DISCLAIMER: I do not own Heavy Rain or any of its characters.
Five Little Figures
Chapter 4: Playing the Game
Police Department
Wednesday
12:44am
1.494 inches
Arriving back at the police department, Jayden led Blake straight into his makeshift office. He placed the shoebox on the desk while Blake shut the door to the office.
"All right," Blake said. "Open 'er up."
Jayden gave the detective a nod and let out a breath as he placed his fingers on either side of the box lid. He removed the lid at a snail's pace, the slowness of his movements causing Blake to roll his eyes, something Jayden caught out of the corner of his eye. Placing the lid aside on his desk, Jayden examined the contents. Blake came over to stand beside him and do the same. Neither were certain how to react to the sight of five little but intricately folded origami figures staring back at them, along with a gun, a phone and a memory card.
"Origami figures," Jayden whispered. "It is from the Origami Killer; it can't be a coincidence!"
"There are no such things of coincidences," Blake said.
"That must mean that Shaun Mars was taken by the Origami Killer."
Jayden's heart sank. He looked at the detective out of the corner of his eye. Blake's mouth was set in a thin, firm line, his expression grim.
"If that's the case, then we have about, based on the current weather patterns, three days to find him," the detective said.
"We have to send this stuff down to the lab for analysis-" Jayden stopped speaking when he found Blake shaking his head. "Why not? This is critical evidence!"
"I know you're probably used to your fancy, high-tech labs back in Quantico that would make those tv crime drama labs look like a junior high science lab," Blake said. "But we have a backlog that goes back for months. This evidence probably won't be looked at for a long, long while. It sucks and makes our jobs that much harder, but that's the truth. It's the truth all across America, Jayden."
"Can't you pull some strings? Put a rush on it? Time is critical; Shaun Mars has only days to live."
"You don't think I know that? Putting a rush on it won't make a difference. It'll still take more time than we have to find the kid."
Jayden closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. I won't let Shaun Mars die. I won't let the Origami Killer get away with taking the life of yet another innocent boy. There has to be something we can do.
"So, what do you suggest?" Jayden asked.
"We investigate the evidence ourselves," Blake said, reaching into the box. "We can't just stare at the stuff and admire how pretty it all is; we need to examine it and come up with whatever leads we can."
Jayden's hand shot out and grabbed Blake's wrist, earning a glare from the detective.
"Please, at least wear gloves so we don't contaminate the evidence," he said.
Blake stared at Jayden for another moment before yanking his wrist from agent's grasp. He stalked out of the office and returned a few minutes later with gloves. Blake threw a set a Jayden, the latter juggling them briefly after barely managing to catch them. After both law enforcement agents put their gloves on, Jayden motioned for Blake to commence his examination.
Blake pulled the handgun from the box and looked it over. He grabbed a scrap piece of paper from off of Jayden's desk, along with a pen, and began jotting down pertinent details about the weapon. Jayden fished out the phone and memory card, inserting the card into the phone. He was immediately greeted with a fuzzy video obscured by a loading screen.
"Blake, come take a look at this," Jayden said, not taking his eyes off the phone screen.
The two officers watched as the video panned over a grate covering a large hole in the ground, raining heavily pouring all around it. The camera zoomed in to the face of a child, the boy crying out for his father, before turning into static. The static was then replaced with a message: How far are you prepared to go to save someone you love? That message faded and a new one took its place. Five origami figures. Each figure is a trial. Each trial provides letters. The letters reveal an address.
"Each figure is a trial? Each trial provides letters?" Blake repeated. "He's turned this into some fucking game!"
"It's a game, yes, but it's also a chance to save Shaun Mars," Jayden pointed out.
"You really want to encourage this sick fuck by playing his little game?"
"What other choice do we have, Blake? If you have any suggestions, please, share with the rest of the class; I'm all ears!"
Blake whirled around, fists on his waist. He let out an annoyed puff of air from his nose that almost resembled a snort. Jayden waited a few seconds before setting the phone aside and looked over the origami figures in the shoebox. Each one is labeled with a number, he noted. If each figure holds some sort of trial, the number must be the order the killer wants them to be completed in. Jayden pulled out the figure marked "1", the bear.
The sound of paper crinkling in the otherwise silent room caught Blake's attention and his curiosity made him peek over his shoulder back at Jayden. The FBI agent studied the message inside. Blake shuffled over and read over his shoulder.
ARE YOU PREPARED TO SHOW COURAGE TO SAVE YOUR SON?
JOE'S GARAGE AND PARKING LOT 4988 Roosevelt Avenue Lexington
Along with the message, the unfolded origami also produced a ticket. The two law enforcement agents studied the ticket for a brief moment before Blake abruptly departed the office. Before Jayden could protest, Blake returned with an evidence bag. Jayden said nothing as he placed the former bear origami figure into the evidence bag, his eyes meeting Blake's in a silent 'thank you.'
"Blake-" he started to say.
The detective cut him off with a wave.
"If the Origami Killer wants to play a game, let's give him the toughest fucking fight of his life," he said.
Jayden gave Blake a nod in agreement. Just hold on, Shaun, he thought as he followed Blake out of the office. We're coming for you.