his car, if that mark on the ground is indeed from his car. Did you find a bag?''
''No, why?''
''She's wearing a cocktail dress so she wouldn't have any pockets besides those in her jacket, which is also missing, so she wouldn't go anywhere without a bag or a purse.''
''He could have taken it to make it harder to identify her.''
''Yeah, probably.'' I hummed just as my cell phone rang.
We both checked the screen as I had fished it from my pocket.
''It's the chief.''
''Your reading classes are coming along nicely, huh?'' I smirked and watched him frown as I slid my finger across the screen to answer. ''It's Wood.''
He watched me intensively as he waited for me to finish and tell him whatever it was Kirisawa had called me about. Lucky for him, it was short, but it was important for the investigation.
''We'll head there now. Bye.'' I spoke and hung up before looking at him. ''A woman matching the victim's description has just been reported missing. We should visit the woman who filed the report.''
''Sounds good.''
We arrived at a small house in the other end of the city thirty minutes later. The street was quiet as we stepped out of the car and we both looked around out of habit. It seemed like a calm neighborhood with nearly identical houses lined up on each side of the street. I checked the number on the mailbox to make sure before we ventured past the hedge and followed the path up to the front door. He rang the doorbell and then we waited.
I had never liked this part of the job…
The woman who opened the door strongly resembled the one I had just been taking notes about and the look on her face was chaotic and familiar. We presented ourselves and showed our badges before being invited inside. Tennoji quickly began asking her questions about her missing sister, Yuna, and I took a look around.
''When did you last see her?'' I asked, entering the conversation.
''Three days ago. I've been on a business trip for the last couple of days, but she wasn't here when I got home this morning. She would have called me by now, she always does.'' She spoke and her voice shook as she explained.
''Do you know where she could have gone?'' Tennoji asked.
I knew he was digging for more information about the victim. It was crucial to know about their plans when the culprit could be part of them.
''No. She never mentioned going anywhere to me. She doesn't go out much… practically married to her job, you know the type.'' She laughed and for a second, I felt him glance in my direction.
''May I see her room?'' I asked.
She looked at me, hesitating, but she eventually nodded and gestured towards the hallway behind her.
''It's the third door on the right.''
''Thank you.''
Tennoji stayed with her as I found the room and carefully entered. The room was cluttered with books, paperwork, used dishes, and clothes. It looked like she had gone through her whole closet, judging by a number of clothes on the bed and floor. Other than the mess, it looked normal. I spotted a laptop, which was turned off, and a small calendar full of scribbles next to it. The calendar caught my attention and I quickly used a pen to flip through a few pages.
''Definitively a workaholic…'' I mumbled to myself as I noticed the many entries concerning meetings, work appointments and whenever she had done overtime. I flipped it back to the page that it had been left open on. The page belonged to yesterday's date and a heart had been drawn around the number. Beneath it was a time and the name ''The Little Blue''. I found my phone and began searching for the name when I heard a loud sob coming from the hallway.
''I'm sorry, but it was just confirmed…'' He sounded awkward and I tried to picture him consoling the woman.
I fought a smile when I figured that he probably wasn't very good at it and I scolded myself mentally for being so inappropriate. I glanced around for the room again, this time noticing a bouquet of white roses that didn't have much life left in them.
''Huh… white's an odd choice…'' I breathed before leaving the room, joining Tennoji and the woman in the hallway again. ''I'm sorry for asking you this, but do you know of The Little Blue?''
She was fanatically trying to dry her eyes but she was losing the battle quickly and her voice had already turned thick.
''I-uh, no, never heard of it. I'm sorry, I can't even help you.'' She let out a sob.
''It's alright. You should come down to the station with us. I only have a few questions and then we'll just talk for a bit, okay?'' I smiled as she sniffled and nodded. ''Let's go then.''
''The Little Blue is a sushi restaurant located down in the center of Tokyo.''
The sudden voice startled me and effectively pulled me out of my trail of thought. My glance flew up to whoever had spoken and I let go of my breath when I saw who it was.
''Honestly, you really shouldn't sneak up on people like that.'' I leaned back on my chair and listened to it creak as I moved. ''What time is it?''
''It's nearly ten… and I wasn't sneaking, you were just spaced out.'' He spoke as he sat down on my desk, avoiding sitting on the photographs of the crime scene. ''I thought you would have left earlier.''
''Yeah, well… I was planning to, but this,'' I gestured to the mess on my desk, ''something is off…'' I crossed my arms over my chest as I began to chew on my lip for a moment. ''Her hyoid was fractured and the guy used his bare hands… not only does that take strength, but it's a very personal way of killing someone. You literally watch them die by your hands…''
''He probably knew her then, or maybe he had stalked her for a while.'' He joined my speculations as his glance fell down on the stack of photos.
