There wasn't a smell on the body, which meant the death was recent too.
Xerxes knew he couldn't have saved the boy, but he still felt as if there was fault somewhere—his fault—for not saving the poor boy who might have been through hell in the supposed sacred place. He closed the box, unable to look anymore.
"I believe you know what to do, Sam. Close the case," he said, his voice low as he turned to exit this hellhole.
"Yes, Sergeant," Sam responded in a deep voice.
"Wait! There must be a mistake here—it can't be!" the priest shouted behind him, his voice filled with a mix of desperation and disbelief.
***
Xerxes crouched outside the cathedral in the courtyard, hugging his knees. He looked up at the clear blue sky and breathed deeply, the fresh air filling his lungs. But the weight in his chest remained; his body still felt heavy and burdensome.
This isn't it. The case was too easy. There were no dangers during the investigation either…
Most of the ten cases assigned to him were resolved, leaving only one—the missing woman.
Returning to the station, Xerxes headed straight for the group investigation room at the end of the hallway. A few colleagues greeted him with brief nods as he passed by, though he barely registered their presence. When he reached the room, it was as spacious yet cluttered as always. The wide wooden table was laced with scattered papers and folders, but one corner stood clean, occupied by two slumped figures.
"They're done with their cases," Lucas remarked, not even lifting his gaze from his own stack of papers. He knew Xerxes was staring at the two sleeping bodies.
With a coat draped over them, Nova and Kai were deep in sleep, their bodies pressed together as if seeking warmth from one another. Only their messy hair was visible, their faces hidden beneath their arms and the table. The sight was oddly peaceful amidst the chaos.
"They're done already? That was fast," Xerxes kept his voice low as to not disturb their peace. He walked around the table toward Lucas and Alexa, who were poring over their cases together.
"That kid's the fast one," Alexa said, pointing her emerald eyes to Kai with a mix of admiration and unease. "It's almost creepy how quickly he figured out the cases," she added with a small frown.
"You could have asked him for help if you were having trouble with something," Xerxes said as he peered over their cases.
"We are almost done too. He did help us a lot, but he became tired very soon, and the rest of the cases were a bit too gruesome, so we left those ones out." Lucas pushed a pile of folders to the side with clumsy movements; he also appeared quite worn out.
Alexa, on the other side, still had a bundle of energy left in her. She was still working just as before, like a machine that doesn't become tired at all. She tilted her neck up to Xerxes. "Are you done with your work?" she questioned suspiciously.
"I think so," Xerxes replied, scratching his head. "It's not any of those ten cases. I think it's the missing woman one," he sighed, his voice tinged with weariness.
"I already told you guys," Alexa said, throwing her last case folder onto the table. "It's not any of these cases. We're wasting our precious time here."
"It hasn't been that long," Xerxes countered. "We've been here for twelve hours. We've cleared the leftover cases so we can work on the main one together now without thinking about any other possibilities. Our sole priority is one case. If we work together, we should be able to solve it quickly. We already cut the 24-hour mark in half." He glanced at Nova and Kai. "But we're also not in our best condition. Let's wake them up and go eat something while we discuss the case."
The restaurant, modestly named The Green Goose, sat on a busy street corner. Its wood-paneled exterior was painted a deep green, the color slightly faded but clean. A hand-painted sign hung above the door, its gold lettering catching the sunlight. Gas lamps flanked the entrance, their glass panes smudged from frequent use.
The windows were small but polished, revealing glimpses of white tablecloths and bustling servers inside. A chalkboard near the door advertised the day's specials in neat script:
Roast Beef with Horseradish
Stewed Pigeon with Root Vegetables
Apple Tart with Clotted Cream
Nova rubbed his eyes again, squinting at the names of the dishes. This was the only nearby restaurant that appeared decent enough for them to eat at, but the day's specials seemed… special, to say the least.
"Looks edible enough. Let's go," Xerxes urged Nova from behind.
Inside, the restaurant was warm and inviting. The hum of quiet conversations filled the air, blending seamlessly with the soft clinking of silverware.
Dark wooden tables and chairs with intricately carved backs were arranged neatly, each topped with simple white cloths. Small candles flickered at every table, their soft light casting a warm glow over the space. There were a few empty tables. Xerxes chose the biggest one with six chairs in the far unobtrusive corner of the restaurant.
In another corner, a small trio of musicians—a violinist, flutist, and upright bassist—played a soothing melody, lending an air of sophistication to the atmosphere without being intrusive. Servers moved quickly yet gracefully, balancing trays laden with steaming dishes and polished glasses.
There were three small menu cards already waiting on the table to be picked up and looked at. Xerxes caught one with his hand as he sat down on the chair, followed by the others.
For starters, there was onion soup and fresh-baked bread with salted butter. The main dishes included roast chicken with potatoes and gravy, fish stew with leeks and a side of buttered peas, and lamb chops with a thick, minty sauce. There were also desserts in the last treacle pudding, jam roly-poly, or a simple platter of fresh fruit and cheese. Finishing with a range of drinks like ales, wines, and teas, served in ceramic mugs or etched glasses.
Xerxes had a wallet full of coins. He didn't exactly know how much it was, but it looked like a lot. He was happy with the free money given to him. He signaled for the server to come and take his order before anyone else had even seen the full menu.
"What would you like to order, good sir?" the server asked politely.
"We would like the whole menu but keep the drinks to only the teas," Xerxes replied, gleaming in his newfound wealth.