Case - 1 : Paw prints.

My hands were what first appeared in the jarring and messy view.

They were soaked red. Like the faces of snow monkeys bathing in hot springs.

My eyes faded out of focus only to refocus back on Larkin's half face that remained. I was going to promote the fool after this.

Why did he have to die?

I wanted to end it with a sigh, but my breathing had hitched, I didn't know when. I could feel the constant pressure building up inside the cavity in my chest, trying to suck in air, but nothing would enter my nose.

It was as if all the air in the world had begun avoiding me.

The focus of my eyes flickered in and out of focus as it settled finally on the wet red puddle under my knees, and then moved along with my eyes to the sleek waver that lay on the floor, fallen out of Larkin's hands.

Wavers weren't supposed to be so lethal. Not the official ones. They were always meant to incapacitate the subject. Not erase them from the face of the planet, that was just stupid hyperbole.

My eyes followed to the owner of the sudden thud that began at Larkin's legs.

Vera.

She'd collapsed. Visibly shocked at what had happened. Her eyes poured out tears in a silent scream, as she was no doubt having flashbacks to her own son's death.

With ears that left much to hear and eyes that were blacking out every few seconds, I pushed myself to stand up.

Vera's eyes followed me in fear, while I saw Revanche looking terrified.

But ignoring the two, I turned around and spoke to my Cadets. I don't know if they could hear. I couldn't since my ears were still buzzing.

I think I said something along the lines of, "Arrest the two. We can do the rest at the station...and contact Noive to send an ambulance…to, to help Lieutenant Larkin."

What a silly thing happiness is. Sometimes it vanishes just when you finally begin to experience it once again.

I looked up at the now darkened sky and finally breathed in. Glimmers of light from the farthest of stars shimmered down. Larkin had become a part of the honored ones.

Did he have any extended family? Someone to inform of his death? A significant other, perhaps?

What would I even say to them? That he died doing his dream job with the person he admired the most? The person who let him down the very moment he most needed help?

What a shame.

I pushed my body to walk, or more like stumble forward, until I reached Larkin's HoverSteed. I didn't touch it, since it was part of evidence now. I just stared at it.

Perhaps I would until eternity. I hoped to, but a soft touch on my shoulder brought me back down to a time that had ticks in it.

Anneliese stood beside me with a forlorn look on her face, which I tried to apologize for.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. It doesn't usually end like that."

She stayed silent and maintained a little distance but looked like she was paying attention nonetheless.

"Are you going to stay? I could hire you after you passed a few tests of course."

"...." Anneliese didn't respond, so I accepted it as her resignation. No one would want to join if they say what happened to Larkin right on their first day, would they?

I turned to look back at the slowly darkening sky, which revealed the countless hidden stars that continued to shine bright., shimmering beautifully, like jewels that still had much to show.

Will I become a star too? Or have I passed it.

"He wasn't like that, you know."

"The day he joined, I remember he was nervous as heck. That was how I actually even learned his name in the first place."

He used to stutter constantly. Fidget about. Get absorbed in absolutely ancient cases that had been left unsolved. Claiming like any other new recruit that he'd be the genius to solve them all. Looking back, he was probably imitating me quite a bit, wasn't he?

"I wanted someone to get me beer, but no one was in the office during the middle of the night. It was a busy day."

I remembered it as clear as day. It was the night after I'd divorced Gracewell when she decided she didn't want to work on us anymore after she got mindwiped by some asshole I couldn't find.

"Stumbling about after waking up, I tripped over him while he was fixing the network that seemed to be down for some reason."

"Poor guy was more frightened than me. Thought I was a ghost. Until he probably recognized who I was."

He was so frightened when the flashlight he was holding lit up only the upper half of my face. I probably stunk like a tramp, making it easier for him to think I'd wandered in somehow.

"But he was excited to do anything I asked of him after that night."

Waiting for my beck and call. Ready to do anything, including bringing me beer.

"Earlier, I just thought he wanted to work and get promoted for some reason. Or maybe he was just scared. It was only recently that I realized he actually admired my work."

Funny how talking to a person for a few minutes can get you to know them better than the time you've spent around them for a couple of years.

"But that wasn't why I liked him."

"I liked the fool because he used to glare at Gracewell each time she came around. He instinctively hated her guts for some reason."

"Never came around to asking why, but now I'll never know."

Anneliese patted my back like she was consoling me, and wiped away the water on my face using her own hands. Since my own were still covered in blood, I didn't touch her.

"You're not angry at her?" Anneliese asked with a back nod as Vera was brought out of the house in handcuffs, trailing behind Revanche who looked hollow, both being led by Gracewell. The very person that mishandled the case in the first place.

"Angry? With her? Poor lady has probably never even held a waver in her life before. She's traumatized as it is. No need to break her further."

"Sergeant Dave! What would you like to do with him, sir?" A cadet arrived beside me to pose me a question.

The golden retriever panted with its tongue dropping out of its mouth, a small puddle of saliva collecting at its feet, while looking at Revanche who was being pushed into a police PTV.

