The cold night air brushed against Mark's face as he stepped out of the police station.
After leaving the mysterious phone with Jamy in the Cyber Department, he couldn't shake the feeling that something about the case was wrong.
Sammy's murder.
No signs of forced entry.
No signs that she had fought back.
And the man dressed entirely in black, silently watching Jack before disappearing into the crowd.
None of it made sense.
Mark unlocked his car and sat behind the wheel.
Just as he reached for the ignition, an uneasy feeling crept over him.
Someone was watching him.
His eyes instinctively scanned the surroundings.
Across the street...
On the rooftop of a building overlooking the police station...
A shadowy figure stood perfectly still.
Mark frowned.
For a brief second, their eyes seemed to meet.
He quickly stepped out of the car and looked up again.
Nothing.
The rooftop was empty.
Only the cold wind swept across the building.
"...I'm more tired than I thought," Mark murmured before getting back into his car.
He started the engine and drove away.
---
Halfway home, Mark's phone rang.
**Hans**
Mark answered immediately.
"Hello."
"Yeah," Hans replied.
"Did the forensic report come in?"
"It just did."
"What does it say?"
Hans took a deep breath.
"About that... we found something unusual."
"What?"
"The victim was poisoned before all the... beating happened."
Mark tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"...Poisoned?"
"Yeah."
"The poison had already weakened her before someone brutally beat her."
A heavy silence filled the call.
"We need to find out what really happened to her," Mark said.
"And who the hell is behind all this."
"I'll send you the complete report."
"Good."
"I'll go through it once I get home."
"Alright."
"Good night."
"Night."
The call disconnected.
---
Only a few minutes later...
Mark's phone rang again.
The caller ID displayed:
**Jack**
Sammy's father.
Mark answered.
"Hello."
A trembling voice spoke from the other end.
"Am... am I speaking to Detective Mark?"
"Yes, Mr. Jack."
"I'm sorry for calling this late."
"I... I just wanted to ask..."
"When can we take our daughter's body home for the funeral?"
Mark remained silent for a moment.
"I'm truly sorry, sir."
"But according to procedure, we have to keep the body until the post-mortem and evidence collection are complete."
The line fell silent.
Then...
A quiet sob escaped from Jack.
He tried to hold himself together, but his voice broke.
"I understand..."
Another painful pause followed.
"Please..."
"Find whoever did this to my daughter."
"And make sure they pay for what they've done."
Mark closed his eyes.
"...I promise we'll do everything we can."
The call ended.
---
Mark slowly pulled his car to the side of the road.
The city around him was almost silent.
He leaned back in his seat and looked up at the night sky.
A long sigh escaped his lips.
He closed his eyes.
"...Damn it."
"Not again."
For a few seconds, he simply sat there, letting the weight of the case sink in.
Then he restarted the engine and continued home.
---
His apartment was as quiet as ever.
A single bed.
A small table.
A wardrobe.
A tiny kitchen.
It wasn't much.
It looked more like a prison cell that someone had tried to make livable.
Mark tossed his keys onto the table.
Without even changing his clothes, he collapsed onto the bed.
Within moments...
Sleep claimed him.
---
**Ring... Ring... Ring...**
Mark groaned and reached for his phone.
"...Who the hell is calling this early?"
He answered without opening his eyes.
"Hello?"
"MARK!"
It was Jamy.
"You need to get here."
"Now."
Mark frowned.
"Jamy..."
"Why are you shouting this early in the morning?"
"Just come."
"You need to see this yourself."
The urgency in Jamy's voice instantly woke him.
"Alright."
"I'm on my way."
The call ended.
---
Mark quickly got dressed.
Before leaving, he stopped for a brief moment.
His eyes wandered around the apartment.
The empty walls.
The neatly folded blanket.
The silence.
He locked the door behind him and rushed downstairs.
A few minutes later, his car screeched into the parking lot of the police station.
Without wasting a second, he hurried toward the Cyber Department.
He pushed the door open.
"Jamy!"
"What happened?"
Jamy stood motionless beside his computer.
His usual smile was gone.
Without saying a word...
He pointed at the monitor.
Mark stepped closer.
Only one sentence was displayed on the screen.
""You're late.""
Mark's expression hardened.
"...What does that mean?"
Jamy slowly looked at him.
"I don't know."
Mark frowned.
"I thought you said it'd take you a day to decrypt it."
Jamy swallowed.
His face had gone pale.
"I never got the chance."
Mark turned sharply.
"...What?"
Jamy pointed back at the monitor.
His voice dropped to almost a whisper.
"I didn't unlock the phone."
A long silence filled the room.
"It..."
"...unlocked itself."
Neither of them noticed...
In the reflection of the monitor...
For just a fraction of a second...
A distorted face appeared behind Mark.
And then—
It vanished.