By the time Nines opened his eyes again, most of the day had passed. The added stress had taken a toll on his systems, so it had taken extra time to reorder his thoughts and replenish his energy reserves. His stress levels had completely calmed, which was more than he could say for his partner. Gavin was jittery. Nervous. It wasn't a state he usually associated with him. The moment he'd opened his eyes, Gavin had been there checking up on him. Making sure he was alright, asking about his stress levels, asking if he needed any thirium.

It was late afternoon. Gavin and Elijah had remained in the parlour the whole day since Gavin hadn't wanted to leave Nines' side. He'd managed to sleep a little more while he waited. He'd curled up on a sofa close to Nines' resting form to sleep, often jerking awake just a few minutes later. Elijah had kept watch, diligently shaking his shoulder whenever he'd sensed a nightmare coming on. Chloe had seen that Gavin ate something, and when Nines woke up, she'd already had some thirium ready.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Nines asked sensitively as he sat upright in the chair he'd been recharging in earlier. Gavin locked his fingers together, gripping and fiddling as he looked at the floor and nodded from his place on the sofa. He couldn't really say he was ready, but they had to go through it all at some point. He may as well get it over with. Elijah and Chloe had stepped out, both understanding the need for confidentiality and discretion where official statements were concerned. "Very well. State your name and rank for the record," Nines instructed calmly as he began an official recording.

"Detective Gavin Alexander Reed of the Detroit Police Department," Gavin listed anxiously. His leg was already bouncing as he turned his thoughts back to the previous day. It was a lot to take in. A lot to unpack. A lot to confront. Nines remained calm and collected as he decided where to begin his line of questioning. It made sense to start right near the beginning of their day. It offered a lead-in, something less traumatic for Gavin to focus on first.

"Will you begin your account at the start of your day? What were you doing at the station yesterday morning?" Nines asked calmly, watching Gavin sigh out a breath as he closed his eyes and took himself back to the previous working day. It had been just another normal, boring day. Nothing stood out except that he'd been a little anxious about the lack of contact from Aaron. Less anxious…more annoyed…I thought he was just busy and ignoring my calls. The thought sent guilt coiling through his insides.

"I was writing up some reports and waiting on a text or call from Aaron. Aaron Hughes…We hadn't spoken for a couple of days, so I was getting a little annoyed about it. We didn't fight on Friday, so I was expecting to get another call or text soon…That's when I got the email, the one I forwarded to you," Gavin recounted, green eyes flicking up for confirmation. Nines nodded his agreement. He remembered, of course. The old Cyberlife email address. He'd already run it to find that it was one of many outdated accounts. Once addresses went out of use, they would often become available for purchase online. For now, he didn't see the relevance of the address itself, but he'd flagged it for Colin's interest.

"You had never seen this email account before that day, and you had no idea who it could have belonged to at the time. Is that correct?" Nines asked for confirmation, watching Gavin's jaw tighten. His whole body was tense. If he'd had any idea, any at all, he would have called Perkins. The last thing he'd wanted to do was put himself in the middle of another crime scene like that. To be targeted like that. He felt violated. He felt sick. He felt…The experience had seeped into every pore, hit him on every level. He never wanted to see one of those fucking clocks again. He wasn't even sure he could handle seeing thirium again at this point.

"N-No, I didn't recognise it. That's part of the reason I decided to check it out…I thought maybe it was one of my informants in trouble and looking for an out. It happens sometimes if they can't make a call directly. It didn't even cross my mind that…" Reed trailed off, licking his lips as they dried out. It was harder than he thought. His heart was pounding already, and they'd barely even started. Nines watched Gavin's stress spike and paused, waiting for him to take a few breaths before continuing. His skin was getting an unhealthy white sheen as he continued to fidget.

"When we arrived at the scene, was there anything out of place?" Nines asked sensitively, watching Gavin pause thoughtfully before shaking his head. He hadn't seen it coming. Not a single thing about the store had set him on edge. It had looked like a completely abandoned building without a trace of activity on the stairs or anywhere else. "You decided that we would split up. Why?" Nines asked, strictly for the record. He understood Gavin's reasoning perfectly, and fully agreed with his assessment.

