He tried not to stare at the woman that observed the interrogation from the doorway.

     She was tall, and her long, dark hair was pulled tightly into a high ponytail. Dark brows furrowed over the solemn expression on her pale face as she lifted a cigarette to her lips and pulled in a deep drag. Her long legs were crossed as she leaned against the doorframe; tight, black sportswear accentuated her lean body. He peeled his eyes away, determined not to look again and focus on the task at hand. The young sex-worker they questioned trembled as sobs racked her body. She tried her best to recount the events she'd witnessed. Cherry, the establishment's manager softly rubbed the younger girl's back and encouraged her to even her breathing.

     His partner, Detective Kim, jigged his leg impatiently, heels softly tapping on the white tile floor. Cherry shot a pointed glance at Kim's leg, sensing his agitation and pulled the sobbing woman closer as if to protect her from further harm. 

Kim opened his mouth but his partner spoke over him, his strong voice easily overlapping the other's. "Thank you for your cooperation. We'll end here for today. Miss, may I drive you to the hospital?" 

      The sobbing woman shook her head and shakily sputtered that she was fine. Her sobs eased and sniffles filled the air, as if she could breathe easier now that the stress of the questioning was gone. Kim opened his mouth and his partner was reminded once more why he hated being paired with the jackass. It happened at least once a day and made working with Kim unbearable. "Working here must be hard. You ladies must need a lot of stamina. About how many clients do you see a night?" His mouth curved into a suggestive sneer. 

     His partner scowled and turned to tell him off, but Cherry was faster and wittier. "Why? Interested in a new profession? I'm sure if you shaved that pretty, young face of yours you'd attract more than your fair share of customers." Kim's jaw fell at the unexpected harassment and his partner laughed. Kim wasn't given a chance to respond as the other detective stood and dismissed the women after thanking them.

   "Go," Kim's partner said to him. "Take care of the paperwork at the station and go home. I'll question the leftover employees and stay the night in case that psychopath shows his face again. Call Witness Protection and have a squadron come here until another secure location is prepared." Kim scowled at his partner and stomped off, anger rolling off of his back. The detective watched him go, chuckling as he remembered Cherry's retort. She'd hit him where it hurt; he knew Kim was conscious of his appearance and went to lengths to grow the little facial hair he had. 

    Cherry returned then, once more sitting across from him and motioning for him to take his seat. "I'm sorry for my outburst, Detective. I-" He held up a hand to stop her and smiled gently. It was an oddly charming sight on such a rugged face. "You have nothing to apologize for, Miss Cherry. My partner acted shamefully and you were right to put him in his place." The tension in her body released as she let out a long sigh of relief and settled back into the sofa. "He's calling for a squadron to guard the establishment until we can enroll all the witnesses into the protection program. All of your employee's reside in this building, correct?"

   Cherry nodded. "No one will be leaving tonight." "Good," he nodded. "If you'll allow me, I'll stay the night too. I'm hoping to interview whomever else is available to tell me their experience of the... event." Cherry moved to stand. "Of course, let me get a room ready-" "No, there's no need. I understand that my presence is uncomfortable for your employees so I will remain here. If I could just bother you for a tall mug of strong coffee..." 

     Cherry jumped up to her feet before he could finish his sentence and quickly returned with one of the biggest mugs he'd ever seen in his life. The corners of his mouth twitched in amusement as she settled it down before him. "Thank you." "You're welcome, Detective... I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name." "Ortíz," he supplied, gulping down the dark liquid. "Detective Ortíz," she confirmed. "Mm. Miss Cherry, could you tell me what happened? I assure you that I am only here to investigate that which is concerned with this murder and nothing else. Speak freely." The glint in her honey eyes told him she understood and she nodded in response before folding her hands in her lap.

"Chyna made a mistake and it cost her her life." Cherry sighed softly and looked over to the doorway. Ortíz followed her gaze and found that the tall woman still stood there, smoking her cigarette, but this time her eyes were fixed on him. He nodded in acknowledgement and turned back to Cherry as she resumed her explanation. "The biggest danger in this line of work is a man's infatuation. My girls don't understand that until they've seen it for themselves."

   Ortíz set down the mug and leaned his forearms on his knees, intently listening and observing Cherry as she spoke. Her tired eyes met his. "Detective, did you know that my establishment is the most visited out of all of this country's red light districts?" He nodded. "Do you know why?" she asked. He shook his head. 

     "Well, you see, while my girls have made names for themselves, there is one in particular whose reputation was crucial to the rise of the establishment. Are you familiar with Arachne?" The detective frowned. "The Greek goddess?" Cherry smiled without humor. "Yes and no. Arachne is the name and title of the most notorious person in this industry. Generations ago, there was a highly sought courtesan who called herself Arachne. The story goes that every person who spent a night with her devoted their entire lives to her thereafter. People fell for her at first sight and came from all over the world for her. One day she took a young woman under her wing, and mentored her to become the one who would inherit her name. For years this continued, in which the Arachne would choose an antecedent, regardless of gender. While the Arachne title allows them a certain prestige, every Arachne has made a name for themselves in one way or another. Even today, the Arachne is highly sought after."