''Mhmm… I don't think that she knew him. I found her calendar and checked a few pages. She was very detailed, but the page for last night only had a heart around the date, a location and what time she had to be there. Considering how detailed she seemed, it's out of place.''
''Was there anything else in her room?'' He glanced up at me and our eyes met.
''There was a laptop. We should get the technicians to bring here. Other than that, there really wasn't…'' my voice trailed off as my eyes fell to the pictures. I scanned through them, searching for something that could help us. The autopsy hadn't provided us with any clues and the investigation was beginning to look bleak.
''You seem alike…''
''Who?'' I looked up at him again.
''You and the victim… based on some of the things her sister told us, plus you're both workaholics.'' He grinned at me and I frowned at him.
''You're a horrible person… I'm not that bad.'' I grumbled.
''Really? Then you aren't totally planning on bringing this file home with you?'' He asked and nodded towards the mess on my desk. I stared at him in disbelief and it prompted yet another grin to appear on his face. ''You've photocopied all the pictures because you can't bring the original one's home.''
''Well, looks who's being all smart and proud.''
''Shut up… also, I would be nice to me if I were you.''
''Why?'' I asked with a smile as I stood up, beginning to gather the photos.
''Because your last train just left the station and I'm currently the only one here who can give you a ride home.'' I could hear the triumph in his voice and when I looked at him, I found him wearing that exact grin that I loved and hated at the same time.
I felt my mouth go dry as I looked at him and I continuously reminded myself, that I was absolutely not allowed to crush on him. But, when he looked at me like that, he was making it very hard.
''Do I really have to beg?'' I sighed and shot him a look of defeat.
''Buy me a meal at the diner and we are even.''
''Food? You're thinking about food now?'' I sighed and gathered my things and bag before following him to the door.
''What? I'm hungry and it's on the way.'' He frowned.
''Fine! But if you don't start exercising, you're going to get fat.'' I sighed in an exaggerated manner and passed him. ''I swear, you're always thinking about food.'' I grinned as he closed the door behind us and walked with me.
''You're seriously jeopardizing your ride right now.'' He shook his head at me and our eyes met.
Yeah, I definitively wasn't allowed to crush on him…
Take all of the love you're given
Through the gap in the wall
Seal it tight with light blue ribbon
Then unlock the door
But your ego won't let you love
And your fear is your downfall
If you won't take the love you're given
Then at least let me go – Jack Garratt
''Hey, can I ask you something?''
''Mhmm?'' He mumbled before stuffing his face with pancakes.
I studied him as he ate and I took a sip of my coffee. Of course, he would order pancakes and then proceed to stuff his face with them as if he was in a hurry. Fighting a smile, I sat the mug down and brushed a few stray curls behind my ear.
''Why did you become a detective?''
My question momentarily stopped his feast and he simply looked at me for a few second before continuing chewing. He leaned back and I watched as the look in his eyes changed for a brief second. I knew he was damn good at his job despite having highly doubted him in the beginning. With his temperamental and goofy personality, I couldn't picture him being any good, but that lasted until I saw him in action. He was like a force of nature and his eyes held a look of determination that I had never seen before. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't impressed that very second. Then, after seeing him like that, his demeanor seemed to change, or at least my opinion about it did. He was exceptionally good at being somewhere between annoying, sweet and temperamental at the same time. Maybe it was because of his stupid discussions with Hanai or the fact that everything turned into a competition between us, but whenever he showed me that stupid grin, I couldn't be mad at him.
''Why? Why do you wanna know?'' He leaned in the table and proceeded to stare at me suspiciously while pointing at me with his fork.
''You're really going to be pointing at me with your fork?'' I laughed and gave him a soft kick beneath the table. The fork was dropped and he cursed beneath his breath despite it basically just being a nudge. ''You're so dramatic.'' I laughed.
''You don't fucking kick people when they're eating.''
''Technically, you had swallowed, so you weren't eating that very second.''
''You're impossible.'' He chuckled and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. ''If I tell you, you've got to tell me the same about you.''
''Fair enough.'' I shrugged.
''Aw fuck, I'm going to sound so sappy…'' He sighed and let his head fell back against the wall for a second before switching positions, leaning in over the table while he rested his head in the palm of his right hand. ''Look, I made up my mind and decided that I wanted to protect people. It's as simple as that.''
''Sounds like something you would say.'' I smiled.
''Yeah well…'' He looked away.
''My dad was a detective.'' I spoke calmly and his attention quickly returned to me, but the look in his eyes was different. ''Oh don't look at me like that, he's not dead.'' I smiled and watched as he seemed to relax again. ''He retired a couple of years ago, but his work really fascinated me since I was a kid. Probably the whole 'bringing people to justice' stuff' caught my attention.''
