Checkmate.

Case Closed

Chelsea: C-H-E

Nick Manders: C-K-M

C-H-E-C-K M-?

Kate Mart: A-T-E

C-H-E-C-K M-A-T-E.

"Check Mate." Knight murmured as he wrote the last piece of the puzzle on the black board.

"Huh?" The assistant, Mark asked Knight as he took a print out.

"The names of our victims spell 'check mate'. That guy is an adroit killer. His plan was absolutely ingenious!" Knight exclaimed, Mark's eyes looked at his senior in awe and admiration, thinking how Knight is so brilliant. "So, what have we got on him?" Knight asked a perplexed Mark.

"Our killer's name is Moriarty. This twenty-eight year old has had a record of assaults and theft but it was his first murder case. His history suggests that he has been in and out of psychiatrist care and has a serious case of mental disorder. He was currently out on parole. So basically, he was a psychotic serial killer." Mark read out from the file that he had printed of their killer, once they were back in the police station, to his senior Detective Knight.

"Well, he certainly seemed so. The CSU found pictures and articles and his plans to murder more victims, all mapped out on a big huge board in his apartment. The murder weapon was seized from the crime scene and his fingerprints were traced on it by Laine." Knight announced.

"Wow." Detective Mark let out a low whistle."That really is crazy. But still why did he murder specifically these three people who have no connection with each other?"

"Guess we'll find out. Let's go and have a chat with our cunning and psychotic killer." Knight said as he leaned away from his desk and he and Mark made their way towards the interrogation room.

Moriarty, the guy with slightly long black hair, cold grey eyes and a chiseled face, was sitting on the silver chair with his lips curved in an amused but macabre smile. His hands, which were cuffed, were resting on the table and he looked at Knight with a glint in his eyes which sent shivers down Detective Mark's spine.

"Knight. Have a seat." The killer suggested in a cold and hard voice.
Knight gave a cold stare to the killer before he and his assistant took their seats across the delirious man.

"So, where would you like to begin your story, Mr. Moriarty?" Knight smiled, completely unfazed by the psychotic look in the killer's eyes.

"Um, where to begin, Mr.Knight?" The man replied, still hanging on to the bone-chilling smile.

"Tell me why did you choose me to play your sickening game with?" Knight demanded, curiously.

"You see, Mr.Knight, I read about you and your cases in papers and magazines. You fascinate me. Your wit, your style it made me want to see how smart can you actually be. According to the town, you are the best detective and that made me want to challenge you. I wanted to engulf you in such a riddle that would make you want to rip your hair out." The repulsive killer answered. Mark felt like he was going to hurl pretty soon and Knight was just plain amused.

"But why did you choose the charades of Chess?" Mark managed to ask. The killer turned to Mark and his smirk broadened.

"The question is, why not choose Chess?" Moriarty retorted back.

"Why did you only kill these specific people even when they have no connection?" Detective Knight asked trying to shift the focus of the killer who had made Mark go pale.

"No particular reason. The first person, Chelsea, I met her when I went to withdraw the left over money I had in my bank account. The kid, Nick Manders? I saw him on the subway train for the first time and after a little digging on him, I thought he would make a good dead body. The third lady, Kate Mart. I met her at the mall when I went to buy my weapon for murder and I instantly formed a dislike towards her, so I killed her and her name even fit my plan perfectly." The psycho explained.

"You're pathetic!" Mark spat at the murderer. Moriarty snapped his head to the assistant with that ghostly smile reappearing on his face.

"Thank you." He drawled out making Mark even more sick to the stomach.

"So, Knight. You eventually proved to be astute. But I was disappointed you couldn't stop me earlier." He teased the detective, trying to rack his nerves but Knight remained unaffected.

"Well, now you can be disappointed in the fact that you will be spending your entire life behind the vicious bars of Central Jail." Knight smirked before he stood up and exited the cold white room while Mark followed
suit.

~~

"That was a very, very interesting case. The media will have a field day with it." Mark said whilst shaking his head as they took a seat at their respective places.

"Well, why shouldn't they be able to devour this mastermind case?" Knight smirked, feeling proud of his accomplishment.

"You're right. Anyway, we should get to this paperwork and put an end to this case." Mark suggested and scowled at the pile of papers sitting on his desk. He glanced at his senior who had a similar expression plastered on his face.

"Yeah, we should. By the way, where is our third victim?" Knight asked his assistant.

"She has been admitted to St.Marcus Hospital to get her wounds checked up. Thank God, he didn't engrave a 'D4' on her wrist. She must be pretty traumatised after all this violence and kil-" Mark's rant was cut off by the alert of his pager. He answered it while Knight was already up and about with his weapon in tow.

"There's been a murder and the killer has written a little riddle, addressed to you." Mark announced as he got up and grabbed his own weapon.

"That's interesting, let's call this guy, The Riddler." Knight suggested, fascinated, thinking of batman. Both the partners made their way out of the station and to the crime scene where they had a murder investigation awaiting them.