Is there anybody out there waiting for me on my way?
If that somebody is you, then baby, I just wanna say
Tonight, nothing will bring us down
Tonight, we're at the lost and found

Guess I need to run, take me to the bus
But don't let me go, no, don't let me on
Gotta hold me tight, won't put up a fight
Of course I'll stay, I'll stay the night – Ellie Goulding

It took another two days before we finally got a report about a missing woman. Despite the sad circumstances, we were relieved to finally have found out, who our Jane Doe was.

It was Thursday afternoon and we had stayed busy discussing different theories, eventually concluding that the killer apparently preferred working on the weekends. The first victim had been killed Saturday night and the second in the early hours of Monday morning, meaning that the suspect had been keeping her alive for some time since he had taken his time to cut up her back.

Nevertheless, our theories didn't help much when we had no proof.
We got the call about a possible I.D at eleven and we were both anxious waiting for any news. Time had never felt slower and by the time my cell phone finally rang about the results, four hours had passed, giving Tennoji plenty of time to curse and complain about the technicians incompetence and nearly picking a fight with Hanai three times. Nevertheless, it was progress that we desperately needed and we left the station immediately.

''Any details about the report?'' He asked as he glanced at the GPS, checking the route.

''Twenty-three-year-old Takenaka Haruko. She's a college student and lives alone. Apparently, it was one of her professors who reported her missing.'' I spoke while looking at the report on my phone.

''A professor, really?''

''She kept to herself so no one really noticed that she was missing besides him.'' I sighed and glanced out the window. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl.

''Right… Any technicians?''

''No, they'll process her room later. They have their hands full with another crime scene, but you know the drill, gloves and all that.''

He nodded and we turned a corner, approaching a tall, gray building that consisted of cheap apartments in the outskirts of the center of the city. It was mainly inhabited by students and many of them knew it as '' the prison'' because all the rooms looked the same. Looking at it, it definitely didn't make me miss the academy days and I suddenly felt old when looking at old the students, despite only being twenty-five.

He parked the car in the parking lot, and despite wearing civilian clothes, everyone seemed to notice us. It wasn't like we weren't used to being looked at by the public, but it still surprised me to see how many had an interest in our presence. Tennoji didn't seem to be bothered by it, or maybe he didn't notice, but he quickly collected the bag from the trunk and began walking. I followed him closely and under the watchful eye of nearly everyone present, we made our way up to the sixth floor and found the apartment that was rented by Takenaka.

A janitor had been waiting for us and let us in without questions. I didn't even get a chance to thank him before he was already walking away and the door closed behind us. Tennoji didn't waste any time and set the bag down so he could open it. He unpacked the plastic gloves and gave me a pair before putting some on his own hands.

''Right, let's look around.'' I hummed.

The apartment was slightly bigger than I had expected. The room we were in both functioned as a kitchen, dining room and living room in one cramped room. Two doors on the left wall lead into what I assumed were a small bedroom and a tiny bathroom. The apartment looked clean, perhaps a bit cluttered with books, but it looked like what you expected of a female student who kept to herself and prioritized her study.

We glanced at each other before beginning with the room we were in, checking the papers and books on her desk and looking at anything that could be useful. It quickly seemed evident that we probably wouldn't find anything interesting. Feeling a bit disappointed, I found her calendar and a notebook in the drawer in her desk while Tennoji checked the bathroom. I flipped through the pages in the notebook, but I quickly lost interest when it was just scribbles from a literature class, and my attention went to the calendar. It was mostly empty and the few entries in it were notes about projects and when they were due.

I let out of huff as I put it back in the drawer and looked around. Spotting a few pictures and small pieces of paper held by magnets on the fridge, I moved to the kitchen. They all looked old, probably from the first year in high school and they were all staged photos, like class photos and one of a swimming team. Other than that, there was a postcard, a few receipts, bills and one envelope.
I didn't pay much attention to what Tennoji was doing, but I heard the door open to the bedroom. I didn't notice the lack of footsteps as I was busy looking at the envelope, but before I could open it, Tennoji's voice caught my attention.

''Wood.''

''What?'' I asked as I turned the envelope around. It only had her full name on the front and nothing else, so it hadn't been mailed.

''Look.''

I turned around, glancing at him with a questioning look. His eyes met mine before they moved, looking at something inside the room, and my glance followed his. I nearly dropped the envelope in my hand and I felt my mouth go dry. Moving closer to him, my glance flickered between him and the bouquet of white roses and I was momentarily at a loss for words. He looked at me, his expression grave and his eyes serious, and I looked at him, uncertain how to react.

''I don't see a card.'' He spoke quietly and glanced at the flowers again.

It was then that I remembered the envelope.

Oh God, I had to control myself so I didn't just rip potential evidence apart as I opened the envelope with shaking fingers. I took a quick breath as I saw the card and I quickly opened it. Date, location, time, they were all there.

''I'm thinking of you.'' I read out loud and everything seemed to come to a halt.