   "And?" Ortíz prompted as she fell silent. "What does the Arachne have to do with this murder?" Cherry flinched out of her silence. "That client- he was there for Arachne." Ortíz froze as he moved to lift his mug. It came together in his tired, yet sharp mind. "You think he killed your girl because he realized she wasn't the courtesan he was there for?"

     What little he'd understood from the sobbing woman made sense now. "The witness accidentally revealed the victim's identity and he killed her in retaliation," Ortíz concluded. Cherry nodded, placing a hand over her mouth as tears formed in her eyes. "She-" her voice broke as her breath hitched. "She was supposed to let the client know that Arachne wasn't available, identify herself, and offer a substitute. That's how I trained them- but, she took matters in her own hands without thinking of the consequences it could bring." 

    Ortíz drank from his mug and rubbed a large, scarred hand over his face. He felt more tired than before, weighed down by the events that had transpired. How young was the victim? She hadn't been safe in her own home, her own workplace. Ortíz was glad Kim was gone, knowing the man would immediately take to victim-blaming instead of keeping his mouth shut and asking the right questions. It pained him to think of the everyday dangers that plagued the establishment, that came with the occupation, and how such a small lie led to a gruesome death. He thought about the bloody icepick and the girl's mutilated body.

    "What can you tell me about the client?" he asked gruffly. Cherry shook her head. "There aren't any cams in that room and Lily hasn't been able to form a coherent sentence that describes him. Only Arachne would know his information as she was to be his courtesan." Ortíz brought out his notepad and pen from his jacket. "And how can I get in contact with her?" Cherry fell silent and looked down at her tangled fingers. Footsteps echoed across the tile floor and the woman from the doorway sat beside the manager. She put out her cigarette in the small ashtray near Ortíz's mug and took a large gulp from his coffee. His eyes followed her movements and again, he felt the urge to lose himself in the sight of her. "That would be me," she spoke, smiling without her eyes. 

     After a pause, Ortíz offered her his hand. "Detective Ortíz." Her eyes widened a fraction in surprise, but she swiftly moved to give him a firm handshake. "Rae," she introduced herself. She was moving before he could begin questioning her. She placed her phone, unlocked, in front of the detective and motioned that she would return before disappearing down a hallway. She promptly returned with a laptop and several papers. She spoke when she returned to her seat, gently squeezing Cherry's arm in reassurance when the other woman gave her a look of worry. "It's okay," she murmured. "Go get some rest. I'll take care of this." Her voice was slightly deep and sweet and Ortíz forced himself to ignore the way it drew him in. Cherry squeezed Rae's hand and left the room after excusing herself. Rae resumed when she was sure Cherry had gone.

    "We have to move fast if we want any chance of catching this man. He's involved with a foreign mafia and certainly has the means of leaving the country in a moment's notice, but I doubt he would fear any consequence of his actions with the level of arrogance he'd demonstrated in our limited interactions." She typed into the laptop and slid the papers over to Ortíz. When she noticed that he hadn't taken her phone, she unlocked it once more and slid it closer to him. He met her eyes, surprised that she was so eager to cooperate and she tried to give him an encouraging smile. 

    "I'm sorry, I didn't identify myself sooner, Detective. I needed to make sure I could trust you. I usually take these matters into my own hands but this is too big of a fish for me to catch alone. You understand?"

    Ortíz's eyebrows rose and he ignored the fact that she'd indirectly admitted to criminal activity. He scrolled through the texts and skimmed over the papers that turned out to be handwritten letters, signed 'S.H.'. 

    "How big a fish? To be blunt, he needs to be big enough if I want to gain any support from my superiors. I'll do everything I can to catch this murderer, but there's only so much I can do by myself in a limited time."

    Her demeanor turned cold. "Yes, detective, I am aware of how little common society cares for people like us.'' Ortíz glanced up from the letters and met her eyes. He deduced that she wasn't offended and he was grateful that he got his point across without adding insult to injury. His eyes kept coming down to the letter's signature. Voices of memories whispered in the corners of his mind and the darkness that resided within him threatened to rise. His tired consciousness tried to understand his subconscious reactions. It dawned on him then. The name of the man he swore to wipe off the face of the earth. 

"Sino Heit." 

    The paper crumpled in Ortíz's hands. Rae stared, observing the tension in the detective's large body. A cold fire had started in his hazel gray eyes. "Yes." It wasn't a question, but she answered it anyway. "I have sources, money, connections. I can provide you with anything you might need." Ortíz met her stare. "What are you saying?"

    "The justice system is corrupt and slow and there is too much room for error. Monsters like Sino Heit don't deserve a proper trial. I thought I needed the help of the police, but now I know that I only need you, Detective Ortíz." He didn't speak; it seemed as if he forgot to breathe.

"I want you to kill Sino Heit. What do you say, detective?"

She couldn't be more beautiful to him at that moment.

     He smiled, but it was all teeth.