Jayla is caught off guard by the question. It's not something she wishes to discuss with him. She doesn't want to come off as a weak person to him.
''A-as I said I was hungry.''
''My first case was similar to a massacre,'' he shifts into a comfortable position on the bed and faces the ceiling.
'' I was new, fresh from college and I was partnered with an assho-a bad guy. There were over 12 corpses at the crime scene, some of them half decompose. They were all carved out. Everything gone from the insides, pitted, gutted. It was disgusting. I threw up and you know what happened?'' he turns his face towards her.
Chewing the food slowly she shakes her head.
''My partner, his name was Detective Murphy. He grabbed me by the collar and called me names for not being able to pull myself together as a man. I had nightmares for days on end. Every day he would encourage me to resign and become a businessman. he would ignore me every time I tried to put my thoughts into the case, It was as if I'm invisible to him. I ignore the signs of deceitfulness and I trusted him.''
''What happened?''
''He was an undercover gang member of the Water Doctors. One that deals with human trafficking. Despite him being undercover he solved a lot of cases back then, I looked up to him. The last thing he told me is that I should never trust humans. They are the most violent and deceitful creatures.''
''What happened to him?''
He rolls over on his bed and turns off his lamp.
'' You can trust me, Ms. Glasgow.''
'' I know, but what happened-?
''Good night.''
''It's not cool to leave me on the edge like this, Miles.''
''Shh, I am trying to sleep.''
''But the story...''
''It is not, it was a real-life experience.''
''Yeah, but did it went cold, or did you solve it? What happened to your partner?''
''It's great to see your inner detective coming out but this is not the right time.''
''Just tell me what happened to your partner.''
''Something you wouldn't want to happen to yourself, this is the end of the discussion, save your energy for tomorrow.''
''Fine,'' she rolls over and turns off her lamp.
''Goodnight.''
*
Jayla wakes up to the strong scent of burnt eggs. She could hear Miles coughing in a distance.
She turns over and checks the time on her watch.
4:41 AM
''Gosh Miles! Did you even sleep?! It's too early for this.'' She whines and climbs out of her bed.
She scrunches up her nose and walks towards the small kitchen where the scent is stronger.
''You can't fry an egg?''
Miles tries to scoff but ends up choking instead, ''I can, it's just that I like my eggs crispy… very crispy.''
''Of course, you do,'' she walks toward the bathroom and spots a new toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste.
''There are some clothes for you in the bag, we leave at 5.''
''5!? I have to shower and put myself together!'' she mumbles through her mouth full of toothpaste.
''Do that at your home. I'm dropping you off and heading to the office.''
He twirls a small note in his hand. He reads over the message for the umptieth time since he found it in his duffel bag.
'Found you, Miles, How about a little chat?'
''What's that?'' Jayla walks into the kitchen and starts to go through some ingredients on the counter.
''The receptionist's number,'' he smoothly lies and shoves the note in his pocket.
She rolls her eyes, ''when did you buy this stuff?'' she motions to the ingredients on the table.
''There's a grocery store around half a mile from here.''
''You know what?''
''No, I don't.''
''I'm going to make a hamlet!''
''But I didn't buy any ham.''
'' You need some serious help Meyers, you really do.''
*
After Miles drops Jayla off at her apartment, he speeds towards the department, the note burning through his jeans. His car slows at a red light. He pulls out his phone and calls Nathan.
''Hey Miles, what's up? Could you believe my dogs had puppies last night, but I wasn't there to deliver them even-''
''Someone left me to note in the duffel bag last night, I'm seriously getting pissed right now.''
''A note? What did it say? Is Jayla with you? Where are you now?''
Miles sighs and starts driving as the light switches to green ''Found you, Miles, how about a little chat? Jayla is at her apartment she is taking a Uber. I am on my way.''
''That's not good?''
''Can I see you?''
''U-uh, I don't think so, maybe at lunch?
''Detectives don't have lunch, Nathan.''
''Just- I'll see you okay?''
Miles ends the call.
*
As soon as Miles steps inside the department he goes straight to the Captain's office. His usual closed door is left ajar, so he pushes it and enters.
The Captain doesn't even glance up from the endless stack of papers on his desk. Miles shut the door behind him and takes a seat in front of the desk.
''You look awful Captain.''
The Captain looks up and rubs his eyes. His gray hair seems even grayer than usual. The bags under his eyes are as dark as the rim of his glasses perched on the tip of his nose.