A sudden realization followed the discovery. While it meant that we could use different methods to solve the case, it also meant that a notorious serial killer had resurfaced, who had begun torturing his victims before killing them, or he had an apprentice. Neither if those two possibilities were good and I suddenly felt overwhelmed by the fact, that this was now a reality and not a dumb theory.
''Tennoji-'' I looked up at him, finding his eyes fixated on the card in my hands.

''I know.'' He cut me off before looking away, seemingly having made the same realization as I.

''I need the case file…'' I spoke, reading the card again.

It was unrealistic to be standing with a part of a signature that belonged to a serial killer I had been dreaming of catching for three years. I wasn't quite sure how to feel, but at least I knew somewhat who we had to deal with. If it was an apprentice, they seemed to have followed his teachings quite thoroughly, but in multiple ways, that only made it worse.

''We need the rest of the squad for this.'' I looked up at him again, meeting his eyes.

''If we get the case file, can you present it to Kirisawa right away?''

I nodded and from the look in his eyes, I knew that he trusted me.

''Alright, let's go get it.''

It's so simple but we can't stay
Overanalyze again
Would it really kill you if we kissed?

All we do is drive
All we do is think about the feelings that we hide
All we do is sit in silence waiting for a sign
Sick and full of pride
All we do is drive – Halsey

I've never gotten from the parking garage to the office quicker than I did right then. Tennoji was right behind me as we both stormed into the office, heading straight to Kirisawa's door. The whole squad was present and I felt them all looking at us, but I didn't have any room in my head for them.
Despite the door being open, I still knocked and waited for the chief to look up from his paperwork while I was trying to get my breathing under control. He scribbled down a word or two before glancing up, finding us breathing quickly and with a bunch of case files and photographs in my arms.

''I take it something interesting happened?'' He asked as he gestured us to come inside.

I didn't hesitate and walked right in, hearing Tennoji close the door behind us while I put down the three files on the desk. I was mindful of not getting them mixed up with the files already on his desk, but I needed the space to present the theory.

''The whole case just changed,'' Tennoji spoke and stayed a couple of steps behind me.

''How so?'' Kirisawa followed my hands, trying to see what I was doing with the files.

''Are you familiar with the serial killer they never caught back in 1990?'' I asked as I looked at him.

''The one who strangled seven women, yes.''

''I think it's the same suspect or possibly an apprentice.'' I spoke and watched as his expression turned serious.

''Explain why.''

I took a deep breath before I began.

Beginning with an explanation of the old case, I presented a timeline, photos of the victims and how the crime scenes were all basically the same. I moved on to explain what was known about the suspect; the profile that had been made, what he had revealed about himself in the letters, his signature and his preferred type of women. Kirisawa watched me with great interest and stayed quiet as I explained the old case. When I began going through what little there was in the new case, his eyes stayed on my hands as I found the relevant photographs from the files.

I moved on to comparing everything. How the women all seemed similar, what the crime scenes had in common and how the killing method was the same in all cases. Most importantly, I showed him the white roses and explained how that detail was only known by people who had been involved in the case. Of course, the envelope was partly what held the whole theory together, but it could be enough to consider it. Lastly, I mentioned the cut marks on the last victim's back, suggesting that that made it seem more likely that it was an apprentice, seeing as that had never been a part of the signature before. Nevertheless, signatures could change, so we couldn't rule out the fact that it would be the same suspect.

Tennoji remained silent but I felt his eyes on me as I presented the theory. Even when I had finished, he didn't say a word and we both waited for Kirisawa to tell us how to proceed. In the end, it didn't matter much what I thought if the chief didn't agree. I was nervous, especially because we didn't really have any other leads than this, but Kirisawa took his time thinking it through. Eventually, he let out a small huff and looked up at me.

''How do you want to proceed?''

His question momentarily stunned me. I wasn't prepared for it, but I knew what I wanted.

''If possible, I want the whole squad in on this case. Apprentice or not, this guy makes no mistakes and if we're hoping to catch him, we need everyone's help. Every detective here has a different skill set and we need them all to catch whoever did this.'' I didn't realize how determined I was looking at my supervisor but he didn't seem to disagree with my proposal.

''I want you to go home and make your presentation quicker so that you can present it to the rest of the division tomorrow morning. I'll make sure that everyone is free to help but I still expect you to lead this case.'' He spoke as he stood up.

I was convinced that he had never looked so serious while talking to me and I nodded quickly.

''Of course, Chief. I'll have it ready.'' I straightened my shoulders as he nodded at me.

''Good. Now, I know both of you've done some overtime while working this case, so I want you to go home now. It should give you some time to prepare the case and get some rest.'' His expression softened slightly.

''Sir-'' Tennoji spoke up behind me, but Kirisawa shook his head, making it clear that he wasn't about to change his mind.

''Just go home, Tennoji, or help Wood with preparing the case.'' He spoke as he sat back down, resuming his work.

I gathered the files and began leaving the room, gesturing Tennoji to following me. He didn't look too satisfied with the situation, but he complied with a sour expression on his face and followed me outside.

''Right.'' I sighed and looked at him. ''Lunch?''

My suggestion brought a smile to appear on his lips.

''Have I ever said no to food?''

''That's what I thought you would say,'' I smiled at him.

