“You understand how it works, right?” Siwon asked Jonghyun as the latter trailed behind him towards the interrogation room.

The younger man rolled his eyes. “Yes, we just went over this five times! And besides, I’ve been in this department for three years. I’m not new to this job anymore. It’s about time I got to do something besides bust down doors and cover you guys!”

Siwon smiled briefly. “Still, I’ll be there too, just in case you need my help. Any questions?”

“Can we start already?” Jonghyun grumbled, pushing past Siwon into the interrogation room, where Tiffany was sitting with her elbows resting on the table. She looked up as the detectives entered and raised an eyebrow.

“Where’s Haruki? I thought she’d be the one questioning me,” she said as Jonghyun seated himself opposite from her.

“She’s got more important investigations to deal with,” Jonghyun replied as he opened a case file and narrowed his eyebrows at her. “Shall we begin?”

Haruki entered Siwon’s office, where Ryeowook was flipping so quickly through a file folder, the pages were practically a blur. “You can read that fast?”

Ryeowook let out a startled yelp and dropped the file. “Sorry,” he mumbled as he quickly scooped it up. “I’m just…frustrated.”

“Me too,” Haruki replied. “We’re no closer to finding Taemin’s killer than we were a week ago.”

“Or G.O.’s,” Ryeowook added, eyes narrowing slightly at Haruki’s dismissive shrug. “Where’s Siwon?”

“He’s supervising Jonghyun’s interrogation of Tiffany,” Haruki replied. “Jonghyun’s never done one before.”

“Shouldn’t Siwon do it? I think she’d be more scared of him. He’s like Batman to Jonghyun’s Robin,” the other detective grinned, before looking serious. “Do you think Tiffany really hit Lu Han?”

“I don’t think about it,” Haruki replied. “So where’s your partner?”

At this, Ryeowook automatically looked guilty. “He’s, uh, he’s…toilet!” he blurted out, quickly glancing to the side.

Haruki said nothing as she shuffled through the pile of folders. “Do you have that list of patients you collected? Can I see it?”

“Sure.” He quickly retracted the piece of paper and handed it to her. “Do you see any connection between these names?”

She skimmed through the list for a moment before frowning. “Do you know if Siwon had a chance to talk to Narsha? The woman posing as Onew’s psychiatrist friend?”

“I don’t think so,” Ryeowook replied. “Why?”

Haruki turned towards the door. “Then I’m late for a therapy session,” she told him. “These patients were all in that trauma group she led.”

“I want a lawyer,” Tiffany repeated stubbornly.

Jonghyun threw a frustrated look at Siwon, who merely blinked back. The younger detective thought for a moment before folding his hands. “Look, Tiffany-”

"Miss Hwang to you,” Tiffany retorted.

“Miss Hwang,” Jonghyun amended. “We have evidence that you were at least in the car, so you might as well-”

“You have a sequin, a fiber from a sweater, and a dark-colored hair that you can’t get DNA from,” Tiffany retorted, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. “You’ve got nothing to hold me here.”

Jonghyun cursed under his breath. Of course the first time he got to interrogate someone, he had to heads with a freaking lawyer. “You sound pretty defensive,” he muttered. “Especially since you claim you’re innocent.”

Tiffany stiffened and he perked up. Apparently, he’d hit on something. “You’re a good lawyer,” he continued. “Analyzing the evidence and twisting it in your favor. You know you can’t defend yourself. Preparing what you’ll tell your lawyer?” She remained silent. “Miss Hwang, if you had nothing to do with this, why would you even need one? We just want to ask a few questions.”

The lawyer stared at him for such a long time, Jonghyun nearly fidgeted, feeling like he was the one being interrogated. Tiffany Hwang wasn’t one of the best prosecution lawyers in the city for nothing. She was practiced in getting people to squirm and had once reduced a witness to tears just by raising her eyebrow. The younger detective kept his hands folded together on top of the table and resisted the urge to blink.

