Operation Crimson
Part 1, Part 2
Masterlist
❝𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞; 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.❞
A/N
Sorry guys this chapter might be long and boring but I swear these chapters are necessary to introduce the series and the events. (And I had to split this chapter because it become so long) I will try to add reader be more involved in other episodes and I promise there will be more action scenes. GET READY FOR THE CONCERT SCENE BECAUSE IT WILL BE A LEGEND!!! FINALLY, OUR HEROES WILL GET A GLANCE AT OUR VILLAIN.
HAVE FUN!
Sitting within a worn down booth, Kiera Lee took a dramatic drag of her half dulled cigarette watching as the reflection of passing cars flash along the twenty four hour coffee shops windows, along with the small rustling of poodles outside. Given the odd hour of that very evening, one would say her current position could be considered rather oddly suspicious, but given that she hadn't been alone, her situation was that much more conflicting to the naked eye. That is if anyone were watching to begin with. Seated before her, was a torn looking man named Mert, someone who had been seated before her for quite some time, and was still rather transfixed with the matter at hand, lost within his own head as he continued to be stuck in thought.
"This is no small matter..." Mert muttered. Kiera Lee sat up on her seat and replied in a strangely energetic way according to the time they were currently in.
"Come on, this will be a real success! Think about it. In the evenings with the most television viewing, investigative journalism, unsolved or questionable crimes..."
Mert's attention was more on wanting to sleep in his warm bed than on the subject. Kiera continued excitedly:
"The studio guests will be the witnesses, the people involved, and the parties' lawyers. And Vec..."
"Vec?"
"Excuse me, that's what I call him, actually the person I'm talking about is Vector, a former senior official of the police. An almost legendary character in his times, he has solved extremely complex cases. He is like Sherlock Holmes. Such a character that television will never miss it, they will praise him from the first night! He will examine the evidence, reveal issues that remain obscure and need to be addressed in more depth... I seem to see him questioning the people involved already..."
"Questioning? In the studio?"
"That's right, those who watch the show at home should feel like they're participating in a real investigation on air. The audience will rise above the clouds and our man will have enough success to put even the most veteran TV presenters in trouble."
"And naturally you'll be the host..."
Mert didn't want to talk business at that hour.
"Isn't that obvious? Listen to me, a program that will not even cost a lot, a few cents to be handed only to the studio guests, and a good reward to those who will make statements that have not appeared in the press before..."
"It doesn't matter if it's a good idea or a bad one." Mert said with a sneering smile.
"Certainly!" Kiera replied, emphasizing each word to indicate her anger towards how careless he is, continuing:
"Your interests are different anyway... But going back to the cost issue, they can easily be enticed by first-class travel or vacation.."
Mert finally tilted his head and straightened his posture to discuss the matter more properly.
"Hm, it's not a very original idea, there have been similar programs like this before."
"You've used the right word: Similar! Who have been presenting those programs have always been huge women who are afraid of harming those who conduct research and state officials, who do not touch the water and soap... We will be more aggressive, we will not hesitate to step on anyone's tail and... And the audience will be on our side. After all, the similar programs you mentioned eventually reached very good viewership numbers."
"Well, you know I'm not the one to decide on new releases."
"But since the program will run parallel to the news bulletins you are managing, your opinion on the subject will definitely be taken into account. Talk to Katy..."
Mert put on a tired smile.
"That's the price of tonight, isn't it? Defend your project to the general manager."
"Telling him about my project. Support me."
"I'll see him tomorrow morning..."
Mert looked at his watch with a yawn and added. "Correction, this morning... God! It's almost morning and I haven't slept at all."
Kiera got up from her seat and threw her bag over her shoulder.
Mert shook his head and spoke with a laugh: "You're officially trying to raise your status. You're repulsive..."
There was not the slightest hint of reproach in his voice.
"Aren't we all a little bit like that in this profession in our own way?"
"Okay. I'll talk to Katy about your project and try to convince her."
Kiera headed for the door, "See you soon then."
Mert mumbled something under his breath as he also got up, approaching the cashier to pay for their drinks, "Can't believe you leave the bill on me..." By the time he said that, Kiera was already on her way out, stucking her head out the door, addressing him.
"You talk to Katy. And do me a favor and learn to be a gentleman."
A moment later, she was behind the wheel of her car.
🍀
Kiera liked to drive in the evening, it made her feel powerful, she felt like the ruler of the city. She had been driving on many times, not knowing where she was going, letting her feelings drag her along.
Her phone unexpectedly started ringing.
The caller was Neri on the night watch from the editorial division of the channel.
"Kiera? I thought the secretary was going to show up..."
"Is something important?"
"No, I don't think so, but it will never be known... Maybe something interesting could come out of it. There is a murder. A man was killed in his own home."
"Is that all you know?"
"I was thinking of sending someone to the scene to get information, then I thought tomorrow morning you'd look into it and decide if it should be a special story or just a simple piece of news."
Kiera was not sleepy, nor did she want to go home.
"I'll go, give me the address," she said.
She arrived at the scene in no time. It was a building similar to many other structures found in areas close to the city center. The swirling blue lamps of police cars parked outside the entrance door cast large, strange shadows on the building's surface. A small group of people stood in front of the door to the large building where entry was barred by two policemen, and Kiera saw a print colleague among them.
