'A pair of city-going private investigators have taken the Gerudo Desert by STORM by cracking the crime of the century! Castletown based investigators Link Forester and Zelda Harkinian stopped the ruthless Yiga Clan in their tracks before they could continue their BRUTAL killing spree. They've been hailed as heroes and have been thrown into the limelight. Is this just the start for this crime-solving duo?'

—Extract from 'Private investigators solve crime that STUMPED local police!', online article from The Minish Cap

~Line Break~

In The Shadows

~O~

Chapter 3: No End

The sight of Link asleep on my sofa the next morning is both sweet and sad.

After showing him the foreboding letter, we did our best to take our minds off the case for the evening (though it was pretty much impossible). After hours of tossing and turning later on, I finally fell into a (thankfully) dreamless sleep. I'd offered to sleep on the sofa but Link instated that he'd sleep there—I'm sure he was just being polite, but I also got the feeling that he wanted to be closer to the front door just in case.

I emerge from my bedroom and creep past his sleeping form to grab a glass of water. From the awkward position he's found himself in, I can only assume he tried to stay up all night and fell asleep in the process. My expression softens as I look over at him, feeling so incredibly lucky to have someone like him at my side.

Heading back into my bedroom, I place down my drink, hop onto my mattress and open up my laptop. The dread that I got from reading that letter hasn't left me, although I'm determined to focus on the fact that today's a new day and the feeling is dulled a little by my sheer determination. Still, the letter Koume gave me sits on my bedside table and its words glare back at me; they've been haunting me all night.

'To find the next person missing without a trace,

Find where the queen of law presides over this place.

The clock is ticking, so do not delay,

Or you shall find their body at the end of the coming day.'

I can only guess that the "queen of law" refers to the Goddess of Wisdom, Nayru. In the creation story, she was the one who poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave it the spirit of the law. And with the last two victims found in the Temples of Farore and Din respectively, it seems logical that the next victim would end up at the Temple of Nayru. At the same time, whoever's responsible might act differently because of how obvious the logic is, but we've got to explore all options. And "the end of the coming day" part—will the next person really be found so soon? It's scary how much they seem to have planned everything.

Thinking back on what Koume told me about the messenger, and since Vaati is such an uncommon name, I type it in and see what results come up. As well as biographical websites about a historical figure, I'm immediately flooded with articles from something called The Minish Cap, a local news website from Faron. Hundreds of click-bait articles fill my screen and my heart sinks as the realisation of who this Vaati probably is finally hits me.

'Hyrule's most blood-curdling crimes! #3 will terrify you!'

'Man stands on this woman's flowers and IMMEDIATELY regrets it!'

'Top 5 unsolved mysteries. I bet you 5000 rupees you haven't heard them all!'

Are. You. Kidding…?

He's a journalist—a bloody journalist.

Any initial shock is quickly engulfed by anger and frustration. The police are often sent false herrings from members of the public who are looking for a cheap thrill, yet I've never come into contact with that personally. The fact that a lousy journalist has managed to find out where I live and decided to send a threatening message pretending to be a serial killer…

I slam my laptop shut and let my head fall into my hands.

Link finds me a while later, still groggy from sleep but quickly wakes himself up when he peers into my room. When he asks what's wrong, I just show him my laptop and let him figure it out for himself. As his eyes scan the web pages, his breathing gets heavier as he does his best to control his simmering anger.

"When I get my hands on him…" Link practically seethes, then mutters, "If the kid was stupid enough to give his name up then he just wants to have some unwarranted excitement. Farore, I'm going to find him and when I do…" Before he can go off on an angry tangent, he finds my eyes and his expression softens. "Sorry, I just…"

"It's alright. I know how you feel," I murmur when he trails off. "I suppose I hoped it would help us track down the real killer… not some idiot who wanted to screw over the investigation for fun. We'll give it to Impa later and let her get to the bottom of this—maybe this Vaati was hired by someone."

He hums, "As long as he answers for threatening you then I can rest easy."

I can't help but smile as I pat a spot on my bed, placing a hand on his shoulder when he sits beside me. "You didn't have to stay up all night, you know." Link shrugs.

"Couldn't seem to drop off until…" He checks his watch. "A few hours ago. Your neighbours are too loud." I don't laugh at his attempt to lighten the mood and he notices. "It's alright, Zelda. I'd rather wait up and keep you safe." I shuffle closer and hug him tightly, smiling when he places his chin on my head. "No matter what…"

I nuzzle his neck and let a sigh escape me, "I hope you know how lucky I am to have you. Hopefully I can look after you like this one day."

"You do it all the time. I wouldn't be nearly as happy if it weren't for you," he murmurs, and I can hear how genuine he's being. We sit like this for a few moments before he snorts breathlessly at a thought. "Though you also protect me from hunger. And speaking of which…" He pulls away to pass me a knowing look. "You don't happen to have any—?"

I shove him off the bed before he can even finish, "Glutton."

"You love it though," he responds from his sprawled out position on the floor. I roll my eyes because we both know he's right.

"I suppose," I mutter, though I can't help but smile because I start thinking about all the other things I love about him.

