Chapter 3~ Another Death Scene

EMILY

I had just finished getting dressed and was heading to join Stephanie at the table for breakfast. It was another typical day, same routine – wake up, get Steph ready, drive her to school, go to work, then later Gina picks her up. By the time it’s past eight, I drive over to Gina’s place to bring her home.

As I stepped out of my room, I heard Stephanie call out to me from the living room.

“Aunty Emi! Come take a look. There’s a new case on the news!”

I didn’t rush. I figured it was probably just another report Stephanie found exciting. What could a child know about real, bloody cases? But the moment I walked into the sitting room, my steps froze.

There it was. Flashing across the screen.

Six headless bodies; gruesome, bloody, lifeless. The news anchor called it a mass decapitation. Two victims had survived but were in critical condition. Paramedics were shown lifting the bodies into black bags while the survivors were rushed to the hospital.

I felt my stomach turn, and my appetite disappeared in a second. Steph, on the other hand, was already done eating and busy wiping her hands.

“Wow… that looks scary,” she said, her eyes wide but calm, too calm for a child.

“Yeah,” I muttered, tearing my gaze from the screen. “Come on, Steph. Aunt Emi’s got a new case to solve.”

I grabbed my bag, kissed the top of her head, and whispered under my breath, “Let’s hope this one doesn’t get personal.”

After dropping Stephanie off at school, I hit the road fast, barely breathing as I sped to the office. My fingers drummed against the wheel, thoughts flying through my mind like bees in a jar. I had a feeling deep in my gut, this new case wasn’t just the random ones.

By the time I reached the station, I didn’t waste time greeting anyone. I marched straight to Chief Ramos’ office.

The door was already open, and as I stepped in, I saw him glued to the screen, watching the same footage Stephanie had shown me earlier. The headless victims, the blood-stained floor, the black body bags. It looked worse now than it did an hour ago.

“Chief,” I said, catching his attention.

He turned slightly, not surprised to see me. “Emily. I figured you’d be here first thing.”

“I need to be on that case,” I said straight. “Let me handle it.”

Chief Ramos sighed and muted the TV. “You’re late. I already sent out teams. Kent is leading.”

I frowned. “Kent? You gave it to Kent?”

“He’s good. And I’ve already assigned officers to assist him.”

“Chief,” I said, stepping closer. “You know this kind of case is what I do best. You know I can handle this better than anyone else.”

“I also know you're not the only detective in this department,” he said firmly. “Others need to step up. You can’t solve every case.”

My fists clenched. “That’s not why you held me back.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Excuse me?”

“You didn’t leave me out so Kent could have a shot,” I said slowly. “You left me out because you’re scared. You think I’ll do it too well. You’re afraid of what I’ll find. Or who I’ll find.”

His lips tightened. “That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is,” I pressed. “You’re protecting me. And I didn’t ask for protection. I asked for a case.”

His face softened for a second. “You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

“I do,” I said, my voice barely audible. “This isn’t just another psycho on the loose. It’s him, isn’t it?”

Chief Ramos didn’t answer, but his eyes said everything.

“Matteo,” I whispered.

Still no response. Just a slow, heavy breath from him.

I stepped back and shook my head. “The more you keep shielding me, the more lives we’ll lose. You know that, right? He’s not going to stop. You and I both know he’s sending a message. And it’s meant for me.”

“You think I don’t know that?” he said, finally raising his voice. “I’ve been in this job for over twenty years. I know how killers think. I know what fear looks like, and I see it in that footage.”

“I’m not afraid,” I said.

“I am,” he replied. “For you.”

I stared at him for a long time. Then my voice dropped. “If Kent doesn’t get to the bottom of it, if he fails, I’m taking over.”

Chief Ramos sighed, clearly torn. “If Kent can’t crack it, it’s yours.”

I nodded slowly. “Deal?”

He gave a reluctant smile. “Deal.”

“Good,” I said, already halfway out the door. “Because I don’t plan on sitting on the sidelines for long.”

I was in my office, going through some files when my phone buzzed. It was a message from Detective Kent.

I opened it and froze. There were photos, clear ones of the bodies from this morning’s case. I tapped through them slowly, while my heart kept beating harder with each one.

Then I saw it.

My name.

It was boldly written on the wrist of the victims, like someone had taken their time to carve it in. I blinked, hoping I was seeing wrong. But it was there, on the next body too. And the next.

Three bodies. Three wrists. My name.

“Emily.”

For a second, fear crept into my chest. My hand trembled slightly as I held the phone. I’d seen a lot in my job; bloody scenes, heartless killers, broken families. But this... this was different.

Still, I took a deep breath and pushed the fear away.

"You’re a detective," I whispered to myself. "You’ve seen worse. You’ve handled worse."

Kent sent another message:

"Should I send these to Chief Ramos?"

I stared at the text. Part of me wanted to say yes. But I knew Chief Ramos. If he saw this, he’d shut me out completely. He’d think it was too risky, that I was too involved. And that would be the end of it.

"No," I typed back. "Don’t send anything to the Chief. Keep this between us for now."

Kent replied with a simple: "Got it."

I looked at the photos one more time before locking my phone.