Chief Officer McKay sat alone in the empty conference room, the files and photos from the previous case spread across the table like a morbid mosaic. He rubbed his temples, his mind replaying the words of his investigator. This isn't a normal crime. McKay had never faced a case like this. The victims were unrelated, the wounds bizarre, and the lack of a clear motive left every lead a dead end.
He stood and walked to the window, gazing out at the city lights. If these were planned… what was the motive? He felt a deep, professional frustration, a feeling he had not known in years. But it didn't mean they wouldn't solve it. He straightened his shoulders, pulling out his phone to call his daughter. Her phone went straight to voicemail. He sighed, a tired, soft sound. He didn't know that on the other side of the city, Rina was on a date with the boy she had adored from afar.
The sun began to set, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink. Rina smiled as she watched the colors fade, then turned her gaze to the person sitting across from her at the window table in a cozy, elegant restaurant. "What a beautiful sunset," she said, her voice soft and melodic. "But what's even more beautiful is the face of this handsome man looking at me."
Sanemi just smiled, but said nothing. He hadn't said much since they arrived, lost in a daze of disbelief that this moment was real. Rina, beautiful and full of light, sat across from him, her eyes sparkling with an innocent admiration.
"You haven't said anything since we came here," Rina teased, a playful glint in her eyes. "Yeah, just looking at me. Am I that beautiful?"
"What should I say?" Sanemi asked, still gazing at her face, which was illuminated by the last golden rays of the sun.
"Don't ask me," she laughed. "You should know. You're a boy, remember? Don't act like you haven't dated anyone before."
"Yes," he said, his tone turning serious, a rare glimpse into his inner world. "I've never dated anyone before."
Rina's smile faltered, replaced by a look of genuine surprise. "Really? I don't want to believe this. So you're telling me I'm your first girl?" She struggled to process how someone so handsome could have never had a girlfriend.
"Yes." He reached across the table, his hand gentle as he moved a stray strand of hair from her eye. The touch, so simple and tender, was a strange, new sensation for him. "When you say that, I don't really know what to tell you. But what I see… I believe my eyes don't lie. You are really cute." She couldn't help but blush, her face turning a soft shade of red. It was a simple act, not one he learned from a movie, but one that came from a deep place within him, a place that had long been dormant.
"Your order is ready, sir," a waiter said, placing two glasses of vanilla ice cream on the table. He had ordered the same thing she did.
Rina picked up her glass, her eyes full of warmth. "I must say, I might be so lucky if I'm your first girl. I feel like I'm so special."
Sanemi just smiled and picked up his spoon, about to eat. But his hand froze. He looked up, through the glass window of the restaurant, and saw a figure standing on the other side of the road. It was all in black, just like the figure from the other night, and it was looking directly at him. His heart hammered in his chest, a cold sense of dread creeping up his spine. The figure didn't move, it just watched. As a large truck rumbled past, its headlights briefly illuminating the road, the figure disappeared. Sanemi shivered, the cold terror giving him chills.
"What are you looking at?" Rina asked, her voice bringing him back to the moment. "Did you see another girl outside?"
"It is nothing," Sanemi replied, forcing his face to remain calm even as his heart hammered. "I was just thinking about something."
"Okay, eat your ice cream before it melts."
Rina looked outside to see what had captured his attention, but there was no one. She turned back to her ice cream and smiled.
"You know, I haven't told you about myself yet. My father is the police chief officer. He told me about the recent cases of people being killed. It's really scary, and he always tells me to be careful, but I'm not worried because he promised me that he will catch everyone involved to keep us safe. I'm not worried because I'm right here with you."
So she is the daughter of the police chief officer. The realization hit Sanemi like a physical blow. I'm doomed. My end is near. He's investigating this case. I am a dead man. A wave of fear washed over him, and he began to shake, his spoon rattling against the glass.
"You're so lucky your dad is a police officer. You don't have to worry about anything," he said, trying to steady his voice.
"Mmh, not really, but what about you? Your father?" she asked.
His face went still. "He's no more."
Rina's brow furrowed. "Why? What do you mean he's no more?"
"I mean he's dead," Sanemi replied, his voice a low whisper. "He's been gone for a long time."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Rina said, her face softening with sympathy. "I shouldn't have asked about that."
"It's okay," he said, forcing a faint smile. He looked at her ice cream. "Now finish your ice cream so we can go. I finished mine." As he said that, his phone buzzed in his pocket, a familiar, cold vibration that told him exactly who the message was from.