"Morning, Natasha. You're late."
A tall, stern-looking man in his mid-40s approached her, dressed in a crisp police uniform. A badge gleamed on his chest, and his name tag read 'Johan S. Roger.' His neatly trimmed 'goodfellas'- style haircut bore a striking white streak, and a thick beard framed his serious expression as he greeted her.
"Apologies, sir. I was just sorting through some documents." Natasha replied, quickly joining her colleagues.
"I expect this won't happen again in the future," Roger said sternly. Natasha's expression darkened, disappointed at herself; she gripped her arm, knuckles white, but she gave a silent nod in response.
"Alright, let's continue. As I mentioned earlier, headquarters has assigned your division to handle this case." Roger distributed folders to everyone in the room, the quiet rustle of paper the only sound. A hush settled over the meeting room until it was broken by a woman with long pink hair. Her name tag read 'Daisy Ordelia A..', and she spoke up in her signature bright, cheerful tone.
"Isn't this the same case we just saw on the news?" she asked, a little too enthusiastically.
"Yeah, I figured they'd dump it on us." A woman with a jet-black ponytail and rectangular glasses muttered under her breath, her name tag reading 'Yessie Ortega C.' With a sigh, she pushed her slightly crooked frames back into place, irritation flickering behind her lenses.
"That was fast. Didn't think it'd land on our desks this soon," Another woman with dark brown hair stepped in, her name tag reading 'Naomi Blossom T.'As the vice captain, she joined the conversation with her calm, steady tone.
"Are you finished conversing?" Roger's voice rang out sharply, instantly silencing the room. The three women promptly closed their mouths, resembling chastened schoolchildren caught in mischief.
"The file contains the victim's details along with crime scene photos. Police Unit A was already there earlier for the initial inspection and photographs," Roger continued.
"They also sealed off the apartment with police tape to prevent unauthorized access."
The four women focused on the documents in front of them. A tense quiet settled again until Natasha broke it.
"This killer... I think it might be the same person from a previous case," she said, her voice edged with concern.
"What makes you think that?" Naomi asked, intrigued.
"Look at the neck. No, just below it, near the shoulder, there's a strange symbol."
The others immediately flipped through the photos to examine the area Natasha pointed out, and sure enough, the symbol was there.
"This is the same symbol from that previous case. At first, I thought the killer was just messing around… but if it's just a prank, why would every victim have this exact symbol?"
Natasha's memory flashed back to the case she'd worked on before this one, one with an identical oddity: a symbol etched near the neck or shoulder area. Not always in the same spot, but always present.
She had ignored it before, assuming it was a fluke. But now? It felt more deliberate.
A clue, perhaps.
"So this is like... a calling card?" Naomi guessed. Natasha nodded.
"Could be. Because if you compare this with the case from ten years ago, it's eerily similar."
"Wait, ten years ago?!" Ordelia exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yes. Ten years ago, there was a string of murders. The killer left similar symbols at each scene. Almost like he was playing a game with the police," Roger explained. Yessie furrowed her brow.
"Why leave clues? Does that mean the killer wants to get caught?"
"Either that… or they're just toying with us," Naomi speculated, making Yessie even more confused.
"Were they ever caught?" Natasha asked Roger.
Roger shook his head.
"So it's the same killer?"
"Most likely. But after that last case, he vanished. No more bodies. No more symbols until recently. The clues started appearing again about a year ago."
Natasha massaged her temple, overwhelmed by the complexity of it all.
"Are we starting the investigation today, sir?" Ordelia asked.
"No. You'll begin tomorrow morning."
"Understood, sir," Yessie, Ordelia, and Naomi responded in unison. Natasha simply nodded.
The noon meeting ended, and everyone returned to their respective duties.
Later that day...
"Get your butt over here before I lose it!"
"I'm already on my way, Ordelia. So, unless you want me to lose it too, I suggest you hang up," Natasha replied, clearly irritated.
Without another word, Ordelia froze and ended the call.
.
.
.
.
A few moments later, in the afternoon, at the apartment where the crime scene was located, Natasha approached cautiously. Yellow tape marked with the words "Do Not Enter – Crime Scene" encircled the entrance."Have you found anything?" she asked as she stepped closer.
Yessie nodded. "We found a strand of hair near the bed," she reported. "It appears the victim tried to defend themselves."
Natasha scrutinized the area.
"I gave the hair to Naomi. She's taken it to forensics. Results should be in today," Yessie added, stepping aside to let Natasha inspect further.
"What about the other three victims?" Natasha asked, remembering that there were survivors.
A voice from behind answered Ordelia.
"They're at the hospital. Just got scratched."
Natasha turned sharply, frowning.
"Just scratches? What do you mean?"
"I mean… light wounds. Meanwhile, two others were killed. Doesn't add up. Usually, killers don't leave witnesses behind, it's too risky."
Natasha nodded slowly. Ordelia had a point. Letting survivors live could be a major misstep unless it was intentional.
As the day wore on, Natasha, Yessie, Naomi, and Ordelia continued their investigation. The sun dipped below the horizon, surrendering the sky to the encroaching night, just as the city handed its darkest secrets over to them.