The sun was just up, shining it's golden rays over the city of Belnis, which was slowly coming to life after the cold and calmness of the night. The roads were slowly starting to fill up with early birds all in the hurry to get to their destination and busy with their own tasks.
The case was the same for a pretty woman with long brown hair tied in a ponytail and sharp blue eyes hidden behind dark shades, who pushed through the doors of the police station with two coffees in hand, her expression serious and her steps confident in her ankle boots.
The place was grand and lit up by many lights and the natural lights, coming through the windows. There were rows of desks cluttered with papers and empty coffee cups. She made her way to her desk, while greeting her colleagues on the way.
A smile lit up her face when she spotted the broad back of the person she was looking for. Slowly walking up to him, she kissed him on the cheek. A handsome smile pulled up at the corner of his lips as he turned his dark blue eyes to her. He pulled her by the waist and stole a quick peck on her lips.
"I brought you this." she handed him the coffee she brought. "As dark as you like it"
"thanks, love" he winked at her taking a sip. "what's in yours?" he asked flirtatiously, leaning on the table behind him.
"you know, the usual" she smirked back.
"I just don't know who puts vanilla in coffee. How can you drink that?"
"the day you'll try it, trust me you won't ever let it go"
He grimaced and feigned a shiver just as the loudest voice of the station resonated calling their last names.
"NAERYS! STANFORD! IN MY OFFICE!"
"Do you think we are in trouble, Alex?" she whispered to her boyfriend's ear.
"he must probably be jealous, I've got the prettiest girl" Alex winked at her as colors tinted her cheeks.
"NOW!!" Martins called again, making them jump.
"Let's go, Alyssa" Alex quickly put down his coffee and she mirrored his action, their expressions turning serious, as they headed up the stairs to the commissioner's office.
"Good morning, sir" Alyssa and Alex greeted commissioner Martins as they stood before him in his office.
"I've got a tough case for you guys on top of the one you're working on."
"you know nothing is though enough for us" Alyssa replied smugly.
"I hope so, we got a nasty one here" Martins handed her a file.
She took the file and flipped it open. The photos inside showed three bodies, pale and lifeless, with blood on their necks and clothes. Her brows furrowed. She had seen worse in her years as a detective, but something about this felt different.
"Seems like the same M.O. Is it some sort of serial killer or a cult group?" she wondered to herself.
"Drained of blood" Alex read on his own file. "That's quite unheard of in Berlis."
Alyssa nodded, her mind already at work.
"Who could have done something like this?"Alex shook his head.
"that's what I want you both to find out. Now get out and find the culprit!" Martins had a voice exceptionally loud. Even if he wasn't shouting, you'd feel intimidated.
"Yes, sir" they replied in unison and left.
"have you seen the locations of the murders?" Alex asked Alyssa as they sat at their desks which were side by side.
Alyssa looked at it and frowned. "it's near the cursed lands"
"Do you think they have any thing to do with it?"
"I am not sure, you know what they say about this group of people living in the cursed land."
"what?" Alyssa wondered. She didn't usually paid mind to gossips and rumors.
"Some say they're not… normal"
"not normal?" Alyssa raised an eyebrow.
"they don't mingle much with people, and the place they live too"
Alyssa frowned. She have come across some of them in the city from time to time. Yes, they look weirdly pale and secretive but except that they appeared to her as quite normal people.
"Alright, but what's the link with our case?" she asked because she found none.
"It's just rumors, Alyssa. But it's weird we found the victims near their secretive territory, don't you think? No one ever goes there, usually. So why did the victims go there?" Alex explained.
"so you think they are suspects? We are detectives Alex, we don't work based on rumors but on facts and evidences. You can't point in their direction just because they like privacy or choose a different life style. The crimes scenes are close their territory but not far from the city either, so to me it looks more like an ideal place for whoever did this, to hide the bodies" Alex was quiet. "However, it's still a clue that we must not elude."
she dropped the file on her desk and turned to him"let's start with the basics. Check the security footage near the crime scenes, as close as possible, and let's see if we can get anything. I'll talk to the coroner, and then we will go interrogate those who reported the crime."
"okay" Alex replied and picking his coat on his way, he left.
As Alex left to carry out his task, Alyssa sat at her desk, staring at the photos. She felt a chill run down her spine. Something about this case felt different, and she just couldn't shake the feeling that they were dealing with something far more dangerous than a typical murder.
She grabbed her coat and headed to the coroner's office. The hallway leading to the morgue was cold and sterile, the fluorescent lights flickering slightly. Dr Harris, the coroner, greeted her with a nod.
"Detective Naerys" he said, his voice tired. "I was expecting you."
"Good morning Dr Harris," she replied "what can you tell me about the victims?"
He led her to the autopsy tables, where the bodies were laid out, covered in white sheets. He pulled back the sheet on the first body, revealing a young woman, her skin deathly pale.
"all three victims have similar wounds" Dr Harris explained, pointing at the puncture marks on the neck. "the blood was drained completely, there are not much signs of struggle or defensive marks. It's almost as if they were… willing"
Alyssa's frown deepened. "willing? Are you suggesting they knew their attacker?"
Dr Harris shrugged "That or they were tackled down by a professional. But there's something else. The wounds are precise, almost surgical. Whoever did this, knew exactly what they were doing. That's all I have to tell you."
Alyssa nodded, her mind racing. "Thanks Dr Harris. Keep me updated if you find anything else."
As she left the morgue, her phone buzzed with a message. It was Alex.
[got some footage. Meet me at the station] Alyssa quickened her pace to leave the morgue.