• It was like nothing out of the ordinary had changed. For the past 3 weeks there has been a reporting of murders. Prostitutes have been recalled to be raped then torn to shreds. After a death, every single one, the murderer leaves behind a few clues. Its as if the murderer wants to be found, or maybe hes playing with our minds. I yawn and fold the paper up and take a sip of my coffee loaded with sugar and cream. I got up out of the most uncomfortable chair I owned and stretched. Walking towards my closet to pick out some clothes for the day I thought, who would do such a thing and why? What motive did he or she have that would push them as far as to commit murder multiple times? I sighed to myself and headed to my cozy bathroom. I placed my clothes down on the edge of the sink then started stripping. I pull my shirt over my head and the rubber band holding my hair in a fairly high position slipped off. My dirty blond locks with chestnut highlights, spread and flowed over my shoulders. Then went my pants, trying to pry the pant leg off of my leg, my sock got stuck and I slipped and fell. "Gah....." I rubbed the back of my head softly and took off my socks "Socks first......"
    After I finished removing my clothes I turned the knob for the hot water and let it spill itself into the marble bathtub. I walked lightly over to the cabinet and reached for the bubbles on the bottom shelf. Bubbles help people relax and relieve stress, two things I need. I pour the bubbles into the bath and stop the water from overflowing. I slowly step into the bath sighing happily at the warm feeling it brings me. Slipping into the warm essence of the bath and forget all the troubles of our dysfunctional world that is replaced with a dream where I can be at ease. Just as I lay back and close my eyes I hear rapping at my door. I let out a soft groan and get up clearly knowing it was Max. He had impeccable timing for when I was doing something. Each step I took out of my bath, over to my towel and down the stairs just brings me closer to stress. I open the door to cheesy smile and a sweet kiss. "Hello Max" He chuckled looking at my inappropriate attire. "I see you must have been in the bath" I look down at my bubble covered legs and blush lightly "Yeah, but then you came and I had to get out" He rolls his eyes and I pull him inside "Sit on the couch and watch t.v or read a book. I'm going to finish my bath" Before he can reply I was running up the stairs back to my sanctuary of warmness.
    A few minutes of relaxation was about all I got but eventually every dream has to end. I was dripping wet and smelling clean. The scent of sour apple radiated off of my body and the smell of Strawberry Mangoes swam through my hair. I felt beautiful and smelled wonderful. I sashayed over to the fogged mirror and wiped a circle so I could see my face. I smiled at myself and touched my cheeks. Then my forehead and temples. Its like it was aligned perfectly, so symmetrical. I giggled to myself and got dressed. I was feeling exceptionally happy today, everything was going great. I slipped on a pink fitted corset and tied it as tight as I could. When that 30 minute job was done, I slipped on my pink and black swirled dress with ruffles on the bottom and one bow on each side. I smile once more into the mirror then went downstairs still waiting for my hair to dry. Max looked up from reading and saw me "You clean up very well" He threw me a wink and that made me giggle. "Can you help me find my flats Max? I'm not in the mood for heels". He nodded and looked around for my pink flats. I looked under the couch and around the table. This gave me ideas. I would have to tell them to Jason later. When Max found them, under the couch, I laughed at myself for being so stupid then sat down, slipping them onto my feet.
    After I grabbed my hat and purse I kissed Max on the cheek and started out the house with him. We eventually both went on different paths but it wouldn't be for long. This is where I would start my journey to annoy my friend Eva. She was in the SDA for short or, Special Detective Agency. She usually tried to keep me out of trouble but she never actually succeeded. I loved trouble, I was addicted to it. That's why I just had to be involved in something. As I made my way down to her house I took in the familiar surroundings I had seen all my life. Two blocks from my house was the old puppet shop, next to that was the high class restaurant. I could go on and on about past tense memories here but its not necessary. Most of them were bad memories anyway, about my family, ex-friends and so on. As soon as I reached Eva's house what I saw was nothing. That means shes out of town doing business. She'll probably be back in a day or less so I've got plenty of time to do whatever. I turned around and went back into town towards Jason's house.
    Traveling the streets of England make me wonder if our infamous murder has done the same. Just casually walked around, blended in with all the other people on the streets and when he sees a pretty lady he likes, he does what any other man might do. Flirt and get the girl interested, take her with him so their alone then do the dirty, except in this situation he gets rid of her after. I chuckled to myself watching guys as they walked by. None of them seemed threatening, just natural guys. That's probably what the wanted us to think. God I over think way too much. Before I had even noticed, I was at Jason's house. "Hey Mariah!" I turned to Jason's bright smile which always made my day. I walked over to him only to be pulled into a tight warm hug. "Jason!" He laughed at my constant reminders for him to not hug me while being in a very tight corset. As soon as he let go I started gasping for air. "How unladylike like Mariah. A lady should always breathe at a light and steady pace." I threw him a half glare, "And gentlemen shouldn't squeeze half the life out of their best friends". We both shared a laugh then went inside his house.
