The Missing Link

009. The Fourth

The pair dashed toward the nearby street, their eyes locking onto the police cars halted alongside an ambulance, lights flashing in the dusk.

A thick crowd had already gathered, eyes wide with shock as they stared up at a twisted form sprawled beneath the towering flat block. "Step back, please!" a police officer called, sweeping his arm to push the onlookers away.

The two pushed through the throng gathered before the crime scene tape could even be strung up. Their breath hitched as they caught sight of the man sprawled on the pavement, blood pooling beneath his head and chest, the crimson stark against the concrete.

Zane's voice broke through a murmur of the crowd. “What the heck!” he gasped, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Raine!” DI Ferrer called, spotting her the moment she appeared on the scene.

“A man?” she murmured under her breath, her gaze narrowing. “And the pattern… what on earth—”

At a distance, DS Garcia was questioning the flat owner, her sleek black hair swept back in a single ponytail. “You saw him acting suspiciously on the security cameras, and that’s why you followed him?” she asked, her tone sharp yet controlled, eyes scanning the man’s expression for the slightest flicker of truth.

“I did, and when I reached his flat, I saw a shadow standing on his balcony—then it pushed him over the railings. He plummeted straight down from the fourth floor,” the man stammered, a warm orange blanket draped over his shoulders to ease his shock.

“Did you actually see that shadow?” DS Cruz pressed.

“I didn’t. It was… the room was too dark,” the owner replied. “When I turned on the lights, the shadow had vanished. I searched every corner of his flat, but there wasn’t a trace of that dark presence. That’s when I realized—it was something supernatural.”

“What happened next?” she asked, scribbling quickly in her notebook.

“I called the police and hurried down to see him myself… only to be horrified by all the blood,” the man replied, his voice trembling.

“What time is it?” Raine asked, turning to Zane. He pulled out his phone, glancing at the lock screen.

“Just past seven,” he answered.

“Come on through,” DI Ferrer said, lifting the police tape to allow her entry. “We need your help again. Who knows—might be a promotion in it for you soon.”

“I’m not in this for promotions,” she replied coolly, ducking under the tape. “How about the nurse?” she added, nodding toward Zane without meeting his gaze.

“Him again? It’s illegal,” Ferrer muttered in a low voice. “Besides, there’s a crowd here, likely broadcasting live on their socials.”

“At least give me copies of the photos this time. He could be onto something,” she replied, striding toward the body sprawled on the ground.

Raine approached the forensic van, where the team was busy assembling their gear. “Another one already, I see,” remarked Mr. Mendez, who was fully suited up.

“Your shift doesn’t start again until Monday, didn’t Ma’am Aguilar let you know?” asked Ms. Allie Madrazo, a Forensic Investigator I, as she tugged her suit's hood over her short, dark brown hair.

“I know, Ms. Allie,” Raine replied with a slight smile, “but since I live nearby, thought I’d offer a hand.”

“Here you go,” said Mr. Christopher Joven, a Forensic Investigator II, handing Raine one of the white suits. A bright grin played on his face. “I remember being just as eager when I first started in this line of work.”