"It seemed like the best plan at the time. From what I could tell, no one had been in the house for some time. There were no prints on the stairs, so I thought upstairs would be clear. It made sense for the strongest person to stay downstairs and keep an eye out for trouble while I cleared the top floor to follow procedure," Gavin explained nervously, which was perfectly reasonable. With Nines' scanning capabilities, he would have sensed anyone approaching long before they reached the door, and being bulletproof gave him a clear advantage in being the first point of contact. That wasn't even factoring in his advanced combat protocols.

"What happened once you went upstairs?" Nines asked curiously, watching Gavin's stress climb as he shifted in his seat. Nines waited patiently, silvery eyes urging Gavin to take all the time he needed. Gavin coughed, trying to keep his airways open as a panic attack loomed over him. Nines gave him a steady look, nodding for him to take his time and breathe. It was hard, trying to get it out. Gavin looked up at the ceiling as he felt his eyes begin to itch and water again.

"I-I started in the bathroom. Sometimes when informants want to leave a message they'll hide it, so I checked the toilet and behind the sink. When I didn't find anything, I went to the next room. It was a small workshop. Lots of old tools and papers had been left lying around. I didn't see anything suspicious or out of place, so I headed into the master bedroom," he trailed off, feeling his throat close up at the very thought of it. Nines was gentle, a soft tone encouraging him to take his time. Gavin could feel his bottom lip trembling already. "The next room, it-was-dark…Electricity was out, s-so I couldn't t-turn the light on. W-when I went in the door sh-shut-behind-me. I-couldn't-open-it…h-handle-was-gone…" he continued, stopping to take a few calming breaths. Nines sat forward in his chair and leaned down to catch Gavin's eye where he was sitting on the sofa.

"You're doing well, Gavin…Keep going. What did you see?" he encouraged gently. He used his softest tone, coaxing Gavin gently and comforting him with his presence. Gavin's breath was stuttering and shaking. He swiped his eyes almost angrily to get rid of the tears that threatened to fall.

"I had to turn on my flashlight…I saw a table, sort of like a bench. There was a small box on it and…something else. It was under this…white sheet," Gavin replied in a quivering tone, reluctant to go further. Nines was patient, simply waiting until he was ready to continue. Gavin took a few more shaky breaths, swallowing the lump in his throat before continuing. "I-I opened the box first. It was a music box…I didn't recognise the tune right away. There was a note inside that said did you miss me, too? It was part of a pair…I didn't realise it at first, but I got the first note before. I-thought-it-was-from-Aaron!" Gavin excused desperately, pausing as Nines held up a hand for silence. This was new information he hadn't been aware of before. He was almost reluctant to ask as he noticed Gavin tearing up.

"You received another note?" he pressed gently, watching Gavin nod his agreement.

"T-the day before…When we got back from lunch with Connor and Colin, there was a message at the front desk for me. It just said I missed you, Gavin. I thought it was from Aaron! I thought he'd stopped by to see me-and…Once I read the note, I recognised the song in the music box. It was Hickory Dickory Dock. I-I-knew…I knew it had to be him," Gavin continued, his voice catching as he recalled what had come next. The sheet. The blue. The clocks. The noise. The dismembered body parts. He had to go through it all. He couldn't stop yet. He closed his eyes as his head started spinning. Nines was gentle as he continued.

"What did you do next?"

