The next morning, I walked into the precinct feeling slightly more confident. My suit still didn't fit quite right, but at least I wasn't sweating through it. I even managed a smile as I greeted the red-haired receptionist, who waved cheerily as I passed.
"Morning, Kan!" Jenkins called out, already perched on the edge of my desk. "Ready for another day of fun and games?"
I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help but grin. "If by fun and games, you mean sifting through piles of evidence and deciphering cryptic messages, then sure. I'm thrilled."
Jenkins chuckled, handing me a coffee. "You'll get used to it. Besides, every day here is an adventure. Speaking of which, Harper wants to see us in the briefing room. Something about a new lead on the Jigsaw Case."
As we made our way to the briefing room, I couldn't shake the feeling of anticipation. The warehouse scene had left us with more questions than answers, and I was eager to see what new twist the case would take.
Harper was already there, a map of the city spread out on the table. He looked up as we entered, his scowl firmly in place. "Morning, Kan. Jenkins. Take a seat."
We sat, and Harper wasted no time getting to the point. "Last night, we received another message from our killer." He held up a photograph. "It was delivered to the precinct, no return address."
The photograph showed another puzzle, this time arranged on a kitchen table. The pieces spelled out a single word: "SOON."
Jenkins whistled. "Well, that's not ominous at all."
Harper ignored him, turning to me. "Kan, I want you to go through this with a fine-tooth comb. Look for anything that might give us a clue about the killer's next move."
I nodded, already mentally preparing myself for the task. "Got it. I'll start right away."
As we left the briefing room, Jenkins fell into step beside me. "You know, Kan, I think you and this killer have something in common."
I shot him a skeptical look. "Oh really? What's that?"
"You both seem to enjoy puzzles. I bet you were a whiz at those 1,000-piece ones as a kid."
I laughed despite myself. "Actually, I hated puzzles. My brother was the puzzle master in our family. I preferred books."
Jenkins grinned. "Well, looks like you're getting a crash course now. Come on, let's get to work."
Back at my desk, I spread out the photograph and began my analysis. The killer was meticulous, that much was clear. Every piece was perfectly aligned, the message unmistakable. But there had to be something more, some hidden detail that would lead us to the next clue.
Jenkins, ever the joker, leaned over my shoulder. "You know, if you stare at it long enough, it might start to make sense."
I snorted. "Thanks for the advice, Sherlock."
As I studied the photo, a thought occurred to me. "Hey, Jenkins. Do you think we could get a list of all the stores in the city that sell this particular brand of puzzle?"
Jenkins raised an eyebrow. "You think the killer bought it locally?"
"It's worth a shot. If we can trace where they bought the puzzle, it might give us a lead."
Jenkins nodded, heading off to make some calls. Meanwhile, I continued to scrutinize the photo, looking for anything out of place. After what felt like hours, my eyes started to blur, and I leaned back, rubbing my temples.
"Need a break?" Jenkins asked, reappearing with a triumphant look on his face. "Because I've got good news. There are only three stores in the city that sell this brand of puzzle."
I perked up. "Really? That narrows it down. Let's check them out."
We headed out, stopping first at a quaint little shop on the east side of town. The owner, a cheerful woman with glasses perched on the tip of her nose, greeted us warmly.
"Good afternoon, officers! How can I help you?"
I showed her the photograph. "We're looking for information about this puzzle. Do you recognize it?"
She squinted at the photo, then nodded. "Oh yes, we carry that brand. Quite popular, actually. I sold a few of those just last week."
"Do you remember who bought them?" I asked, trying to keep my excitement in check.
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I do remember a gentleman who bought one. Very peculiar fellow. Kept talking about how he loved puzzles because they helped him think."
Jenkins and I exchanged a glance. "Did he leave any contact information?" Jenkins asked.
She shook her head. "I'm afraid not. But he did mention something about visiting the local library. Said he was doing some research for a project."
"Thank you," I said, handing her my card. "If you remember anything else, please give us a call."
Our next stop was the library, a stately old building with shelves that seemed to stretch on forever. We approached the front desk, where a librarian with a stern expression eyed us over her glasses.
"Can I help you?" she asked, her tone suggesting she hoped the answer was no.
I showed her the photograph. "We're looking for information about a man who might have been here recently. He bought a puzzle from a local store and mentioned doing research here."
Her expression softened slightly. "I do recall a man fitting that description. He was here almost every day last week, pouring over books about famous crimes and puzzles."
"Do you have any record of his visits?" Jenkins asked.
She shook her head. "We don't keep track of visitors like that. But he did leave behind a book once. I found it on the table after he left."
"Can we see it?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
She led us to a corner of the library where the book in question was still sitting on a table. It was a thick volume on the psychology of criminal behavior. I picked it up, flipping through the pages.
"Look at this," I said, pointing to a series of notes scribbled in the margins. "Our guy was definitely here. These notes are all about famous unsolved cases and the use of puzzles in criminal activity."
Jenkins leaned over, reading some of the notes. "He's got a real thing for puzzles, doesn't he?"
"Yeah," I said, feeling a chill run down my spine. "And he's planning something big. We need to figure out what it is before it's too late."
Back at the precinct, we briefed Harper on what we'd found. He listened intently, nodding as we laid out our findings.
"Good work," he said finally. "But we still need to figure out what his endgame is. Keep digging."
As the day turned into night, Jenkins and I pored over the notes from the library book, trying to make sense of the killer's plan. Every so often, Jenkins would crack a joke to lighten the mood, and despite the gravity of the situation, I found myself laughing.
"Why did the scarecrow become a detective?" Jenkins asked, grinning.
I shook my head, smiling despite myself. "I don't know. Why?"
"Because he was outstanding in his field!"
I groaned, but I couldn't help but laugh. "You know, Jenkins, if this whole detective thing doesn't work out, you could always become a comedian."
Jenkins winked. "I'll keep that in mind."
As the clock ticked closer to midnight, a thought struck me. "Wait a minute," I said, flipping through the notes again. "Look at this. He mentions a date here. July 15th. That's tomorrow."
Jenkins' eyes widened. "You think he's planning something for tomorrow?"
"It fits," I said, my mind racing. "We need to figure out where he's going to strike next."
We stayed up late into the night, piecing together the clues. Finally, as dawn broke, we had a breakthrough. One of the notes mentioned a landmark in the city—a famous clock tower known for its intricate design and historical significance.
"That's it," I said, feeling a surge of adrenaline. "He's going to do something at the clock tower."
Harper, who had been monitoring our progress, nodded. "Good work, Kan. Jenkins. Let's get a team down there and set up surveillance. We need to catch this guy before he makes his next move."
As we geared up and headed out, I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of excitement and apprehension. The Jigsaw Killer had been one step ahead of us so far, but now, we were closing in. And with any luck, we'd be able to stop him before he could complete his twisted game.
As we arrived at the clock tower, Jenkins turned to me, his expression serious for once. "You ready for this, Kan?"
I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Let's catch a killer."
And with that, we began our stakeout, hoping that this time, we'd finally be able to put the pieces together.