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Puzzle of Shadows and Smirks

DaoistaERgmx
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Synopsis
Kan, a newly recruited investigator in the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), is thrown into the deep end on his first day with the unsettling Jigsaw Case. The killer's modus operandi is leaving cryptic messages through meticulously arranged jigsaw puzzles at crime scenes, taunting the authorities and daring them to piece together the clues before more lives are lost. Teamed up with his sardonic yet endearing partner, Officer Jenkins, Kan navigates the dark and twisted world of this demented game master. The duo's investigation takes them through eerie crime scenes, quirky puzzle shops, and into the mind of a killer who sees murder as a sinister puzzle to be solved. Along the way, Jenkins’ relentless humor keeps spirits high, even as the stakes grow increasingly dire. As the clues lead them to an iconic clock tower, Kan and Jenkins discover an unexpected ally in an amateur sleuth obsessed with the case. Together, they delve deeper into the Jigsaw Killer's psyche, racing against time to prevent the next gruesome tableau. Their journey is fraught with tension and danger, but also peppered with camaraderie and laughter, proving that even in the darkest of times, a well-timed joke can be a light in the gloom. In "Pieces of Laughter and Death," Kan must not only solve a killer's deadly puzzles but also learn to navigate the peculiar dynamics of his new team. Through a blend of mystery, horror, and comedy, this novel explores the balance between finding the humor in life’s darkest moments and the determination to bring a ruthless killer to justice.
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Chapter 1 - prologue

My first day at the Criminal Investigation Bureau started with an ill-fitting suit and a knot in my stomach that had nothing to do with my questionable breakfast choice. My name is Kan, and fresh out of the academy, I was eager to prove my worth. I had dreams of solving the city's darkest crimes, maybe even becoming a legend in my own right. Little did I know, my career was about to kick off with a case that would make my skin crawl and my sides ache with laughter—simultaneously.

I walked into the bustling precinct, the hum of ringing phones and hurried conversations creating a symphony of chaos. My superior, a grizzled detective with a permanent scowl, greeted me with a grunt and a thick case file. "Welcome to the big leagues, Kan," he said, thrusting the folder into my hands. "Hope you like puzzles."

Inside the folder was a single photograph: a gruesome scene that looked like it was ripped from a twisted board game. The victim was posed in an eerie, almost playful manner, with pieces of a jigsaw puzzle arranged around them. "We're calling it the Jigsaw Case," the detective explained. "And now, it's your problem."

I barely had time to register the horror of the scene before another officer, a lanky guy with a penchant for bad jokes, leaned over my shoulder. "Looks like the killer's got a piece of your first day," he quipped. I groaned inwardly; if this was the tone of my new workplace, I was in for a long ride.

As I delved into the details of the case, I couldn't shake the feeling that the killer was toying with us. Each piece of the puzzle seemed to lead to another twisted joke, another grotesque setup. But there was something more—a pattern, a hidden message that I was determined to uncover.

The deeper I got, the stranger it became. It was as if the killer was daring us to solve his macabre game, taunting us with every move. Between the dark humor of my colleagues and the chilling clues left by the murderer, I found myself in a bizarre dance of dread and laughter.

I realized that in this line of work, sanity was as fragile as the puzzle pieces scattered across the crime scenes. But I was ready to put the pieces together, one way or another. After all, this was my first day. And if I could survive this, I could survive anything.