Chapter 2: The Crimson Killer

"…The what?" I questioned, blinking owlishly up at Tatsuya from where I sat at my desk. He crossed his arms over his chest, nodding his head proudly. "Yep, that's what we've decided to call whoever it is that's committing all of these murders." He smirked.

"That's what you've decided to call them, Tatsuya. It's probably not going to catch on." Hiroshi, one of the other officers assigned to this case, piped up from his desk on the other side of the room. "What? Oh, come on- it's catchy! And I don't see any of you pitching any ideas! We can't just keep referring to whoever this is as 'You-know-who' or 'that special case we're working on'! That's so lame." Tatsuya whined. I crossed my legs and leaned back in my swivel-chair, frowning at him.

"Yeah, but, the Crimson Killer? It sounds like something that came out of a low-budget sci-fi movie." Tatsuya gaped at me.

"It does not! And it makes sense, too!" he said defensively. I raised a brow at him. "You know, because every time they kill someone they always leave a ton of blood everywhere? Get it?" he explained. I got it, but, I wasn't about to let him know that. When I stayed silent, he pursed his lips into a pout.

"I'm hurt that no one here seems to appreciate my creativity." He grumbled, trudging back over to his desk.

"What I'd appreciate," we all stood straight to attention as Chief Sato entered the room, "is for you all to do your jobs and find out who this psychopath really is, instead of giving him a pet name. Before someone else gets hurt." He snapped, his bushy gray brows furrowed in agitation. "Yes sir, sorry sir." We chorused together.

I guess I should tell you who this "we" consists of. Well, as you heard earlier, not too long ago I was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. This promotion meant that I got assigned to a small team of other Sergeants for "special cases" like the one we were currently working on.

There's Tatsuya Yamada, who was my partner for ten years before he was promoted to Sergeant. We were still technically "partners" but he would occasionally get called off for a special assignment, leaving me to team up with someone else. He's only thirty-seven, a few years older than me, but with his sharp features and head of shaggy blonde hair, he could probably pass for someone in his twenties.

Then there's Hiroshi Hisakawa. He had a mess of curly red hair and was so muscular he looked like he could be playing American football. There's also Atsushi Shoji, who's tall and lanky- but built like a gymnast, with long, silky black hair, which he usually keeps in a ponytail. Finally, there's Eiko Nakahara- who was the only girl besides me. She had long, curly black hair and sharp gray eyes. She looked like she should be a model instead of a police officer.

So, yeah. That's our little team.

Anyway, getting back on track.

It's been a total of four days since we found Shou and Mitsuru Ayakashi dead in that alley. Four days of constant working, practically no sleep, and no leads. We talked to their parents, but they didn't really five us any information that we could use. Apparently both Shou and Mitsuru were exceptionally good students, and great children. They had been coming home from a party when they died, and we've been trying to get ahold of the person that was hosting the party for the past four days. It was some kid named Seiichi Hirayama, but he and his family have been "out of town" since the day after the party.

"It just doesn't make any sense." Atsushi mumbled, sifting through several reports and occasionally glancing at the pictures he'd placed on his desk.

"What?" I asked, walking over to him.

"There's nothing, absolutely nothing that links the victims together. They were all found in different parts of town, and at different hours of the night. I mean, there's not even a pattern, or any similarities in looks. It's almost like they were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. So whoever did this-"

"Crimson Killer…" Tatsuya coughed into his fist. Atsushi sent him a glare and rolled his eyes,

"So this Crimson Killer," Tatsuya gave a satisfied smile, "is just killing on a whim. Almost like he's bored or something."

"What makes you think it's a man?" Eiko asked, arching a brow as she made her way over to where we'd all begun to cluster around Atsushi's desk. Even Chief Sato had come to listen in. "The needle-like wounds, even possible use of an animal- it could be a woman out for revenge. The victims may not have connections to each other but they could all be linked to the killer in some way." She suggested.

