The depth of short stories and micro-fiction 2

Swipe to Kill: A Deadly Connection

Detective Sophie sat at her desk, sipping her lukewarm coffee, as she stared at the stack of files in front of her. She and her partner, Loki, had been working on the Chloe murder case for weeks now, and they were no closer to catching the killer. The victim, Chloe, was a 24-year-old girl who had been murdered in her apartment, with no signs of forced entry or struggle. The only clue was a cryptic message on her phone, sent from a Tinder match, that read "You're mine now."

Sophie's eyes scanned the files, her mind racing with theories and suspects. She and Loki had interviewed dozens of people, from Chloe's friends and family to her Tinder matches, but no one seemed to have any information about the killer. It was as if the murderer had vanished into thin air.

Just then, Loki walked into the room, a look of determination on his face. "I think I found something," he said, holding up his phone. "I've been going through Chloe's Tinder matches, and I found a profile that matches the description of the killer."

Sophie's eyes lit up with excitement. "What's the profile name?" she asked, her pen poised over her notebook.

"It's 'Natasha'," Loki replied. "And get this, she's been active on the app for months, but she only started talking to Chloe a week before the murder."

Sophie's mind was racing. This could be their break in the case. "Let's get a warrant to search Natasha's phone records and online activity," she said, already dialling the DA's office.

As they waited for the warrant to come through, Sophie and Loki started digging deeper into Natasha's background. They discovered that she was a 28-year-old woman with a history of stalking and harassment. She had been arrested multiple times for sending threatening messages to her ex-boyfriends and their new partners.

"This is our girl," Sophie said, her gut telling her that they had finally found the killer.

The warrant came through, and Sophie and Loki were able to obtain Natasha's phone records and online activity. They spent hours poring over the data, looking for any evidence that linked her to the crime.

And then, they found it. A message sent from Natasha's phone to Chloe's, just hours before the murder. "I'll never let you go," it read.

Sophie's heart sank. This was it. They had their killer.

They brought Natasha in for questioning, and at first, she denied any involvement in the crime. But as Sophie and Loki pressed her for answers, she began to crack. She confessed to the murder, telling them that she had been obsessed with Chloe from the moment she saw her on Tinder.

"I just wanted her to love me," Natasha said, tears streaming down her face. "But she didn't want me. She wanted to leave me, just like all the others."

Sophie and Loki exchanged a look. This was a classic case of jealousy and obsession, fuelled by the anonymity of online dating.

As they booked Natasha for the crime, Sophie couldn't help but think about the dangers of online dating. How easy it was for predators like Natasha to hide behind a screen and manipulate their victims.

But she also knew that this case was a reminder of the importance of their work. They had brought justice to Chloe and her family, and they would continue to work tirelessly to keep their community safe.

As they left the station, Sophie turned to Loki and smiled. "Good job, partner," she said. "We make a good team."

Loki grinned back. "We sure do, Sophie. Let's do it again sometime."

And with that, they walked off into the sunset, ready to take on their next case.