Scene of the Crime

As our food was served, we eagerly began to eat, but my attention was drawn to the surroundings of the restaurant. I scanned the room, hoping to spot someone who might have information about the dancers from the previous night. Surely, there must be someone here who knows about those dark blue cloaks. But first I need to go back to the scene of the crime and see if there are any clues. Officer Donnivan said that there were no signs of anyone else being there, but that can't be right. There were at least a dozen people there, not including the so-called murder victim that I never even saw. I need to check out the crime scene before it's disturbed too much.

After we were done eating and stopped by the tourist center, I picked up an event program and a map of the town with cute little drawings of the different shops and tourist attractions. Apparently they even had a waterfall here and a hot spring. I would definitely stop by there at some point. "Before we look through all the fun little shops, I need to go check out something really quick. You get started with your shopping list and I'll catch up."

"Are you sure that's alright? I can come with you if you'd like."

"No, that's alright, you get started and I'll catch up with you in a moment," I said. 

I drove up the hill to the edge of the property I had explored the previous night, parking my car a short distance away behind some dense bushes. I made sure to lock the doors and take the key with me. The woods appeared different in daylight, less foreboding, yet my heart raced with anticipation and anxiety about what I might discover. I worried that someone might see me near the crime scene and misinterpret my presence, but if I were to clear my name, I needed to gather evidence. Crossing my arms, I rubbed my hands against my skin, shivering slightly and regretting not bringing my hat and gloves. I disliked what the hat did to my hair, but my ears and fingers were freezing. As I made my way uphill through the woods, I breathed heavily, carefully navigating around brambles and tree roots.

The thought of setting the forest ablaze began to seem like a tempting solution as I finally reached the clearing I had seen the night before. It was clear where the ceremony had taken place; the markings were still visible, and there were thirteen burn marks on the ground. A large burn mark dominated the center of the circle, featuring a five-pointed star, with twelve smaller burn marks surrounding it. Each of the smaller marks measured three by three feet, while the central one spanned nine by nine feet. Within the five-pointed star, there was a design resembling a three-part maze, with a circle at its center containing a snowflake. The entire area of the star was charred, and the lines drawn in were black as if the ground had been branded. Just two feet outside the circle, a large hole suggested an explosion; the earth was torn apart, the hole ten feet deep, and blasted outward, as if explosives had been buried there. Blood splatters surrounded the circle, adding to the grim scene.

The most disturbing part of this whole scene was that a mere fifteen feet away from this obviously important spot, crime scene tape had been stretched into a square around a patch of what looked like ordinary tall grass, marking it as the crime scene, while the charred circle, smeared with blood splatters, went completely ignored.

I yanked my camera out and snapped shots of the charred circle and the dirt explosion. "I swear, once this is all over, that idiot is getting demoted." Then I turned my lens to the so-called crime scene, which was just some perfectly ordinary tall grass. "If there's any crime happening in that grass, it's probably just a bug squabble, and good luck enforcing that. What a ridiculous situation!" I kept clicking, determined to capture every angle and zoom in on anything that might be worth noting. 

As I was snapping photos, I noticed a footprint cutting through a muddy patch. Among the various prints, one stood out—a long, slender boot mark that looked like a woman's shoe. It had a unique tread featuring stars and a crescent moon, quite eye-catching, yet there was no brand name visible. It seemed worth inquiring about at any local shoe shops; maybe someone there could help identify those boots. I stashed my camera and grabbed a small glass specimen jar, carefully scooping up a bit of the dirt-stained with blood. I planned to hand this blood sample to my friend Dr. Brandon Barclay at his research lab to see what he could decipher from it. Who knows, maybe after we sort out this chaos, I might just let him take me out on that date he's been hinting at.

As I finished capturing the last of my photographs, I made my way down the hill with care, only to be greeted by the sight of a sleek black car parked beside mine. Leaning casually against my vehicle was an incredibly attractive man. Standing at six-foot-four, he was a vision of sculpted muscle, his wide shoulders adorned with a light blue button-down shirt, the top buttons undone, and no tie in sight. He wore black slacks and loafers, forgoing a jacket entirely. His thick dark brown hair was lightly tousled, featuring a subtle wave and a few highlights, while his sun-kissed skin complemented his striking blue-green eyes, reminiscent of Caribbean waters. A touch of shadow accentuated his chiseled jawline, enhancing his charm. His nose was straight and classically Greek, while his lips were well-defined and perfectly shaped, inviting yet not overly full. 

My breath hitched as I gazed at him, a small dimple forming at the edge of his enticing lips. "What brings you to this part of town, ma'am?" he asked, jolting me from my daydream of kissing him and grounding me in reality as he revealed a badge that identified him as Detective Tiberius Silvanus of the MEO division.

"What's MEO?" I said.

"That's classified," he said in a deep and sexy bedroom voice that made my mind want to wander into cosplay scenarios. Alright girl, cool your jets, Megan's probably right, I just need to get laid. 

"As a journalist for an online news outlet, I have been delving into the local scene. Are there any peculiar events or occurrences that have taken place in this area recently?" I said while pulling out my audio recorder. 

"This area is restricted, so I'll pass on any comments."

"I observed the small section that was cordoned off with tape, and I made sure to stay clear of that marked area. Can you provide any insight into why this seemingly ordinary patch of grass was designated as off-limits?"

"A crime has occurred in this vicinity, that's all I can disclose. Get out of this area," he said, striding toward his vehicle.

"Did a crime really happen in that random patch of grass? Are you absolutely certain it wasn't in that unmistakable star, drenched in large splatters of blood?"

He halted abruptly, pivoting on his heel to stride back toward me, invading my personal space. Just inches apart, he leaned in, locking his gaze onto mine, and I could have sworn he deliberately inhaled my scent. "Ms..."

I chose to disregard his request for my name, allowing the remainder of his sentence to dangle in the air uncomfortably, simply because I could.

He cleared his throat, and I allowed a faint smile to grace my lips as I looked up at him, refusing to retreat. My two older brothers had taught me that stepping back was a sign of defeat.

A sly grin crept onto his lips, a tantalizing smirk that spoke of confidence. He leaned in, his face inches from mine, teasingly close as if he were about to steal a kiss. Instead, he lowered his voice, rich and inviting, brushing against my ear with a warm, minty breath. "I'll uncover your secrets, whether you choose to reveal them or not."

"I look forward to it," I said. 

His rich, resonant laughter echoed through the air, sending delightful shivers racing down my spine—a sound so irresistibly masculine it made my toes tingle with excitement. I could easily lose myself in the melody of his laughter for hours.

I cruised back to town in a daze, my mind swirling with thoughts of that sultry voice and those mesmerizing Caribbean blue eyes. Seriously, how can someone possess such stunning blue-green eyes? It's like he hit the jackpot in the eye lottery. Growing up, I always dreamed of having blue or green eyes, but he's got the best of both worlds. I can already picture his eyes haunting me as I attempt to drift off tonight. I really need to get my head in the game; I can't afford to be swooning over a detective, especially one tangled up in this case and clearly hiding something. His striking good looks are almost unbelievable, and it's clear he is fully aware of his own allure. Without a doubt, he seems like a self-absorbed charmer, likely admiring his own reflection countless times each day. I attempted to convince myself to lose interest, but that effort was proving futile.