The DNA matched – and really, that was all they had. A recent murder, a string ofcases twenty one years cold, and DNA with no match in the system. It was an unhappy coincidence that the older case had been reopened just a few weeks prior to the recent murder, but the link raised more questions than it answered. Had the Unsub stopped for over twenty years, only to pick up again? What had prompted them to stop? To start again? Were there more victims out there, still undiscovered? How many lives would they take this time? The only thing the force was certain of was that they had a clever killer on their hands – one who had escaped capture for so long, a formless entity who had left only subtleties in their wake.
Felix worked tirelessly on the case, neglecting sleep and nourishment both; he relied on coffee alone to pull him through the sleepless nights spent in the cold and stale little cubicle he called his office. The taste of coffee, over time, thickened in his mouth like cardboard. The dimly lit computer screen became the focal point of his world, the edges blurred, the sights and sounds outside the narrow passage muted against the barrier of concentration.
There existed only the details of the case in his mind – the exhaustion and the hunger someplace else, belonging to some other person. There were similarities to be found in the brutality and the beauty of the kills. Each kill was a work of art, as if to say the ugly had been made pretty in death. Yet every scene was different, with no clear signature left behind.
No, that was wrong. If he looked closely at the crime scenes – if he examined every case, piece by piece, frame by frame, there was something. The tiniest symbol. A tiny shred, slightly different wherever it showed up. Felix became transfixed on this detail, unaware that, at the same time, another member of the taskforce shared similar suspicions.
After tremendous thought – after poring over the singular detail for hours without end, he finally got to his feet, gathering the files and swiftly left his office. Down several corridors and around the corner were the headquarters of the homicide unit and the vast majority of the taskforce assigned to the case. Most were out – was it already lunch time? – but there was one, Felix had learned, who shared his work ethic, and that was the first office he visited, ready to knock when the door swung open.
For the first time since the taskforce had been formed, he found himself face to face with the other detective, similar to him in so many ways, yet slightly darker. He didn’t take the time to contemplate their similarities, lips parting, voice both soft and firm. “I think our Unsub told us where he’s going to strike next.”
「 ❈ 」 Over the course of the investigation, Art had met with several of his new teammates, going over evidence and discussing theories, but apparently, he’d yet to speak to everyone. It slipped his mind since he spent so much time on his own, probably more often than he spent with the others. He’d gotten the usual comments from the people who knew him: he needed to rest, that a fresh set of eyes would make something click, that he wasn’t working alone on the case. And he understood all of that.
But he also understood that he, nor anyone else, wasn’t getting anywhere. The killer had outsmarted them, had been outsmarting the police for so long, and no matter how many eyes went over it how many times, nothing new popped out; however, apparently the sleep-deprived brain could spot something that someone more awake glossed over.
Face to face, it wasn’t difficult to place the other detective as Felix Lex. They’d had to come into much contact, probably only just been given each other’s names. Art wasn’t all too familiar with the whole concept of task forces considering he’d never been on one, so maybe he wasn’t as active a member of it as he should have been, especially as he knew the others were more social. He’d passed by--and passed up--a few unofficial briefings and lunches where they’d discuss what they had. It seemed repetitive, despite the fact that he knew the benefit of it.
And now it seemed as thought he and Felix had picked up on the same thing afters a few weeks of coming up empty-handed, and what a relief too.
Art couldn’t help but smile at the situation, a small, gentle thing gracing his features. What were the odds that they’d notice the same thing at the same time? At the very least, it assured him that what had seemed unlikely before held some standing, and they could check it out together.
“I saw it too,” he responded with a brief nod. “I was just about to head over there to check it out, actually.” Though unfortunately, it hadn’t occurred to him to invite the other detective along before. “If you would like to, you can join me.”
The buddy rule, right? There was safety in numbers, and perhaps the reason he hadn’t thought to ask before was that he hadn’t been too sure of his judgement. Contrary to apparent belief, he did know how his habits could damage his train of thought, so the idea to go had half been an excuse to get some fresh air and maybe stop by his apartment to fall asleep.
The other’s answer could be assumed. “Should we take my car or yours?”
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