The Janus Project (ONC 2020 - LGBTQ)

15. The Case Progresses

(Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to Nacht_Owl who, though not a writer for the ONC 2020 has read and voted for heaps of my stories!)

If Kai had thought Ash was angry with him before, that was nothing compared to the incandescent fury blazing from him now. Ash leant forward, putting both hands on the table.

"Let me get this clear. You're telling me your employer allowed a convicted murderer to escape into Londa, my city, and nobody thought to inform the police? How long has he been at large, murdering innocent citizens?"

Kai swallowed. It did sound terrible when put like that.

"About a month."

"A month..." Ash spoke softly through gritted teeth. "And how many people has he murdered in that time? Do you even know?"

Kai cleared his throat. "Two. Russell, the man who was with him when he escaped, and... we think, Clive Jenkins, the murder you're investigating."

"And you're only telling me about this now?"

"To be honest-"

"That would be nice," murmured Ash, not quite under his breath.

"To be honest," repeated Kai gamely, "We had every reason to think he was restraining himself, keeping a low profile. Russell's death occurred when he arrived here a month ago, and then... nothing. That is, nothing until the other night, when we think he killed Jenkins."

"Probably thought he was safe to strike again, considering no-one appeared to be looking for him!" growled Ash.

"Possibly," agreed Kai, unable to tell Ash the truth, that the Butcher was culling Prototypes to protect himself; preventing their Earth counterparts from coming to hunt for him in Gaia.

"That's the thing about serial killers," commented Ash drily, "you think they've finished... until they start again!"

Kai was silent. Ash was right.

Ash rolled his shoulders and took a deep breath, making a deliberate attempt to throw off some anger.

"Well, I suppose it wasn't entirely your fault, if you were obeying orders, but I would have thought..." He broke off.

"Nevermind. Now that you've decided to fill me in, what else can you tell me about our murderer? Do you have a name, a description?"

"We have a name, Lee Fuller, but we don't think it's the one he's using now. Does that match any of your suspects?"

Ash shook his head, and Kai continued. "He's just above average height, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. A fairly stocky build."

Kai saw Ash wince at the description, it was hardly distinctive.

"I'll see if I can get a photo for you," offered Kai, thinking of the mug shot from the prison. It hadn't taken Director Yuen very long to track backwards and discover the name of the missing prisoner. Kai could go back to the Janus Centre and get a copy of his photo from the file.

"A 'photo'?" asked Ash, frowning.

Kai realised he had made a mistake, but he didn't know exactly what. Was it the word he'd used, or... He looked quickly around the room for help and spotted a framed photograph of Ash standing next to an older man, with two well dressed women seated in front. Evidently a family portrait.

He pointed. "Like that. What do you call it?"

"An imagegram?" Ash was looking at him oddly.

"Yes," said Kai, nodding. "I'll ask my employer if one was taken. It's quite possible our man has made some alterations to his appearance since, but that should help."

Kai got to his feet, eager now to do something to help Ash, something that might make him think of Kai more kindly. "I should go."

Ash looked up, startled, but made no move to stop him.

A sudden, inopportune memory of what had happened the last time he had been in Ash's house, caused Kai to flush pink. He didn't think Ash would want him upstairs again.

Now that their relationship had changed, he couldn't just drop around here when he felt like it. He gave a small sigh.

"I'll see you at the station then, shall I, if I can get an imagegram?"

"That would be best," Ash agreed , his voice gruff, looking down at the table.

Kai took a few steps toward the door, then turned around to say, "I'm really sorry about this, Ash. You're right, I should have told you earlier."

Kai left, half hoping Ash would come after him, but he didn't.

~~~

Ash sat at the table staring into space.

Damn, Kai. He had known there was a murderer loose in the city and not told him. Not only that, but he had slept with him. And now, Ash didn't know whether that had been a genuine attraction or some sort of set up, to get access to his investigation.

He shook his head angrily. He had to put their personal relationship aside and focus on the murderer.

He swore softly. He hadn't been thinking straight at all. He should have demanded a copy of Fuller's entire file from Kai's employer, not just a possible imagegram. In fact, he should have demanded complete details of the company Kai worked for, so he could go and interview the person responsible for letting the prisoner escape, himself. What had a private company been doing with a prisoner in the first place? Now that Kai was no longer sitting at his kitchen table, distracting him with his oh so-kissable mouth, all the questions he should have asked were flooding into his mind.