CHAPTER 3

JACE'S P.O.V.

It was so alike: the power outage, the explosion and if the body is examined and it's a knife, it'll also be the same. But why? If it's the same person, why did he kill him? Why did he kill John?

"You know, I thought that with all your talk, maybe you know how things work but you are just a novice" Mel said as we reached our office

"Me? A novice? But you know, I also thought that maybe there was a little chance that maybe you didn't like me but it's already confirmed that your feelings for me are strong and not to judge but don't you think that you are quick to start developing feelings seeing that we just met"

"What?" she asked clearly confused. My distraction worked!

"I caught you staring at me"

"I wasn't staring at you, I was...."

"I know, I know. I don't actually blame you. You were just looking at first but you got mesmerized by my gorgeous face, with my irresistible lips and wondered how amazing God is to create someone like me"

"What?" she asked again. I could see the bewilderment in her face

"I wasn't staring at you" she repeated

"I was looking at you because you were just quiet and didn't say anything throughout the meeting"

"Yeah, sure" I hoped she would end it here

"Speaking of you being quiet...."

"Don't we have work to do?" I interrupted her as I went towards. As she was still looking at me,

"Come on, Mel, stop staring and work. I am starting to get the creeps" I said after she rolled her eyes at me then went towards her desk

MEL'S P.O.V.

After taking a shower and the little nap I managed to get, I sat at the kitchen's counter waiting for the water to boil in the boiling ring. While waiting, I looked around the interior of my modernized bungalow. The living room at the other end was set up with a three setter couch which is in the east from the counter and a two setter couch placed at the north wing from the counter. Directly in front of the counter is a love seat. The inside of the house is painted white while the outside of the house is painted seaweed green along with a black roof. Simple. Just like my life. My simple, boring life just the way I want it to be. Nevertheless, I looked round and wondered if my life is ever going to become something more than just simple and boring.

As I went to fix my coffee, hot, black and bitter, the way I like it, Jace came into my mind. Undeniably, he is a sight for sore eyes but he's definitely not an attitude for the crippled. He was rude, egoistic and very irritating. Everything about him disgusted me and that annoying laughter of his full of impertinence. What I couldn't give to wipe it out of his face. But there was something about him. Initially, I thought he was all talk but novice when he was silent throughout the conference meeting but the way he tried to change the topic when I bought his being silent out to the surface changed my perspective. Something seemed off and a wave of adrenaline rushed over me with the determination to find out whatsoever it was. Letting sleeping dogs lie, for now, I poured what was remaining of my coffee into the drainage, cleaned up and got into the mode of dinner. Not really having appetite, I microwaved three pieces of waffles, added some syrup and took it with a glass of fresh milk. When I was done eating and putting the house in order, I finally retired to bed.

JACE'S P.O.V.

It just didn't seem right; I couldn't seem to connect the pieces together, why would he kill him? No matter how jumpy I seem to conclude, I just had a gut feeling that it was the same person and if I was right, I couldn't fathom any reason for the murder. Since I returned from work, I had searched the internet and listened to the news in case something wasn't mentioned at the conference meeting. Unfortunately, there was no image so I couldn't make out if it was the same marks but that didn't move me. Victor Shade was just a regular man; he wasn't rich neither poor. He didn't have a special talent, didn't win any award and he wasn't popular. I tried connecting him to John but nothing connected apart from the fact that they belong in the same gender. So why did he kill him? Reluctantly, I decided to wait till the next day to see if the marks were the same.

"That is the only way forward, Jace. Wait" I told myself

        

It came again, the attacker, the loud grunts, the pains, and the eyes, hopeless and painful eyes, the explosives.....

For ten minutes, I tried to gather myself together but succeeded partially. I had to go the bathroom, splash water on my face before I could fully gather myself.

"Just wait till I catch you. I will make sure to catch you even if it's the last thing I do. I will catch you, so you had better have your fun but watch your back while doing so because when I do I will make you pay. Personally" I said to myself referring to John's murderer.

"Jace." A voice called to me

"You are needed in the conference room. Others are already there" Helen said to me

"Sure. Thanks."

"Sorry" I said after I entered the conference. They had already started the meeting so I just start down

"No p. we just started like five minutes ago" Alex said

"Olive" he called

"Yeah" She stood up and went to the projector board, the lights were already switched off.

"We still haven't been able to get the body, but...," she paused. With a smile on her lips, she continued,

"With the help of some friends in the FBI, I was able to get some pictures. I'll put them up right now"

"Wow, you sure never fail us, do you Livy?" Alex asked impressed. She smiled as she put the pictures up. I froze. I knew it. I was right, my instincts were correct. They are the same thing, the marks. Which means...it's probably the same person. Subconsciously, my fists coiled. This is John's murderer- the person why I joined this organization. I had mixed feelings: I was angry, hurt and miserable but I was also relieved that my joining this organization was not in vain.

"From what we can see, this marks are gotten from a knife" Olive said

Of course, that jerk would use a knife because he enjoys seeing his victim's blood and pain. Why? Because he is a psychopath, a psychopathic jerk

MEL'S P.O.V.

Immediately I got home from work, I went to eat. I was exhausted but it was nothing compared to my hunger.

Maybe it was only me, but Jace was really acting weird today. I noticed that when the pictures were put up, he suddenly tensed and his fist coiled up. After a while, he looked angry to the extent that he turned red. Not only that, but he was also very quiet throughout the rest of today and he also went home early. A random person would have thought that he was feeling for the victim or that he just hating the sight but not me. I had a feeling that there was more to this than normal and whatever it was, I promised myself to find out what it was.

After eating, I went to sleep, but not before putting my house in order knowing that I would probably not wake up until the next day