There's a quiet, Earth-Kingdom-themed restaurant tucked in a small corner of Republic City, and if you ever get the chance, the dumplings alone are well worth the trip. The atmosphere was always lovely, with strings music playing softly and the short lady who made the tea humming along. It was my own, personal escape; a place to go when I needed to think, which I had become much more of a requirement since joining the homicide department.
I sat at a table by the window, enjoying the sweet qingtuan. I had an extra hour for lunch on Tuesday, and with The Chun Shui Tang being a walking distance from the police station, it had become my Tuesday lunch spot. The window was especially clean that day. I could clearly see the people shuffling through the streets outside. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to be somewhere. The grey world outside looked so different from the calm, earth-toned interior of the restaurant.
The short lady finished sweeping the floor and walked over to me with a decorated teapot.
"Would you like some more tea?" she asked with a polite smile.
I met her eyes and nodded. "Yes, thank you," I answered. She pulled my cup closer to the edge of the table and steadied the teapot, carefully refilling the cup with steaming tea. She set down the teapot and I picked up my cup, blowing the steam off the top and taking a delicate sip. The boiling water burned my tongue but left a refreshing coolness behind.
"Quite a storm we had last night," the short lady said as she picked up the teapot, walking back to set it down by the cash register. I placed the cup down in front of my empty plate.
"Last night?" I hummed. To be honest, I didn't remember much of what happened last night. I had come home exhausted and went to bed early. I honestly didn't remember the weather. "I must have slept through it."
"I wish I could have. I swear, that thunder kept me up half the night.." The short lady calmly walked to the back of the shop, disappearing behind a pale door.
I set down my chopsticks and sat back in the chair. Shutting my eyes, I let out a breath and relaxed my muscles I hadn't realized how tense I was. We had just closed a big case, probably the biggest case I would ever tackle. It felt so nice to be able to relax, let down my guard for a moment and not worry.
However, I knew the peace wouldn't last long. Just as I had taken in the quiet, my cell phone began to buzz. Sighing, I tilted my head forward, reaching half-heartedly for the phone. The small screen on the front showed the icon for a new message. I flipped it open and selected the alert, reading the message quickly. It was from my partner, Bao Dongjie, and was rather simple, as was typical of him. It told me exactly what I needed to know.
"New body, 85 Chaquan st," the pixelated letters read. For a moment, I was struck by an intense panic. I thought we were done with this whole business. It was supposed to be over now. Fortunately, the moment passed and I was able to regain a sense of logic. New body didn't mean that it wasn't over. It meant there was a new case. I worked in the homicide department, for goodness sake.
I set down the chopsticks and stood up, looking over the text again. Of course, it had to be on the other side of the city. I would have to walk back to the station to get my car. The short lady walked back into the room, sans broom, and smiled when she saw me.
"Are you finished?" she asked in a melodic voice. I nodded as I grabbed my bag, shuffling around the papers to find my wallet. "Oh, don't worry, dear. It's on the house!"
I looked up to protest, but she spoke before I could. "No, really, it's fine. You're our most valued customer and a great hero to the city. It's the least we can do."
"Thank you," I said, grabbing my phone and moving towards the door. "I guess I'll see you next Tuesday."
"Looking forward to it." The short lady smiled as I slipped out of the restaurant.
By the time I got to the scene, it seemed like every other person on the case was already there. Dongjie stood in front of what I assumed was the corpse. It was hard to see past him, being that he weighed more than a baby elephant. I hardly needed to flash my badge to get past the police tape.
The site sectioned off was a small, dark alley, barely five feet wide. There was a foul smell in the air, the smell of death and something else that I didn't quite recognize. It left a sour taste in my mouth, quickly replacing the lingering sweetness of my dessert. I stepped around my partner, ready to take in the corpse. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but once I saw the scene, I was able to identify the previously unknown stench.
It was the smell of burnt flesh.
"Not so pretty, huh?" Dongjie said flatly. Indeed, the sight before us was far from pretty. The corpse in front of us was a sickly dark shade of purple, parts of the leathery skin shriveled back to reveal the bright reds and oranges underneath. The right arm was burned off completely, and the left arm was nothing more than a gorey stick. The head was purple and bubbled, yielding the face completely unrecognizable.