She parked her car in front of the curb, but did not get out, sitting at the wheel waiting for someone to come, hoping she could get some useful information, after all, she had plenty of time before her for the day's news.
After a few minutes, her patience was rewarded more than expected. A police officer emerged from the building and hurried towards the duty vehicle. Their eyes met for a moment. The man leaned over the car window and spoke briefly to his colleague in the driver's seat. Then he checked around to make sure no one was following him and, making a quick nod to Kiera Lee, hurriedly headed down the side street.
Kiera waited for the man to turn the corner and disappear before starting the engine. Then she drove slowly in the opposite direction and turned from a secluded place into the street where the policeman had just disappeared. When she caught up with the man, she pulled up to the pavement and the officer quickly got into the car. Without any introduction, he began to speak:
"A victim, James Logan, aged twenty-seven, lived alone in an apartment on the fifth floor of the building. He was killed with a blade, like some sort of knife, with an unbelievable number of blows... A brutal murder indeed."
"Interesting, do we have a new monster in town?"
"Maybe. Let's get away from here. I don't want them to see us together."
"James Logan..." Kiera Lee started the car and made a quick U-turn. "The name is not familiar."
"He's not from the celebrity world, if that's what you want to know. He's officially registered as a civil servant," he said, adding with a grin. "It's only natural that he didn't become famous unless he's in a secret relationship with a politician or a famous artist."
"Was he a handsome guy?"
"I guess?"
"Can you go upstairs and have me take a look?"
"Don't even think about it, Espio dropped by the scene right away to keep things under control, I don't think he's going to like your visit."
"Espio? Is that such an important event?"
The man shrugged indifferently.
Kiera continued to speak:
"Even so, it doesn't sound like front-page news to me: A man murdered in his own home in this godforsaken city isn't of much public interest..."
"It's your opinion, but one thing I'm sure will change your mind by tomorrow night."
"Is it about the murderer? Do you know who they are? Did you catch them?"
An evil smile spread across the man's face.
"First we need to clear something up, my dear sweet journalist..."
"I know what you're going to say, but I can assure you..."
The man didn't let her finish.
"Last month I provided you with a lot of good information, you paid me a dime for a carload of nice words in return. Well, I don't care about those nice words, I'm more interested in money. If the information is important and I'm risking my head to pass it on to you, it should be paid properly."
"I know what's going on, and believe me, I was very angry because of this, I even punched my desk. Problem solved, no such thing anymore. If the information you give is valuable, I guarantee you will get a lot in return."
The man seemed to think for a moment.
"I want to believe you, but this time it better not be a problem, otherwise you'll have to get the news from someone else from now on."
"Calm down, okay, I said you'll get your money. Now talk."
"What I'm talking about is..."
🍀
Professor Hamilton stroked his white beard and settled more comfortably into the Forensic Institute's executive chair. For more than fifteen years he had been in this position, and he had passed through countless cadavers on the autopsy table: famous, never known, people who had enjoyed their lives to the fullest, or who had always had to suffer. And death did not excite him any longer, except in curious cases, and something different was happening less and less every day. The James Logan case was no different, for Hamilton it was very commonplace and would be forgotten in a few days. However, while talking to Commissar Espio, he concentrated on the subject for a moment with all his attention.
"Is it finished?" Espio asked.
"Death was definitely between twenty-one forty-five and twenty-two-fifteen last night. Cause of death: Lesions caused by multiple blows to the chest and abdomen with a sharp, steel blade. These are punctures and cuts, eighteen in total. the first six blows, all of which hit the chest. During the twelve blows that followed, the victim was already dead. The lesions in the internal organs are as follows, in order of importance: rupture of the pericardial sac and left ventricle..."
"Forget these details, Professor,"
Espio interrupted, sighing. "I'll read them in the report anyway."
"As you wish. The weapon that caused all the lesions was no doubt, let's see what finding it was... Yes, the D finding, the envelope opener found dipped in the victim's body after the murder. God, when you call it an envelope opener like that, you laugh because it's as thin as a real knife and a sharp, deadly weapon itself. The interesting thing, which didn't really surprise me when I saw where they stuck the blade in, was that the envelope opener was inserted into his body just a short while after he died."
"Can you be a little more specific?"
"The post-mortem biological findings do not give chronometric accuracy, so what I can say is that it was ten or thirty minutes after death." After a short pause, Hamilton continued his speech. "There's one more thing: the victim suffered another blow while alive, apart from cuts, a large, bruised tear in the right occipital region of the scalp caused by a blunt object... A thick, glassy object with a string of fragments left on the tissues from the impact of the crush."
"It was a bottle of cognac... Could a more than normal hit cause the victim to lose consciousness?"
"This is possible."
Espio was silent for a while.
"Professor, have you got any idea what the mechanics of the crime might be?"
"I think a conclusion can be made when considering the angles of the wounds on the chest and abdomen."
"Go on, Professor."
"The victim's back was turned to the murderer, maybe he was running away from them. He fell unconscious with the blow to the head with the cognac bottle. So the murderer jumped on him and stabbed him repeatedly with the envelope opener. At first he aimed at his chest with great force, but later..."
