Angels with Newfound Hope
Act 2 Chapter 5: Conflict
Tatsu Park - Day 2, 11:22AM
It was a long, deafeningly silent journey for the two. Alex explained quickly after Bryce tried to prepare him for what was to come that he'd been to murder scenes before. In his head, the first investigation replayed itself. He'd be screwed sideways if every last scenario would repeat like everything else.
But it wouldn't. The vigilante knew that better than anything. His actions had already messed with the course of events, and likely worse, his relationship with the dragon he mourned.
"Huh, you guys are earlier than I expected." Sebastian addressed them once they were spotted on scene. "So here's the breakdown. The victim was found by a delivery flier for a restaurant earlier this morning. The most likely cause of death is blood loss from multiple wounds. Forensics was already here, so you're free to poke around, Alex." He addressed the human, who was just staring at the victim draped by that white sheet. If he and Maverick hadn't been injured...
"This won't be pretty... I'm sorry for putting you through this. You say you've been through this before, but I still can't shake the worry. I just hope you'll be fine." The chief murmured even in the same tone as that fateful day. All Alex did was give a numb nod for the reveal.
The sheet came off in one fluid motion, exposing the body, but there was something different. Instead of his eyes being closed like he gave up, they were frozen in a state of agony. Another thing of note was a bullet wound on the underside of his jaw.
Weirder still was the plasma burn caused by the projectile itself. Reza didn't use that kind of ammunition, let alone a pistol capable of using it. How he got his hands on both was beyond the ambassador.
"What do you think?" Bryce sat on his haunches. It was like last time aside from the obvious. The use of a gun where there shouldn't have been baffled Alex.
"Something's off already. There's a bullet wound going through his head. But Reza uses a revolver without a silencer. We'd have heard that clear as day." Alex pointed out the immediate distinction with a similar gesture. His companion lowered his head for a much closer inspection.
"That's odd. And we even have evidence of just what Reza injured you and Maverick with. Surely, he'd have a hard time using that without getting caught from your descriptions of his weapon. Anything else you can deduce from what's visible?" The reptile glared out of suspicion. He needed to find out just what was going on with this before anyone else got hurt.
"There's multiple stab wounds, likely inflicted from a sharp implement such as a knife. But why would he use that if he can seemingly shoot people without anyone hearing?" The brunette circled back to the bullet wound. There was a sneaking suspicion as to just what happened, but he needed some more evidence for it to be anything except a theory.
"You tell me. You're the apparent expert on this kind of thing here." Bryce parried accusingly.
"I have a theory, but that's all. You remember the theft of my bag the night of my arrival?" Alex questioned, with a simple nod from the chief. "I have a theoretical outcome to that. Reza most likely stole it, using the extra gun I had to frame me." The smaller male trailed off. He was scared of the consequences from all this. What if he himself ended up being found guilty of his enemy's crimes?
"That sounds unlikely. If Reza stole your bag the night you arrived, he'd have to know you'd end up making an enemy out of him." The larger male countered the point made hastily. It didn't seem at all plausible sans evidence.
"That's why it's only a theory." The man stated simply, going back to the body. "Let's see here..." He pulled a single bullet from his pistol. pressing the tip to the wound revealed something chilling for him.
"Is something the matter? And what the heck are you doing?" The dragon took on a look of shock as he observed the events unfolding.
"I'm checking the caliber of the bullet to see if the gun is mine. The entry wound is the same size as this round, so that means he's using a pistol of the same caliber." Alex concluded whilst reloading said round back into his clip. There was one unwanted piece of evidence against him.
"Another weapon like yours?" Bryce questioned with a strange look.
"I hate to admit it's likely. But now lies the issue of who- Oh, hey Sebastian." The brunette addressed the approaching runner.
"Alex. Hey Chief, you still need the witness around for anything?" The smallest reptile asked simply. The wyvern looked so small behind him still. It was as if she'd shrunk down to his size.
"I don't think so. Just get her to the station, get her statement written up and that should do it." The chief stated in that same nonchalant tone. That rich, rumbling voice haunted Alex with every word he spoke. Funny how something once so soothing can turn around and hurt in the blink of an eye.
"Sure thing." The runner turned to address his escortee. "Alright, miss, we're going to have to go to the station for a bit." He requested more bluntly than last time. The human hoped the officer wouldn't have as much stress through the rest of the day.
"Of course. Oh, it's the human again." Adine addressed him in a much less cheery manner. This, in turn, soured his own mood even further.