It took all my strength not to turn away from the disfigured body. I took a deep breath, trying not to choke on the awful scent, and analyzed the scene. The body was clearly burnt, but the surroundings showed no signs of fire. There was a tall woman I didn't recognize was crouched close to the corpse, closer than I thought was within protocol. Her dark eyes were unblinking as she closely studied the marks.
"What is she doing here?" I asked Dongjie.
"Hm? Oh, Mak?" Dongjie shrugged. "Apparently the Chief called in some professional Fire Analyst. Huo Mak."
"What does a fire analyst do?" I asked, doubt in my voice.
"Analyze the fire?" Donjie suggested, cracking a smile. I turned my attention back to the corpse.
"So, are we thinking a spirit? Or perhaps a firebender?" I suggested.
"Definitely not," the tall woman (Mak, I suppose) stood up suddenly. I noted her slender eyes and pale skin and bit my tongue. Mak was clearly of Fire Nation origin, and, judging from the golden lining on her dark red clothes, she was probably a firebender. "The lower half of the body is burned slightly more than the upper half, suggesting that the fire started on the ground."
"I suppose it is unlikely that a firebender would aim for the feet," I reasoned quietly. "Unlikely, but not impossible."
"Besides, these particular burn patterns suggest the fire was aided by the use of gasoline," Mak continued.
"You're saying the victim was doused?" Dongie asked.
"Definitely," Mak nodded. "All the evidence points to the burning being post-mortem. My theory is that the killer slit the throat of the victim before dousing it in gasoline and lighting the body on fire. It doesn't seem that the fire burned itself out, so it's safe to assume that the killer put the fire out themselves before dumping the body here."
"Burning the body could suggest that there was some physical evidence that the killer wanted to cover up," Dongjie proposed.
"Or perhaps they were trying to frame a firebender," Mak said, eyeing me with a face of annoyance.
"Good thing we have a professional fire analyst on the team," Dongjie gave me a slight nudge and smiled at Mak, who frowned in return.
"Glad to be of service," she said in a sour tone. Mak turned away from us and walked towards the photographers who were beginning to pack up. Passing by Mak on his way to the scene was another familiar face.
"Oh, good afternoon, Jinshu!" the cheerful man with large, crooked glasses and fluffy hair greeted me as he always did.
"Good afternoon, Tamashi," I said with a small smile. Sunan Tamashi was an airbender who worked in the forensics department. I often found myself working alongside him. He wasn't trained in his element as much as I was, but it never seemed to be a problem for him. After all, he was much more content to write long detailed reports than train as an airbender.
"Do you think y'all will be able to identify to the corpse?" Dongjie asked, looking a little miffed that Tamashi didn't greet him.
"Luckily for us, the teeth are in good shape, so we should be able to get a dental match!" Tamashi said, flipping over a page in the folder he carried everywhere. It probably wasn't the same folder, but I couldn't be bothered to find out.
"Is there anything we know about the murder besides what we discussed with Mak?" I asked.
"Well, no witnesses have come forward, and we're still gathering data, so we can't come to any concrete conclusions right now," Tamashi told me. I nodded.
I watched Tamashi walk over to a few people taking samples of the scene. It didn't take long for us to wrap up everything and head back to headquarters.
I'd seen plenty of dead bodies before, but there was something about that burned flesh that was stuck in my mind, like a strange stain that won't wash off no matter what you try. It made me sick.
Sick, rather literally, as it would seem. My head pounded as I drove to work. Even popping some pills into my mouth seemed useless as my headache worsened. Still, I let out a deep breath and made my way into the building, ignoring the pain as much as I could.
A few people greeted me as I made my way to my department, and I nodded and smiled politely in return. Upon arriving at the large room filled with desks covered in papers, I was unsurprised at how lively it was. People shuffled back and forth with thick folders, while others stood around with serious expressions. I took in a deep breath, enjoying the vivid smell of coffee and dust that I had come to associate with a big case.