I'm trying not to let it show, that I don't want to let this go.
Is there somewhere you can meet me?
'Cause I clutched your arms like stairway railings.
And you clutched my brain and eased my ailing.
I'm sorry but I fell in love tonight.
I didn't mean to fall in love tonight.
You're looking like you fell in love tonight.
Could we pretend that we're in love? – Halsey

''So, how does it feel?''

I looked up from my bowl of noodles and found him looking at me. He had finished his portion and for a moment, I wondered how long he had been watching me eat, easily making me slightly embarrassed.

''What are you referring to?''

''Our suspect. You get to chase him officially, I thought you would be more ecstatic.''

''Two women died because of him or someone else, it's not like I'm twisted enough to be happy about it.'' I glanced at him. ''But… if I could choose who to catch, it would be him. Despite the circumstances, it's my chance to catch this guy.'' I admitted and watched as his expression softened.

''Get some revenge for your old Chief, huh?''

''It couldn't be revenge because it was another guy that shot him, you idiot.'' I snickered, causing him to frown. ''More like getting some closure… or something. I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain… but it would give me some satisfaction and finish something for the chief. Dedicate the arrest to him or something.''

''Oh god, you sound so noble.'' He grinned and I rolled my eyes.

''Oh totally, I'm getting a reward and everything.'' I laughed.

''You're getting half of the prescient and your own technicians to control?''

''And ten squad cars.''

''Maybe throw in a couple of detectives that bring you coffee whenever you ask for it.''

''Oh fuck me, that would be perfect.'' I continued while we both laughed quietly at our table.

''Yeah, figured you would like having your own lackeys.'' He grinned.

''As if you wouldn't! You'd constantly have one of them fetch food for you.''

''Fuck you, you make me sound like I do nothing besides eating.'' He tried to sound mad but he couldn't stop himself from smiling a little.

''I'm very impressed that you're not fat.'' I stifled my laughter the best I could but I didn't quite succeed.

''You wanna walk home from here?'' He asked as he leaned back, folding his arms across his chest and still sporting that small smile that made my heart speed up.

''Forgive me for my rude behavior,'' I smiled and he nodded accordingly.

''That's better.'' He smirked. ''By the way, you're missing an important part of the reward.''

''What?''

''Don't they always get someone to marry?'' He grinned.

''Who says I want to marry someone?''

''Well, you gotta, so pick someone.''

''From the squad? No thanks.'' I laughed.

''You're so fucking boring, just do it.''

''Well, uh…'' I looked down as I tried to decide who. Obviously, I couldn't pick him.

''Kyobashi could probably make you one of his girlfriends. He's missing one for Wednesday, as far as I know.'' He laughed when he saw my frown.

''Yeeaaah, not thanks…'' I sighed and glanced at him. ''I'd probably take chief.'' I hummed.

''Figures.'' He scoffed.

''What's that supposed to mean?'' I smiled at him, amused by his sudden mood change.

''Of course, you're going to pick the chief. It's just obvious.'' He frowned and looked away.

I rolled my eyes at his sudden, childish behavior, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling completely.

''Are you disappointed that I didn't pick you?'' I asked with a smirk while leaning in over the table, resting my chin in my palm. I watched as blood rushed to his cheeks, promptly coloring them red while my smirk only made him more flustered.

''What? No, don't be dumb, you idiot.'' He grumbled before looking at me. ''I'd have to look at you every day, I'm not up for such a horrible experience.''

''Oh, ouch.'' I laughed and feigned to pout when he glanced at me for a moment. ''Once you're done being childish, we should probably get the case prepared,'' I mentioned and he seemed to switch into work mode.

''Yeah, you're right.''

I finished the rest of my meal so we could leave. We each paid for our meal and left the small shop, heading for my apartment. He made it clear from the beginning that I was going to be the one presenting it, which suited me just fine. I knew everything about it and it would take a while to tell him everything. In the end, I basically just explained the case to him in the way that I was planning to do it the following morning. He stayed for another hour or two before leaving and I looked everything over again. It felt like I was going to an exam and by the time I was about to present the case the next morning, my nervousness had only intensified.

Of course, they were all interesting in knowing why their cases had been put on pause or given to someone else. The fact that they were all there only increased their interest, but at least it meant that they all stayed silent while I presented the case. Most of them had heard about the case or knew a few details, Eiki being the only one who didn't, and they all quickly seemed immersed in the case. When I explained them the detail about the flowers, Hanai suddenly spoke up.

''We should check with the different florists in the area. It's highly unlikely that you can buy white roses anywhere else.''

''I would also like to have a profiler look over the case again,'' I added and several of them nodded. ''Also-'' I began mentioning another point I wanted to cover, but I stopped abruptly when there was a knock at the door and then it opened.

''Uh, sorry for interrupting, but I have a delivery for someone named Wood?''
Everyone looked towards the delivery guy standing in the doorway. Simultaneously, everyone's eyes focused on what he was holding. A moment later, they all turned in their chairs and every glance in the room suddenly focused on me. However, I didn't notice.

All I could focus on was simply staring at the bouquet of white roses with my name on it.