"Maybe, but I don't think so. I mean, look at this." Atsushi said, "Some of the victims had bones that were snapped in half. Necks, arms, even legs. One of the more recent victims," he gestured to the picture of Shou, "Even had his head bashed in. I don't think any woman has the strength to do that." He murmured.

"Steroids." Eiko shrugged.

"I doubt it." Atsushi frowned at her.

"Well, we do know a few things." I piped up, leaning against Hiroshi's desk behind me. "They were all killed at night, in an alleyway or some other confined and-or deserted area. I don't think anyone would willingly go somewhere so remote with someone they didn't know. So it's likely they either knew their killer, or were abducted." I stated.

"Maybe. Or it's also possible they were lured." Tatsuya said. I turned to him curiously. "Someone asks for help, maybe their friend is injured or something, and leads the victim away from other people to a more isolated area, and then they kill them." Tatsuya expanded. Huh… That actually made sense. It was clever, too.

The phone on Hiroshi's desk rang and he reached around me to answer it. "Sergeant Hisakawa… Yes… What? Okay, thanks. We'll be right there." He hung up quickly and grabbed his coat, turning to the rest of us. "Another body's just been found."

Hiroshi and I were the two on our team who were nominated to go to the scene where the body had been found. Chief Sato thought it was unnecessary for all of us to go, and since I was still relatively "new" it was decided that I needed more experience. As for Hiroshi, well, he already had his coat on. The others were left behind to do more research and to figure out when Seiichi Hirayama would be returning.

I kind of wished Tatsuya were here... Not that I disliked Hiroshi or anything, but Tatsuya and I worked better together. I'd known him for years, whereas I had only known Hiroshi for a few days. I guess that was another reason I was elected to go. I needed to get to know the team better.

When we were the second ones to arrive on scene, after a pair of officers who had responded to the call of the man who'd found the body. The medical examiners arrived just after we did, and we followed them to where the body had been found.

The park was surrounded by a forested area, and the man who found the victim said he was hiking when he found some blood and followed the trail, stumbling upon the body in the process. We followed his directions and found ourselves about a mile or two into the forest. Nice and secluded from the rest of society. This was a tad strange, though. It was getting close to five o' clock now, and the sun had yet to completely set. Most of these killings happened at night, but the body had been found not even an hour ago.

"He hasn't been dead long, a few hours actually." Shigeru, the leading medical examiner, told us. "Apart from the wounds in his neck, he doesn't appear to have any other injuries. I would say, if anything, he died from blood loss." He added. "It would also seem as though someone tried to stop the bleeding." I looked at him curiously, "What?"

He took out a pair of tweezers and picked up a wadded up, bloody cloth. "This was lying beside his neck when I started examining him." He said.

"Couldn't someone have been trying to wipe off the blood from their hands?" Hiroshi questioned. "Not with how soaked this cloth is. Not to mention the fact that some of the blood around the victims wound shows signs of clotting. Whoever it was that tried, was just too late to save him." Shigeru said, a thoughtful frown forming on his features.

After that, Hiroshi and I looked around for any evidence that may help us catch this killer. And, no, I will not call them "The Crimson Killer". I will not allow Tatsuya to get in my head. Because that name is just stupid… Anyway.

The sky was cluttered with thick, black rain clouds, and with the sunlight quickly receding, I was forced to get my flashlight. I was shining the light the ground, looking for any clues to help us in our case, when I found it. A trail of blood leading away from the body. I turned to tell Hiroshi of my discovery, but he was on the phone. He didn't look like he'd be getting off anytime soon, either, if the way he kept sighing and pacing back and forth was any indication. I looked up at the sound of a low roll of thunder and frowned. I could either wait for Hiroshi and risk losing the trail, or follow the trail and risk his wrath later for going off on my own.

I followed the trail.

It was difficult, though. Whoever it was that had made this trail seemed to be very agile. I had to climb over rocks, logs, and push my way through several bushes along the way. After I'd been walking for quite a while, and was debating on whether or not I should just turn back, I heard struggling up ahead. I immediately reached for my gun, clutching it tightly in one hand with my flashlight in the other.

