Walking along the streets of Mistle Town, Sakume drank his coffee. It was bright and early in the morning, a perfect time for walking.
Once he arrived at police headquarters, he crumpled his paper cup, threw it in the appropriate bin, and proceeded to enter the building. People were busy as usual. They were running all over the place. The people behind the desk filed paperwork and the typists typed furiously.
"Good morning, Detective Sakume." said Officer Saito, a friend of Sakume of several years.
"Oh, good morning. Splendid weather we're having, right?"
"For you it is." Saito replied. "Things are a little stormy here. We have a new case, and we need you on the scene right away."
"Oh really? Fill me in." said Sakume.
"A couple has been murdered in the Ryoji Cemetery. Someone found them earlier this morning at about 7 AM and contacted us immediately. Our forces are already on the scene."
"A homicide, eh?"
"Yep. They need you on the scene right away."
"Great...and I was planning to take a leisurely stroll in the park today."
"You should've thought about that before you got this job, Sakume." Saito said with a slight hint of sarcasm.
Sakume arrived on the scene by carriage. He hopped off and saw a bunch of officers crowding around two bodies. The man and woman's bodies were covered by a piece of white cloth. Sakume went to the group and was recognized immediately by his comrade Hirata.
Hirata said ,"Oh, Detective Sakume, welcome. You came just at a good time."
"Good to see you too, Officer Hirata. So what can you tell me?"
"Well," he said, staring at the bodies. "This is a double homicide. The man and woman have yet to be identified, we're working on it right now. But we found their bodies in the cemetery...50 feet apart. Apparently, the man was killed first, and then the woman ran while the murderer chased after her. He was stabbed by some sharp object - presumably a knife." He proceeded to lift the white cover, showing the scars of the victim.
"Hmmm..."
"He was stabbed three times. Once in the back, twice in the chest. He died seconds after the attack. The woman was able to run away for about 50 feet before the murderer caught up. He stabbed her as well...and he also did some other things." He lifted the cover. The woman's body was naked.
"So, he's a rapist as well as a murderer."
"Seems so. But there's one thing we still can't figure out..."
"What is it?"
Hirata pointed at the woman's neck. "See this? Those are teeth marks. The murderer apparently sucked the blood out of her...that's the cause of death. Same thing for the man."
"What?" Sakume examined the teeth marks carefully. "What the hell does this mean?"
"We're dealing with...possibly a vampire."
"Vampire?" he repeated. "Hah, non-sense. Those are mythical creatures in stories created to scare children."
"But how else can you explain the teeth marks?" Hirata asked.
"This guy is a sick son of a bitch. There's your explanation. Or maybe some psycho who thinks he's a vampire."
"Oh, what about intent for murder?"
"We'll find out once he know their identities."
"Look, Mr. Sakume, vampires attack their victims at night. And this is what happened. They suck people's blood from the neck. And these teeth marks on their necks are the main proof."
"I'm still not convinced it's a vampire that did it. They don't exist!"
Both of them were bent down and now they stood up. "But sir, all signs point to such."
"I'll prove otherwise. Just find out their identities for me."
Sakume sat on his lounge chair, reading a newspaper. His feet were on the table. In another part of the room, Merla was cleaning the table. She held up the lamp while scrubbing the table. She had red hair and wore a maid's outfit.
Uramaki came into the room. "Hi, Sakume. How was the case today?" he asked as he sat down.
"Oh, it was an unusual one. But not something I haven't seen before."
Uramaki lit himself a pipe and smoked it. "I heard that a vampire did it."
"Someone has been spreading these rumors again."
"Mr. Sakume, some rumors are true."
"Uramaki, don't tell me you buy into that vampire theory too?"
"That seems like the best theory, giving the situation."
"It's a convenient theory."
"Convenient? The victims had bite marks on their necks."
"Maybe it's a guy with really sharp teeth, and a thirst for blood. There are some sickos out there. I'll get to the bottom of it."
Merla said, "Mr. Sakume, there are a lot of supernatural phenomenon out there. We don't really understand the world which we live in. I would not be surprised if vampires do exist."
"Oh Merla, not you too. You're supposed to be on my side."
"Sorry sir. But different people believe different things."
"But have you actually seen a vampire? Or a real ghost for that matter?"
"No."
"See? I'll prove it to you guys." he said. "I might even get a prize for solving this case." He smiled.