Author’s POV:

A handful of police vehicles were gathered around the entrance of the alley where a yet to be deciphered crime of extreme brutality had taken place. Even medics were on the scene just in case one of the victims had survived. A police line was set up to keep the inquisitive bystanders at bay.

“Please step back. This area is an active crime scene.”

The officers who were in charge of holding the line were having a difficult time doing their duty. There was a lot of pushing going on from various news reporters coupled with incessant flashes of camera flares or phone lights.

When these officers received a short break was after a dark car pulled up in front of the alley which forced the civilians to clear the way. When the driver’s door opened, a stunning woman came outside with her gun strapped to her curvy waist and a pair of gloves concealing her dainty fingers. She had a strictness about her gate which intimidated most people.

One of the male investigators who were already on the scene, came over to meet this special lady as soon as he became aware of her arrival. He lifted the police line so she could have an easy entry.

“Detective Sleuth where have you been? We’ve called this in over an hour ago.”

“Agent Lewis I was busy with another crime scene over by Sunflower Avenue. The situation there was very gruesome, a double homicide. We’ve yet to locate the perpetrator. The last known description was of a middle-aged man with most of his visage covered with facial hair and he was wearing worn-out rags.”

“That isn’t much to go on. Half of Clown City’s sewage dwellers fit that description.”

“I am well aware of that.” Detective Sleuth walked beside Agent Lewis further into the alley where a forensics team were collecting samples. “So what do we have here?”

“A quadruple homicide, involving a chef who owns the food stall that you see out front. His name is Hatori Han 54 years old male. As you can see, he was brutally decapitated and maimed. His head was found at the entrance which means whoever was responsible for his death must have killed him over there then dragged the body back here.”

“Oh.” Detective Sleuth continued to lend a hair to Agent Lewis’s report.

“Next on the list are these 2 gangsters. This one here is Tyrone Slown, 24 years of age. He had his chest impaled by a wooden club but it was later removed, I’m guessing by his killer. The big guy over there is Byso Tyrell, 29 years old. It looks like his face was scraped off by a rough surface, we’ve yet to determine what that is. And both these men seemed as if they were hastily operated on by the sort of laceration to their chests.”

Detective Sleuth scanned her eyes around the alley. Because it was so dark she failed to realize the flesh imprints and bloodstains situated on the upper side corner of the wall. Giving her direction back to Agent Lewis, she asked him, “How can you tell that these men are both gang affiliates?”

Hearing this question, Agent Lewis knelt beside Tyrone’s corpse and used a pen to move away his collar. In so doing, he revealed a tattoo. “Aside from their known police records, this tattoo on his neck is a brand for the Red Ants Gang. The big guy has it too.”

“I see.” Detective Sleuth was satisfied with this answer. She glanced at the fourth corpse and awaited Agent Lewis’s report. “What about this one?”

“This one is a John Doe. The biological samples and images that were sent to the lab for analysis couldn’t identify him. Of course, the procedure is still too early. We’ll have to wait a while to know more.”

“Hm? I thought you said this was a quadruple homicide.” Detective Sleuth became suspicious of the fourth corpse. “This one looks to be in perfect condition aside from the torn outfit and bloodstains. And you know something... he fits the description of the killer reported by the last victim who died at Sunflower Avenue.”

“Do you think it might be the same guy?” Inquired Agent Lewis.

“It’s too early to be certain, but taking into consideration the brutality of both crime scenes they seem to be connected.” Detective Sleuth knelt down and inspected the fourth corpse. “What’s this?” She found a Megaminx Rubik’s Cube clenched tightly in the corpse’s right hand.

Agent Lewis noticed Detective Sleuth prying something from the corpse’s hand and asked, “What do you have there?”

“A Rubik’s puzzle I think. I’ve never seen this type before.” Detective Sleuth placed the Rubik’s Cube in an evidence bag and gave it to Agent Lewis to inspect. “There is something weird about this body, it looks like someone who’s just asleep. Are we certain that he’s dead?”

“One hundred per cent. He’s dead as can be. He has no pulse, no heartbeat, no nothing. We’ll leave it up to the pathologist to determine his cause of death.”

“Yes, make sure that they examine this body as soon as possible. I have a strong feeling that he might be the prime suspect of these inhumane murders.”

Detective Sleuth’s intuition was spot on. She was known amongst her colleagues as the Tiger Shark Investigator and one of the greatest detectives to ever receive an honour award for solving most crimes that remained unsolved for a long time in Clown City.

“I’m going to take a look around by myself.” Detective Sleuth had a hunch that something was off with the crime scene; she wasn’t perceiving the full picture. She went back to the entrance of the alley where it all began and started imagining the event in which the crime occurred.

“It seems there was a struggle taking place right here before the situation got out of hand.” Detective Sleuth stared at the dent in the dumpster and at the stains that littered the floor. “I’m still not seeing the full picture.” She continued to sniff around. By following the droplets of blood, she found herself standing in front of a wall where the trail vanished abruptly.

“This isn’t right. What happened right here?” Detective Sleuth directed her eyes above. It was quite dark so she had to use the light from her phone to shine it on the upper side of the building to see.

“What is that?” She discovered some foot marks running alongside the building along with a trail of blood and cerebral matter. For the first time in her career, she was confused beyond her wildest imaginations. “How can that be?”

“What have you found?” Agent Lewis came along and started looking above where Detective Sleuth’s light was shining.

She told him, “Look at those footprints. Someone was running alongside the wall while dragging someone with them. Those trails of flesh and blood must belong to the big guy who had his face scraped off. I think that it all happened up there.”

“Are you serious?” Agent Lewis turned on his phone light and observed the upper side of the wall. He was walking beside Detective Sleuth to the end of the trail. “It sure looks like what you are suggesting. That area must be around 30 feet from the ground. How did the killer carry the body all the way up there, moreover, moved with it across a 9-metre distance before tossing it on the ground?”

“That is what is puzzling me.” Admitted Detective Sleuth. “No matter what scenario I think of, a human shouldn’t be able to move like that.”

Agent Lewis suggested, “So what do you think that we’re dealing with, some sort of wild animal that can walk on the side of walls?”

“I highly doubt that but at this point anything is possible.” Detective Sleuth continued to inspect the narrow alley until she came across another pool of vomit by the back.

“Agent Lewis come take a look at this.” After she called him over, she showed him a trail of footprints that was formed from vomit. “Someone else was here but they must have gotten away. This trail of vomit disappeared at the other end of the alley.”

“You’re right. Whoever it is who got away must have seen everything that happened here. It might also have been the killer.”

“That is possible.” Detective Sleuth reached the end of the alley which brought them to the roadside. Not a lot of vehicle was on the road at the late hour, so it was unlikely that someone saw something.

Detective Sleuth scanned the street for cameras but none was facing that particular direction. However, she still decided to investigate.

“Contact the office and tell them to request the footage from those cameras. I need this done ASAP.”

“Right away, Detective Sleuth.”

While Agent Lewis was busy making phone calls, Detective Sleuth glanced back into the alley and thought, ‘I will crack this case no matter what.’