Falling for them (love and deepspace X OC )

Secret Tracking

"Damn it, how did he manage to slip away again." The man grunts.

"Hey" I said walking behind him.

"Who are you?! Agh!"

I slammed him to the ground "Lacks a weapon and any sort of defensive gear. Aside from pretending to act tough, he's not trained. If he's a professional hitman, he's really, really pathetic..."

"It could all be an act, you know. Knocking him down in one fell swoop... Wanna do an encore?" Rafayel asked

A middle-aged man wearing a mask is huddled in the corner, his body shaking as he hears those words. He's the epitome of anxiety. "I... I'm not a murderer! I'm just a guy trying to get a scoop!"As the man struggles, a piece of paper slips out from his chest pocket.

Rafayel picks it up, blows off the dirt, and holds it toward the sunlight. "A reporter from Weekly Arts... Joe."

"You know them?" I asked.

"A second-rate art magazine. They scrape by on tidbits they pry from socialites and artists." He notices something. His gaze moves down as he takes a weird-looking button from the man's shirt. "This hidden camera... wasn't cheap, right?" A tiny flame bursts from Rafayel's finger. It turns the "button" into ash." Is there anything newsworthy about me to grace your journalism?"

"L-listen to me. Whatever you do, please don't hurt me. I-it's because of that collector! Raymond!" Joe said "He's dead" The air is still for a moment. Shocked, Rafayel and I exchange a glance.Maybe it's because we're entering his field of expertise that Joe straightens his posture. He wipes the dirt from his face. A spark of excitement is in his eyes, the thrill of discovering gossip. "He died last night Drowned in his bathtub. No one knew until the next day. When the butler found him, it was already too late." Was Raymond attacked by Wanderers?
No... They should be long gone by now. "The police already searched his home and looked through the surveillance tapes.They found nothing, not even another person walking into his room. But—"

"Cut to the chase" I told him.

"The picture painted by Rafayel had vanished from his collection room. I've heard the rumors. Some say that before he died, he made a bunch of cuts into his arms and legs. His skin looked like a bunch of fish scales. It's awful, if I do say so myself. And the moment a rich guy is dead, the police are quick to cover it up. They're scared a secret will be revealed, one that'll cost them their jobs... But there's no such thing as a secret that can't be hidden. Mr. Rafayel, are you sure you didn't have a hand in his death? Can your paintings actually manipulate people?"

"Even if they did, I wouldn't tell you. Also, you said he died last night. I was in my studio during that time and didn't go anywhere. Any. Where. But I do agree it's a tragedy." Rafayel said. "Ooor are you saying... you wanna ask
Raymond himself?"

"N-no, n-not at all! I don't... I told you everything I know. Can you please let me go this time?" Joe said.

"Sure, sure. I'll even throw in something extra for you. Tomorrow I'll be instructing my agent to lodge a complaint about your deplorable stalking behavior to your superiors and cancel our exclusive column interview. I reckon you'll be jobless soon."Rafayel speaks in a relaxed manner. He leans in, a radiant smile plastered on his face. "Sooo, why don'tcha do me a favor and investigate who's trying to hide all that info you just talked about?"