05: Sleuth and Sludge
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"Yoongi, check this out!" Vienna's voice caught him mid-sip of his third cup of the office's liquid regret.
Yoongi trudged over, looking as weary as ever. "What is it?"
"Michele's phone records show she made a call to an unknown number just after Lisa had left that night." Vienna pointed at the log. "And it wasn't a one-off. Same number, multiple calls a week before she vanished. Each pretty long, lasts several minutes. We need to trace who this number belongs to."
Yoongi leaned in, the permanent exhaustion on his face giving way to something sharper. He flicked his pen open and scratched a note in his battered notebook, its pages curled from years of bad weather and worse coffee spills. "I'll get tech on it."
As he walked away, Vienna sucked in a deep breath, the weight of the case - a concrete slab on her chest. She picked up her phone and dialed Senator Kim's office. A receptionist answered in the usual robotic cheer. A few pleasantries and name-dropping later, Vienna had an appointment with the campaign manager.
One down. Next up—Hoseok.
The phone rang four times before he answered, breathless, like he'd just jogged across the morgue. "Detective, what's up?"
"Tell me you've got something." Vienna asked, the leather of her chair creaking in protest as she leaned back.
"I should have the autopsy report by nine a.m.," he replied, his tone brisk and professional.
"Perfect. We'll be at the morgue first thing." She scribbled down the time, then paused. "Anything stand out so far?"
A beat of silence. Then, "You'll want to see it in person."
Great. That is never a good sign.
She hung up and massaged her temple. Next: Lisa Choi.
Vienna fished Lisa's number from a mess of paperwork, tapping it into her phone. She drummed her fingers against the desk as it rang.
"Hello?" Lisa's voice was cautious, like she already knew this wasn't a social call.
"Lisa Choi?"
"Yes."
"This is Detective Vienna Song from the Missing Persons and Homicide Unit with Ravenport PD," she kept it steady, professional. "I'm handling Michele Park's case. I need to ask you a few questions."
Lisa hesitated. "Of course. Anything to help Michele."
"Can you come by the precinct tomorrow at noon?"
Another pause, then, "I'll be there."
Vienna murmured a thanks and hung up. She logged the interview time, stretching the stiffness from her shoulders just as Yoongi returned.
He looked worse than before, which she hadn't thought possible.
"Bad news?" she asked.
"They finished the door-to-door." Yoongi dropped into his chair, rubbing a hand down his face. "Nothing. No one saw or heard a damn thing. The jogger who found the body came in, but he didn't notice anyone around."
Vienna muttered a curse and grabbed her empty coffee cup, debating whether she was desperate enough for another round of department sludge.
Returning from the break room with two mugs, she set one down on Yoongi's desk, its dark surface swirling ominously like a storm cloud.
"Anything in the financials?" she asked, her voice edged with anticipation.
"Thanks. Actually, yes," Yoongi slid his laptop toward her. "She pulled fifteen hundred bucks from an ATM near campus the day before she vanished. Unusual for a student, right?"
Vienna furrowed her brow, scrutinizing the call log from that day. "Look! It lines up with one of the longer calls to that same number."
They exchanged a look.
"Blackmail?" Yoongi asked.
Vienna tapped a pen against her notebook. "Maybe. I've got Kim Seokjin's campaign manager coming in tomorrow. Might help connect the dots."
Yoongi took a swig of coffee, gagged, and set it down with a thud. "God, this is terrible. I need a real drink. You in?"
Vienna checked the time, considered the mess of files still waiting, and made a judgment call. "Yeah. Let's go."
They left their desks in chaos and headed out.
A short drive down the street brought them to The Hive. The bar pulsed with neon, its tinted windows spilling electric blue onto the sidewalk. Inside, voices tangled with low, moody beats, and the air was thick with the warm spice of craft cocktails and grilled sausages.
They found a corner table, and Yoongi waved down the bartender with a lazy flick of his hand. Two beers landed on the table minutes later.
"So," Yoongi said, leaning back, "how's Kang?"
Vienna sighed. Her gaze drifted into her beer. "Haven't heard from him in days. It's driving me nuts."
Yoongi smirked. "Still blowing up his phone?"
She shot him a glare. "It's called checking in."
"It's called harassment."
"Yeah, I know. But still..." She trailed off, taking a slow sip of her beer. The cold liquid offered a brief distraction from her worries. "And how's the family?" she asked, shifting the focus away from herself.
"Chaotic, as always," Yoongi chuckled softly, his voice a low rumble in the bar's ambient buzz. "Yoona is teething, and it's a nightmare. But Jisoo's been amazing, handling everything like a pro."
"That's great to hear," Vienna cracked a smile. "Remember when she used to joke about never having kids? Now look at her, super mom."
"Yeah, back then I figured you'd be the first one to settle down."
Vienna snorted. "Right. Because nothing screams 'stable relationship' like a detective working sixty-hour weeks."
"True. You probably wouldn't notice a wedding if it happened at your desk."
She huffed a laugh, shaking her head. "You know, despite everything, I'd take this job over teething hell."
"You say that now."
"Touché." Vienna's lips curled with wry amusement. "But seriously, it's good to hear Jisoo's handling it well. I can't imagine dealing with teething on top of everything else."
"It's a challenge, but we're making it work." Yoongi's usually stoic expression softened. "You should drop by sometime. Yoona misses her auntie Vie."
"I'd love that," she replied warmly, her features relaxing at the thought. "Maybe this weekend if we're not buried under paperwork."
"Deal," Yoongi clinked his glass against hers. "To surviving another day."
Vienna lifted her drink, watching him over the rim.
Cases like this, they got under your skin. They wore you down, made you wonder how much you had left to give. But at least, through all of it, she could count on Yoongi.
That was something.
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A/n
Hey guys!
Which duo do you like more:
Vienna and Yoongi
or
Jungkook and Taehyung?
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