So yep. Here I am again with another late chapter -_-

Let's just say that my family life hasn't been that great these past three days.

Anyway, I'm planning to wrap this up in 10 or under chapters so I can start working on some of my other stories, like re-typing Hidden Talent, finishing Riot and Panic, posting my new story Superstitions, finishing Guard duty and posting that, finishing Kitty Trouble and posting that, and finishing Frozen Alchemy (and posting that). Oh, and writing/typing up a story that I can enter in a contest at one of my local cons ^^

Now you have the run-down of my new(est) projects :p

ONTO THE STORY!

"Damn it!"

I stretched to my tip-toes, trying to reach the box marked 'Wolfe Case." Which just had to be on the top shelf.

Maybe you should get some hep... You know, before you knock the whole shelf over... Jaeden suggested.

"Shut up." I muttered.

Face it. It's just too high up or someone of your... Erm... stature-

"Who you callin' so small that this damn shelf is like a frickin' skyscraper, you bastard!" I yelled. Out loud. Opps. Heads turned, and military officers gave me weird looks, but I didn't care. I was too intent on getting that damn box! I stood a little higher on my toes, but my fingers just barely brushed the bottom on the box, and the shelf was starting to shake under my weight.

Ed... Jaeden warned. Just forget it. I don't want you getting in trouble because of me.

I growled and tried once more to reach the box, but it ended in he same result. I sighed and gave up. I guess I would have to ask for some help...

"Fullmetal? What are you doing here?" Great. The absolute last person I wanted to see right now. Mustang.

"I could say the same to you, Colonel Bastard."

Roy smirked and slipped his hands into his pockets casually. "Actually, I came to pick up the case you were trying to grab just now." Roy reached up and slipped the box off the shelf with ease, bringing to down to my level. I began to reach for it, but he turned on his heel and started walking away.

"H-hey, wait!" I called, running to catch up with him. Luckily, he was just outside the door of the Case Library (1) (They held all of the cold cases there. When they're solved, they get filed with the solved cases) waiting for me.

"Come on Ed. I need to talk to you away from others."

What was this about? No small jokes? Why was he so serious? "Uh, sure..."

I followed Roy to his office. All of his subordinates were sitting at their desks doing nothing. They were all uncharacteristically quiet, which was defiantly weird, since Breda and Havoc cause trouble almost every time I come to give my report, or they're always talking to each other and slacking. I raised an eyebrow as Roy lead me into his private office.

"Why's everyone so quiet?"

Roy set Jaeden's case box down on his desk, then he turned to me, "There was a murder last night, similar to the case inside of this box." He open the box, pulled out the case report, and handed it to me. I could feel Jaeden's tension as if it was my own. So, his murderer might be on the loose and killing again. This would be our chance to catch him and put Jaeden to rest. I took the relatively thin file and looked at the contents, which was disappointing. There were a total of four papers. The case report from the MPs, and the Wolfe family autopsy reports. I skimmed the case report. It said that there could have been one person that shot all three of the occupants in the room, but it was likely that there could be up to three shooters. The report went on and said that the male, Jaeden, was shot twice in the chest while the rest of the family was shot once in vital areas, which confused me me, since Jaeden looked a lot more un-nerving when we first met.

I looked up and met the colonel's onyx eyes. His facial expression was calm and collected, but his eyes showed something else. Was it... Worry?

"I want you to look over the most recent murder." Roy added, handing me another folder no bigger then Jaeden's folder. I opened it and skimmed the report. It had the same concept at Jaeden's murder. A family, this time had two children instead of Jaeden's one child, had been murdered inside one of Central's smaller hotels. The husband was killed first, then the wife, then the two kids, just like Jaeden's murderer. Both Jaeden and the husband in this murder were normal civilians visiting Central. Also, the murderer had the same means of escape. Out the window before the military could get into the room of he victims, and by odd coincidence, both of the room numbers were 613.

I closed the folder and handed it back to Roy, "It has to be the same murder. There are just too many coincidences. The areas where the victims were shot and the same. The husband getting shot twice, and the rest of the family getting it in vital areas. The means of escape are the same, and the order of the murders. First the husband, then the wife, then the children."

Roy nodded. "I want you to try and hunt down the killer-"

"What? On such little evidence? This was two days ago! How do you expect me to find a killer who's trail is two days old? Even the MPs couldn't find him."

Roy held up his hand, a signal for me to stop. I scowled, but obliged. "You didn't hear me out Fullmetal. I want you to hunt down the killer. That means go to the scene of the latest murder and see if he left any clues. Then, if this happens again, I want you on it before another innocent family gets killed. You you would know more then the MPs, and be valuable to the effort of bringing this guy down."

I hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. I better go tell Al." I turned to leave, but Roy stopped me.

"Edward?" I turned and met his eyes. "Be careful, alright. I don't want to bail your ass out of this one too." He smirked.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Fine. Later." I stuck up my hand and walked out of the door.