    He had a fairly large house with very nice things. He seemed to have upgraded his furniture since the last time I have been over. I looked around and ran the tips of my fingers on the edge of his leather couch. The deep chocolate color brought out the essence of the room. The beige room color was very bland but the crystal chandelier made everything bind together in harmony. "This room looks beautiful". I looked around the room a bit more before looking Jason in the eye. He smiled and took my hand leading me to a different room. It was more colorful, like a splattered rainbow on each wall. I took off my shoes and let my feet feel the plushness of the carpet. I sat down and smiled "So soft!" Jason laughed at me, amused.
    I lay there staring at the ceiling and think, think of the past times, failures in life along with the successes. About everything in the one moment of silence, before Jason breaks the ice. "Sooo......", I look up at him and confused and say, "What?" He looks around the room and smiles at the colors. "You like it?" I smile back up at him. "I love it. This room radiates warmness along with welcoming vibes. This room is just filled with happiness" He smiled down at me and bent down so he was leaning over my face and I was looking up at his. "Thank you....." Our faces seemed to inch closer to each other. Were we really gonna do this? It seemed so cause his eyes slowly closed and so did mine until we were just a few centimeters away....... "Ding Dong!!!" Our foreheads smashed together and we both cried out in pain. The moment we, almost, shared had been more painful than I had thought it would be. Jason got up holding his forehead then he helped me up too.

    When Jason sprints downstairs with me following close behind and opens the door he and I see its Eva. "Eva!" I give her a tight hug and giggle but she doesn't return the hug like usual. Shes serious about something. I pull back and look her in the eye. "What happened Eva?" I look at Jason and move aside so she has enough space to walk inside. She makes her way to the couch, her onyx hair tied up neatly in a bun and her dress wrinkle free. She sat down gently and sighed rubbing her forehead. Something bad must have happened if shes rubbing her forehead. I slowly sit beside her and lay a hand on her shoulder "Eve, tell me what happened. Your all depressed and quiet like you are when your in a bad mood". She glanced at me and sent a kind smile that was supposed to hide all feelings of worry. "I'm alright Mimi. Just had a bad trip here and back, a small nap will fix everything".
    She always said that when she was hiding something. I could feel it just by listening to the sound of her voice. It hid something that I couldn't quite figure out, yet. I rose to my feet and crossed my arms. "Evangeline, you better tell me whats going on, or else". Using her full name always got her to spill. It was obviously a serious thing if your mother or father called you by your full name because it meant you were in trouble but when your messing with me its kind of the same thing. Eva darted her eyes at the ground and fiddled with her fingers. This was the first stage of her nervousness. First she would fiddle with her fingers, then she would dart her eyes around the room, next she would clear her throat a few times and finally she bursted. "I found another clue on the murder case!" She immediately covered her mouth and frowned. My eyes gleamed with victory and I started jumping up and down "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
    After a few minutes of giggling and thinking I stopped and looked down at Eva's terrified expression. I sat down beside her and held her hands. She looked at me with tears in her eyes and I knew I had struck a nerve. "Whats wrong Eva? What happened while you were away?" She sniffled and flicked away a tear before taking a deep breath and sighing. "While I was down there I found a new murder. I have the documents in my bag but I don't know if I can show you them..." This made me a little sad considering that Eva is my best friend and we tell each other everything, so it had to be bad. As much as I wanted to know about it I wouldn't pressure her into telling me. I just forced a smile and patted her leg, "Its alright, you don't have to show me..." She smiled at me and this time I could tell it was genuine. "I never said I was going to show you, but I am going to tell you."
    I felt relieved and happy at the same time and my smile stretched from ear to ear. She stood up and lifted me with her and I looked at her confused. "What are we doing?" She pointed at Jason who had pretended to read a book but was tuning into the whole conversation. I giggled and laid a hand in the spine of his book and slowly pushed it onto his lap, looking him in the eye. "We know you are listening and you cant." He frowned and did a little boy pouting face. He crossed his arms and stuck out his bottom lip, knowing his irresistible pouty face was too adorable to turn down. I frowned and looked away, trying my best to fight his look. "No. That is my final answer and no matter how much you give me that face I am not going to give in." When I heard him huff in disappointment I smiled in victory. Once again I lifted from my seat and walked over to Eva.