Finally, Tiffany peeled herself off the back of her chair with a sigh and leaned forward. “Fine. I rented that car about a week ago while mine was getting repaired. It started stalling while I was driving it yesterday, so I parked it on the side of the road and called a cab home. I was going to yell at the rental company later today for giving me a crappy car. I was nowhere near the park around noon yesterday.”

“Can I have the address of the rental company?” asked Jonghyun, pushing a pen and a piece of paper towards her. She scribbled it down.

“Do I get my phone call now?” she snapped.

“Sure.” Jonghyun tucked the paper into the file and stood up to leave, nodding to Siwon. As he followed the older man out of the room, he glanced over his shoulder and said, “You know, Tiffany, none of us actually told you what time Lu Han’s accident happened.”

And as Tiffany’s eyes widened in shock, he couldn’t stop the jubilant grin that spread across his face.

Somehow, Haruki once again found herself seated in the circle of girls at Miracle Behavioral Health Center. She’d gone in, fully intending to demand to speak to Narsha in private, and wound up feeling like a jerk when she’d stormed into the room to see the youngest girl from the last session sobbing into Jiyeon’s shoulders.

She’d ended up awkwardly seated next to the girl as she recanted the horrors she suffered at the hands of her own stepfather.

“He would say that, ‘spanking is love and scolding is affection’,” Janey managed between sobs. “And then he would take off his belt and whip my legs until I couldn’t even walk.”

Haruki reached for Janey’s hand without thinking and the younger girl immediately clung to it like a lifeline.

“Sometimes, he would go out and come back drunk and start yelling and swearing at me,” Janey continued, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. Haruki wordlessly handed her a tissue. “One night, he smashed a bottle and used one of the shards to…to…” She swallowed hard as her fingers inched towards the back of her neck.

Haruki’s grip tightened so much that the girl winced. As a police officer, she had seen plenty of horrible crimes, but nothing disgusted her more than parents and stepparents who abused children. Tabula rasa. A clean slate. Children were innocent about the world and it was up to their parents and guardians, the adults they looked up to, to teach them about it.

How were those kids supposed to look at themselves when the people they trusted told them they were worthless? How could they stand tall to face the world when the people who were supposed to love and care for them beat them down every night?

“He…he died in a car accident before…before I came here,” Janey continued. “When I heard he was dead…I was happy. Does that-” she swallowed as she turned her teary face towards Narsha “-does that make me a bad person?”

“No,” Haruki said firmly before Narsha could answer, surprising even herself. “No, it doesn’t. People like him…” She hesitated as she felt everyone’s eyes boring into her. Swallowing hard, she quickly released Janey’s hand and hunched down in her seat, unable to finish what she had begun to say.

People like him deserve to die.

Siwon and Ryeowook exchanged glances as Haruki returned to Siwon’s office, apparently dazed. Occasionally, she would frown slightly and shake her head, as if having an argument with herself.

“Everything alright?” asked Siwon.

“Yeah, fine,” she replied a little too quickly. “I spoke with the girls at Miracle and showed them a picture of our mystery girl.”

“And?” Ryeowook asked hopefully.

“I got the feeling that they know more about her than they’re letting on,” Haruki replied. “Most of them were pretty vague in their responses, saying that a lot of people had come to see them. One said that she remembers the girl, but another one cut in and said that it could be any number of people.”

“That’s not enough to go off of,” Ryeowook sighed. “This is looking like another dead end.”

“Maybe we should consider another angle instead of continuing to pursue this girl,” Siwon replied. “We could try delving into Taemin and G.O.’s backgrounds and seeing if they have anything else in common.”

“If there is a connection at all,” Ryeowook argued. “This whole thing with our faceless girl is looking like a big coincidence.”

“She used my name to rent a motel room,” Haruki snapped.

“But that doesn’t mean there’s a connection to the killings,” Ryeowook shot back. “For all we know, you have a crazed fan or stalker or-” His eyes widened as he quickly covered his mouth upon realizing what he’d said. “I’m sorry.”

Haruki merely shook her head. “It’s fine.” Ryeowook had a point, but she trusted her gut on this one. Instead of arguing further, however, she noticed something else. “Where’s Sungmin? Shouldn’t he be here?”