"Tai, there you are, I've been meaning to speak with you," said in a loud, deep voice from somewhere to my right. I shifted my feet and turned to face the broad-shouldered man with a short clean beard. I straightened back; this was our chief, Jianjun Jinshu.
"Yes, sir," I barked, finding myself hold my hands behind my back. The chief's expression softened.
"About this new case," he began. He opened his mouth to say something but shut it again. He paused for a moment longer before continuing. "It hasn't been that long since your last big case, are you sure-"
"I can do it, Sir," I interrupted him, feeling a small flare of anger begin to bubble. Anyone else wouldn't dare to cut the chief off, but I knew what he was going to say. I twisted the metal cuffs on my arms, a weapon designed for skilled metalbenders like myself and the Chief. "I'm perfectly capable of handling this case. I would hope your personal feelings would not interfere with my placement on the case."
The Chief frowned at me. He didn't seem mad, just upset. There was a sadness in his eyes that made me even angrier. I tried my best to keep my face neutral. I saw him press his lips together, trying to find some secret hidden in my eyes.
"I just know how serious you can take these cases," he finally said. I was tempted to cross my arms but didn't want him to get a read on my emotions via body language. "You can't keep doing these late nights."
"I got it," I snapped. I saw him sigh.
"How are you doing?" he asked. The question surprised me. My head still ached, and it seem like the medicine I had taken did nothing by dampened it the pain. I let my shoulders drop a bit.
"I'm doing fine," I said hesitantly.
"You don't look like you're doing fine," the chief said, taking a step closer to me.
Looking at the ground, I stammered, "I do have a headache."
"You should probably take something for that," the chief said, looking around the room. "I have some ibuprofen in my office."
"I already took something. I'll be fine," I insisted, but the chief shook his head.
"I can't have my star detective getting sick, now can I? Go home and get some rest, we can meet up tomorrow to discuss the case."
"I don't need to go home. I told you, I'm fine."
"I'm just worried-"
"I can handle myself, Dad!" I said a bit louder than I intended. I suddenly felt like a little kid again, saying the first thing that came to mind at the top of my lungs. Fortunately, the place was too busy for anyone to notice my outburst. The chief clenched his fist, but then let them go.
"Go home, Tai. That's an order," he spoke each word carefully.
"Yes sir," I hung my head and grabbed my bag.
I live alone in a small apartment complex close to downtown, so I was mildly surprised to hear sounds coming from my apartment when I reached my door. This was not entirely uncommon. After all, I do have loud neighbors or at least one very loud neighbor. However, I suspected there was a more logical reason for the noises.
Walking into my apartment, I heard the shuffle of someone standing up quickly and a loud bump, followed by an equally loud-
"OOOOOOWWWW!" the high-pitched voice cried out in pain, following up the exclaiming with a few choice words directed at the object that dare hurt her.
"Hi, Min-ji. I'm home," I called out sarcastically and turned the corner to see my neighbor and only friend holding her head in front of my TV. She looked up at me and smiled sheepishly.
"Heh, heh." She laughed nervously. "You caught me."
I set down my bag and crossed my arm. Min-ji Feng, my energetic neighbor who is two years younger than me. Her frizzy hair, a strange shade of orange from trying to bleach it at home, was in pigtails today. Her failed self-hair dye was what lead to the bet resulting in my own hair having a streak of silver in the front. I would have never done it if it wasn't for Min-ji, but I do like the silver. It makes me look older; makes people take me more seriously.
Min-ji had moved in a couple months after I had. As soon as she arrived, she was determined to befriend me. She even started coming to my house every afternoon and just talked while I politely listened. Eventually, I began to talk back occasionally, which she seemed to enjoy. There was something very relaxing about her being around just talking. She could easily hold the conversation for two people. It wasn't like other conversations that I had to put effort into. The friendship seemed mutually beneficial, as Min-ji really just needed someone to listen and I was happy to comply.
"Wait, it's not that late! What are you doing back so soon?" Min-ji pouted. "Don't you have a job?"
"I got off early, and besides," I looked her in the eye. "Don't you have a job?"