"Take him to Mr. Sterling before he leaves so that they can see each other. Ask him if he has anyone he wants to give her away to. After all, we can't arrest a dog for participating in a murder."

"Sir yes sir!" The cadet saluted and continued walking away, while I watched the trail of tiny paw prints the dog left behind on the way.

"Poor dog. Probably didn't know what was going on."

"Yes, those whining wails were quite pitiful."

"It was whining all this time?"

"Huh? Yeah it was. Didn't you hear?"

"Ah. I was a little deaf. The waver. The sound was still buzzing in my ears until recently. It still is. Just a little. Like that itch you can't get rid of on your back."

Anneliese didn't respond for a second, as she just stared back at me incredulously.

"I think you should get yourself checked by the paramedics that arrive too."

"...I think I will." I said as the ambulance arrived just in time, landing gracefully by the curb. Lieutenant Gracewell pointed them to the house with the broken door on it.

I stepped in to stop them from entering and spoke before any of them could disturb the scene. "Treat it like a crime scene." Their eyes widened and after a second I heard Revanche shouting from the back of the police PTV he was in.

"YOU CAN'T DO THAT! VERA DIDN'T DO IT ON PURPOSE! SHE ISN'T A MURDERER!"

I ignored him and spoke to Gracewell while passing her, "Don't leave your post while on duty, Lieutenant Gracewell."

I expected to pass right by, but Gracewell stopped me by arguing back.

"Or what? You're going to let them die 'accidentally' like you did your own colleague?"

My hand nearly back slapped her face, but Anneliese held my hands back at the right moment, so I chose to simply respond in a civil manner instead.

"Of the two of us, I wonder who's the one that rose up the ranks by kissing ass. I know I've got more than a hundred solved cases under my belt. How about you?"

I left her there with her mouth hanging and walked back into the room. It was best if I observed everything at the scene of the crime as it was. I wouldn't have to fear anything in it going missing that way.

The house wasn't dark, the house automation system had turned the lights on.

A soft buzz in my pockets distracted me to drag out the tie clip that had a slim box filled with flies inside it. I looked at it for a second and handed it over to a Cadet keeping the crime scene intact.

"Bag it and send it to Lieutenant Gracewell's booth."

"Yes Sir." The cadet saluted and left me alone.

The salty air that had a tinge of iron within it graced my tongue after I'd spoken, reminding me of all the several other times I'd been at similar scenes.

I looked at my footprints that led outside, and then back at my suit that I'd just paid for at the casino.

'What a waste of money.'

'Why was his waver set to such high intensity?'

'A normal shot would've targeted a single cell. Like the brain cells were in the case of the previous victim, Mr. Waltinger, who died with his brain having been vaporized.'

Looking back at Larkin or what remained of him, a sort of pain formed in my chest, but I held back whatever emotions I had and looked on for any clues that might suggest what had happened.

Not finding anything other than the slightly shocked expression he had on, I moved to examine the waver from a distance without moving from my spot at the door, since the forensics hadn't combed the scene.

Peaking through the gaps between me and the door, Anneliese poked her head in and looked up at me.

"Find anything yet?"

"No. Don't disturb me. I like to work alone."

"...maybe I can help?"

'I thought she didn't want to help. Well no point in turning away an excited person right away.'

"...Look at the crime scene, maybe you'll notice something I didn't."

"...ok."

Seeing Anneliese cope so easily with the situation, I could only imagine what horrors she'd seen during her time in the casino.

Unfortunately none of it could be worked on anymore since using her in any such way would put a target not only on her back but all my officers too.

"...What do I look for?"

"...Anything out of place. Or anything that looks like it should be there by isn't."

Anneliese went silent again, but my mind kept tingling for some reason.

'Why do I feel like I missed something.'

'How would this have anything to do with me?'

"Why do you think he was killed?" Anneliese asked a question that stumped me.

'Why did I think he was killed? Just because of a malfunction? No. Why did I believe the malfunction was aimed at killing him?'

The sagging of my suit that was still dripping blood and my hands that now uncomfortably crunched due to the drying up blood reminded me.

Reminded me something I'd long tried to forget.

Something that I'd been reminded of very clearly two years ago, but I'd chosen to treat as an accident.

Something I'm being reminded once again.

'Me.'

'Someone wants to warn me.'

'Warn me that I'm getting over my head.'

'Warn me not to get too close to the sun, or all that I care for will be burnt away.'

I rushed toward the police PTV as I slammed open the door and pulled Vera out by her hair before Anneliese could stop me.

"Bitch, who paid you?" I spat my question in her face, but all I saw was a momentary smirk that morphed into a painful face that felt pitiable.

Anneliese pulled me back and tried to do her best to hold me there while Gracewell walked in between me and the PTV. Her mouth moved as words kept getting spat out, no doubt to deride me, but my mind wouldn't register any of them.

The pounding in my head was back and the hurt in my chest had only amplified.

Some of the blood that had remained wet on my hand stained Vera's face, and it showed me exactly what I thought.

I'd been played. Played like a fool.