Faceless Instincts

The Nurse with the tattoo

I moved away from the window and started striding back and forth in the room.
What was she doing here? Is this a mere coincidence? What if it's not? A range of what-ifs started to obfuscate my mind as I kept walking around the room.

When the doorknob clicked I looked up to find Nikolai stepping towards me. At once I closed the distance and noticed how he looked even more worn out, "tough day for you?" I asked and he leaned a little forward.

He looked up gently and smiled, "a little... yes...nothing that I can't handle."

I touched his shoulder and abruptly, out of the blue he leaned in, within a moment o was enveloped in his strong arms as he sighed deeply, "Sorry, I am just tired." He mumbled.

Even in a grim situation like this, I smiled slightly as I wrapped my arms around him and rubbed his back gently, "I know, you need some time for yourself."

"After seeing you have the time off of the life, I am a little reluctant to hand in a leave plea now."

I giggled, "True." I pulled back and looked at him, "and I dragged you in this with me"

"I voluntarily jumped in, held the rope and got dragged in this mess," he said with a raised brow.

I shook my head and looked at the window, remembering the girl, "That girl...where is she?" I asked.

"Who?" He looked at me.

"The girl you were talking to earlier."

"Her?" He inquired as he opened a drawer and looked at something inside. "She is in the interrogation room, why?"

I peeped inside and saw a pack of cigarettes, "seems like it's too much stress for you."

He looked up at me, a defeated look in his eyes, "no.. i.. I have quit it a long time ago, it's just" he trailed off.

His curls fell on his face as he stood with his head bowed and palms flat on the table. I reconsidered telling him about this girl, he was already stressed and I didn't want to add on the pressure.

"What about the girl, Kiara," he asked as he walked towards me.

"I know her," I said plainly.

He raised an eyebrow at me, "I can't remember her name but I recognize she was the nurse that observed me while I was in the hospital"

"And why is this significant?"

"I don't know if it is but I know she has the same tattoo as that trinket" I shrugged nonchalantly, "I mean, I don't know"

He peeked up, "this could be important," he said walking around the table towards me.

"You think so?" I asked as he leaned against the table.

"Do you realise why she is here?"

"No"

"She's the granddaughter of the old lady" My eyes widened as soon as the words hit my ears.

"what?"

"Yes"

"Why are you interrogating her?"

"Remember how I said that the nature of death is not specified yet?"

"Yeah"

"We got an anonymous call and the person specifically denied to reveal their identity. It might be a mislead, maybe someone set the house on fire while the lady was inside and made the story up." He ran his fingers through his hair, "this could be a potential murder"