''Was he creepily into murders like you?'' He smirked and I nearly kicked him again.
''I'm not creepy about it and no, my dad was in narcotics.''
''You are a little creepy about it.''
''Am not, you ass. I have my reasons for preferring it.''
''Yeah? And what are those?''
I stared at him for a bit and chewed on my lip, hesitating whether I should tell him.
''Come on, Wood.'' He leaned closer to me and I exhaled through my nose as he smiled at me.
''Fine.'' His smile turned into one of triumph and I couldn't help but think what a giant dork he was. ''The first chief I worked under told me about this serial killer he had been chasing for twenty-five years. He started back in 1965 but vanished in 1990 and there's never been any letter or anything from him. He used to write the police and taunt them while he also told them about himself, but it was never enough to catch him. The chief was shot in the line of duty so I switched to handling murders because I kept thinking that the guy might show up again.''
''I've never heard of a serial killer that wasn't caught in this precinct.'' He commented before impaling the last piece of his pancake on the fork.
''They never caught him and many of those who worked on the case didn't want to talk about it or have retired. I've always thought it was interesting, especially because the evidence is so limited. He never left any behind.'' I spoke while watching him eat the last piece.
''Even with that story and all, you're still a little creepy. You probably have that file laying around somewhere at home.'' He spoke while he was still chewing.
''You should be nicer to your supervisor.'' I smirked and watched as he nearly choked.
''like hell you are.'' He coughed.
''I'm the leader of this case so while we're both working on it, I'm a little above you.'' My smirk grew as I watched him process the information.
''Fuck that. It doesn't change anything.'' He grumbled.
''You're so horrible when it comes to things like this.'' I laughed.
''Like you're any better… why don't you go home and start chasing that killer you're so obsessed with?'' He acted like an angry five-year-old and let out an audible sigh.
''At least I have a goal! Do you know how amazing it would be to catch the guy who-'' I stopped speaking instantly and stared at him.
''What?'' His tone had changed to a much more serious one and his eyes scanned my face for any changes.
''We have to leave.'' I spoke quickly and stood up. ''Right now!'' I raised my voice while I found my purse. I left enough money to pay for the meal before I grabbed my bag and nearly jumped out of the booth.
The American-styled diner was nearly empty, but the few other diners and the waiter quickly glanced in our direction. Without questioning it, he quickly followed suit and grabbed his jacket. We nearly ran to his car and he turned the key before I even had my seatbelt on.
''Mind telling me what the hell is going on with you?'' He spoke quickly, his accent thick due to agitation.
''We have to go back to the victims house, right now!'' My mind was racing in different directions as I tried to piece what little there was together.
''It's eleven on a Monday night, we can't go there now, you idiot!'' He raised his voice slightly and kept his eyes on the road.
''Fuck! Then-I, we…'' My words clustered together and he let out a groan in annoyance.
''Wood! Get a fucking grip and tell me what's happening!''
''I'm… I'm not sure..'' I hesitated.
''Wood!'' He yelled my name and I responded in panic.
''I think it's him! I think it's the same killer!'' I yelled just as he slammed the brakes.
I hadn't even noticed that he had barely avoided running a red light.
''Are you sure?'' He looked straight at me and I had to take a breath when I saw how serious the look in his eyes was.
''Not a 100%… but I know that case down to the details and there're a lot of things that are very similar. It could be him or maybe a copycat.'' I explained as he looked back at the road and the car accelerated again. ''I have the file at home.''
''Show it to me.'' He glanced at me and I nodded.
The rest of the ride wasn't long, but it was spent in silence. He concentrated on driving and I flipped through the copy I had brought of Ayane Yuna's file, but I already knew everything in it. I was about to let out a frustrated groan when I noticed where we were. Nearly jumping out of the car before it stood still, I hurried out and searched my pockets for my keys. Tennoji slammed the car door behind me and quickly caught up to me just as I opened the door. We hurried up the stairs to the second floor, where he then followed me to the right door. Another locked clicked as it was unlocked and I had to stop myself from simply throwing the door open.
''Just forget about the mess.'' I spoke as I dropped my bag next the door and hurried through the small hallway.
The place wasn't that small. The living room, kitchen and dining area was in the same room, but it was a nice size so it didn't feel cramped, and it lay at the end of the hallway. A door on the right led to the bathroom and a door opposite of it led to my bedroom. In that moment, I was relieved that I had closed the door to my bedroom that morning. It was enough that he would see how cluttered the coffee and dining table was, he didn't need to see how messy my bedroom was.
