"King, updates."
"King's Dinner coupons are available now. Burger King is giving a buy one get one offer on l-"
"Do you want to be kicked out?"
"Do you want a resignation?"
"I'm your senior, Ace King."
"And I have a gun in my pocket."
The banter ended with a stare down that Harry Stone, the superior, lost.

Ace King smirked lightly at the fiery, old man and backed down into his chair. The entire department had pretty much gotten used to Ace's smugness and rudeness yet nobody ever bothered to say anything. He was good at what he did and that's all that mattered. It was Ace's father who established this foundation consisting of intellectuals who could figure things out, that the cops couldn't. Hence, Ace's smugness is something that people respected, not that he was admired.

"The resembles between the two murders are visible even to the naked eye", said Ace, lifting his feet to his table at which Mr Stone, visibly cringed and replied,

"But we'll wait till the forensic report comes. Listen up, everyone! No one reveal anything to the media. Until we have solid news, let's not make Aronville panic and Ace, you'll be leading the case."

While it was the old man's turn to smirk, the entire department intently stared at Ace, who was busy typing away in his phone.

Landon Streatle pushed up his spectacles and whispered something along the lines of, 'even after last time?', But everyone heard him and silently shuddered to themselves.

The flashing and crashing of the media was irritating Ace, for a while then. Being new at the department, he did have a lot of chores to do around, which was a headache of its own and he did not need the uncountable cameras and screams bashing him in the head.

At the sound of the opening door, he was the first to look up.
"Mr Stone!"
"What?"
"When will they go away?"
"The flies? Oh, I put that spray somewhere here, maybe near the corners...or th-"
"The Media. I am talking about the media", interrupted Ace, waving his hands around to shoo away the flies, which he just happened to notice.

" Ah, Media? They will go away, by the end of this week, I think? Isn't it Streatle? "
"But, the noise? Aren't you all getting irritated? We're always doing some important work here that requires peace and quiet."
"All year, all we do is kill these flies", said Landon, pushing up his spectacles.
"But, for now we have work! We need the silence! Can you guys even hear me over all this?!"

"Why don't you drive them away then, King?"

The department looked up at Ace and his senior, who had just given him the most difficult task an official can muster.

"Okay, then. I will."

Needless to say, Ace went out, broke a few cameras, cursed out loud, punched a reporter in the face, did a roundhouse kick on a cameraman and screamed like a maniac, till they stopped.

The channels wanted to sue the entire department, let alone Ace and the case was dragged till Ace was suspended and hanging on a thin wire. The entire department despised Ace, tinged with fear because not everyday you see a detective go maniac at the media.

"I was not a maniac. I was severely provoked and the response was imminent," Ace commented, grinning, "It's about time I get a case assignment."

"I am giving you one, right now. But, remember one mistake and... You can't argue with me on this, King."

"We won't be able to do much hiding about the information, it seems."
Liam Brown, who had just entered pointed the statement towards the Chief, who replied with a questioning look.

Liam replied with a scrunched up face:
"Justice is out and about, back in Aronville."
Landon straightened up immediately, pushing up his spectacles. With the expression of someone who looks like he just got punched in the guts, he said:
"Really? Marysville couldn't tolerate her, as well, it seems."
The Chief, looked unbothered, fishing a cigarette, from his back pocket while saying:
"That's Ace's headache, isn't it? King, I don't want to see your smug face. Get out."
"Aye aye! Captain!"

"Off to the scenes, get out."

~~~

"Is this it?"
Questioned Emily to no one in particular. She was visiting the area of the second murder. The colony looked like one, which had only happy families in it. Yet, she could easily differentiate the only lifeless house there.

Walking forward with easy steps and looking around, Emily noticed the decorations of one house in particular. Although, the lights were off and the dazzling sun completely darkened the insides of the house, the decorations outside were still visible.

Shrugging to herself, she walked forward to the house, where the murder had taken place. Yellow tapes restricted entry although jumping over them or ducking below them didn't need much effort. She chose not to enter for now, instead she encircled the house.

A small picket fence separated the property from the other properties. The windows were shut of both the floors, all around the house and so was the back door. When she completed the circle and came back to the front, something urged her to go in.

It was a late afternoon and the sun was merciless, as well. But, that was not what urged her to go in. It was something unexplainable. Emily wanted to be a detective for a long time, even as a teenager. She definitely missed her ambition. So, lifting up the yellow tape that strictly forbade her to enter, and her doing the exact opposite of its soundless command, gave her a childish satisfaction.

The doors were unlocked. The house was clean - too clean to be a murder scene. While Emily was not quite fond of the gory site of blood splattered on floors, it never bothered her either. She knew that the site would not be cleaned this soon. She also knew that how the body was found has not been shown or told. It was all silent, as if no one lived a mile from here.

Just as she finished contemplating going further inside the house, a sharp and painful kick to the back of her knees made them jerk forward, bringing Emily down, simultaneously a pair of rough hands, twisting her arms behind her as a scream of pain and terror escaped her mouth.

Emily knew one thing, one very important detail - it is said that the murderers return to the murder scene. Although, she had rarely seen a murder scene or a murderer, she had read about it all, yet, the only time her knowledge was tested, she failed.

Emily continued to struggle under the grip and tried to shriek but the struggling needed her constant focus so her shriek turned out to be a really loud groan. She did not want to die, at least not this soon. She had a lot to achieve. She had to get out of there. She tried turning her head but the force at her arms restricted almost all movements.

"Who are you? Why are you at a restricted murder scene?"
"I-I am just... a ma-magazine editor.
We write about murder...ouch, murder cases."
"Why should I believe you?"
Asked the man, slowly letting her go.
She took that opportunity to snatch herself out of the now, light grasp, moving as far as possible before standing up, shaking.

"Because I know it, too."
Emily said, turning towards the man, who stood with crossed arms and she knew, he wasn't the criminal, at least.

"You can't just visit a scene. You have to take permission for it, you know. I am Detective King, in charge of the case."
---