Bound By Sin

Detective Duties.

Detective Blackwood and Detective Caldwell sat in their cramped office at the station, the faint hum of fluorescent lights filling the silence between them. Papers were strewn across the desk, files on each of the kids they'd been questioning for weeks. The clock on the wall ticked slowly, the minutes crawling by as they tried to piece together the puzzle that had eluded them for too long. The discovery of Nicholas's bracelet on the latest body had brought them closer to something, but now, every move had to be calculated. They were running out of time.

Blackwood leaned forward in his chair, his face illuminated by the dim light of the desk lamp. His brow was furrowed in concentration, eyes scanning the notes and files like he could will the answer to leap out at him. His fingers tapped restlessly against the wooden desk.

Caldwell stood by the window, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, staring out into the dark night. The station parking lot was empty, lit only by the dim streetlights. She hadn't said anything for a few minutes, but her mind was clearly racing.

Finally, she broke the silence. "We're missing something, Blackwood. We've got the pieces, but they're just not fitting together. Every time we get close, something doesn't add up."

Blackwood sighed, running a hand over his face. "It's there, Caldwell. I know it is. This killer's been careful, but tonight... tonight they made a mistake. Leaving that bracelet? That wasn't just a slip-up. It was deliberate. They want us to believe something."

Caldwell turned to him, her eyes narrowing. "Yeah, but what? They're messing with us, trying to lead us in circles. And now, we've got to consider that the killer might be one of these kids. Hell, is one of these kids. That bracelet wasn't dropped by accident."

Blackwood nodded slowly, his jaw tight. "Let's go over it again. We've been focusing on the wrong things. Maybe we've been too focused on who these kids are now and not enough on what could've pushed one of them to do this."

**************************

Caldwell walked back to the desk, picking up the first file—Nicholas's.

"Nicholas Harrington." she said, her voice measured. "Lost his parents in one of the early murders. Both brutally killed in their home. He's been bouncing between staying at Genevieve's place and his own ever since. Withdrawn, quiet. Barely talks in any of the interviews unless we press him."

Blackwood frowned deeply, leaning forward in his chair. "Yeah. Kid's been through hell. Losing both parents like that, and we know he was close to them. That kind of trauma... it can mess with your mind. We've seen it before. The quiet ones, they're the ones who sometimes break the hardest."

Caldwell nodded, her tone skeptical but considering. "But we haven't seen any real signs that he's capable of violence. Sure, he's shut down, but that's grief. If it is him, he's been flying under the radar, hiding it well. Maybe the murders are his way of getting control back after losing everything."

Blackwood stared at Nicholas's file, a pit forming in his stomach. "It's possible. But the Nicholas I've seen... he's a wreck. If he's doing this, he's hiding it better than anyone I've ever seen. But the bracelet at the scene—it could've been planted. Someone could be framing him."

Caldwell raised an eyebrow. "Who would go out of their way to frame Nicholas? None of the others have any real beef with him."

"Unless the killer's someone who wants to divert attention," Blackwood murmured, picking up the next file—Isabella's. "Let's move on. What about Isabella?"