My face warmed up as he followed me inside the living room and I hoped that he wouldn't comment on it.
''You're a lot messier than I had expected.''
The heat in my cheeks intensified. Of course, he would comment on it.
''I've been busy lately.'' I grumbled, ignoring the dumb smirk on his face, and went straight to the coffee table.
''Suuuuure.''
I rolled my eyes briefly before looking through the stack of papers, easily finding the one which looked much older than the others. I gathered the rest into a pile and moved them to the dinner table while Tennoji sat down on the couch and took up as much space as he possibly could. I stared at him and the way he basically displayed himself as he lounged on the corner of the couch and had his arms thrown over the side and the back.
''Well, you look comfortable.'' I commented before joining him and dropped the case file on the coffee table. ''Look.'' I flipped it open and stood up, leaning in over the table so I could spread out the copies of old, discolored pictures from the crime scenes, the list of evidence and copies of the letters. I flipped through the pictures and pieces of paper, searching for the ones I needed to prove my theory.
I presented my case while showing him the different pictures as I explained them. How the killing method was exactly the same, that seven women had been killed by the same unidentified suspect, the letters and how those women had also been brought to remote locations. For once, he stayed quiet. His eyes went to where I pointed, followed my glance and flickered to me every once in a while. I found the profile, mentioning the assumed age, which was set to be twenty-five when he started, personality, job and so on. But, the most important thing was something I had noticed back in the diner.
It was subtle enough for me not to notice despite it being right in front of my nose, but once I realized it, everything seemed to fall into place. I just needed the pictures to compare…
''Here…'' I mumbled, placing the pictures from the old files on top of the file before I arranged them so they lay correctly. ''Notice anything?'' I looked at him with anticipation as his eyes scanned the different pictures.
''They're all pictures of the victims' rooms.'' He frowned slightly, knowing that there had to be more to it. His eyes narrowed as he studied it, glance flickering between the different pictures. It took him another moment before his eyes widened. ''They all have a bouquet of white flowers…''
''White roses… he would send them a bouquet of white roses with a card that gave them a location, what time and the sentence, ''I'm thinking of you'' on it. He posed as a secret admirer and lured his preferred type of women with it. This detail was never shared with the public, so no one could have known about this.'' I explained as I arranged the pictures, focusing on the white roses.
''Look, that's fine and all, but you know it isn't-''
''There was a bouquet of white roses in Ayane Yuna's room.''
I cut him off and he fell silent.
''Look, I know this might be farfetched but from what her sister told us, Ayane matched the killers preferences. She was single, lived in the outskirts of the city, her work was her life and her social life was at a minimum, leaving the possibility that she was lonely. She was also killed in the same manner as those seven women.''
''Did you see the card?''
''No. I didn't think about it, but the flowers had been there for at least a week. It could give us a timeline or-''
''Wood.''
I stopped speaking and looked at him. His eyes lingered on the photographs for another moment before slowly moving to me.
''As things are now, we're not sharing this theory with anyone. There's no solid evidence. The flowers could be a coincidence, especially because you didn't see a card and because of what you said yourself, no one outside of the investigation knows about this.''
''You know what that means, right? It's either a detective who worked on the case, the killer is active again, or he has an apprentice.''
''Neither of those possibilities are good and could quickly cause a panic.'' We both went Silent for a moment. ''I'm not saying this isn't a theory we should consider but no matter what, we can't do anything about it before tomorrow when the technicians process Ayane's room and before we have any solid evidence, it stays between us.''
I nodded and looked down, glancing at the photographs I had already studied at least a hundred times.
''Get some sleep, Wood. It's late.'' He spoke as he stood up from the couch. ''We can't do anything about it before tomorrow, so don't keep yourself up all night.''
''Oh come on, I'm not that bad.'' I sighed as I stood, following him into the hallway.
''Honestly, I don't believe you one bit.'' He smirked at me and opened the door.
''You're horrible…'' I frowned, but it only lasted for a few seconds, then I broke into a small smile.
''Nah, you like me, no reason to lie about it.'' He grinned and stepped outside. ''I'm serious, though, get some sleep.''
''Yeah, well, likewise… I'll see you in the morning.'' I spoke while he began to walk, quickly moving down the stairs.
He raised a hand before he vanished from my sight, but I could hear him continuing down the stairs. The door opened and then slammed shut, echoing up through the stairwell. As he had foreseen, my mind was itching with thoughts and theories as I closed the door, but I did my best to shut them out. He was right, I suddenly felt exhausted. Everything seemed to be on the brink of collapsing and I wasn't quite sure what to do if it did. Nevertheless, I quickly got ready for bed and as soon as I lay down, my exhaustion did the trick and I went out like a light.