"My apologies again for yesterday. It didn't help that I was almost killed the night prior." He hoped his mentioning of that fact would at least help his case.
"Wait, what? I don't think I believe that." The wyvern glowered at him suspiciously. "You could just be using that to get me off your back."
"I can guarantee you it's true. Sebastian can vouch, considering he saw me in that hospital bed." The human pointed to his escort casually.
"Hey, don't get me involved. I was just gathering information for the case." Said raptor defended. His face just screamed 'I don't even want to be here anymore'.
"So wait, is it true or not?" Adine shot back, only wanting some sort of closure. There was a tense pause before Sebastian finally spoke up.
"I'm afraid that's classified. And Alex? Don't go talking about this again yourself. Understood?" He ordered, grasping Adine by the wing. Another pause predated any continuation of the conversation.
"Yes sir..." Was all he said. What else could be added without getting in trouble anyway?
"Good. I'll see you back at your apartment." With that, the runner left with his witness to go do their thing. A frustrated sigh escaped the brunette's lips that caught the attention of a certain Chief of Police.
"Alex?" Bryce began.
"I'm fine..." The man wiped away an errant bead of sweat running onto his brow. "It's not like that never happened before." The stocky male masked his ever-present concern with false relief as he turned around. A veil that proved to be see-through regardless. Alex, however, let his emotions run free. The depression remained an ugly plague on his features.
"I hope so. That look you're wearing isn't a good one. Maybe we should get you a drink or something." Bryce offered, garnering a better kind of attention than he'd received.
"Are... are you asking to hang out? Or am I trying to see something that isn't there?" The human prayed it was the former. He'd do anything to even feel the cheeriness of that night.
"I was more jsut thinking we get you some water. You're really not looking so hot. Not to mention those wine bottles I saw on your table earlier this- oh no." The dragon's face hardened as much as his company's had been as a certain injured officer lumbered up to them.
"So nobody goes and tells me about the violent homicide just last night, huh? I guess I'm less value to my coworkers than my own neighbors." Maverick referenced the first time, where he ended up being asked by said neighbor.
"What are you doing here, Maverick? You just got shot twice last night." The chief groused with great annoyance.
"I was on a walk to rehabilitate myself, and stumbled upon you two. Is that so weird that you have to get pissy with me?" The winged officer addressed their guest with as much comfort as a bed of nails. That definitely didn't help said guest's temper in the slightest.
"What the hell do you want? To kill me for being here?" Alex fired off without thinking.
"I'm not that cruel, Alex. I just find it interesting how-"
"Nobody tells you about this because you're injured, yet I decide to help your boss when he needs it? Funny how you're jumping to conclusions already." He cut the officer off before he could say anything else.
"I was going to say how you could be considered a suspect now. I see that bullet wound on the victim, and you're the one with a gun that makes no noise." Maverick fired back.
"And how would you know? I've never even used it." Alex tried to give him a hint that he was sounding crazy. But to no avail. The angered officer just snarled as though he were going to pounce.
"Oh I have. And believe me, I won't let it happen again." He couldn't even move an inch before the human was in his face, a hand holding his head stiff.
"I suggest you stop. You sound completely insane right now. And you wouldn't want to lose Bryce's trust, would you?" The smaller male whispered in an attempt to reason with him. Something clicked in his head as he pulled away. A tense silence filled the air for only a moment before it was broken once more.
"Fine. But don't think I'm going to stop with you." With that, Maverick calmly left the two to ponder just what had gone on.
"What the heck did you say to him? And what was he talking about when he said you used that weapon of yours before?" Bryce questioned as soon as his friend was out of earshot.
"Forget about it. It's just something that's been going on lately." The brunette tried to maintain his cover to no avail.
"No, it's not just that. Maverick was talking about something that you say never happened. And if it involves you too, then I need to know just what that is. Especially if it involves yours or Reza's cases." The stocky reptile argued with profound annoyance. Not that he could be blamed. All he wanted was the truth, and he was instead being brushed off.
"That's the problem: it doesn't. He could've said that because of some dream he had or something. I haven't even shot at anything in the entire time I've been here." Alex prayed that explanation would cover them both, because he did not want to get into another argument so soon after that tragedy.
"I hope you're not lying, Alex. If what he's saying is true, you could be in a lot of trouble." Bryce fired back. All the work he does, and he gets this.
"I guarantee you I'm not. I'll keep you posted if I find or remember something." The ambassador assured him before leaving with his own thoughts...