Espio interrupted the man:
"Wait, how can you be so sure that the victim is unconscious on the ground?"
"Because he didn't defend himself, his hands didn't have any scars to show otherwise, and besides, no skin, hair, fiber, or anything else from the killer was found on his fingernails... Nothing. As a result, he did not resist, he was either unconscious or half-conscious when he received the fatal blows."
"Or maybe he was paralyzed with fear..."
"Hmm, I don't think so, a person who receives fatal blows will not be paralyzed by fear. Usually, with an almost automatic reflex, the hands are in front of the face trying to shield them. But tell me, please, is it that important to know if the victim is conscious?"
"I don't know, probably not. Please continue, Professor..."
"Well, the victim is on the ground, the killer stabs him in the chest six times with successive blows. From the seventh blow, now there is a dead body in front of them, they stab him eleven more times, targeting his stomach. They drag the body a few meters to the middle of the room, the traces of blood on the floor are clearly visible. And now for the final act..."
"Envelope opener..."
"That's right, it's an act of utter humiliation and contempt. With great care, or even sensitivity, if the word isn't quite appropriate, maybe to make sure it's found, or just for sadistic pleasure, he inserts an envelope opener into the man's body and pushes it all the way down, and leaves it there as we found it."
For a few seconds no one spoke.
Espio was the first to speak, his voice strained:
"Did you find any traces of being beaten before?"
"No."
"Did he drink alcohol?"
"We took measurements, it was within normal limits, he didn't drink."
"Any drug or substance?"
"I can say no, I didn't find any traces. But we'll have to wait for the test results to say for sure."
"Did he have any disease?"
"A young and healthy man, in excellent physical condition."
"Has he eaten dinner?"
"He had a very light meal at about eight o'clock: salad and corn... Maybe he was on a diet."
Hamilton glanced at his watch and his daily chores in his diary.
"If nothing else, Mr. Espio..."
"No, I think that's enough for now."
"I will send you the full lab report as soon as possible."
"If something new catches your eye..."
"I'll let you know right away, Mr. Espio, keep up the good work."
Professor Hamilton finished speaking and immediately began to forget James Logan.
After Espio closed the call, he gets out of his office and comes face to face with Tails.
He wasn't surprised to see him as he was the one to invite him here but his face...
A genuine worry leaked in his words, "Jeez Tails, you look like a car struck you."
Tails scoffed, "Thanks. I didn't sleep three nights straight. Or four days. Seeing it is already..." he glanced at his watch, "...9:25 Am..." He added quickly, "Don't take it personally." He rubbed his eyes, "Anyway, let's get this over with, so I can rest a little."
Espio nodded understanding, "Follow me. Want some coffee?"
Tails sighed, "Do I look like I have a choice?"
As they walked in an empty office to talk, Tails was given his coffee by an intern.
"Thank you." He sipped the bitter coffee, grimacing his face with the harsh taste, leaving to get seated in the semi dark room.
She smiled at him.
Espio called out to her, "Thank you for helping us Light, you can leave."
She hesitated and nodded. Leaving them in the room by themselves.
Espio walked around the room, his fingers on the large white table. He rubs his dust covered fingers on his already stained jacket. After this his first priority is to clean this room. He started with clearing his throat, "You only want information about the victim?"
Tails glanced at Espio's face. His eye landed on his scar over his left cheek only for a second. He looked down on his dark reflection over the coffee, the lights were off and there was very little sunlight coming in through the curtains. This gave Tails the impression that it was still night, "Along with that, as always, general details pertinent to the procedure."
"The victim is a twenty-seven-year-old man. His name is James Logan. He lives alone. He was killed in his own home at about twenty-two last night. The body was found about two hours after the murder, and we were on the scene within minutes."
"What about the murder weapon?"
"An envelope opener, one of the household items. After he was knocked unconscious, he was stabbed multiple times in the stomach and chest with it."
Tails hummed, "He is unconscious? How?"
"With a blow to the head, the killer hit his head with a cognac bottle."
Tails sighed nodding, "What do we know about the victim?"
"A lot of things. The deceased was single, had a couple of girlfriends in recent years, and he was one of the best employees of a large company. His friends and co-workers said he was a serious and level-headed man. They stated that he lived a quiet and non-exaggerated life.
Tails glanced at him, "So what was it about last night?"
"Someone broke into his house, no sign of theft, probably opened the door to the killer himself."
"Let's stop here," Tails said, taking a sip from his cup and continuing. "I don't want to know anything else about the dynamics for now. Any other details on the victim?"
Victim: That was the term he had to force himself to use, not James Logan, not man or anything else... He should have called him a victim to avoid personalizing him and isolate himself from the situation.
"Let's see... his medical file says he's very healthy... He has casual interests and a few activities he continues: He attends a gym and signed up for a Latin American dance class a few weeks ago. He has no financial problems; when his family died, their apartment and a big amount of money saved is up to him. That's all for now..."
🍀
"Kiera! I'm so glad you can make it!" Amy cheerifully opens the door for her.
"Of course how could I miss an invite from a famous singer like you?" She walks in closing the door behind her.
Amy nearly jumped on her heels, "Come follow me. I have some good news for you." She didn't need to lead her in her big house, Kiera was already familiar from a few visits before, for some important information, but this time her visit was for a different reason and Amy being the polite person she is, doing it herself instead of her servants. The one thing Kiera didn't understand, just lay down girl, jeez, you have goddamn servants, let them do their jobs!