    Eva smiled at me and led me upstairs, looking for a room where we could talk in private. I thought back to the room where Jason and I almost shared our first kiss. He was my best friend and it was unexpected but I couldn't believe I tried to kiss back! I bumped into Eva and blinked at her, seeing her finger poke my cheeks. "Why are you blushing?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion, not realizing that I was blushing. That made my cheeks flare with embarrassment. I turned and grabbed her arm, leading her into the rainbow room me and Jason were in before to avid further discussion. I took off my shoes and fell back onto the plush floor with a soft thud that made my dress fly up. This time Eva blushed. "Mariah!!" She pulled my dress down and I was forced to sit up while laughing. "Its just us in here, why does it matter? Plus, I wanna lay down". I stuck my tongue out at her and laid back but on my stomach this time.
    Eva sat down softly with her legs folded to the side and she flattened her baby blue dress out. She always dressed accordingly to to the weather and her attitude. Like today, she was wearing a baby blue dress with small white swirls that looked like clouds, all around the bottom of her dress. Her golden bronze hair was up in a tight neat bun and her contacts flashed her seldom blue eyes. But back to the basics. I was dying to know what Eva had found out on her trip. "Alright Eva, go on and tell me about your trip. Not a single detail left out of place", I flashed her my best smile to try and ease the slight tension, obviously in the atmosphere. She nodded and took a small breath. "Well, first when I was in the carriage, waiting to arrive at the crime scene, I was thinking over my previous notes and studies of the criminal and his doing's." She folded her hands together, it was going to be a long and detailed story.
    "I had thought of the clues we were left with, and the possible answers. But then it struck me. Why? Why was he leaving us clues? If he wanted to get caught so badly then why not just turn himself in? I realized he was just playing mind games and that it was nothing more and nothing less." I tried my hardest to pay attention but a million things were running through my mind. "When I got there, I saw four men, huddled in a group, and they were talking. I walked over to them to see what they were doing and of course they looked down on me because I was smaller than them. I showed them my badge and ordered them to give me the piece of evidence they had found. Then, the strangest thing happened." I tilted my head in a confused fashion wanting to know more. "They gave me a slightly wrinkled piece of paper that had a riddle written on it, in blood, but this time at the bottom, it had a twisted smiling face at the bottom." I looked at her confused and tried thinking it through.
    She nodded at me. "That is all we have found out so far with the evidence. We are trying to decode the riddle currently." My mind had blown. I couldn't even believe my own ears. Was a mastermind murderer running around killing innocent people, or was an innocent man getting revenge because of an unknown reason? It was all confusing but I had to get to the bottom of it one way or another. I sat up my straightest and pulled on a serious face. "I honestly think I can maybe help." Immediately, Eva rejected my offer. "No Mariah. You know what happened last time? You almost messed up the case!" It hurt me to hear my best friend yell at me like she did but I know that it was true. I sighed and put on a sad face. Eva rolled her eyes, "The answer is still No", I pouted and got up, "Fine. If you wont help me then I will go off on my own" I declared and stormed out. I walked down the stairs acting like nothing at all had happened even though Eva was calling for me from upstairs. I glanced at Jason's confused face then grabbed my jacket and walked out.
    The brisk chill of the afternoon hit me all at once like a mini blizzard. It was intense but I could withstand it. I walked away from the household that held my two best friends. This case was starting to bug me a lot and I couldn't take it. As I walked along the street again I thought of how I could get into the crime scene. Then I thought of how maybe I could trick the murderer into taking me, then placing him under arrest. Except it wouldn't be formal arrest because I had gotten my badge taken away from me three months ago, and every prostitute the murderer has come in tact with has been killed. So that was officially off of my list. The most I knew about the murderer was that it was a he, he killed prostitutes, it wasn't his first murder and that he left behind notes every time he killed a woman. This boggled my mind even more than it already was. I needed to find out his motive and fast. First I had to go down to the crime scene. Hopefully, I wouldn't get rejected again. That aggravated me the most.
