Chapter 26 - A Dirty Apartment

The apartment smelled like nothing.

Not bleach. Not rot. Just… nothing. The kind of neutral, lifeless scent that came from a place that hadn't truly been lived in for a long time.

Emma stepped inside first, scanning the space with sharp eyes. The living room was spotless, pristine furniture, a polished coffee table, cushions perfectly aligned on the couch. A small dining table sat against the wall, completely spotless, not a single speck of dust in sight.

It didn't look like a crime scene.

It barely looked like anyone lived here at all.

Kath stepped in behind her, whistling low. "Well, that's unsettling. This place is cleaner than my entire apartment."

Emma didn't respond immediately. Her gaze swept over the room, calculating. She crouched slightly, running a gloved finger across the dining table's surface. No dust. Recently wiped.

She straightened, adjusting her gloves. "Let's check the other rooms."

Kath nodded and followed as Emma pushed open the bedroom door.

And the second they stepped inside, the illusion shattered.

The air here was different, stale, dusty. The kind of atmosphere that clung to forgotten places.

The bed was unmade, sheets tangled in a careless mess. An old sweatshirt was crumpled on the floor. The nightstand covered in dust, had a faint outline where something used to sit.

Kath clicked her tongue. "Well, that's a hell of a contrast."

Emma moved to the closet, sliding the door open. Inside was a chaotic mess. Clothes piled on the floor, hangers knocked askew. Some shirts still had their price tags on them, never worn.

She turned, scanning the space again.

Everything outside was spotless. Everything inside was neglected.

Emma exhaled.

So the victim only cared about appearances.

She walked to the bathroom, same story.

The sink? Cluttered with used razors and half-empty bottles.

The shower? Water stains. Uncleaned tiles.

But the guest towel? Perfectly folded. Never used.

She nodded to herself. "So, he cleaned only what he thought mattered."

Kath frowned. "That means two things. Either he was depressed, or he was expecting someone important."

Emma didn't answer right away.

Instead, she walked back out.

Emma stepped back into the living room, her gaze drifting toward the kitchen, and that's when she saw it.

Unlike the other hidden areas of the apartment, the kitchen was spotless.

The countertops were wiped down.

The sink was empty.

No dirty dishes left out.

It was too clean.

Kath followed her gaze. That's when she noticed it too.

Two clean plates, neatly placed in the drying rack.

Two glasses.

A takeout bag in the trash, from a high-end restaurant.

Kath let out a low whistle. "Okay, now that's weird. That place is expensive as hell."

Emma arched an eyebrow. "You recognize the restaurant?"

Kath nodded. "Yeah, it's one of those places that charge you twice the price for half the food. I went there once for a case dinner. Guy really splurged if he ordered from them."

Emma exhaled. "Then we need to check something."

Kath was already pulling out her phone. "I'll call the restaurant, see if they can confirm the order."

She stepped away, making the call while Emma stared at the two plates.

She had suspected the victim had a guest.

But if the order was for two full meals… that would be proof.

Kath returned a few minutes later, looking satisfied. "Got it."

Emma crossed her arms. "Tell me."

Kath smirked. "The order was placed at 8:37 PM. Two full meals. beef steak, roasted vegetables, and imported juice. Expensive stuff."

Emma hummed. "Did they say if it was a delivery or pickup?"

"Delivery," Kath confirmed. "They dropped it off at 9 PM."

Emma tilted her head, processing.

9 PM.

Two meals.

A clean kitchen.

A guest that no one saw leave.

Emma looked at Kath. "Alright. Now we know for sure, he wasn't alone that night."

Kath nodded. "So, what's next?"

Emma's expression darkened.

"Simple. We find out who the hell his guest was."

Back at the office, they went through the victim's personal files.

Emma sat at her desk, flipping through a thick notebook they had taken from the apartment. Pages were filled with scribbled names, dates, headlines. At first glance, it looked like a normal journalist's notes.

But something felt off.

Kath leaned over. "Recognize anything?"

Emma frowned. "Not yet."

Then she stopped.

Her eyes flicked to a name. Then another. Then another.

Kath noticed. "What is it?"

Emma's lips pressed into a thin line. "This guy… wasn't an investigative journalist."

Kath frowned. "Then what was he?"

Emma turned the notebook around, tapping one of the pages.

The notes weren't about politics, crime, or deep investigations.

They were about celebrities, executives, and CEOs.

Kath's brows furrowed. "Wait… he was a paparazzi?"

