Sarah Blake stood in the cold, sterile room of the forensics lab, reexamining the bodies of the two sisters. It had been four days since their deaths, and yet, there was no trace of the killer. The sisters lay naked on the slabs before her, their faces pale and devoid of the usual signs of trauma she had grown accustomed to seeing in her twenty-year career.
The door behind her creaked open, and she sensed the presence of her husband, Lieutenant John Blake. A dark-skinned man with a strong, determined visage, John had been her rock through many tough cases.
"What do you think happened to these girls?" John asked, his voice low and troubled.
Sarah shook her head. "Nothing like I've ever seen before. But I think I've heard of a similar case—victims found dead without any suspicious symptoms, the killer never caught."
John's eyes met hers, a look of understanding passing between them. "You think it's the same case? The same killer?" Sarah turned her face toward him, her expression resolute. "I want to see those case reports. Whoever saw that case, I need to talk to them."
She moved toward the exit, her mind racing with possibilities. John followed her but then paused, turning back to the lifeless bodies on the slabs. He murmured something under his breath, a prayer or perhaps a promise, before gently covering the sisters' faces with white sheets and silently leaving behind his wife.
Meanwhile, in the office, Mark was staring at Vivian like a moth drawn to a flame, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and defiance. He knew that messing with Vivian was a mistake, yet his toxic masculinity drove him to assert his dominance, even if it meant courting danger.
Laura entered the office, her demeanor suspicious and tense. As Vivian looked up, Laura hesitated, her hands clenching the files she carried. She placed the files on Vivian's desk, her hands slick with sweat. Vivian's eyes narrowed as she sensed something was off. Laura was like a sister to her, and Vivian loved and protected her very much. The entire office knew of their close bond and dared not cross Laura, especially in front of Vivian.
"Sweetie, what's the matter? All good?" Vivian's words snapped Laura out of her trance.
She looked up, forcing a smile. "Nah, I'm all good." Vivian could tell something was wrong.
Laura's eyes were red, and her face was pale. Vivian stood, drawing the curtains around her office before approaching Laura. She pulled Laura into a hug, her concern deepening.
"Laura, what's happened, dear?" Laura looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "It's my mom. She's sick, and I'm really worried about her."
Vivian relaxed slightly but knew Laura wasn't telling the whole truth. She helped her wipe her tears and squatted to Laura's height.
"You know I'm always here for you, right? You must tell me if there is anything, okay?" Laura smiled weakly. "I should go back. I've been in the office for quite a while now."
She picked up the files and moved toward the door.
Vivian, sitting on the edge of her desk, twirled a pen in her long, sleek fingers.
"I guess you don't need my signatures?" she said with a smirk. Laura gave a tired laugh.
"Oh man! Where's my head!" She brought the files back to Vivian, who smiled and signed them.
As Laura walked away, Vivian couldn't help but feel a deep sadness. Just then, the phone rang, and Vivian turned back to her work.
It was a quarter to seven when Sarah Blake received a call about an assault at a nearby company. She rushed to the scene immediately. The victim, a white blonde female aged 27, was found unconscious in a bathroom with signs of strangulation.
As Sarah arrived, she saw a huge crowd gathered. Flashing her badge, she made her way through the gates to the sealed-off area where the woman had been found. Sarah approached a female officer, "Yes, Maya, what's the case?" "Laura Steward, 27, an assistant in this company, was found fainted on the 5th-floor bathrooms. She's been taken to the hospital after early resuscitation," Maya explained.
Sarah looked at Maya with concern. "Any signs of resistance?" Maya shook her head. "No, nothing, but we don't know until the final forensics report"
Who found her? Sarah asked..."A man named Mark Albert found her." Maya responded.
Sarah glanced around the bathroom before stepping out and pointing with her pen at the sign by the door. "What was he doing in the female bathroom?"
"He said he heard her calling for help," Maya replied. "Where is he now?" Sarah asked.
Just then, a commotion at the entrance caught their attention. Vivian Donovan stormed into the scene, two police officers struggling to hold her back. Sarah approached her.
Vivian's round-rimmed glasses had slipped down her nose, her disheveled hair adding to her cold, intimidating look.
"Where is Laura?" Vivian demanded.
"She's been rushed to the hospital" Sarah assured her.
"Who did this to her?" Vivian shouted, her voice echoing through the hallway.
"We don't know, ma'am. We're looking into it. Don't worry," one of the officers said.
Vivian's poisonous stare could have frozen anyone in their tracks. She freed herself from the officers' grasp and stormed out, her heels clicking against the floor, the sound fading with each step. Sarah watched her leave, then turned back to Maya.
"Who was she?"
"Chief Executive of this company, Vivian Donovan. She had a close relationship with the victim."
"Where was she up until now?"
"She left the office at a quarter to four and returned just now."
Sarah watched Vivian disappear down the hall. Something about her felt off, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Snapping out of her thoughts, she asked,
"So, where is Mark right now?"
The scene at the company had rattled everyone. Sarah Blake's investigation was just beginning, and the pieces of the puzzle were far from coming together. With Vivian's fierce determination and Sarah's relentless pursuit of the truth, the path ahead was bound to be filled with twists and turns, leading them ever closer to the dark secrets that lay beneath the surface.