The sounds were coming from behind a rather thick row of bushes, and seemed to grow louder as I approached. Just as I reached the bushes there was a loud, blood-curdling screech quickly followed by a gunshot. My eyes wide, I hurried through the bushes, gun at the ready.

A man stared back at me, startled at my sudden appearance. He was tall, with a tan trench-coat and cowboy styled hat and boots. His wild black hair flowed from underneath his hat and a lone blue eye watched me curiously. He had a shotgun in his right hand and seemed to be evaluating how to go about the current situation. He seemed awfully familiar… Oh well, there's no time to think about that now.

"Don't move." I seethed. He seemed ready to protest, but when he caught sight of the badge hooked to my belt, he furrowed a brow and stood stock still. "Put the gun down." I ordered. He sighed, seemingly irritated, and did as I instructed, swearing under his breath as he did so.

It was then I saw the blood on his sleeves and pants. "Is that your blood?" I asked, narrowing my eyes and gripping my gun tighter. He blinked and looked down at his arms. Realization seemed to dawn on him and he held his hands up in a calming motion, "You've got the wrong idea." He said.

"Oh really?" I sneered. "And what are you doing way up here, by yourself? I heard a commotion earlier, so what happened to the person who was with you?" I demanded. He took a deep breath and his brow furrowed, "I was hunting." He said.

"Is that why you fired your gun?" he nodded. "I've never heard anything make a noise like that. Where'd your kill go?" I asked innocently. He blinked and frowned. "It got away." He muttered, turning his head away from me.

"Hm. Well, you do realize it's illegal to hunt so close to town, right?" I asked him. He blinked and sighed again.

"I had no idea." He replied. I noticed a small pile of… something, sitting next to him and frowned, "What is that?" I asked, jerking my head at the gray substance. "Ash. From a fire." He replied smoothly.

"I didn't smell any smoke."

"It's been out for a while."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really."

"Set up camp here?"

"Maybe."

"Then where's the rest of your camping equipment?"

"I said maybe."

"Then where's your camp?"

"Not here."

"Why'd you light a fire?"

"I was cold."

"You know that's illegal too, right?"

"Then arrest me."

"Fine." I said with a smirk. His frown deepened and a silence stretched between us. I evaluated the situation thoughtfully. He was way taller than me, I probably came up to his chest, and he was more muscular than I was, too. Not as muscular as Hiroshi, but, still. There was no way I could arrest this guy by myself.

"Katsumi?" Well, speak of the devil. "I'm over here, Hiroshi!" I called back to him. There was some rustling before Hiroshi's ginger head poked out from the bushes. "There you are." He said, walking towards me. He took in my stance and froze, eyes trailing over to where the other man stood.

"What's going on?" he asked, reaching for his own gun. "He says he was out hunting. Pretty close to the crime scene, though. Kind of makes me wonder if he knows anything about it." I said. Hiroshi's frown deepened and he took out his hand-cuffs, approaching the man cautiously. "Yeah, me too." He said, pinning the man's arms behind his back and clicking the cuffs into place. The whole time, the man never said another word. He just stood there, a frown plastered on his face.

"Okay, pal. We've got some questions for you." Hiroshi said, leading the man back the way he'd came.

"More questions?" the man asked, throwing a pointed look in my direction and causing me to frown.

When we finally got him secured in the car, Hiroshi turned to me with a frown. "What were you thinking, going off on your own like that? You could've gotten hurt." He scolded me. "I found a blood trail and I didn't want to lose it. Which I may have, if I had waited any longer." I said. A loud echo of thunder rumbled through the sky, emphasizing my point. "Something could have happened to you, Katsumi." Hiroshi retorted.

"But nothing did." I countered.

"But something could have." Hiroshi growled, and I shut my mouth. No way did I want to make him angry. He could probably snap me in two. Not to mention he was right.

"I'm sorry." I replied with instead. Satisfied with my answer, Hiroshi turned to look at the man in the car. "Now, what's the deal with this guy?" he asked.