    Once I arrived, I could feel the butterflies bang around my stomach. Being that me being curious took over me being nervous, I charged over to the group of men testing the body for finger prints or any other type of clue. I went to my past partner and tapped his shoulder gently like I always used to. He turned to me with a warm smile. "I never thought I would see you back here." He gave a slight bow then a powerful hug. I returned the hug to my, almost brotherly, friend. His name was David and we met five years ago when I first joined the team. He was lean and muscular, a model hero to almost every kid, especially me. I giggled slightly, "I missed you too David. But I really need to get back on the team. You know, I can help." Sometimes I had my own doubts, but David changed that. He made me feel important and confident. He looked around and slipped something into my hand then closed my fist. "Tomorrow, early in the morning come back here...." Then he started packing up his stuff while I disappeared into the shadows. The men grabbed their stuff and headed home while I did the same.
    In the morning, when the curtains bled light and birds started to sing, I woke up with a small yawn. I rubbed my eyes and looked around the room sleepily. Today was the big day that I got a case and I wasn't about to let David down. He had told me to go to the crime seen early in the morning so that's what I would do. I slipped out of bed and shuffled across the floor, over to my closet. I wondered if since I was going to the crime scene, and it wasn't really my place, maybe I should wear something casual. I decided so and picked out skin tight black stockings, a long sleeved blue shirt and my black flats. Then I got my long trench coat that went down to my knees and laid my clothes on my bed while I went to go take a quick shower and freshen up.
    After a nice muscle relaxing shower, my hair was blow dried and pulled up into a neat ponytail then I got dressed. I went downstairs and grabbed a banana, stealing a few bites before heading out. The cold air hitting my face sent morning shivers down my back, but it felt kind of good. My steps were soft and the town was empty. No one was in eye sight yet every corner, looked like a person. Probably just from waking up so early in the morning, I rubbed my eyes and looked around again. The "people" were gone and I quickly made my way over to the crime scene I had been at just the other day. When I got there I actually saw a person. That person was in fact David and I was very happy to see him. I tapped his shoulder lightly, smiling like a monkey, so when he turned around I could give him the biggest hug ever.
    He returned my hug with a little bit less of enthusiasm but I just brushed it off. Then I looked at the covered female body and the police tape surrounding the perimeter to keep people away. "Can I take a look at the body David?" I looked at him for an answer, just to be answered with a nod. I slowly crept over to the body and lifted the blanket that covered her. Her head laid on its side and her arms were just centimeters above her head, but closer together than expected. Then there was her body position. Her left leg was raised in an acute angle, about symmetrical to her lower abdomen. Then her right leg was torn at the knee and most of it was in another exhibit. The ground below it was soaked in blood, not really much of a surprise. I sighed and looked at her arm first. It was cold, limp, lifeless. I shivered slightly then grabbed a pair of gloves and slipped them on.
    Next was her left leg. I studied the angle and tried to imagine what could of happen to it to make it end up the way it was. Maybe she was trying to run from the criminal. Maybe she was kicking and hitting him. It could be a variety of things, but my best guess was she was trying to run, the murderer ripped off her right leg, making her incapable of running away. Trailing my hand down her abdomen I saw five stab wounds. The murderer obviously had a knife on him, that piece of information would come in handy. If his victims were stabbed, then any person that was suspicious, could be checked for knifes, then be further questioned. I shook my head in disappointment and a bit sympathetic, but just as I was getting up I spotted something on her neck. I moved a bit of her hair away from her neck and stared at the fairly small tattoo that was hidden.
    I looked back at David "Hey! I think I found something interesting." He bent down to where I was and looked at the tattoo. He studied it for a minute or so then nodded and stood strait. Then he went over to the side and took out a camera, flashed a picture of the tattoo and took out the picture. He carefully gave it to me and smiled. "Nice work. I'm going to give you the evidence, since you found it. But be careful, you never know who might get their hands on it." I nodded and stood as strait as I could. I felt so proud and happy that I had done something right that I just had to share it with someone. He pulled his pocket watch out and sighed. "Its almost seven o'clock in the morning. You should go home." He started packing up and I gently slipped the photo in my pocket for safe keeping. He grabbed his suitcase and smiled back at me then walked off, leaving me in the calling of the morning sun.
    I turned on my heel and smiled at the sun. It shone bright in the sky just like my attitude. Everything felt different. Like, I could do anything now, like I could be anyone. I loved the feeling of accomplishment. I giggled with joy and skipped a few steps before stopping. Must stay professional looking. I started walking again and hummed a soft melody I picked up when I was a kid. "London's bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London's bridge is falling down, my fair lady~" The music set a nice tone to my attitude as well. "Where do you think your going Miss?" A hand laid itself on my shoulder and I instantly froze in fear. I spun around and there he was. Slade. "Slade? What are you doing here!?" Slade was one of my very best friends in the agency. We used to look for clues together before we both got recruited, hung out when I was kicked out, and are still good friends.
