"Oh the guy from SDB, is it?" Edmund asked in an unsettling tone. He already knew something had happened otherwise he wouldn't have called Edmund.
"Yeah, name's John Dennis. Is Luke with you?"
Edmund looked towards the direction of Luke and said "Yeah he's with me"
"Both of you — head to Charter House Lane, near the old district office. You'll see the cordon."
"Got it"
Without wasting a moment, Edmund informed Luke, and they both left — the rain tapping against the roof of Edmund's newly acquired AMG 560 SEC.
They arrived within fifteen minutes.
Police swarmed the area. Yellow tape fluttered under a grey sky.
The two flashed their IDs and ducked under the tape.
"Damn, a murder?" Luke muttered to the officer next to him.
"Three dead," the officer said grimly. "All with bullet wounds to the head. But… there's a catch."
Edmund raised an eyebrow.
"It appears to be a group suicide," the officer continued. "Each room was sealed — doors locked from the inside, windows too. No signs of forced entry."
"Let me see," Edmund said, stepping inside.
Upstairs — a body on the bed.
Downstairs — one slumped against a locked door.
And in the hallway closet… a third corpse. Curled inside a wardrobe that had tipped downwards.
"When?" he asked quietly.
"4:40 PM, today."
"So, an hour ago…"
'Was it really a suicide? Why would they do it? What was their motive? Or were they forced to do it?' Edmund thought inwardly.
"What were they doing recently?" Edmund asked.
"They'd been researching ancient history. Weird texts. Hidden sites."
Luke chimed in, "How old were they?"
"All in their mid-twenties. Friends from university."
"Can I inspect these bodies?" Edmund asked.
"Sure sir." The officer then gave Edmund a pair of gloves.
"I knew it already, but didn't want to admit it." Edmund said in an unhappy tone.
"Check their lungs for traces of smoke." Edmund said as he stood up
"Forensic team's on it," the officer replied.
The results came back fast.
"All lungs are clean. No signs of cigarette use."
Edmund nodded slowly. "Just as I thought."
"Did you find something Edmund?" Luke asked with curiosity.
"Yeah some ashes of cigarette, and there was a cigarette butt in one of the bodies. It's probably a murder, but I couldn't confirm it till I got the forensic report."
His mind raced. 'Then the cigarette… was planted. Or symbolic? Were they made to kill themselves? Or… were they already dead, and someone staged this?' Countless possibilities appeared in Edmund's mind.
"Eh... What is that?" Edmund saw a folded, blood-stained note in one of the victim's pockets. He picked it up. "Death is our penance. We have disturbed what lies beneath." 'Guessing from the style of note. Was it something related to what they were researching?' Just as Edmund was saying that, he found a red gem flecked with gold like the colours of a phoenix. Half-hidden beneath the wardrobe. Edmund took it and quickly put it in his pocket. 'It's better to solve this myself, I can't trust anyone other than myself, I can't be sure that there isn't a traitor here. What I am doing might be wrong but if it gives me at least a single more percent of success to succor these people and catch the killer I will do it no matter what.'
"Luke what brand of cigarette is this?" Edmund only smoked when something heavy happened. When people offered him cigarettes he would say 'A man who smokes, smokes often. So I will smoke Only when the world falls apart.' But unlike Edmund Luke was a chain smoker he smoked regularly.
"Hmm judging from the appearance it should be a black eclipse cigarette. It's actually banned and only available in black market. Weird… it's got a gold lining. Looks like a limited edition or… something custom? There's a letter or sigil on it, but it's cracked."
"Hmm, officer, anyone seen near the house today ?"
"Let me check sir." The officer quickly went to search.
Fifteen minutes later, the officer returned with an old woman.
"Sir this old lady claims she has seen someone." The officer said
"I saw a man, she said. "Wearing a black coat with gold on the edges. Walk past here… elegant posture."
"Did you see him enter this place?" Edmund said as he placed his finger on his chin.
"I'm afraid not." The old lady said
"Okay, Thank you."
…
Back home, Luke departed. Edmund, restless, drove through the rain to his office. The AMG gleamed under street lamps — sleek, menacing, almost alive.
He sat at his desk, lost in thought.
'Too clean. No prints. Everything locked. Keys inside. Suicide? No. He's trying to stage it as one. The position the bodies were in is similar to Z. Which means what? Is this a big clue or something'
Just as he was saying this The door creaked open and a man entered, soaked from the rain. Hoodie. Pale. Eyes hollow like forgotten storms, he was soaked due to the rain outside.
His patient sat across from him.
Late twenties. Pale skin. He wore a wrinkled hoodie and jeans, which were soaked from the rain outside.
"My name is Elias Graye," he said."I see a shadow. In mirrors. In puddles. It's always behind me, but it's never mine."
Edmund leaned forward and gently asked, "What does it do?"
Elias whispered. "It's always behind me. In every reflection. It's never mine. It doesn't mimic. It watches. And... moves."
Edmund rubbed his chin and thought. 'Might be a case of trauma, exhaustion or other mental diseases.'
Edmund then calmly replied "It's nothing to be afraid of." Then Edmund softly said. "I assume you have had a rough life."
Elias' eyes turned watery and he replied saying "Yes"
Edmund seeing this said. "You don't have to pay anything, just come back anytime you want." After saying that Elias left.
Edmund then looked at the clock. "8:26, time to go home then." Saying this Edmund went home and made himself a sandwich and tea. Took the clothes from the washing machine and put them to dry and after that he went to sleep.
...
Dead of night.
Edmund jolted awake, gasping for breath, his face drenched in sweat.
"A nightmare," he muttered, pressing his palm to his face.
He had dreamt of London engulfed in flames, ashes falling like snow. The Big Ben crumbling and people screaming.
"Must be because of today… My first time seeing a dead body, after all."
He let out a shaky breath, lay back, and soon drifted into uneasy sleep.
On the desk, the dark red gem shimmered faintly in the moonlight.