Chasing Shadows

Chapter 1 - A Brotherly Reunion

Click - click - flash - click - flash - flash were the only sounds lingering through my ears as I stare down at the lifeless eyes looking up at me. Numerous cameras surrounded the critical scene as well as yellow police tape, all focusing on one thing, or rather, person. The fourth victim of an infamous serial killer, the JJE, aka the Judge, Jury, and Executioner. At least, that’s what the public likes to call them. Stupid name, I know, but it fits. They're a sadistic person or group of people who find satisfaction in other's pain. So far, all their victims have committed crimes, crimes that endanger other lives such as murder, arson, assault, and other heinous acts. They'd murder their victims in various ways, leaving their bodies all mangled up for detectives like me to solve the mystery of their death. As for the cherry on top, they'd leave a drawing of a judge's weight scale near the victims' bodies with their own blood.

As I regain my sense of reality, the strong, pungent smell of blood crashes into my nostrils. Although it's not the first time I've encountered this situation, it won't ever feel natural. Blood and death, blood and death, all for what? Every victim of the JJE have committed some sort of crime, could they possibly be a vigilante? Is that why they kill people? Do they think they're doing good for the world? So many questions, yet hardly any answers.

I recalled the past 3 murders. The first victim, Zoei Hughes, was charged with assault. She was murdered one night while walking to her house, stabbed 27 times, and left in an alleyway. The second victim, David Miller, was charged for arson which ended 2 lives. He was murdered in his own home, strangled by a rope, and left hanging in his backyard. The third victim, Jordan Thompson, was charged for child abuse. He was butchered alive while working a late night shift at his job as a butcher, as ironic as that is. Now, the latest victim, Meagan Smith. She was charged for trespassing and robbery. She was found in her bed, covered in blood. The most visible wound was a slit to the neck.

It's been tiresome, to say the least. They're very gruesome acts, acts that portray society's negligence of life perfectly. But if someone is going to catch the JJE, it will be me, detective Raymond Evans.

Later into the night, silence engulfed the room with only a soft reverberating hum from the aircon cooling my office. Looking over all the clues, I mumble under my breath “Fuck my life.” I groan and rest my head into the palm of my hand. The jumbled up alphabet in my mind quickly aligned as I heard a knock on my office door. A familiar voice spoke from the other side “Ray? Are you in there? May I come in?” Reluctantly, I let him in. I knew I couldn't ignore him forever.

“Come in, Oliver. I told you not to refer to me as Ray during work hours.”

“My bad, I forgot.” He replied, sheepishly. “But then again, your work hours are 24 everyday. You’re a workaholic, ya know?”

“Why are you here?” I stated, wanting to get this interaction over with as soon as possible.

“I was worried.”

Confused, I questioned him “Why would you, of all people, be worried? And of what?”

“You were ghosting me. Not replying to my texts, not picking up my calls, not even acknowledging me. Are you okay? I’m your brother, you can tell me anything.”

Of course, there was that line. Oliver has always been by my side through thick and thin. Yet, I can’t seem to bother him with all my problems. I never understood him that way. How was he able to hold his misfortunes along with mine unescorted by resentment? I found it hard to interpret. Perhaps this is hypocritical for me to think. But is it so wrong to prefer people burdening me rather than me burdening them? The feeling of weighing someone down whenever I expressed my troubles to them never shook off me. However, I’d take on the entire world’s problems willingly.