Prologue

Screams.

Horrifying screams.

Blood-curdling, satanic, horrible screams.

Stomach-churning, teeth-clenching, suffering screams of agony.

They filled the Dallas, Texas' nighttime air. From the Fort Worth border to the other side of the large city, it seemed, they were heard.

A wicked grin spread across the murderer's chap lips. He profoundly rolled his tongue over the dagger, tasting the thick, crimson liquid.

She laid there, practically drowned in her own blood; for if she was not, you could easily make out the deep stab wounds to her abdomen and the sharp slits on her wrists and throat.

A pure blood-bath.

Of course, cases like this take a while to uncover; uncover, as in:

No one noticed till the next two mornings.

Monday, November 18, Dallas Police Department, 9:00 a.m. : Right before call

"JAGANSHI!" Cheif Koenma Reikai shouted angrily. Hiei had "forgot" to do his paper-work last night…again; and Koenma was getting sick and tired of it.

"What?" the shortest member of the CSI mumbled. He hated this part of the job passionately:

Damn desk-work.

He hated it, just as much as he hated Koenma.

"You didn't do your paper-work…AGAIN!" Koenma shouted.

"So?" Hiei asked with a shrug. He didn't really care, and he did do his work-crap, he always did. He just never turned it in.

" "So"! What the hell do you mean, "so"? Jaganshi! It is your frikin job to do this stuff! You can't just, slack off!" Koenma shouted while his brown eyes glared angrily.

Hiei rolled his crimson-contact eyes and continued what he was previously doing: Taking a nap.

A nap. What a wonderful thing.

If I ever get one, that is. Hiei thought and then opened one eye to see if his boss had left. He did. Then, sitting up, he darted his eyes around the room of empty desks.

That is, until the main secretary popped in, sea-green hair pulled into a low ponytail with some strands hanging on the side of her face

"Good morning, Hiei!" Yukina chirped and waked over toHiei's desk.

"Hey sis." Hiei greeted back and took the coffee that his twin sister was handing him gracefully. Yukina also had crimson eyes; just because she always wanted to be her brother's mirror image. The hair, she just liked it that way, just like the same way Hiei kept his black hair stuck up in a flame-like manner…with a dyed white starburst in the front. It was hard to believe their relation, really.

"So, have you seen Kazuma?" Yukina asked sheepishly. Hiei momentarily sneered at the floor at the mention of Kuwabara's first name.

"No." he answered flatly. He didn't like Kuwabara, he just flat-out didn't.

"Oh, well, what about the others?" Yukina asked again. It was like a daily routine:

Koenma comes in first,

Then Hiei,

Then Koenma yells at Hiei,

Then Hiei tries to fall asleep (during which Koenma leaves the room),

Then Yukina comes in,

Then they greet each other as she gives him coffee,

Then she asks, "So, have you seen Kazuma?",

Then Hiei sneers at the floor and says "No." flatly,

Then Yukina asks where the others are,

Then,

"Hello, guys" Kurama approached his two closest friends.

Same thing every damn day. Hiei thought and waved his hand slightly, a sign that he acknowledged Kurama's presence.

"Hello, Kurama!" Yukina piped up. Kurama smiled a genuine smile; all his smiles were as true and natural as his dazzling, emerald eyes and long red hair.

"So, wh-" Kurama started.

"What's going on?" Hiei filled in, knowing the exact words coming out of the red-head's mouth. "Nothing really." he added.

"Yes, well, Yusuke's sick, Kuwabara had to go and take his cat to the vet, Shizuru is ditching us again, Keiko's taking care of Yusuke, and Botan should be here in,

"5,

"4,

"3,

"2,

"1,

"Now!" and as on cue, a bubbly voice filled the dull atmosphere.

"HELLO EVERYONE!" Botan shouted happily and was, obviously, a morning person. And Hiei, a night person, always twitched when she came in, and glared at her so evilly, mass murderers would stop dead in their tracks.

"Good morning, Botan." Kurama and Yukina replied, smiling.

Botan's amethyst eyes sparkled and her blue hair was down today…making Hiei glance at her thrice! Normally, it's twice, but not today. Then something hit him.

Everyone's dying their hair and getting contacts...I wonder if Yukina and I started all this... he thought. Not everyone got colored contacts and weird hair, just a few.

Hiei.

Yukina.

Botan.

Sniper (they don't know his real name, just 'cause he won't tell them).

Touya.

And Jin.

Actually, Jin and Touya didn't work there, they'd both just randomly popped in to say "Hi," or, for Jin, "Top ov th' mornin' to ya!"

"So, what'cha all doin'?" Botan asked and took her seat in the desk next to Hiei's.

"Nothing. I'd be surprised if we got a good case today." Kurama admitted. That reminded Yukina that she needed to sort out some stuff and excused herself, trotting to her office.

And then, the phone rang.