Oh Goddesses, get over yourself…

With the other leads dying out, the rest of the day is spent waiting for the police to track down Vaati and bring him in for questioning. The police come and interview Koume, who's not overly thrilled but enjoys the attention, and I manage to get a hold of the few shreds of CCTV in my building from last night. This Vaati doesn't even try to hide his identity from the cameras, so we manage to verify who he is far too easily.

Once they track down where he lives, it takes the rest of the day for the police to travel to Faron and find him. It's a long day for Link and I as, with our leads quickly running dry, we're left to wait until something happens. We take a raincheck on our drinks since we know we'll be thinking too much about the case to enjoy it, as much as it pains me to think about—I was looking forward to it.

So when Paya calls me the next day to say that Vaati has finally been brought in for questioning, we're at the station in record time. She leads Link and me into the room adjacent to the interview room, allowing us to look through one-way glass at the conversation at hand. Impa and Vaati are already deep in conversation when we arrive, and it dawns on me just how young the boy is—certainly younger than me, maybe about 17. He really was just a kid trying to get a quick thrill.

That fact only makes me more irritated.

Throwing his arms into the air, the flustered boy cries, "It was just a bit of fun!"

Impa is unfazed, "Well, your "bit of fun" ended up threatening a young woman working on this case." The boy's eyes almost pop out of his head in shock.

"Hey lady, I didn't threaten anyone!" He rubs his face nervously. "Look, it wasn't supposed to be anything bad. It was just a prank!"

The Sheikah leans forward with clasped hands, "So no one paid you to send this letter? No one even asked you to deliver it for them? If you cooperate, we may look to reduce what you're charged with to accomplice."

"C-Charged?! But I didn't hurt anyone!"

"Not physically, but you acted as the person responsible and thus pretended that you were taunting her—taunting local law enforcement. As someone who is at the heart of this case, you can be charged for obstruction of justice and threatening an investigator to make them feel unsafe." Without pausing for a beat, she adds in a low voice, "Were you asked to do this by someone else?"

"No, no, nothing like that," he replies, practically shaking at Impa's words. And yet, with his denial of anyone else involved, there goes any potential leads. "I'll say sorry and then we can just forget about it, alright?"

Impa glances over to the glass, and although she can't see us she can feel my anger through the wall. Turning back to Vaati, she responds, "That won't suffice. Since you confessed, you will be charged with…"

I leave before she can finish, too frustrated to even bother staying behind to hear his charges. Link and Paya silently follow me out, though I ignore them as I make my way into the small kitchen for a cup of tea. As the kettle starts to boil, I brace myself against the counter and try to steady my emotions.

There's just no end, is there?

"Nothing," I bite out. "We have nothing left." They stay silent, unsure of what to say since I'm right. "I shouldn't have got my hopes up. Thanks to that kid, we all thought we had a new lead. All we can do is wait for the next body to show up… the next life to be taken away… the next…"

I break myself off with a sigh, unable to keep going. I hear one of them take a step forward as I fill my mug with water. "Impa has… has officers stationed around Castletown—if they bring someone else to any of them… we'll be ready. It might not save the next victim… but it'll stop the ki… killer before they carry on."

I nod slowly. It's not the greatest comfort, but I'm grateful Paya's trying to help. Swallowing thickly, I turn to them, "I don't know about you two, but I'm ready to get out of here for the day." Getting to this point in a case never gets easier to handle, and I'm not sure it ever will. Sometimes we get past this point, other times we never do; it's just a fact of life.

"M-Me too," Paya replies with a smile. "But I… I'm stuck here for a while so you two go on ahead."

Looking over at Link, I say, "Drinks?"

My heart skips a beat as his lips twist up into a smile, "Sounds good to me." I offer Paya my tea, determined to get out of here as soon as possible.

There's something different about this case. Apart from the constant anxiety of me potentially becoming the next victim, I feel strangely drawn to this investigation for no apparent reason. A part of me is more determined than ever to work through this case and bring the victims some justice. And the thought of this case potentially going cold is what fills me with more dread than in any other case.

Please… any lead will do… just give us something.

"It's always a good day when you two are here!" Telma, the large Gerudo woman who runs the bar, exclaims with delight. "I hope I'm not interrupting something here…"

"No, it's just a regular visit," Link replies calmly after seeing me look away in embarrassment. He reaches down to grab some money as Telma places our drinks on the table, only for the tall woman to place her hand over his.

"Oh, don't you worry about that, dear. These are on the house." She chuckles when we both protest. "Now, now, you're out there doing all you can to protect the people of Hyrule—the least I can do is offer some free drinks every now and again. I bet you'll never have to pay for anything again when you solve this case."

With a wink and a smile, Telma saunters off and leaves us be. Link and I smile at each other as she disappears from sight, glad to see Telma in her usual high spirits despite the wave of fear sweeping through Castletown. Telma's kind but strong-willed, and since this bar is so hidden away it's mainly a safehouse for friends. I can't even remember how we found this bar tucked away in the back alleys but it was many years ago now and we've rarely gone elsewhere since.

