Murder at Midnight
Words: 3134
Summary: Caitlyn and Vi investigate a crime scene.
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"Will you please tell me where exactly we are going?"
Impatient as Vi was, she didn't quite enjoy the anticipation and the mystery surrounded her superior's behavior. It wasn't often that Caitlyn would drag her along to a crime scene without debriefing her first. Preparation was key for the sheriff, and this seemed very inappropriate for her, almost out of character. Silence usually covered some sort of annoyance, silence that didn't match with the enforcer's natural curiosity.
Caitlyn kept a firm hold on the vehicle's wheel, eyes pressed in a thin line, her crystal blue eyes focused on the street.
"Y'know I'm all in for surprises, but not when it comes to this," Vi continued. She had a reputation for being impulsive, certainly, but she hated being dragged into unknown situations. "You keep it up and I'll start thinking you're mad at me."
"I'm not mad," Caitlyn spoke for the first time. "Not at you."
"Well, that's a relief," Vi retorted. "Since you're willing to talk to me, can you at least tell me what on earth are we doing heading all the way to the upper city?"
Vi's observation was quite precise. They were indeed heading towards the higher levels of Piltover, which they didn't often do, because there was rarely any crime there. Caitlyn had her main focus on the lower levels where crime was still thriving, despite the government's best efforts to pretend like this wasn't a fact. Vi was well aware of it, which was why she found it peculiar that they were going there.
Caitlyn sighed. "An elderly man named Byron Blackburn is reported missing. The neighbors haven't seen him for a couple of days and they called the Wardens to report his disappearance."
Vi raised an eyebrow. "How do we know he isn't ill or something?"
"One of the neighbors claimed that they heard a scream on the night of Tuesday. This activity is suspicious enough to enact an investigation."
"I see." Vi nodded, but something wasn't sitting with her. "But Cait, I thought we were gonna focus on those chem barons that have been trafficking illegal chemicals near Zaun. You refused to take up any new cases until we finished that assignment."
"Blackburn was a renowned inventor in his youth. My father knew him quite well. They had worked together a couple of times before Blackburn retired. My father, who somehow heard about his disappearance, requested that… I am personally involved with this case," Caitlyn explained. She was usually in control of her emotions, but right now she didn't make any efforts to hide her annoyance.
"I don't see the issue here," said Vi. "Your dad seems to be worried about his friends and he wants someone capable to deal with it."
Caitlyn huffed. "As sweet as this sounds, this is not the case. My father never does anything without having a higher purpose. In this case, it's to increase his influence, to prove that he acquires all the right connections. It's a matter of power, not a matter of friendship."
"That's… well, that's fucked up, as simply as I can set this," Vi commented.
"It's the sad truth, I'm afraid," Caitlyn said. "It's quite ironic, if you think about it. My mother always warned me about the seductions and the gilded promises of this city that can potentially harden the kindest heart, yet her own husband became a victim of said promises. Money and fame really got to his head. We're talking about the same man who reinforced his daughter with the ideas of right and wrong…" she trailed off.
