Previously:
"That's why I got the tattoo. I was in a motorcycle accident when I was 19. Wore my helmet, of course, but I broke this arm in 3 places. They ended up putting two steel rods in the bones to help it heal. The rods are still in there and I never liked the scar much, so I decided to cover it up. But I liked the idea of embracing my so-called metal arm, so a tattoo artist buddy helped me design it."
"It's incredible," you breathed in awe.
"It's also why you might've heard Barton call me RoboCop. One in a long line of nicknames I've been given. Most of them coming from Steve."
____
"Steve?" you asked in confusion.
"Yeah. Oh! Sorry, I mean Detective Rogers. My partner. That's who called you this morning. He's been off chasing a lead most of the day so you haven't met him yet."
"I see," you responded, taking a sip of your water.
"He's a punk, but you'll like him," he said with a grin.
"Looking forward to it," you smiled back.
Holding your eye a moment longer, he reluctantly broke contact and pulled the case file toward him.
"Ready to dive back in?" he asked, watching to gauge your reaction.
One more sip of water and you gave him a nod.
"I'm curious, though. What's his M.O.? What makes you think he's serial?" you questioned.
The detective shuffled some papers from inside the file and then selected some photos.
"First of all, he has a type," he said, laying out photos of the four victims, all young, beautiful, and alive at the time. Their looks were startlingly similar. "We spoke to families and neighbors, all 4 girls reported getting the feeling of being watched or seeing the same man from a distance multiple times. He stalked them for weeks, learned the girls' patterns, et cetera."
You looked at each of the poor girls' faces, saddened by young, vibrant lives cut so short. Their families and loved ones would never recover.
"Secondly, the weapon used is consistent. The shape and size of the knife is the same for all four victims. You never mentioned seeing a weapon in his hand, do you recall?"
Furrowing your brow, you searched the memories of that night.
"No...I don't remember seeing one. But he was wearing a hoodie with the large front pocket, do you think he could have stashed it there quickly?"
He paused in consideration, "It's possible...."
Gathering the photos and papers to return them to the folder, he continued, "And lastly, we have DNA evidence. The DNA collected matches all four crime scenes. Problem is, we have nothing to compare it to. Our perp isn't in any database and he never leaves fingerprints, so that doesn't help us."
The man let out an exhausted sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He then laid his palms flat on the table, meeting your eyes with a smile.
"But! We haven't given up hope. With this latest victim, he was a bit more sloppy, so either he's out of practice after being inactive the past 4 years or he's changed his M.O., which is also possible. Ste...sorry, Detective Rogers is following up on a lead. He should be back pretty soon..." he trailed off, checking the time on his phone.
"Well, I'm open to anything I can do to help," you replied, trying to sound optimistic.
"Glad to hear it because you are instrumental in this case. You're our one and only witness. I'm sorry to put that weight on your shoulders, but any observation you have is vital."
Feeling the pressure more than ever, you squared your shoulders and gave him a firm nod.
"Alright. Then lets take a look at your first statement."
The detective went through it with you, pointing out anything that was different from what you had stated earlier in the evening. The details remained pretty much the same, only a few of the times and the wording on your description of the killer were slightly altered. Just as he was closing the case file, there was a knock on the door. The detective rose and walked the few feet to open it.
Standing in the hallway, was a solid wall of muscle in the form of a blond man in an expertly fitted suit. You really needed to get the name of these men's tailor if only just to thank them.
"Ah, right on time. What did you find out?" he asked, widening the door to let the other man in.
The blond began to speak, but hesitated when he spotted you.
Detective Barnes piped in, remembering his manners, "Oh, Detective Steve Rogers, this is Y/N (Y/L/N). Y/N, this is my partner."
The second detective stepped forward, offering his hand, "Ma'am. We spoke on the phone this morning."
You shook it, "Yes, I remember. I apologize for the dropped call, my train arrived and..."
"It's no problem, thank you for coming in," he grinned, his teeth impossibly white and perfect.
Rogers stepped back, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He, too, looked like he had a rough day, seeing his wide, muscular shoulders hunched slightly. His tie was loosened with one button undone on his dress shirt. The Blond's hair was slightly mussed, which you then understood when he ran his fingers through it as a nervous habit.
"Well, we've been able to narrow down our search area somewhat. Mapping out the homes, work places, and other areas in common with the victims, it seems the killer most likely lives within a 12 block radius of the epicenter. Not much, but it's a start," he sighed, then clenching his chiseled jaw.
Barnes nodded, clapping his partner on the shoulder, "We'll get the bastard."
Rogers mustered a smile, "We'll start canvasing the area in the morning with some uniforms, show the sketch around with some possible altered looks of the guy."
At that moment, your phone buzzed audibly, making you grasp for it. You had just missed a call from Wanda, adding to the three missed calls and 7 texts showing in your notifications.
Addressing the detectives, you asked, "Do you mind if I take this? It seems urgent."
The brunet answered, "Not at all. We'll step into the hallway."
The men exited, leaving the door slightly ajar. You quickly swiped to unlock your phone and tapped on Wanda's number. She answered on the first ring.
"Y/N!! Thank heavens! Why haven't you answered your phone? I've been trying for an hour to reach you!"
"Wanda, I'm fine, what's wrong?"
"Have you seen the news?"
"No...what happened?"
"They've been talking about it for hours! Remember that girl you found, the one in the alley years ago? The case has been reopened and they said there's been another murder. They mentioned there's a witness, that's you, right?"
YOU ARE READING
In the Arms of Justice
Fanfiction[Officer Bucky x reader AU] Reader is a witness to a crime, tying her to the investigation as well as the police involved. She never would have guessed how that one night would continue to change her life years later.
