Chapter 3: The Investigation

The next morning, the police were called to both the sites of the crime. The old man who was stabbed was found in the alley. Another old man who tried to take advantage of Claire was found dead on the ground with the taxi driver whose body was lying at a distance.

The taxi with the broken front glass was also there. A team of investigators was called on both the crime scenes.

[THE ALLEY]

John and Sam, two middle-aged investigators who were in charge of catching the serial killer arrived at the scene. The forensic team was already doing their jobs before their arrival.

"What have you found?" John asked a police officer at the scene.

"Sir, the killer has stabbed the victim multiple times in the gut. Judging from the depth and brutality of the crime, it seems the culprit hated the victim too much," The police officer answered.

Sam separated from them and started roaming around the area to observe the surroundings.

John and Sam both were in black suits, similar to the ones in 'Men In Black'. They were from the Crime Investigation Bureau. The police had their uniform navy blue.

John had his hair gelled back and had a moustache while Sam had curly hair and was cleanly shaven.

"Hm, any other clues?" John asked.

"Yes, sir," The police officer answered. "We have found a few things on the crime scene."

"What are they?" John asked.

"Sir, a cell phone and a red comforter," The police officer answered. "The cellphone was at a distance from the body but the comforter was right beside the body."

"Where are they?"

The police officer walked away and brought the comforter and the cellphone which were inside transparent bags. John took them and tried to look at them closely.

"Hm, have you figured out the owner of the cell phone?" John asked.

"Yes, sir. It belongs to a girl called Claire Hoover. We have informed her family about this. She is nowhere to be found since yesterday. Nobody knows where she went."

"Hm, so apparently, she witnessed the crime from her eyes, and the killer must have seen her. She wouldn't have been able to run away and he must have got her," John speculated.

"This is likely the case, sir. But how are you so sure that the girl isn't the killer but a victim?"

"Judging from the way of murder, it looks like the killer hated the victim too much. If you have studied the files of the masked killer, all the three victims before this one were all killed the same way. They all were stabbed multiple times in the gut," John said.

"Sir, someone could be trying to copy the masked killer and is trying to manipulate us," The police officer countered.

"This could be the case, but my instinct is telling me that this is the work of the masked killer."

The news reporters were already there but were refrained by the police to enter the crime scene.

"Another cold-blooded murder has taken place. What is the police and investigation department doing? Why is the killer still roaming freely among us?"

A female reporter reported from near the crime scene. "Another incident has taken place in the outskirts of the city. Two men are found dead at the site. The police are saying that it is an accident and refused to share any information with the public."

Sam received a phone call while observing around. "Yes, sir," He said upon receiving the call. It was from his senior.

"Listen, Sam, I want you and John to stay silent in front of the media. You two must not share any information with the public. And, I want you to catch that masked killer as soon as possible. I am living under the pressure of the politicians," The man from the other side of the phone said.

"Don't worry, we don't have any information to share. We are investigating right now at the crime scene, I will report to you if we find something," Sam said and cut the call.

Meanwhile, John was still taking information from the police officer.

"Is there a connection between the two incidents? I am talking about the accident at the corner of the city," John said.

"Sir, there is a high possibility that these two incidents are connected," The police officer replied.

"Why?"

"Sir, one of the victims died from getting stabbed in the neck. There is a high chance that the knives used to stab both the victims are the same."

"Hm, what about this girl, Claire? Did you find her body yet?" John asked.

"No, sir. But we are searching for it."

"We don't know if she is the culprit or a victim. There is a possibility that she is alive and is hiding somewhere. We can't waste much time if this is the case. We have to find her before the killer does it," John said. "She is the key to this case."

"Yes, sir. Our team is searching for her."

"Hm," John hummed. "Also, try to find the connection between the victims of both the crime scenes. If they were connected in some way or not."

"Okay, sir."

•••

Meanwhile someone was waking up from deep sleep, it was Claire. As soon as she opened her eyes, she stood up at a lightning speed. She found herself on a bed she was not familiar with. The walls were painted pink which was her favourite colour.

"Where am I? What happened to the masked killer? Alex... Where is Alex?" She mumbled while looking around. She could still remember the scenes which happened with her last night.

She stood up from the bed and tried to walk out, but stopped when she heard the bathroom door open. She was just a few feet away from the door when she saw Alex coming out of the shower with only a towel around his waist.

Her mouth got hung open after looking at the six-pack abs, but she didn't forget that this person was a mass murderer. She tried to turn the doorknob to open the door but it was not opening.

"Don't come near me," She said in a fearful voice. "I will scream."

Alex didn't respond and headed towards her with a blank expression.

"Hel..." She was about to scream but he held her mouth shut and pushed her back against the door.

"Shhh..." He placed his finger on his lips and told her to shut up.

She was just looking into his eyes. Those eyes were so different from last night, but there was sadness in them. Her pent-up emotions were all coming outside. But she didn't forget that he was a criminal. Could she still love him? Will she mold the truth and save him now, when she was the key to approach him?