Did I Miss Anything

As we look at the graffiti on the wall, I point to a small section and say:

"Does that look familiar to you Detective Woodward?"

He comes closer and says;

"What you mean? This is a bunch of graffiti. Nothing makes sense in this."

I take out my flashlight, switch it on and lighten the area I was talking about.

"Do you see what that is?"

"It looks like words are written in a circle with hearts"

"Okay, what do the words say?"

Detective Woodward walks closer and says;

"I can't read it. It's not English. I think it says: Semper Amare K.A.T.."

I look at Detective Woodward stunned. Like I've seen a ghost, I say to him;

"I have seen that circle on our victim's earring. It is that exact circle."

I take out my phone and take a picture of the circle on the wall.

Then we continue to follow the tracks. It leads us to the main road which can lead you into town or out of town. Then I say to Detective Woodward;

"It's a dead-end, nothing else here"

As we walk back thoughts keep running through my head. Why would that be written under a bridge? Why does the track lead to the road? Was it the killer that made the tracks or was it made by someone else? My mind is running ten thousand miles per hour thinking of all the information we gathered.

When we get back to the crime scene, we see that the Coroner has taken the body. There are just a few people left busy sorting out the last stuff before we can open this area again. The Captain then asks.

"Can we give you a ride Detective Marks? Seeing that your car is still at the precinct?"

"Yeah, that would be great, thank you, Captain"

As we are driving, the Captain asks;

"So, Detective Marks, how was your first day?"

I'm just staring out the window, trying to figure out the "circle" graffiti. Then I take out my phone and look at the photo I took earlier of the words written in a circle with hearts. Madison then turns to me and asks,

MADISON POV

"Is everything okay back there?"

He looks at me and says;

"Yes, sorry. I'm distracted by something. I saw this photo under a bridge, not far from where the crime scene was. What is written there, is bugging me. It's also on the victim's earring. I feel it could be related somehow..."

I lean back and say;

"Let me see"

He hands me the phone and the moment his fingers touch my skin it instantly sends a tingling feeling through my body down to my core and I say with as much self-control as I can gather;

"It's easy, it's Latin. Semper Amare means: Love You Always and the K.A.T. is the sorority, KAPPA, ALPHA, THETA. Are you sure this is the same as on our victim's earring?"

He sits up straight and looks at me while he says;

"I'm hundred percent sure. That means she could have been part of a sorority. We've got a lead to look into"

I'm so impressed with his work, just one day and it seems he got it all figured out. He has this way of looking at things and it isn't the way that I am used to. All the other Detectives are seldom on point with their findings but this man sitting in the back seat is definitely earning a lot of points in my book.

I smile while looking back and him and say;

"Good one Detective, I've added my direct number to your phone as well. Just if you need something urgently. I'm going to send the sorority's home number to your phone. Maybe you and Detective Woodward can follow up on the lead, while we are waiting to hear from the coroner regarding the time of death."

TOM POV

I'm sitting in the back seat, working the case. All of a sudden, it hits me. She gave me her number. I can contact her anytime. Now that's what you call a good day!

We get to the station and Detective Woodward is waiting for me. I walk up to him and say;

"We've got a lead. Madison recognized the photo we took under the bridge"

"Okay, so tell me..."

"I just quickly need to ask Madison something and then I will tell you everything"

I look around for her, but can't find her. Maybe she's in the Captain's office. I realize that I don't know where the office is. So, I ask the first Officer to walk past;

"Hey, sorry but I'm new here. Where is the Captain's Office?"

"It's two doors to the left, down the hall, second door on the right"

"Thanks, man"

I walk to the Captain's office. I knock a few times;

Detective Woodwards peeks around the corner and says;

"Coroners report came in, we have an identity of the victim. Her name was Sarah Twaist, 28 years old. The time of death was at 3:23 this morning. Lived in an apartment in Boyle Heights. Let's take a drive"

I give up on finding Madison and we make our way to an unmarked car. We get in and start to drive. Then Detective Woodward asks me;

"So, tell me...How did you figure out all that information about the victim by just looking at the scene for a few minutes?'

"Well, I guess it's just the way I've always been. I always had a different perspective on things. When I was a kid, my parents used to hate buying me presents for Christmas. I was an only child, so I had a lot of time to wander through the house and look for my presents. I always found them, no matter where they hid them.

So, one year, my dad decided not to buy the presents until the day before Christmas day. He waited till the last moment to go to the shop and buy them but when he got to the store, the toys that he wanted to buy were sold out. That was the last year I looked for my presents. So, I guess to answer your question, my passion to find hidden treasures and a family with a line of blue blood, I am made for doing this."

We both just smiles. Then Detective Woodward starts to slow down, looking for the apartment building. He pulls over and we get out of the car. I press the buzzer, hoping that someone would answer.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, we are Detective Marks and Woodwards. We are from the LAPD. Could you let us in please?"

"Why, what do you want?"

"It's in regards with Miss Sarah Twaist. Please let us in."

She buzzes us in and we walk to the elevator. We get to the door and knock. The door opens and a woman opens the door.

"So, what about Sarah?"

We take out our badges and introduce ourselves.

"Mam, what's your name?"

"It's Mia Frieds"

"What's your relation to Miss Sarah Twaist?"

"She is my roommate, why?"

"I'm sorry to inform you, but Miss Sarah Twaist was killed this morning. Were you two close?"

She starts to cry and the crying soon turns into a sobbing. Then she screams;

"No! No! No! Not Sarah!"

I ask her to try and calm down and take a few deep breaths. She answers;

"Yes, she was my roommate for almost three years now, best friends in fact"

"So, when was the last time you saw her?"

"Three or four nights ago..."

"Weren't you worried that your friend didn't come home?"

"I was okay...I tried to call her a few times but she didn't answer"

"Do you know where she was the last night that you saw her?"

"I think she went to a party or some sort of exhibition in the city. I'm not sure where".

"Did she go with someone?"

"Yes, some guy picked her up, but he waited outside for her"

"Did she tell you his name?"

"She wasn't like that, she kept her personal life private."

"But wait, I thought you said...you were best friends? You don't know when exactly it was that you saw her last? You weren't concerned enough to call the police to report her missing and you're not sure where she went or with who? Did I miss anything?"

Suddenly she slams the door shut in my face...