Her eyes caught the sight of her bodyguard. Weirdly enough there are a lot of security cameras inside and outside of her house but there is only one guard protecting the whole house -and Amy- and that is a robot.
"It better be. I ditched my work to come see you, girl." Shard and Kiera's eyes met. They both had a weird bond. Shard is oddly cheerful and mysterious for a bodyguard and Kiera has a fierce and untrustworthy attitude towards him. But he still seems to believe in her. Shard welcomed her with a nod.
They seated themself in her living room as Amy started to talk, "You know I'm going on a whole world tour soon, right?"
Kiera nods, "Of course. Everyone is talking about that."
Amy slightly blushes, "Well, Since I won't be singing here for a long time after I leave, I decided to give a concert here for the last time this week." Shard approaches with some teas in hand. They both picked it up. Amy thanked him and continued, "And I wanted to give you the first tickets. You can invite as many friends as you can, it's all free for you and your friends. You can take advantage of everything that will happen at the concert as you wish."
Kiera sips her tea with a side smile, "And? For what cost? What's your benefit?"
Amy gently smiles and shrugs, "I only want you to announce it in the news too, that's all. I want everyone to know so they can all enjoy it. I'm sure this will bring you a lot of viewers."
Kiera leans on her seat thinking, "hmm....Okay, alright, fine. It would be a nice distraction from all these... uh... When exactly is it going to happen you said?"
Amy perks up, "This Sunday, Shard will meet you there. I'll send the address and everything, don't worry. And sorry that it's so early. I didn't have any choice." Shard smirked cooly, waving towards her.
Kiera smiles, good, it's only two days later, "Don't sweat it. It's a deal."
Amy grins, "It will be great!" She mutters to herself, "Now all that remains is to convince Sonic and Espio. I hope Tails can manage."
Amy shakes her head and turns to her, "So...? If you don't mind me asking, how many friends do you think of bringing?"
Kiera smirks, "I have a few people in mind. And I think we better start preparing for this special day with them~"
🍀
Something wasn't normal, Tails was struggling to understand.
First of all, Espio wanted to meet him not in his own room, but in one of the meeting rooms: an oval table, six or seven chairs, a television. They were alone, however, and it was clear that no one else was expected. Then what was that sly expression that never faded as the forensic pathologist explained Hamilton's report?
In the end, Tails decided that Espio knew something he didn't realize and didn't want to tell him about this detail before he got his opinion, but why was he meeting him in the boardroom?
Leaning back on the chair, trying to relax, Espio said: "Yeah, what do you think?"
Tails did not answer immediately. He had a pretty clear idea of what was going on in James Logan's apartment, and what the forensic pathologist had to say backed it up. But he wanted to find the best way to present his thesis. Espio had no intention of pushing research to one side. He also knew that Espio wouldn't listen to him blindly, but Tails wanted to show that his thesis was the most plausible of normal behavior patterns and the only conclusion from crime scene investigation.
"You know something, don't you?" He asked.
"Hah hah, Tails." Espio laughed, raising his hands to his sides. "The rules are very clear. All you need to know right now is the crime scene, the forensic pathology report and information about the victim before you make your own thesis on the case. Then we can talk about the rest later."
"Fine, fine."
Tails took a deep breath before choosing his words carefully and speaking slowly. He ignored the anguish that was surfacing inside him as events flashed before his eyes.
"The victim was found in the middle of the hall: on his back, his shirt and shorts torn, his hands clasped on his stomach; The crime tool was left stuck to his body. The house is quite orderly, with no sign of a fight that may have lasted more than a few seconds."
Tails paused and brought his hands to his eyes. He could not see anything around him; he was in the apartment opposite the corpse of the man who was staring at him blankly. Espio's voice came from far away:
"Continue."
"How can we form an idea? According to the autopsy results, fatal blows were in the chest. I agree with Hamilton's dynamics; the victim was first knocked unconscious and then finished on the ground. The number of blows is much more than the purpose of killing, which indicates that the killer was ecstatic. Just minutes after his death, the victim was carried to the middle of the hall. Inserting the envelope opener into the body was the final act." He stared at his hands, hardly glaring, his voice light as if he was reading it all from a book.
"How can you be so sure that there was a certain amount of time between the fatal blow and that hideous final move?"
Tails didn't answer right away, his voice cold and soulless as he spoke:
"As a result of the autopsy, the envelope opener was pushed inwards after being inserted very carefully into the victim. In order to behave in this way, the murderer must have come out of his state of insanity at the time of the murder. And to get out of that mood, I assure you, a few seconds is not enough."
Again there was silence.
Tails spoke again:
"In fact, we can talk about two stages: We can define the first as aggressive or it would be more correct to say compulsive, which is the stage where the murder takes place; In the second stage, which is called characteristic, the killer plays the last scene we find. The first phase probably lasts no more than a minute, the killer compulsively,. i.e. in a state of frenzy: they attack the victim and can't stop hitting him even after the victim is dead, blood splatters all over the place and probably continues until they can. In the second stage, this frenzy passes, the killer is very calm. They use all the time they need to prepare the body when it will be found... They drag him to the middle of the hall, the stage, puts his hands on his chest and inserts the envelope opener into his body."