''Good morning to you too. What do you want Miles?
Miles hesitates then pulls the crumpled note out of his pocket.
''I found this in the bag Zayn sent last night.''
The Captain picks up the note and skims his eyes over it and reads it aloud.
I found you, Miles, how about a little chat?
''Hmm, I will take care of it. No need to worry continue with your case.''
'' How am I supposed to concentrate if someone is taunting me?-
''I will take care of it,'' Captain Hodder says firmly.
The Captain seems tense as his eyes repeatedly go over the note. Miles sneakily turns his head so that he can glimpse the papers on the desk, but the Captain blocks the papers with his elbow.
''Please continue your job Miles, and shut the door after you come out.''
''Fine,''
Miles is unsatisfied. He is starting to figure out that something is wrong and the Captain knows something. He wants to get deeper into it, but his new case is in the way.
''We'll talk again Hodder. We all know naïve isn't an aspect of my personality.''
''Goodbye Miles,'' the Captain looks on impatiently.
After Miles leaves and closes the office door he quickly gets on the phone with Nathan.
''h-he's here Nathan, he sent a note saying-''
''I know what it said. Miles called this morning, but we can only assume it's him we are dealing with.''
''Miles is not ready for this.''
''How long are you going to keep this from him?''
''i-i don't know.''
Nathan sighs deeply on his side of the phone
''if it is really what you think it is, Miles will not mentally survive this one. We need to act fast.''
*
After a few minutes of relaxing in his car, he goes back into the department. He calmly enters his now shared office with Jayla. She is in front of the whiteboard arranging colored papers on it.
''Miles, Good morning! I have started to organize 'the board'.''
''The board?''
''Yes 'the board', it's like the ones you see in movies with the red string and papers and marks.''
She notices his expression, ''you look slightly off, you okay?''
''I'm fine, what's this?'' His eyes go over to the brown bag on his desk.
''Nathan left us breakfast. He came earlier to give back the notebook,'' she turns back her attention to the whiteboard.
He pulls his chair over and watches her as she writes down notes onto the sticky paper and sticks them on the wall.
''Could you divert your attention to somewhere else, you are making me feel nervous.''
Miles turns to his computer. He goes onto the Animal clinic's website
''Uhm, could you also pass me scissors, please?'' She asks after a long awkward silence.
''What do you need it for?''
''To cut your heart out Miles,'' she says sarcastically. He pales.
''That's not funny Jayla.''
''Sorry, Gosh. I was just being sarcastic. Your attitude is rubbing off on me, scissors, please.'' He silently passes the scissors to her.
After a few minutes, Jayla breaks back the ice.
''So, let me introduce you to all the information that we got,
At around 11-12 AM. Sasha-gay Royce's corpse was found in Lonebrookes forest, approximately 3 miles from her house. ''
''Which is a 24 minutes drive.''
''Her parents are Sofia Gayle-Royce and Bryan Royce. Both were absent during the time of her murder. Brandon was at a gas station to get his weekly supply of beer and the neighbor did confirm that he left the yard at 9 AM, and returned around 11. And the mother is a vet, and she stated that she leaves out for work at 7 every morning.''
The sound of a paper being printed echoes through the small room. Miles passes a printed paper to Jayla, she reads it.
'' It's a flyer for the animal clinic.''
'' It says the clinic opens at 10 AM and closes at 6 PM.''
She gasps, ''do you think-?''
''No, I only think it's suspicious, maybe because she is a vet she has to reach early before the rest, or maybe she is lying and the only way to prove that is to find out what time does the first person usually arrives at the clinic.''
''You are going to send the police, right?''
''Yes, I just emailed Hodder to send an undercover.''
She tacts the printed flyer on the board.
''The gas station Bryan visited opens at 6 am, so he is safe for now and so is the eye witness until we get the autopsy report.''
''We know that Jayla was a star baseball player. She trained and play for the young cub's team. The coach for that is Mr. Brandon Smith, and he does not have a steady alibi at the time of her murder.''
''Which makes him our number one suspect.''
''Yes and-''
Zayn's voice echoes over the radio in their office.
''This is Zayn at your service, I repeat Zayn at your service. He had successfully finished with the case of the pink phone and has a new suspect for the detectives. Please copy yourself and paste it in Zayn's office, over.''
''A new suspect? interesting.'' Miles takes up the cup of lemonade and takes a long sip.
A bitter taste invades his mouth. At that moment, he knows something is off about the drink.