"He was close to where the body was found, covered in blood, and…" I hesitated. "I think he shot someone." I answered. Hiroshi raised his brows in surprise. "I'm not certain he did, but I heard a scream and a gunshot. But when I found him he was the only one there." I said.

"I'll tell the other officers to keep a lookout for another body, then." Hiroshi said, turning to look at the man we'd just arrested.

"What do you think you're doing? You can't go in there, kid!" I turned my head towards the commotion to see two officers blocking a boy from moving any further into the park. Curious, I walked over to them, Hiroshi in tow. "What's going on?" Hiroshi asked. The officers turned to us.

"This kid keeps trying to move past the police perimeter. I've been telling him to move back, but he won't listen." One of them spoke, gesturing to the tall, silver haired boy behind him. A strange feeling buzzed in my skull and sent a slightly uneasy feeling through the rest of my body as we neared the boy. He just had this strange aura about him. It was somewhat hypnotizing, but there was something else. It felt almost… Dangerous.

The boy frowned at me as I got closer, but his violet eyes darted over my shoulder and his expression became slightly troubled. I followed his gaze and saw that he was looking at the man we had just arrested, who was frowning and looking rather annoyed as he sat in the back seat.

"Do you know that man?" I asked, turning back to the boy. His eyes met mine and I was surprised at how angry he looked. The look passed quickly though, and for a moment I thought I had imagined it. He now looked rather irritated and shoved his hands deep within his jean pockets as he turned his head to the side.

"No." he answered briskly.

"Mind telling us why you were so keen on getting past the police perimeter, then?" Hiroshi piped up beside me. The boy turned his violet gaze on Hiroshi and frowned,

"I was just out for a walk, I didn't realize the perimeter was so widely set. I'll just take my leave now." He retorted, and turned on his heel to start walking back the way he came. I watched him go, and the aura left with him, clinging like some sort of shadow or fog.

"What's with all these people wanting to get in on our crime scene?" Hiroshi mumbled, scratching the back of his head as we walked back to his car. I gave a wry smile as I opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. The man we'd placed in the back said nothing, just stared blankly out the window as we took off. Even Hiroshi's constant jabs and incessant questions didn't faze him. We got him downtown and into a cell without even a word of protest… Which bothered me.

I entered the cell room alone. The others were pouring over the recent pictures we'd taken and any connections the current victim may have had with the others. I, on the other hand, couldn't focus on any of it. I was too curious as to what this man was "hunting" in the middle of the woods.

He was the only prisoner we had at the moment, so he had the cell all to himself. He leaned lazily against the wall, sitting comfortably upon the metal bench that was bolted to the stone behind him. His hat was jerked down over his eyes and his hands were folded across his stomach, making it look as though he were sleeping.

"Do I at least get a phone call?" he asked dryly, not even bothering to look up at me. I scoffed and crossed my arms. "Depends on how you behave." I retorted.

"I haven't put up a fight so far, have I?" he asked, spreading his arms out questioningly. I frowned and shifted uneasily. "True." I muttered. We were both silent after that. I took the lapse of silence as a moment to study him more closely. He still had blood splattered on the sleeves of his tan coat, and along the tip of his cowboy boots. Wait a minute…

"Do I know you?" I asked. At this, he tipped his hat back to look at me, his lone eye staring at me quizzically. "You seem familiar…" I added, taking a step closer to the bars that separated us. He stared at me for a moment before smirking and jerking his hat back down snugly over his face.

"I don't believe we have. I'm pretty sure I'd remember you." He called from under his hat. Was that supposed to be a… compliment? "You seem to leave a very lasting impression." He added sarcastically, holding one hand up in the air like a gun. My face flushed and I frowned at him. I had aimed my gun at him in self-defense. He had a shot-gun for Pete's sake! What was I supposed to do? We lapsed into another round of silence after that.

"What's your name?" I asked suddenly. The man sighed irritably from under his hat before tilting it up just enough that his words wouldn't be muffled.