"You mean to tell me we're dealing with typical sexual sadism, the first act of a serial killer?"
"No, I didn't say that. It's true that it looks that way at first glance, but from my point of view there are a lot of inconsistencies."
After Tails said that, he paused to put his thoughts in order.
Espio waits calmly for him to speak, giving him time to put his thoughts in order.
"Let's start with the following, but let's not forget that we can't talk about the existence of a serial killer with a single crime committed: Our victim is not a suitable candidate for a typical sadistic murder. In such murders, people who lead irregular and disapproving lives, are in mixed environments, and go to socially not very elite places, where often chance encounters take place, are the targets. So to sum it up in one sentence, they're the opposite type of Logan's lifestyle."
Tails paused, calling the victim by his name, that should never happen again, never.
"I agree, but that doesn't mean anything... Anything can always happen, no matter how impossible it may seem."
"Yes, of course, that's just statistics and doesn't prove anything, but what I want to underline is how unlikely this man is to have been the victim of a sadistic murder."
"But we still don't know much about him, maybe he was living a double life."
Tails spoke in an icy voice:
"I know him much better than you think. I've seen his house."
Espio wanted to answer, but when he saw Tails' gaze, he gave up. "Well, okay, not a standard victim for serial killers... What else?"
"There are two other inconsistencies that confuse me: one in the compulsive stage and the other in the characteristic stage. Let's start with the last one, can you tell me how the killer positioned the victim's body?"
"Come on, Tails, let's not deal with riddles, here we have the photo."
"Look carefully at the hands. They are joined on the chest, just as they are done before a body is buried. 'Rest in peace...' That's what the hands tied on the chest mean... It's not uncommon. Serial killers who get hit have a strong sense of inadequacy towards the opposite sex, are often at a very low social level, and that can be added to by exclusion; if they have a job, they are not in a high-responsibility status or are not rewarded for their hard work..."
"Are we always going to move forward with statistics and theory?"
"Statistics, of course... Theory emerges from data from analysis and emerges secondarily. Let me finish my reasoning: This kind of psychological typology in crime is actually revenge for the murderer, giving them satisfaction and power that they could never find. During the murder, there is a complex set of behaviors: compulsive behavior is only part of the work, there is also a preparatory stage in which the plans and fantasies about the victim are fictionalized, and the characteristic stage, which emerges as a ritual immediately after the murder, where the murderer sends a message to the people who will find the victim. It almost always underlines the contempt of the victim's body and demonstrates their ability to manage: the clothes are torn, the face destroyed... In some rare cases, after it's all over, the murderer fixes and dresses the corpse to excuse their actions and show a kind of remorse, and sometimes clean the blood and cover it up to hide."
After a pause, Tails continued, "Now let's go back to our situation and see how the murderer treated the victim. Let me ask you this: The joined hands on the chest don't fit the whole picture for the characteristic phase, do they?"
"Yes, the envelope opener too..."
"Not only that, they carried the body to the center of the hall, the stage, to shout their presence. Then the eyes, look into the victim's eyes..."
"Explain."
"That has nothing to do with the 'rest in peace' message, as are the clothes that were left torn on the corpse. In short, it all seems like contempt and revenge. Then why are the hands crossed like that on the chest? No, no, There's something I don't understand."
"They may have done it as a final act, an unexpected and sudden scrap of pity before they left."
"No, I don't think so, no... But there is another discrepancy at the characteristic stage. I'm sure that caught your attention as well. It's about the crime weapon..."
"Envelope opener."
"It was one of the household items, so our hypothetical serial killer didn't bring their crime tool with them, the crime tool on which they would perform their gruesome ritual." Tails continued after a pause. "So they didn't come prepared to kill."
There was silence again.
"It may be thought that for some unforeseen reason they were enraged and thrown into a sudden fit of rage and acted without a pre-planned plan, but then we can't really talk about a serial killer."
"In short, you don't think we're dealing with the first work of a serial killer."
"No, I don't believe it. The behavior of the victim and the murderer is not appropriate for this type of crime."
"So where do you attribute this event?"
"We started from the end: Because of the envelope opener, how the corpse was left... But we forget one thing: we deal with the last scene and the dynamics of the crime right after the murder without thinking about what happened. Try to evaluate it that way."
"The murderer got in without any coercion, the most probable thing is that Logan opened the door for her himself. The murder took place far from the entrance, the victim was knocked unconscious by a bottle of cognac..."
"Okay, that's my thesis, but I'm highlighting, it's just a thesis: The victim knows the murderer well enough to take them home late at night, the two of them talk a little, they probably argue and fight... Then everything turns out differently than expected and the killer goes to the man with the first thing she can get her hands on, with a bottle. At that moment, the man is frightened and trying to escape from this madness. What the murderer fell into is truly insane. She sees the envelope opener and takes it, at that moment all she want is to kill, to destroy that life, that's all she wants at that moment.. And so, blow after blow comes one after another..."
Tails' features tensed, and a few quiet moments passed before he spoke again.
