Chapter 7

Nique Wollen just looked at her. He did not think she would appear in front of him that fast. He did not consider seeing her again after he made sure that she would work with Aper. Not to mention that she wanted to talk, which made him wonder if she changed her mind about the partnership.

"What is it?"

"I want to know more about Aper Koden."

"Why?"

"He is very distant towards me, pushing me away like he is hiding something. I know we have a past together – he would come to my house, accuse me, arrest me blah-blah-blah - but I want to learn more about him before I continue working with him."

"Have you considered talking with him about that? You are partners, after all. It would do you good."

"He won't listen to me. He is like a big baby who does what he wants."

"Well, to be honest, all I know is that he lives beside the river. He is a good worker, the best I can say; he solved three cases in just one month, and they were pretty tough. I do not know what happened with him in this case, though. It took way too long to get to only one conclusion. It is a good thing that you accepted helping him; otherwise, this case would have been just a lost cause."

"Yeah, sure. Anyway, parents?"

"I do not know any people blood related to him - I do not know if he has someone. He seems pretty lonely."

"Is he here?"

"Nope. He did not come since yesterday."

After a two minute silence, Skyleene's voice echoed through the room:

"Give me his address."

❧

The river echoed in the silence, giving a salty breeze to her nose. In front of her, there was a small house, just like hers. It had a roof, a front door, two bid windows on the left and one on the right. "A regular house, what can I say," she thought. There was no light showing through the black curtains. She did not know at that point what to do. She could enter, or she could wait until a figure would appear. She did neither of those two options.

Her legs made her stop right in front of his door and rang the doorbell. She heard a sound, but no one answered the door. No light got switched on; no footstep heard - just silence.

She backed up and left to the unknown once again. "How dramatic. I had to come first. What is wrong with me? If he had shown any sign of wanting to talk with me about stuff, he would have come to me first. I deserve explanations, damn it." As she backed away, a small figure parted the curtain and watched as she was getting smaller on the city streets, leaving a sigh to escape his lips. A side of him wanted to be out in the open, but the side that kept him hidden always won.

"Fuck this."

❧

Skyleene was walking with Mushu at her feet. He felt her energy ever since she left the house.

"You don't seem quite well. I know my voice is heard in your head only, but that does not mean I can read your thoughts as well.|"

"It is better that you do not, Mushu. It is better this way."

Her steps were light as a feather, with no rush in her movements. She did not know where to go or what to do.

Some purple light got her attention. It was a speck of dust from a dark alley because why would it be a lit one. She got closer to it and found a line going behind the fence that united the two buildings. Her curious mind did not let her only walk away, so she got up on the gate. Her right leg was about to touch the floor when the gate opened. Mushu looked at her amused and went ahead. Her steps followed the black cat until the purple line stopped.

"That's odd..." She got on her knees and touched the purple speck. Nothing happened, just as expected. She studied the dust for a couple of seconds until her skin began to itch. She dropped it and started scratching her hand. Some red spots appeared on her white skin, making her worry because of the itch. Mushu came at her with his ears pointed up and his tail like a whisk.

As they focused on her wound, from the nearby boxes came a noise. It might have belonged to an animal, but something in it made her think it was a human. She got closer to the boxes only to find a body of a woman struggling to breathe, looking like a rabid dog. Her eyes were red, the red dress ripped, her underwear being the only thing that covered her white body. When she saw Skyleene's terrified look, she did not wait and jumped at her, leaving a big scar on her chest and cheek. The madwoman hovered over Skyleene, scratching and bruising whatever she had at hand. Skyleene tried to get her off, but it was all in vain. When Skyleene pushed her with more force, the rabid did more damage to her skin. A quick, strong kick made the woman fall from her body and run away with a hiss. All that was left was a corner with boxes filled with purple dust.

Skyleene's eyes looked at her savior, seeing nothing but a blur.

❧

It had been three hours since Skyleene's weak body laid on Aper's couch. He made sure that her wounds were all taken care of and she would stay comfortable. Her shoes and shirt were off of her body so his hands could work around her chest scratches. While looking at her, he found her beautiful with her small chest. He did not have a thing for big melons, but the ones she had complimented her petite body. His eyes went up to her facial features. Her lashes covered a small portion of her cheekbones, while her lips made a pink cat-like mouth. She was cute but deadly at the same time. Her eyes suddenly opened and had contact with his. The breeze made her feel the cold air on her chest, so her hands covered that area with the speed of light as she got up. Aper backed away, seeing her frame getting closer to his, but the gap remained the same. Skyleene studied his face with widened eyes as she tried to cover herself up. Aper lowered his gaze, noticing her hands covering her chest. Skyleene got flustered, and so did Aper. The man got on his feet and turned away, scratching the back of his head.

"I didn't touch anything, I promise. I just had to bandage that area because the rabid torn some of the skin off. I did not see anything, do not consider me a creep."

His words made her smile. That meant he was the one who saved her.

"How did you find me?" She asked low.

"I"- he started but stopped – "I followed you when you left my house. "

"Why did you save me? You could have just let me die."

"I" - he sighed. "I don't know. That woman seemed peculiar. Plus, I did not see everything from the beginning, so you own some information about that rabid. Not to mention the purple dust covered the entire place. "

"True, I do own information, but you don't need me in this case. You said it yourself."

"I know what I said. I only need your side of the story - as the victim. I still don't need your help with the case. I need you for the new case. It is a difference."

With that, he left the house, shutting the door behind him. He did not even look at her. The light of 1 PM entered through the windows, the curtains creating a cinema screen-like view. They were not open when she looked from the outside in the morning.