Emma nodded. "Looks like it. But…"

Her fingers flipped to the last few pages.

And her stomach tightened.

The last notes were not about celebrities.

They were about corporations.

Kath leaned closer. "Why the hell would a paparazzi be investigating corporate corruption?"

Emma's fingers drummed against the desk.

"That," she murmured, "is what we need to find out."

Emma sat back in her chair, legs propped up on the desk, flipping through the victim's notebook while Kath typed furiously on her laptop.

"We have a list of names," Kath muttered. "But half of these companies are just… normal. Pharmaceuticals, banking, retail chains. Standard corporate greed, nothing unusual."

Emma ran her fingers along the edge of the notebook. "That's the thing about corruption, it's not flashy. It hides in plain sight."

Kath sighed. "Alright, let's go through them one by one. Maybe something jumps out."

She cleared her throat and read aloud.

** First Company: Callahan Enterprises

Industry: High-end real estate development.

Kath scrolled through the company records. "CEO is Anthony Callahan. Rich asshole. Standard corruption—bribes, evictions, fraud."

Emma shook her head. "That's small-time. He's just another crook in a suit."

"Next?"

** Second Company: Solis Biotech

Industry: Pharmaceutical research.

"Big pharma," Kath muttered. "CEO is Janet Solis. They were involved in a price-fixing scandal a few years back. But nothing too shocking."

Emma arched an eyebrow. "Any ties to politics?"

"Some, but minor. They donate to both parties evenly. Smart move, keeps them untouchable."

Emma clicked her tongue. "Not our guy. Keep going."

** Third Company: NX Dynamics

Industry: Military tech and weapons manufacturing.

Kath frowned. "Okay, now this one's interesting."

Emma leaned forward. "Why?"

"NX Dynamics supplies surveillance equipment to government agencies. They've been sued multiple times for illegal data collection. Some people think they help politicians spy on rivals."

Emma smirked. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"But here's the thing, our victim wasn't a political journalist. He was a paparazzi. He followed celebrities, rich socialites, executives. Why would he care about government surveillance?"

Emma exhaled. "Good point. Move on."

** Fourth Company: Kang Industries

Industry: Imports, exports, investments, and… whatever keeps them rich.

Kath's voice slowed. "...Now this one's weird."

Emma immediately perked up. "Talk to me."

"CEO is Kang Joon-suk. Businessman. Investor. And deep in the pockets of half the politicians in this city."

Emma's eyes narrowed. "Define 'deep.'"

"Kang donates millions to political campaigns. In return, he gets tax breaks, deregulation, and government contracts. The guy is basically untouchable."

Emma frowned. "That's not unusual, though. Corporations buy politicians all the time."

"Yeah, but listen to this, Kang funds shady political groups, lobbies for laws that benefit no one but himself, and…" Kath's fingers stilled on the keyboard.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "And what?"

Kath's voice lowered. "...And every journalist who tried exposing him either vanished or ruined their careers."

Emma's breath slowed.

That was it.

That was the connection.

Her father, Daniel Lane, had his career erased. This paparazzi had his life erased.

Both were digging into something.

Something that led back to Kang.

Emma sat up straight. "What exactly does Kang Industries do?"

"Technically?" Kath scoffed. "Imports. Exports. Trade deals. Investment portfolios. A lot of vague words that mean 'making money by any means necessary.' The guy has hundreds of shell companies moving money in circles. No one knows exactly what he does."

Emma nodded slowly. "...That's because he's hiding something."

Kath exhaled. "So what now?"

Emma leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers against the armrest.

"If our victim was looking into Kang… that means Kang is our next lead."

Kath sighed. "This is gonna get messy, isn't it?"

Emma smirked. "Messy is the fun part."

Emma flipped back through the victim's notes, scanning the last few pages again.

Her eyes landed on one particular line.

A scribbled sentence.

"It's all connected. Lane was right."

Emma's stomach clenched.

Her father's name.

Written in the notes of a dead paparazzi.

She inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay calm.

Kath noticed the change in her expression. "...Emma?"

Emma slowly closed the notebook.

"We're not just looking into Kang," she murmured.

Kath frowned. "What do you mean?"

Emma looked at her.

"This case isn't about a dead man. It's about a cover-up"

She exhaled.

"This is about finishing what my father started."

Kath placed a comfortinghand on Emma's shoulder, hoping that'd would somehow make her feel better, and a way to tell her she's not alone.