"Now it's all over, and only now, realizing what she did, the murderer begins to think. Maybe she cursed herself for the two lives they had destroyed in an outburst of anger in the first moments, the life of James Logan and her own destroyed... She thought she would be caught: she knew the victim, she had a reason that would soon emerge, she had no alternative but to spend her future in prison. Unless she is able to divert the investigation... Unless she can convince that it's actually something else, that she doesn't know the victim's killer. Then what could be more appropriate than making it look like a serial killer? That's how she prepared the scene we see, just like she followed the steps of the murderer in a crime novel or movie. But at that moment she had a very strong sense of remorse, and she unwittingly showed it by clasping the victim's hands on his chest."
"Then you think this is how the crime was committed..."
Tails suddenly interrupted him:
"Tell me, Espio, in which of the crimes where the victim and the murderer know each other, do we foresee a frenzy that will end with such violence and that the murderer suddenly feels remorse towards the victim?"
"Love Murders..."
"Good, my inference is that the overall picture overlaps with a natural love murder. So the murderer should be sought among current or ex-lovers and possible new suitors."
Espio nodded silently with his eyes down on his desk, and when he looked up, Tails saw that sly light in his eyes again.
"Did you see the news this morning?"
"No, I didn't have time."
He pushed the daily newspaper on the table toward Tails.
"Check the city news."
; NIGHT ELECTRICITY FAILURE ;
About two-thirds of the city was without electricity for more than two hours, due to a malfunction in the complex system of the main electricity transformer at around twenty-two tonight. The eastern and southern districts remained in darkness. All of a sudden, the televisions were turned off, the elevators were locked, the refrigerators and freezers stopped, just as the traffic lights and warning signs on the roads went out. The inconvenience of the people of the city-
Tails looked at Espio with questioning eyes without reading the rest of the story. "Is there a power outage in the neighborhood where the victim's home is located?" He asked. Espio nodded and added:
"For those two hours, a woman was trapped in the elevator. To be more specific, the person staying in the elevator is Logan's current girlfriend."
Tails huffed. Like a novel, he thought. He was about to ask a question before he paused as Espio's phone started to ring, he grumbled and closed the call.
"As for the reason why I made you explain first is that I wanted to know what thoughts you had without being influenced. Here's the short story: We got the report of Logan's murder around midnight. The caller was Chloe Marshall, the victim's girlfriend. She went there to visit the victim but was stuck in the elevator because of the power outage. Two hours later, when the electricity came back, she finally went to her boyfriend's house, but got no answer from inside. After a few seconds, she realized that the door was open and went inside and encountered Logan's lifeless body. She went down the elevator again and started waiting for us at the entrance of the apartment."
"Hmm..."
"There are some parts of this story that are not clear. No one in the apartment noticed that someone was left in the elevator and did not hear the calls for help that Chloe stated. We did a rehearsal inside the elevator cabin with all the doors of the houses closed; we also noticed that the television, radio and stereos would not work due to the power outage. Considering that, you can definitely hear someone staying in the elevator from the nearby apartments." Espio paused for a few seconds, as if to underline what he was trying to imply. "Coming to Logan. He opened the apartment door because his lover had rang the bell downstairs. So he knew that she was going up the elevator, and at that moment the electricity went out. There can only be one explanation for him not rushing to his lover's aid..."
"He was killed at that very moment."
"And that matches the exact time of murder given by the pathologist, but..."
"But then it will be assumed that the crime, or at least the next scene, was made during the blackout, in the dark."
"Well done, that's right! Newspapers might call it murder by candlelight." Espio brought the newspaper, which still had the city news on, closer to him and continued his speech, pointing to the news:
"According to the autopsy results, Logan's death may have occurred a few minutes before the power outage."
After a moment of musing, Tails asked, "Any traces of blood found in the elevator cabin?"
"Of course, as much as Chloe's clothes. She said she got it on while trying to sober him up."
Tails seemed to have given up on asking further questions, getting up and heading for the only large window in the room. There were few parked cars in the courtyard, it was a cloudless day, and the sun, already raised, radiated warmth through the glass but not enough to heat it. Continuing to look outside, he spoke:
"I see, I think you have very few questions about what happened in that apartment."