    "Slade, what are you doing here? I thought you were doing business elsewhere?" Slade laughed lightly and pulled me into a hug "Nice seeing you too squirt". He ruffled up my hair and I pouted. "Hey! First, I hate being called squirt, and its not polite to mess up a woman's hair!" I gave him the cold shoulder but secretly smiled. Slade was a nice guy, really perky and super nice to everyone. Had the best attitude and had an eye that could find a pin in a haystack. I turned back around still smiling. "So, I'm guessing you got off early because your so awesome and finished the case in France already?" He gave me a thumbs up "That's what happened kid. It wasn't the hardest thing in the world to figure out. The man was hiding all of the stolen goods in a secret compartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower." I gasped and looked around "You know we cant talk about our investigations! Even if they aren't in the same place!" I covered his mouth but he just licked it. Shivers crawled throughout my arm and up my spine. I pulled away quickly and wiped the spit off my hand "Ew!"
    We walked together back to my house and talked a bit. By the looks of it, he got another metal for accomplishing yet another mystery, is still at the top of his game, and got himself a French girlfriend. "Oh~ Whats her name~?" He smirked and covered his mouth, mumbling the name into it. "Hey! You know that I don't know what your saying!" I huffed and crossed my arms "No fair" He laughed at my childish antics and poked my forehead. "Her name is Angela, squirt, don't get too worked up over it." I rolled my eyes and rubbed my forehead. Even though he treated me like a child, I still loved him like a brother. He was my role model, but one day I would be better than him. With this case, I would get recognized. I smiled at him and opened the door to my house, inviting him inside. He looked around at first then scrunched up his nose. "Girl, you seriously need to redo this room. Your about as bland as my grandfathers scones, uck." I laughed and shook my head. If I didn't know this boy, I'd think he was gay.
    We walked over to my couch and sat down. I sat sideways and kicked off my shoes, tickling him with my toes. "So~ What does bring you into town Slade?" He chuckled and pushed my toes away, sitting on the couch the same way I was. "I'm here to help on the case squirt. You know, the one about the guy." I gave him the look to tell him he couldn't go any further but he just laughed at me and raised his hands in defense. "Alright alright. Now come here please" I got up and crawls over to him and sat up strait in front of him. He took out the clip from my hair and let it loosely fall on my shoulders. He combed his fingers through it and smiled. "I always liked your hair you know." I giggled "Thank you" He continued playing with it, putting it up in different styles, when I heard a knock at the door. Slade stood up, "I'll get it." He walked to the door and I sat upside down on the couch, wiggling my toes and laughing. Slade opened the door, and there was Max.
    "Hi Max~" I fell off the couch and hit my head. I could feel the throbbing in my skull. "Ouch..." I got up a bit wobbly, my vision blurring a bit, and walked over to the door. Max was glaring hard at Slade. "Who is this?" He shoved past Slade and hugged me, planting a kiss on my forehead. I felt squished in between his hug and the tension in the room. I just barely made my arm reach out to point at Slade "This is Slade. He is a really good friend of mine." I looked at Max concerned and hesitantly placed my hand on his cheek. His eyes softened a bit as he looked down at me and smiled. "Cool" He ushered me over to the couch again "Stay, I'll get you something for your head babe" He stalked off to the kitchen and I scrunched up my nose. Babe. He only said that when he was trying to show off and be possessive. I looked over at Slade who was sitting on the other couch,trying not to upset Max any more than necessary. I mouthed an 'I'm sorry' over to him but he smiled to show me it was no problem.
    Max came back with an ice pack for my bump in record time. "Thank you". I smiled and put the pack on my head. Max sat down then pulled me onto his lap, his arms strangling my waist. "So Slade, what brings you here?" Max was getting jealous again and I could feel it. Slade managed to stay calm though. "I'm here to help Mariah-" He cut off on the end because he couldn't tell anyone about anything that has anything to do with the case. Max narrowed his eyes "Help her with what?" Slade looked at me for help then sighed. "I was helping her with....her walking". A giggle escaped my mouth then I quickly closed it. "Yeah, you know how clumsy I am". I smiled bright at him, trying to convince him that what we were saying is true. "I don't believe you". Well, so much for that. Max stood up, sliding me to the side and stood so he was in Slades' face. "You stay away from my girl, or there is going to be trouble. Got it? Now get out." This was bad and I knew it. I jumped to my feet about the same time Slade did. "I don't think this is your house, so your not the one to tell me to leave."