"You're kind of annoying, you know that?" he snapped. "Can't you see I'm trying to go to sleep? I'm tired." He grumbled before pulling the hat back down once more. The hair on the back of my neck bristled and I scoffed,

"Yeah, that's a great way to get that phone call you want." I retorted.

"Keep it." He called back. I grit my teeth to keep from yelling at him. The nerve of this guy! I took a deep breath and smirked.

"You're right, I should leave you alone. I'm sure committing murder is exhausting work." This seemed to get his attention. He brought his hat back, and his single blue eye regarded me icily.

"I didn't kill anyone." His voice was firm, unwavering and cold. He seemed angry that I had even suggested it.

"Then why were you covered in the victim's blood?" I asked. He inhaled deeply through his nose before letting out a sigh.

"I was out hunting, when I came across him. He was already bleeding pretty bad, and had been for a while, but I still tried to do what I could to help him. I was just too late." He said slowly.

"So, what, he died and you didn't think to call the police? You just thought, 'Oh well, I tried' and kept hunting?" I demanded. He frowned at me,

"No. I'm not that stupid, or thoughtless." He snapped. "There was a hiker who stumbled upon us. I told him to call the police." He added.

"He never mentioned seeing someone else at the crime scene." I countered. He frowned at me from behind the bars,

"He wouldn't. I asked him not to. I was in the middle of a hunting trip, you know." He said. He began patting down his pockets absentmindedly, and looked a little confused for a minute before realization dawned on him and he scratched the back of his head. "You wouldn't mind if I smoked in here, would you?" he asked.

"I would, actually." I replied, pointing to a sign on the door that read "No Smoking Beyond This Point" in bold black letters. He swore under his breath and lay his head, rather harshly, against the wall behind him. "Well, they took my cigarettes from me anyway. God knows I could use one." He muttered.

"You and me both." I mumbled under my breath, leaning against the wall across from him. He smirked at that and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "What do they call you again, Sergeant?" he asked, the smirk still on his face.

"Didn't we start the name-game a few minutes ago?" I retorted. He let out a chuckle and stood up, walking towards the bars. He stopped just a few feet away and leaned against them lazily.

"Toga Yagari." He said.

"Katsumi Kishitani." I replied. The door swung open then, and both of our heads snapped in its direction. I blinked in surprise as Kaien Cross walked in, looking worried- a rather miffed looking Tatsuya behind him.

"Headmaster Cross?" I asked, confused. He ignored me and instead hurried over to the bars where Yagari was standing.

"Thank goodness! I was so worried! You didn't get roughed up by the cops any, did you? Or beaten up by your cell-mates?" he questioned rapidly, tears streaming down his face. Yagari just looked annoyed at the crying man's presence.

"Do I look like I even have cell-mates?" he snapped, and then took a deep breath to calm himself. "What're you doing here, Kaien?" he asked, irritated. The Headmaster looked shocked and placed a hand over his heart.

"I hear that my dearest friend has been arrested, and rush faithfully to his side, and this is how you treat me?" he exclaimed. Yagari sighed and leaned his forehead against the bars of his cell. The headmaster knows him? Wait a second-

"I do remember you!" I exclaimed, pointing at Yagari, who turned to me with a raised brow. "You bumped into me as I was leaving the Academy." I added. Yagari frowned and then shrugged, causing my brow to tick. Stupid man…

"Oh, hello Sergeant Kishitani!" Kaien smiled brightly at me, noticing me for the first time. "Could you let this man out of his cell, please?" He asked, stepping aside and gesturing to the lock on the cell. I arched a brow at him and crossed my arms firmly over my chest.

"And why would I do that?" I asked.

"Because I've just paid his bail and you have nothing to hold him on." He replied, his smile never leaving his face.

"I do, actually." I retorted. Kaien frowned at this,

"Oh? And what's that?" he inquired.

"Suspected murder." I stated. Yagari sighed in exasperation.