Espio took a deep breath and began to describe his plot:
"Chloe went to see her lover, they started fighting almost immediately, maybe the man was intent on leaving her, maybe there was another girl involved in... The woman was lost, the man realized the danger and tried to escape this moment of madness, but Chloe followed him and hit him on the head with a bottle, a second later she was on top of him. The envelope opener was somewhere near her, she picked it up and... It all happened in a few seconds. Like you said, it probably took a few minutes before Chloe realized what she had done. The realization that she had destroyed her and Logan's life came crashing down on her, all in a flash of rage. No, that wasn't true, she couldn't let that happen. How could she get out of this? She knew that she would be the first to be suspected, she had to mislead the investigation, and she needed to buy time to devise an escape plan in case things got worse. No one knew she was going to Logan that night, and she hadn't met anyone in the apartment on her way up... And now comes the riskiest part: She had to leave the apartment without being seen by anyone, with Logan's blood still warm on her clothes. The best course of action in these situations is to wait until late at night, but what if someone comes to visit the man or a friend calls and gets alarmed when he can't find anyone at home? Besides, she wanted to leave as soon as possible so as not to see the man's body. Fear was her only companion at that moment. She decided to take the risk, after all, there wouldn't be many people on the street at that hour. Deciding that it was more risky to go down the stairs, she took the elevator and while she was in the cabin, there was a power cut... This must be what they call destiny! Now she was in the dark and in all her agony shut in the elevator cabin, the electricity wouldn't come back on for several minutes after a slow succession, and with every passing minute, the odds were that someone would come and find her there raising, maybe it would be the police, and she still had the victim's blood on her. The whole time seemed like an eternity to her, sometimes she was afraid of going crazy, sometimes she thought that someone finding her was her salvation and that she desired it. Two whole hours passed before the electricity came back on, and the cabin suddenly lit up. It took Chloe a few seconds to get used to the light, and when she looked at her watch and saw that two hours had passed she couldn't believe it, she felt as if she had come from another distant and dreary dimension. She tried to keep her mind open, she had to think, and quickly... What was she going to do now? Should she have followed the initial plan and gone down? But what if there is someone at the entrance to the apartment? The power outage that lasted for such a long time was not an ordinary event, there could be enthusiasts coming down from the neighbors to prevent malicious people and protect their shops... It was also natural that after staying in the elevator for a long time, it left traces that would reveal herself. She needed to be there and find something to justify the blood on her. Maybe being locked in the elevator would help her with that. She made up her mind: she pressed the button that would take her to Logan's floor. Maybe she hesitated a bit before leaving the cabin, maybe the floor was swarming with police... But no one was there! There was only silence and the hum of the neon lights. She entered the apartment, Logan's body as cold as the floor, everything was the way as she had left it. After making a few movements as if trying to sober him up, she called the police and asked for help, speaking in an uneasy tone. There was nothing she could do but go downstairs and wait for the cops. Now she had a justification for everything: being there two hours after the crime was committed, traces of blood on her clothes and in the elevator..."
After Espio had completed the plot, he silently waited for Tails to turn to him and give him a reply. Tails' lips curved upwards as he stared at his reflection. He turned to him, letting Espio see his straight face.
"Yeah, what do you think now?"
"Reasonable," said Tails, and continued. "I'd say it's very possible indeed."
"It fits perfectly with your implications."
"Oh yes, my deductions... You've already done yours, what did you need my opinion on for? You were sure not to narrow the scope of the investigation."
Espio opened his arms wide.
"We still don't have conclusive evidence, and it won't be easy to find them with this story that Chloe has created. In short, it's a familiar story, we know what it is, but we only have clues to reach it. If she doesn't confess, it will be an accidental case, in which trial the opinion of a qualified person like yours will be important."
"Do you think she'll confess?"
"It's going to be difficult and I can't keep her in custody for long, it won't be long before lawyers join the dance and that's when we have to forget the confession. We pushed her all night last night, and this morning I attempted to question her myself."
Espio pulled a remote control from one of the drawers and pointed it at the TV.
"This is the recording we made, let me introduce you to Miss Chloe Marshall."
The video started to flow. Footage taken from below with a hidden camera showed a woman sitting at a desk, the image quality was pretty good. The woman was about twenty-five and wore a police overalls; her clothes must have been sent to forensics, thought Tails. Behind the traces of fatigue, it was obvious that she was a well-groomed woman who cared about her appearance.
Tails unconsciously leaned forward slightly with a serious look. Espio had seen him in this position many times, as if every muscle in his body was trying to keep his front head afloat.
Chloe sat silently with her dim eyes staring into space.
"She's still alone in these moments, and now I'm going in," Espio stated.
A shadow passed in front of the camera for a moment, then Tails heard Espio's gentle voice questioning her.
Tails sighed, already guessing what happened, "She didn't confess."
Espio raised a brow, "Do you want to talk to her too?"
Tails shook his head confidently, "As an expert, I said this murder was caused by love... So who did we find at the murder scene? The victim's lover, who is waiting for us with her clothes stained with blood, tells us the story that most haunts us in such cases, namely the lie that she arrived at the scene after the murder was committed. Also, no one knows that she will meet the victim, she takes a taxi to the scene and gets off in a very far place. Something opposite to what everyone would do. She doesn't drive there like a normal person does and park under his house. She didn't want anyone to see her, that's obvious."
"Okay, okay, that's enough." Espio interrupted Tails, it was no use discussing anymore.
Tails shrugged, "You're investigating, I'm a criminal behavior adviser, and my job is done."
"Good for you" Espio sighed heavily and put on a forced smile. "You know very well how much I value your opinion." Having said this, he stood up and turned around to his desk, "If we both don't have any doubts. Then I am dropping this case."
🍀
"Welcome to Kat's cafe. How can I help you?" You sighed as the next customer started to stare at the board in deep thoughts.
Your permanent smile falters a little bit. You are already bored out of your mind. Thank god that your working hours will end in a few hours, before someone else takes your place.
Your perk up as the customer finally decided on what he wants.
"I think I want--" his words abruptly stopped by a shout.
That belongs to none other than Kiera, of course. Is she serious?! What is she doing here?! Randomly barging into the place in the middle of the day?! Why can't she be like a sane normal person for once?
She sprint toward your way, slamming her hands on the counter, "Y/n!! When does your shift end?"
"uh... In about three more hours?-"
"Great! Let's go!"