"I pulled the sheet. S-stupid…I should have called-you, but…W-when I did that there was this light…phcking bright," Gavin recounted with a wince at the memory. That wasn't entirely true. The light given off by the power core had been no worse than a standard bulb in Nines' estimation, however after the intense darkness, and with his heightened stress level, it must have seemed almost blinding. "Then there was the noise…All-these-clocks…I don't know how many. I-it-was-so-loud! There was an open android body under the sheet. Just the torso, with a h-head stuffed in its abdomen, just left open on the table, and l-lots-of…bits…b-bits-of-android…j-just shoved in these phcking clocks! There was writing…Hello Gavin. It had been painted on the wall in thirium…It was still blue, Nines! It-hadn't-even-phcking-dried-yet!" Gavin cursed tearfully as he curled over further and covered his face. Nines nodded his agreement. The fact that the thirium had maintained its blue hue was telling. It meant there were only around four or five hours between the set-up and their arrival. It is likely that the email was sent shortly after the scene was completed…

"What happened next?" Nines asked, knowing they had to complete the statement.

"I-I don't know…I-was-just…I think I fell? And then you came," Gavin concluded, his partner nodding his satisfaction. He could compile his own statement to corroborate and explain what had happened next. "Phck, Nines…This is my fault! If I hadn't been sleeping with Aaron, then he'd-" Gavin began, pausing as Nines' fingertips rested firmly against his trembling lips. He'd moved to crouch in front of him, blue eyes firm as he regarded his vulnerable form.

"You cannot hold yourself accountable for the actions of a sadistic serial killer. Mr Hughes' death was the Hickory Killer's decision. Not yours," Nines assured, though it seemed to offer Gavin little comfort. It may not have been what he'd wanted, but it had only happened because they'd been sleeping together. The worst part was that it hadn't even been a serious relationship. He and Aaron had only been sleeping together on and off for a few weeks, a couple of months, maybe three? Then there was another more selfish part that wondered who it would have been if not Aaron. If the killer had looked a little closer, maybe he would have gone for Nines. That thought made his blood run cold and his stomach knot with guilt. "I will contact Colin and Connor with an update," Nines added, his LED spinning yellow as he made the calls internally.

As if sensing an end to the discussion, Chloe entered with a tray of food. She insisted that Gavin had barely eaten a thing all day. It was an easy to eat vegetable soup that wouldn't upset his somewhat sensitive stomach. He accepted the tray at Nines' gentle insistence that he ate something, though he was slow to make progress. Elijah also joined them, the dampness of his hair suggesting he'd recently showered. It was likely he'd been in his workshop and washed to make sure there were no traces of thirium on his skin.

The arrival of the second human was actually quite fortuitous. It seemed Elijah was determined to make his brother feel better, or at least distract him a little. They played cards, watched TV and even played some old video games that Gavin had been surprised he owned. They were old two dimensional games from the nineties that had been designed to play with two players racing against each other. The brothers were evenly matched, and for a few minutes it seemed Gavin was able to lose himself as he leaned over to elbow Elijah's arm. He even managed a chuckle as Elijah accused him of cheating and challenged him to another round.

While the humans were occupied, Nines took the opportunity to properly converse with his brothers, both of whom were eager for news about Gavin. He updated them with Gavin's statement, as well as his own. Colin and Connor both jumped on various parts. Colin was already searching up more information on the email address. Connor was searching Reed's desk for the first note since he hadn't mentioned throwing it away. They all agreed that the killer had likely completed the scene around the time Gavin had received the email. Colin had sent in requests for any CCTV footage in the immediate area, though it wasn't too promising considering how rundown the street was. Connor had been in contact with Haley to ask about the evidence forensics had gathered. The lack of fingerprints leaned towards android involvement. Judging by the time of the first murders, I doubt the original killer was an android, so has he had an accomplice all this time? Is the accomplice a deviant?

Nines also contacted Fowler for further instructions. He was more than understanding of why Nines wasn't at the precinct and insisted he was doing the right thing by staying close to Gavin. Gavin would be off duty for at least a week, and at the end of that time he'd be expected in for sessions with Dr Marr. Whether he was fit to return to work would be decided at a later date. Until then, Nines was instructed to remain at his partner's side. Fowler didn't want Gavin to be alone. The killer was clearly gunning for him directly now. The fewer opportunities they gave him, the better. Nines agreed. It was a sensible precaution. It would also allow him to curb any potentially self-destructive behaviour Gavin may wish to partake in.