"Heh heh, funny story actually…"
"Did you get fired again?"
"How was I supposed to know they watch those security tapes?!"
"And I guess that asking how you got in my apartment is a useless question," I groaned. I was sure I locked the door this morning.
"Oh, yeah. I just picked the lock," she said with an innocent grin. "It wasn't that hard."
My lock was earthbending-proof, flame-proof, airbending-proof, and waterproof, but I suppose it was no match for a nonbender with an abundance of bobby pins and way too much time on her hands.
"Honestly, I'm tempted to say you should forget working part-time and join the mafia," I said.
"I don't think that would work well with my best friend being a cop and all!" Min-ji said.
"Detective," I corrected.
"Right, right," she saluted. "Detective Jinshu."
I looked past Min-ji at the TV. Some "comedy" show was playing softly, the vivid colors reflecting onto Min-ji's pale skin.
"Why are you watch TV at my house? Don't you have your own?" I crossed my arms.
"Well, the new episode of Teen Avatar was going to play today..." she said.
"Teen Avatar?" I asked. Her eyes light up.
"Yeah! It's the sequel to Kid Avatar? They took the three kids that were born the same day Avatar Korra died…"
"You can just call them potential avatars,"
"And they began filming them as kids. Their training to master earthbending, their relationships with one another and other people, all the drama that comes with being a potential avatar!" Min-ji explained. "They ended the series on their 13th birthday, but only because of the new show: Teen Avatar! I binge watched all of Kid Avatar last night and found out the next episode of Teen Avatar was airing today! And, you know, my TV is crap, and you just bought a brand new one…"
"So you broke into my apartment to watch the newest episode of a TV show," I summarized in a sarcastic tone.
"Yes," she grinned confidently. "At first I was totally team Oma because she's just so cute! But then, she got really annoying in the later season, and then Jiahao started dating Min and they were just so cute! So now I'm totally team Jiahao. But really, all three of them just seem so cool! I never knew earthbending was so epic!"
"Gee, thanks," I muttered, but she didn't seem to hear me. She continued on about the different interactions of the potential avatars, which I really didn't care about. One of them was going to get enough attention when the avatar is revealed. It seemed a little sad that they were already being exposed. I noted that the show playing on the TV was not Teen Avatar. The show must have ended by now.
My head did feel a lot better being at home. Or, perhaps, the medicine had finally kicked in. Either way, I wasn't complaining.
"I'm surprised you aren't more into the show, I mean, with your obsession with avatars!" Min-ji said. I frowned.
"Correction: past avatars. And it's not an obsession!" I protested.
"Sure, sure, but if I spend hours researching my favorite characters I have a problem," Min-ji said.
"Besides, these kids are only three of the potential avatars. There's no guarantee that one of them is the avatar," I noted. Min-ji stuck out her tongue.
"Anyways, it's great that you're back early because now we have more time to prepare!" Min-ji said.
"Prepare?" I asked. "Prepare for what?"
"Come on, Tai," she pouted. "Your date tonight! Duh!"
"Oh right," I bite my tongue. I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to go on a date tonight. Apparently, Min-ji's boyfriend, Kanuha, has this "totally cute friend who's totally single". Min-ji and Kanuha had hatched their entire plan to get their friends together. I had never met Kanuha's friend, but if he was anything like Kanuha, tonight wasn't going to be fun.
"Oh my stars! I'm so excited!" Min-ji squealed in delight. "I already ship you two!"
"I don't know, Min. I'm thinking about canceling-"
"What!? You can not cancel! He's expecting you!"
"Yeah, but I don't know the first thing about him-"
"Going in blind is the optimal dating experience! Besides, he's Kanu's friend, so it's not going on a blind date with some creepy serial killer!"
"But, I don't even own anything nice for a date-"
"You're right, all you own are suits, like you seriously need a new wardrobe. But it's fine, you can just borrow some of my clothes!"
"But-"
"No more buts! It's going to be fine!" Min-ji insisted. "Now, you need to go take a shower, you smell like burnt chicken."
"You have no idea," I muttered.