She grabs your arm and immediately leaves the building, tugging you along as you shout and protest, while all the customers are left staring behind them.
You frantically squirm around her hold, asking what the hell she's doing.
As you finally free your arm from her iron grip, you start questioning her for real, "What are you on about? What's going on???"
As you see Kiera grin ear to ear you start to feel regret asking that.
She explains casually, "We are going on a hunt for pretty outfits~"
"Huh? For what?" You were really confused.
"I bought some concert tickets for you my friend~ I'm bringing you along. So, hurry up! If we need to look our best we need to start picking clothes now!" And she continues dragging you.
"Wait, wait, wait!" You shouted for her but she doesn't seem to hear it.
She continues to drag you towards her car, "Get in I'm stealing you."
You huffed, "No, you can't. And you can't just come and drag me out of my work! What if they fire me?!"
She rolled her eyes, "Forget about that job already. It's useless. You already have a proper job, and should I add? One that pays really well. Why work in this junk place?"
"Because, that job feels like a vacation for my sanity! It makes me feel like I'm a normal person like everyone else for once! Look, I'm not complaining. I love my job! I'm happy being a psychiatrist but it's sometimes getting to a degree that mentally tires me from dealing with people that have big issues. I need my own vacation. Which I can't have because they need me all the time. So, this is the best option I have!"
Kiera surrendered, "Alright alright! I hate it when you dump it all on me. Don't worry about them firing you. We can always find someplace else. Now, let's finish this." She cracks her knuckles and gets inside her car.
You groaned, "Can't believe I'm following you again..." you sighed and got yourself comfortable in the next seat. Crossing your arms, "Hopefully this can be the end of your reckless attitudes."
Kiera pushes her sunglasses over her eyes and smirks starting the engine of her sports car, "Can't promise~" She stepped on the gas full speed.
You yelped holding to your safety belt for dear life.
🍀
Tails gently grabbed EsPio's arm before he couLd leave the room, "I want to talk to you about something elsE."
Espio pAused and glanced at him, "I'm liStening."
"You seeE... I've proven my sturdiness and ability by helping you to solve these kinds of cases for a while now."
"Your point?"
Tails paused but took a sharp breath, "I don't just want to stay as a consultant on criminal behavior, I want to help you more deeply and closely."
Espio looked confused, "But I thought you didn't wanted to dive too deep into these anymore–"
Sonic barged in the room.
"Oi! Es! Dude! Howzit goin'?"
Espio stared at him.
Tails pinched the bridge of his nose, "-Along with him too... sorry"
Espio glanced at Tails as he rubbed his face, exhausted.
Without letting anyone speak Sonic let himself comfortable in a chair.
Espio wasn't amused at all, "I'm not leaving this case to you... ever. Period."
"Aww, come on, Es! We're friends!"
"That doesn't mean I'm going to let you have it just like that!"
"Hey, remember the times we fought alongside Eggman? I'm the hero of Mobius! I saved everyone countless times! I can do this myself also!... and with Tails' help. We can be an unstoppable team solving mysteries and finding murderers!!! Just imagine! We can even predict when it can happen and with my speed and Tails' brain we can stop anyone getting murdered further!"
"Stop dreaming. That does not prove anything. You can't just promise something about that! Yes, you are good in combat and such but Eggman era... was in the past. And in this job... we do not allow any reckless actions."
"That's nonsense! Now you're judging me for the mistakes I've done when I was a kid! I'm not 15 anymore. Besides I always ended up fixing everything didn't I? I am your best option. I am fast. I can help. And I will not sit and wait for more murders to happen." Sonic protest.
Espio grumbled towards Tails, "I should have understood from the beginning of this topic that he had a hand in this. You're more than content to handle such things from afar."
Tails only shrugged in answer. As Sonic nudges his side to remind him to help him out. Tails quickly straightened his position with an uncomfortable face.
Tails quickly apologized, "Ah, sorry..." He cleared his throat, trying to get himself together for the talk.
"I think you should let us talk to Vector about this, Espio. He would agree with us."
"Really? That's all you're going to say, Tails? I thought you're gonna back me up with a smarter idea!"
Espio interrupted, "It doesn't matter if Vector agrees. I'm talking about rules that are universally involved."
Tails muttered, "I tHought Vector had unquestionable rules?"
Tails nErvously sipped his cold coffee under Sonic's intense glare.
Espio sighed heaviLy, "If you guys' argument is finished I need many important things to attend to."
Sonic called after him, "Wait!!! EsPio listen! Please. Look, the death toll is increasing day by day. I'm aware of that too, and I swear I'm not meant to be a slacker or a joke. All I want to do is save lives, help. Like we used to... I can't just sit at home and listen to the rising death toll I've hear every minute on news. I can't do it anymore. I can't just sit at home when I can help, okay? Give me a chance. Please. At least think about it... You're my only option."
Espio halted. He took a deep breath and turned to Sonic about to give a comment until someone burst into the room panting. Their focus turned to her.
Espio grumbled to himself, "Does anyone know how to knock these days?"
Light mutters out a 'sorry' nervously, "I just received a call from someone, talking about finding another victim!"
Tails muttered, "That puts the lid on it..."
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A total of 8721 words
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-FUN FACT-
Tails doesn't like coffee
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