It's quiet here now, only the muted honey glow from the dusty ceiling lights illuminating the cosy bar. This building was built during the peak of the royal family's reign over a century ago, so the stone walls and floors are covered with old framed photographs and plush red rugs with a few old tapestries hinting at the building's history.

It's good to be back…

"You know, I don't think Vaati's letter was too far from the truth," I say after a while.

Link raises a brow as he sets down his drink, "How so?"

"Well, it's only logical that the next temple used would be the Temple of Nayru. If they're following a pattern, they'll most likely go after a woman named after the princess or similar." I bow my head. "There aren't many variants I can think of in terms of what the next victim could be named, and no one came up on the missing's person list that would've come close to fitting the role."

Link rubs the back of his neck, a common thing he does when he's nervous, "I'd like it if I stayed at yours for a little while longer. Only if you want to, of course… but just to keep my sanity at least." I smile.

"I'd like that. Thank you, Link; I don't know what I'd do without you."

He laughs lightly, "I'm sure you'd be fine." I smirk but say nothing, tilting my head when he peers into the drink in his hands. "I don't think I've been so worried for you since…"

My stomach jolts at what he's implying. His name may not have been mentioned, but I know exactly who Link's referring to. I'm thankful that he didn't say their name, though it doesn't change the sudden wave of dread coursing through my veins. He—Sakon (just thinking the name makes my heart skip a few too many beats)—is the person that Impa was referring to when she warned us about attracting unwanted attention. After all, it's one of the first cases that got us in the newspapers.

There was a string of poisonings a few years ago that Link and I helped to investigate. All the victims were young women and it was only poison which had killed them—there were no other wounds, not even defensive bruising. One of the police officers, Sakon, had lost his girlfriend to the killer; little did we know that he was the one who'd killed her.

Link had left town for a family emergency, but we later found out that it was a lie conjured up to separate us, and so Sakon had offered to drive me home in his stead. I'd been stressed about the case so he came into my flat to comfort me, fetching some water to help calm my nerves. I foolishly drank it and faced the consequences of so easily letting someone into my flat.

The effects hit me in seconds. Sakon caught me when I fell and held me in his arms as I fought for breath, his dark eyes glittering with glee as he tucked my hair out of my face. It was a poison that had a quick impact but was long lasting, so I can't remember how much time had passed where he simply held me and watched the life fade from me.

If it wasn't for an officer dropping off something I'd left at the station, Sakon would likely have gotten away with another murder—mine.

They'd managed to stop Sakon before he could escape and restrained him and, despite the fuzzy memories, I doubt I'll ever forget the officer's fearful expression as they called for help. It all went dark after that. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the hospital and very fortunate to have made it. If Sakon had used a more sophisticated poison, one they didn't have the antidote for, then I doubt I would've made it.

When he was questioned, Sakon quickly confessed and told the police how he loved watching the life drain out of a person's eyes—it was a thrill he couldn't get enough of. To this day, it sickens me.

As for Link—I think he broke a few speeding limits to get back to me and struggled to move past his guilt of leaving me alone with Sakon.

"Do you think about it often?" I breathe.

"More recently," he softly replies, then, "I still have a lot to make peace with, I guess."

I frown, "He tricked us all and took advantage of your mom being ill to get you out of the picture—the only person who is unforgivable is him. I don't hold anything against you, Link." He forces a smile but remains silent. I know it's something he has to deal with in his own time, no matter how much I reassure him, so I change the subject, "How's your family, by the way? I haven't asked in a while."

"They're fine—still in Hateno and wishing they were living by the sea." I breathe out a laugh. His family have always felt a close relation to the sea, though they're currently living more inland as it's expensive to live by the sea. "Actually, Aryll said she wants to come and visit this weekend. She wants to see me and give you a break from her annoying brother, though I don't know what that's all about."

"I'm not sure either," I say, my smile curving around the rim of my glass.

The mood thankfully seems to lift and we lapse into meaningless conversation, letting the hours drift by as we finally give ourselves some time to forget about the past and our current case. Everything is still nestled at the back of my mind, but for tonight I have to give myself the chance to let go of it all, even if it's just for a little while.

After a while, Link remarks, "You know, Urbosa finally got her wish." Nodding down to the drinks between us, I smile at his reference. Raising a glass, he adds, "Cheers?"

I raise my glass, "Cheers."

We stare at one another long after our glasses meet. Something indescribable washes over me, another surge of emotion in my heart that reminds me just how lucky I am to have Link. Kind, funny, supportive, he's the best partner I could ask for—plus he's easy on the eyes which helps too. My heart skips a beat and I falter under his gaze.

"Everything okay?"

"Uh…" I splutter. "I…"

I thank the Goddesses when my phone goes off.

Seeing the caller ID, I frown as I pick up the phone, "Paya? Is everything okay?"

"N… No." I straighten at her tone, surprised at the concern laced in it. Link watches me silently, though he's on edge too from my reaction. "Are… are you and Link t… together?"

After the moment we just had, I feel my cheeks redden, "I-I mean he's here with me, but we're not—"

"Y… You need to get down to the Temple of Nayru right now," she says. "Another b… body's been found."