Aiden Carrigan (1)

"I find it hard to believe," Kael added blankly, looking at the grinning detective.

"Hehe, you don't say." Dave knew Kale would never take it as a coincidence. "And you're right, this is no coincidence."

Kael didn't even bother to look at the young detective as he explained himself. He focused on his meal while Dave went on.

"Our surveillance system picked you staring at the building a little too long. Also, given that I gave your name to the surveillance team, I was immediately informed when you were spotted."

The young detective looked at the food Kael was eating, then at Kael, who stared back, and then at his meal.

"No." 

"But I didn't even say anything…" Dave chuckled at Kael's blatant refusal. "Hah… The least you could do is invite me."

"Sorry, kid. Not today." 

Kael wasn't having it. The kid was already an accomplished detective. Surely he could afford something as simple as what he was having. 

The explanation Dave gave, though, made him think a little. 'Just my name is enough to put together a profile of me. Also, …''

Kael looked at the kid, who continued to grin at him, occasionally looking at his meal and then out the window.

'He's a lively one…' This was a side he was seeing today. 'His life must be free of most worries. He probably grew up in a sheltered household.'

"So, what brings you here?" Kael asked after several moments of silence. "I was already planning to visit your workplace."

"Mm, I figured." Dave nodded in reply. "However, my coming out now is not just to come see you. Your presence already confirms your decision to join in on the action."

Dave sat back in his booth, his gaze shifting to the passing pedestrians. His jovial expression was no more, replaced with a stern one.

"I was on my way to one of the scenes when I received the message." Dave looked back at Kael, who nodded thoughtfully. "We could go there together. Seeing the scene ourselves should give us some perspective."

Kael saw no problem with the arrangement. He did, however, have a concern. "Are you the only one going?"

He looked out the window but saw nothing that suggested Dave was moving with a team.

"Ah, yes." Dave nodded. "I like working alone. My team is usually at the location before I get there, or is working with the boring stuff."

Kael raised an eyebrow at Dave's response. Seemingly understanding his gaze, the young detective replied. 

"You're different, Mr. Neren." He flashed a cheeky grin. "You're my mentor, and moving together would definitely rub some of your genius on me."

"..." 

Kael was taken aback, not by the genius part, but by the rubbing of his genius. 'Jovial indeed…'

"Fine…" 

Kael finally replied, finishing the remnants of his meal. He might not look it, but he was actually getting hyped. It's been a while since he used his investigating instincts.

'Why did I stop, though?' Kale realised this had never occurred to him. After a bit of thought, he got his answer. 'The cases were getting boring and uninteresting.'

Naturally, there was the money as well, but it was mostly because investigations no longer felt as thrilling as they did when he first began.

After paying for his meal, Kael and Dave made their way outside the diner, one man wearing a blue-black trench coat and the other a brown leather jacket.

Their height, confident composure and gait drew the attention of the people inside the diner, as they wondered who these two men were. 

Outside, Kael glanced at Dave, his questioning gaze making Dave smile once again. "That's my car."

The young detective pointed across the street, where a sleek, black saloon car, which looked more like a sports car, was parked. 

"What?" Dave noticed the look Kael gave him once he shifted his eyes from the vehicle. "I like style, okay? Also, it's more spacious than you think."

The young detective shrugged and didn't wait around, crossing the road towards his car. He swiftly got in and lowered the window, gesturing to Kael to come over.

'Hah… Let's hope this case is interesting enough.' Kael silently mused as he made his way over to the car. The earlier look he directed at the young detective was just as Dave guessed: legroom.

***

"I see…" Kael muttered to himself, skimming through the files Dave passed to him. "There's almost nothing to work with."

"My thoughts exactly," Dave nodded, glancing at Kael before refocusing on the road. "The conditions surrounding the deaths of the children are very bizarre. It's like…"

"Like some sort of sacrifice." Kael completed the young detective's words, turning over the file for the next page. 

"Well, I was going to say mysticism, but your take sounds more fitting." Dave mused a few seconds more, nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah… It's more like sacrifices."

Dave smiled and then looked at Kael, "You see? This is why I wanted to work with you. Your wisdom is already rubbing off on me."

Kael ignored Dave's words, immersing more of his attention in the descriptions and photos of the deceased kids. Dave was driving them towards the home of their first target — Aiden Carrigan.

'How the body was found isn't even the strange part.' Kael thought with furrowed brows, trying to make sense of what wasn't making sense. 'Yet in all that, not a trace of evidence could be found. Forensics came up with nothing. This makes no sense.'

While family involvement could not be ruled out, the kid was found half an hour later after his demise. There was no one at home, so the family could not be placed at the scene of the crime. 

Naturally, they weren't entirely exonerated. This was a matter of world security. The government could not afford to go easy when the consequences could be dire.

'And he was just returning from the training facility.' Kael continued to ponder. 'His escorts could not have predicted something like this happening, as there has been no precedent of something like this ever happening.'

The location where the boy lived was not a place just anyone could walk into. It was a gated community with its own security forces and surveillance systems. One couldn't just walk in.

'What motive could someone possibly have to kill thirteen innocent children? Who stands to gain the most from their death?' Kael didn't want to make any hasty theories. He needed some facts to work with.

'Hopefully, we can find something the others missed.'

"We're here."