Chapter 3: The Handsome Detective

In a cemetery, a 6-foot tall man dressed in black quietly stood in front of a tombstone.

In front of him was a picture of a teenage girl in her school uniform. A cheerful smile on her face.

Beside the picture frame sat a white rose and a candle. The man turned to leave but was stopped.

"Inspector Erick Lee," the stranger laughed. "I was right! I knew I'd be able to find you here," a man in police uniform came into view. Erick smiled at the strange greeting.

"What's the matter Sergeant Velasquez?" he asked, turning to his colleague Sergeant Bryan Velasquez. Erick noticed the man's cheerful mood.

"Everyone at the office has been looking for you! We have to celebrate today, " Bryan's answer was enthusiastic.

"You should be proud; you helped put another serial killer behind bars. Justice was served for the victims, especially for this young girl," Bryan added.

"I know, but if we had just solved the case soon, maybe she would have enjoyed more years with her family," Erick said, feeling frustrated.

Bryan saw the sadness reflected in Erick's dark brown eyes.

"Cheer up Inspector! We should focus on doing our best next time so that things like this never happen again," Bryan said as he stared at the fresh flowers on the tombstone.

"You are always offering flowers and prayers to our deceased victims. And you make sure to visit them after every case. It's a good habit to have Inspector," he continued.

"Very few detectives are doing that nowadays. I really admired you for that."

"Ha, you're really a sweet talker," Erick chuckled. His eyes darkened, a storm of feelings flickering behind his dark eyes. Soon, they went back to normal.

"Let's go back then," Erick said as he patted Bryan's shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the office, the other officers were waiting for Inspector Erick to arrive. They had prepared a small private gathering. It was to celebrate the solving of the Serial Murder Case No. 1006.

After two months of an on-going investigation of this murder, the case was given to Inspector Erick. After that, it was solved almost immediately. As in, case closed.

All of this was expected of their precinct's handsome, intelligent and kind-hearted Chief Detective Inspector, Erick Lee.

Before, in Erick's 4 years of service as Sergeant Detective, he had many accomplishments. So many that he was promoted to Detective Inspector at the age of 25.

Now, at 28 years old, he's still solving criminal cases and pushing investigations further towards the truth.

Many of his colleagues, both male, and female, admired him. He had strong dedication and passion for his work. His father, who was also a police officer before, was Erick's role model.

Despite all his achievements he obtained as a younger man, he remained humble. Erick was down to earth, and easy to talk to. The shining example of a perfect gentleman and a warrior of justice.

Besides, many women in his Department, no, even women outside his Department had a crush on him.

He was incredibly popular, and the youngest detective inspector in the country.

Luckily for these ladies, they still had hope. They all knew that Erick was still single. There were no signs of someone special in his heart.

Some thought maybe he was just very hardworking. A workaholic who did not have time for love in his life.

So many women were trying to catch his attention but all of them failed in the end. He treated everyone equally. He never seemed interested in anyone.

"Inspector Lee and Sergeant Velasquez have arrived! Everyone quick, get ready for the surprise!" someone shouted to warn others.

Everyone went to their assigned places. Hiding their props. They were waiting for Erick and Bryan's arrival.

After a few moments, Erick and Bryan entered the office. They were welcomed by loud cheers and falling confetti.

"Congratulations Inspector Lee!"

"Surprise!"

Bryan could not hide his big wide smile. On the other hand, Erick was dumbfounded. But he recovered quickly. 

Surprised by his very thoughtful colleagues, he did not expect them to throw him a party like this.

A gentle smile tugged on his handsome face, and he gave them a grateful glance.

*****

[ Edited by Lilliny ]