"I told you already- I didn't kill anyone! I tried to save him!" he snapped. I rolled my eyes before I turned to him,

"Oh, and I'm supposed to just take your word for it?" I snapped back at him. He grit his teeth and his eye narrowed at me.

"Even so," the Headmaster began seriously, "I've paid his bail, and you've no proof that he actually committed any murder. He said he was trying to save him, and it's your word, and lack of evidence, against his." he added. I was about to retort, but there was a glint in his eye that made me bite down on any argument I may have been about to make. I pressed my lips into a thin line and looked over to Tatsuya. Surely he'd be on my side here. This situation was completely ridiculous. Instead of backing me up, he shrugged at me, a frown tugging down the corners of his lips.

"Chief Sato okayed it. If you wanna take it up with him, be my guest." He commented, holding his hands up defensively. I sighed, casting a withering glance at Yagari. He stared right back at me, and I sighed again. I held my hand out to Tatsuya, and he dropped the cell keys into my palm with an apologetic smile. I ignored him and marched over to the cell, shoving the key in the lock and twisting it harshly. I swung open the cell door and stepped away as I waited for Yagari to exit. He tilted his hat to me in, I guess, what was supposed to be a "gentlemanly" manner as he passed.

"Thank you, for your hospitality." He said sarcastically, as he exited his cell and walked with the Headmaster towards the door. I watched them leave with a frown on my face. Something didn't add up…

"Hold on a second." I called after them. Both Yagari and Kaien turned to look at me. "Headmaster Cross, how did you know that he was here?" I asked, gesturing to the dark haired man beside him. "He wasn't granted a phone call." I added, eyeing the blonde suspiciously.

"Well… You see…" he stammered, scratching the back of his head. I arched a brow, waiting for his answer.

"Yagari is my bestest-best friend! And when he didn't come home from his hunting trip I started getting really worried about him, so I went to the police to file a report- but it turns out you'd already found him!" he exclaimed, hugging Yagari tightly and practically sobbing all over him. My eyes widened at the affectionate display, and I swear I saw a muscle on Yagari's jaw twitch. He brought a fist up and slammed it down, hard, on top of Kaien's head.

"You idiot. Why do you have to be such a moron sometimes?" Yagari growled at the blonde, who was holding his head in pain, as silent tears streamed down his cheeks.

"You… Live together?" Tatsuya questioned. Yagari froze and let out a growl of irritation.

"No." he said firmly. Kaien raised a shaky hand in protest,

"Well, technically, you do live-" Yagari shot him a glare and the blonde snapped his mouth shut.

"No, we don't. Now let's go, before your stupidity rubs off on someone." Yagari grumbled, storming out of the cell block. I sighed as the pair left, pressing my back against the cool stone of the cell block walls.

"Well, there goes one of our only possible leads." I muttered. Tatsuya chuckled at my expression.

"'Possible' being the keyword, there. I don't think he did it." Tatsuya shrugged at me. I looked over to him, incredulous.

"What? I'm just saying, I think he was telling the truth!" Tatsuya defended. I scoffed and pushed by him, out to where the rest of our little team was meeting around Atsushi's desk. Curious, I headed over to them.

"What's going on?" I asked, standing beside Eiko.

"That Hirayama kid's back in town. He called and said he wants to come in to the station 'personally' to answer our questions." Atsushi said. Tatsuya frowned as he came up behind me, "When?"

"Sometime tomorrow." Hiroshi shrugged, rubbing the back of his head and fighting back a yawn.

"Well, in that case, go home. Get some rest and come in ready to work tomorrow. I want this… Crimson Killer, caught as soon as possible." Chief Sato instructed, turning on his heel and marching into his office. Tatsuya waited until the door slammed shut before turning to the rest of us with a cheeky grin.

"See? I told you it was catchy."

A/N

Hooolllyyy craaaap! :O
This is probably the longest chapter I've ever written. Granted I probably should have split this into two chapters, but I couldn't find a good place to stop.
Anywho, feedback would be appreciated :)