The morning after the curfew's end was relatively peaceful. Abel, Eluya, and Iliana sat in their usual seats, each holding a pen in hand.
Abel wore a charcoal shirt with tailored, flat-front trousers, both patternless. Over his clothing, he had a beige overcoat with his badge pinned to it and a shoulder holster inside the coat holding a customized Beretta 92FS. His entire ensemble perfectly complemented his lustrous black hair and deep brown eyes.
Eluya wore a crisp apricot-colored shirt paired with pewter-colored flat-front trousers, topped with a matching overcoat. Her badge was proudly pinned to the overcoat, and a hip holster held a custom .56 Magnum. Sitting comfortably on the sofa in her low-heeled pumps, she was waiting for the commission.
Meanwhile, Iliana sat at her desk, typing on her computer with focused attention. She wore a fitted gray short-sleeved turtleneck and a knee-length black pencil skirt, creating a comfortable yet professional outfit for office work.
After a few moments, Iliana sighed, looking at Abel and Eluya in silence now that her work was finished. She turned her head slightly to glance at the clock before directing her gaze to Eluya.
"Eluya, the person is coming anytime now. Make sure to note all the details. You'll accompany Abel in the investigation." Iliana said calmly before she sat straight on her chair and cleared her throat.
Eluya nods, maintaining the silence while Abel is spinning the pen in silence to occupy the time.
After a period of silence, the office door opened and an old man entered. His clothes were modest by today's standards, consisting of a well-tailored suit that fit his body perfectly. The old man walked up to the chair in front of Iliana's desk and spoke calmly. "Hello.. Miss. I'm here to give you the details about the commission."
Iliana nods at the Old Man, passing him a glass of water. "We are listening, Mr. Monzard. Please don't omit any details." Iliana spoke with a professional tone that also carried a touch of tenderness.
Abel and Eluya were poised with their pen and paper, diligently jotting down every detail they could glean from the old man's statements about the commission.
"Uhh.. So. My Daughter is missing, the guy she married with has been murdered in their home. I got the file from the Police Department." The Old man passed the documents about the murder to Iliana. "They asked me to go to a detective agency so I came here. Please investigate the case.. Please bring my daughter back.. She's the only family I have now.." The Old Man was on the verge of crying as tears slowly watered down his cheeks.
Iliana takes a few glances at the file, passing it to Abel and Eluya on the other desk and turning her attention to the Old Man. "Mr. Monzard, I assure you that we'll find your daughter and make sure justice is served to your Son-in-law.. Our detectives are the best at their job, you should head back home and relax now.. We'll reach out to you once we find something relevant to the case." Iliana said calmly as she patted the back of the Old man, who was barely holding back on the tears.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Once the Old Man collected himself and walked out, Iliana turned her attention to Abel and Eluya. "Anything from the initial observation?" Iliana asked calmly.
"This isn't a case of Interspecies Violence." Abel and Eluya spoke in sync. Their outright claim made it look like they were already seeing something.
"We're heading to the crime scene." Abel said calmly as he took the car keys and headed towards the door.
"Iliana, can you request an autopsy report from the Police Department?" Eluya asked calmly before she calmly began walking behind Abel, prepared to head to the crime scene.
"Ok. That'll be done by the time you arrive. All the best in your investigation.. May the Spirit of Justice show you the Path." Iliana said calmly and closed her eyes for a small prayer, while Abel and Eluya left the office.
Once they were gone, Iliana quietly sat back in her chair and filled out a request form for the Autopsy report of the Son-in-law of Mr. Monzard.
Meanwhile, Abel drove the car to the crime scene with Eluya in the backseat, cross-checking their notes. "So, you think this wasn't done by a different species too?" Eluya asked calmly, closing the notes and looking at Abel while crossing her legs.
"Yes, the documents described the condition the corpse was found in.. It was dismember and the description said that even the fingers of the victim were torn off posthumously." Abel said calmly as he focused on the road, his mind racing with various possibilities about the crime, none of which could be confirmed or denied until they reached the crime scene themselves.
"I see.. How long will it take until we reach the site?" Eluya asked calmly, resting her hand over the armrest and looking at Abel with a blank expression.
"About 15 minutes, if we don't run into traffic. Though you can expect 30 on this route." Abel said calmly, turning his attention towards the road, navigating carefully through the streets of Luminae.
The rest of the journey was silent, punctuated only by the distant calls of vendors and the occasional chirping of birds, which occasionally interrupted the detectives' contemplations.
After 33 minutes of driving, they finally reached the crime scene. Abel's body felt stiff due to the horrible traffic they had to navigate through, doubling the expected travel time.
"So this is the Roseanne Bungalow, the house Mr. Monzard's Daughter and Son-in-law lived in.." Eluya said calmly as she started walking, Abel shadowing her closely. The Policeman-on-duty led the two inside after checking their badges.
The policeman handed Eluya the key along with a pair of masks and gloves, cautioning Abel and Eluya about the stench inside before returning to his post.
Abel and Eluya donned their masks and gloves as a safety precaution before entering the house. Upon stepping inside, the overpowering stench of rotting meat assaulted their senses, penetrating even the protective layers of their masks.
"I'm already hating this place.. Atleast I can dull my olfactory senses to not die by this stench." Eluya said with a slight shiver as she dulls her sense of smell. Abel follows suit as they can finally stand in the house without having an urge to throw up all over.
"We have dulled our senses. But be sure to act like we have experienced hell once we get out. We don't want the police officer to get suspicious, do we now?" Abel said with a calm look as fakes a few coughs before he starts looking around the house.
Eluya nods at Abel before she starts searching the house for clues. Though of them knew at the moment that this case will be a turning point in their career.