Edited by: Waning_Crescents

The Crime Investigation Bureau obtained the information that the Conciliators’ last job was successful. However, while they didn’t disclose every little detail about the case, they got informed that their special forces department had to take over for the time being as the Conciliators’ manpower was cut short. Their remaining forces currently worked on different cases, so they had to put the burden on the police.

“Vergil, did you hear? The Conciliators need us to take over for them, meaning we will get swarmed by new cases.” Elena said, delivering the news to her partner, who paced up and down in the middle of the room without replying.

Judging from that stance…I guess he was already notified…and now he is impatient. She shook her head. He is such a kid sometimes...

She looked at the pile of documents on his desk and sighed. How can he even be so excited when there is still so much work to do?

Right as Elena tried another attempt to get Vergil’s attention, the door of their office opened and none other than Kale Lenox walked in. “Mrs. Lanford, Mr. Rivera, the chief is sending me to— “

“How often do I have to repeat myself and tell you to stop addressing me in that way?” Elena interrupted him. “Seniority doesn’t matter, so drop the formalities and just call me Elena, will you?” She stood with her hands akimbo, furrowing her brows. “I have told you multiple times that I feel like an old woman like that.”

Kale scratched the back of his head. “Sorry, old habits.”

“You aren’t the youngest anymore anyway, 25 is the—“ Vergil said.

Elena’s gaze swept over to him in a manner someone regretted having said anything. “What was that?”

“Uh…nothing…forget it.” His mouth twitched. “You are young and beautiful.”

Kale chuckled as he listened to the two of them bicker. They are as lively as ever.

“Good, now that we made this clear, we can move on with what our cute information gatherer, Kale, wanted to tell us,” Elena said, smiling once again as if nothing had happened.

“Right!” Kale cleared his throat. “Just now we received a report about a supposed murder case. Two dead bodies were discovered, and the chief wants you two to check out the crime scenes and investigate that further. Reeve and I will have the details ready for you two shortly.”

“Woo~ nice news!” Vergil exclaimed in happiness.

“What is there to be happy about? People died…” Elena raised an eyebrow.

“Of course, but this could be finally an interesting case unlike the ones we usually deal with.” Then Vergil turned to Kale. “Good job our little Pup!”

Pup?...newbie...pup...what am I? Kale’s shoulders dropped in frustration. Two years ago, he transferred to this police station and since then no one else joined the ranks, therefore, the curse of the ‘new guy’ still lingered over him.

“Vergil, why do you call him by that name? You know he doesn’t like it!” Elena admonished her partner.

Vergil just grinned innocently while he tousled Kales, short dark with a tint of red hair. “He knows I am not serious, right?”

“Yeah, but anyway…I hear such things every day from Reeve, and it slowly drives me crazy…”

“Sorry.” Vergil put his hand away, “I will try to better myself.”

Kale nodded. “Anyway, I’ll hurry to get everything ready for you two. Since you already got the approval from the chief himself, I’ll contact you as soon as you can move out.”

“Thanks,” Elena said.

When Vergil and Elena arrived at the crime scene, the crime scene investigators were already hard at work.

“How is it going?” Vergil asked.

“We are almost done here. Feel free to take a look yourself,” one of the crime scene investigators said.

Vergil nodded and appointed Elena to check on the other victim.

Then he crouched down and scrutinized the young man, who lay at a corner near a garbage container. With his eyes wide open in fright and blood everywhere, one could only imagine what that man went through before he died.

Vergil narrowed his eyes as he caught a glimpse of something disturbing on the victim’s forehead. “This….” He frowned. “This is not good…”.

If excitement plastered his face before, then now his expression exhibited he’d rather wished that no such case had turned up.

“Has the murder weapon been found?” Vergil eventually asked one of his colleagues, who nodded as he held a plastic bag in his right hand and showed it to his superior.

The plastic bag comprised a knife soaked in blood, without a doubt the item which ended that young man’s life. But why was it so easily discovered?

After Elena finished inspecting the other dead body, she approached her partner. “The other victim is now on the way to the coroner. How are things going on your end?”

“Did the other victim also have this mark?” Vergil pointed to the sign which was carved into the victim’s forehead.

She glanced over his shoulder and at the corpse. “Yeah.”

“This is really not good…”

Then he got back up and his gaze shifted to his partner, who instantly understood. “A copycat?”

Vergil grabbed his own chin with one hand and said, “I am not sure, could be, but what if it isn’t?”

“But how can that be?” Elena knitted her brows. “I thought all suspects had been detained or killed last time!?”

“Yeah, that’s what it looked like at that time and there was also no activity afterwards, so why now? Why after three years?” Vergil pondered over what they had just discovered.

Then his gaze followed the corpse which his subordinates took away. Is it really just a copycat or did we all miss something last time? Did someone actually slip through?

“We have to report this immediately,” Elena stated, and Vergil nodded in agreement.