Ryeowook jumped and glanced guiltily at the door. “He’s…getting coffee!” he blurted out.

Haruki pressed her lips together, but didn’t say any more, picking up a photograph of the girl and turning it over in her fingers. The patients at Miracle hadn’t said much, but Haruki was sure she’d seen Janey’s eyes light up when she saw the picture of the girl in the beanie. “Do you ever think about the people who escape the law?” she asked quietly. “You know, the ones out there who we might never find out about, or the ones who aren’t convicted because of some reason or another.”

“All the time,” Siwon replied and Ryeowook nodded slightly. “But justice changes its shape depending on where you stand. Everyone gets their just dessert, especially in the eyes of God.”

Haruki smile slightly, when her phone buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket. She frowned at the message for a moment before sighing. “Do you two mind if I take off a little early? I’m late for something.”

“No problem,” Siwon replied. “We’ll call you if we learn anything.”

“Thanks,” Haruki called as she raced out the door. She glanced down at the message again and grimaced.

Apparently, she was late for an event at Jessica’s fashion thing. And she was certain Jessica hadn’t mentioned it to her. But she had to get there within the next five minutes, because facing down a murderer armed with a gun was a lot less terrifying than the tantrum Jessica would throw if she didn’t show up.

Four minutes and thirty-seven seconds later, Haruki skidded to a stop in the Mirotic lobby, clutching at the stitch in her side. The receptionist, Changmin, threw her an amused look as she staggered towards the desk. “Hey,” she panted. “Is Jessica-”

“Haruki!” She nearly groaned at the bright, bubbly voice calling her name and plastered on a smile as she turned to face Jessica’s assistant.

“Hey, Sunny.”

The short blonde immediately raced over and linked an arm through the detective’s. “I’m so glad you’re here! Jessica was about to throw a fit when she realized you weren’t here yet.”

“She didn’t tell me about this thing,” Haruki argued.

Sunny smiled. “I’m sure she did, Haruki. She says you’ve just been very distracted lately.”

Curiosity was b in the shorter girl’s eyes, but one frown from the detective and Sunny wisely kept shut. Instead, she began babbling about the party they were hosting tonight- “Sort of a pre-fashion week soiree, you know? So that all the models and their families get a chance to be acquainted with each other. It’s so rare that they’re working together on something instead of competing with each other.”

The elevator doors swung open and Haruki’s eyes widened as they stepped out into a very full hall. Haruki nervously straightened the front of her jacket.

“You might be a bit underdressed,” Sunny commented.

The detective knew Sunny was trying to be tactful, but it only served to make her more self-conscious. Haruki hadn’t seen so many fancy dresses and tuxedos since her high school prom. She hadn’t attended, of course, but she’d seen the pictures from that night. She glanced down at her sneakers, then stared at the stilettos Sunny was wearing, and finally shoved her hands in her pockets with a resigned sigh. Even if she’d had a chance to go home, she wouldn’t have had anything to wear to fit in.

A brief smile crossed her face when she realized that she was worrying about something as frivolous as clothes.

“Finally!” Jessica appeared out of nowhere and looped an arm through hers. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come!”

“You didn’t-”

“Jessica, what are you still doing here?” Haruki recognized Yunho, the photographer she’d met the last time she’d visited Jessica’s work. He nodded at her quickly, looking frazzled, as he began chasing Jessica towards the banquet table in the center of the hall. “I told you we’d be taking group pictures to advertise the event.”

“I need a few minutes to get ready!” Jessica whined.

“Five minutes,” Yunho said firmly. “That’s all. Got it?”

Jessica flashed Haruki an apologetic smile as she scampered off towards the back off the hall and Yunho turned to her, rubbing his temples.

“Tired?” the detective asked.

“You have no idea,” Yunho replied. “It’s hard enough dealing with these divas individually and for some reason, the company thinks it’s a brilliant idea to throw them all together for a big event.” He gave her a sharp look. “Don’t tell anyone I’ve been complaining.”

Haruki suppressed a smile. “Of course I won’t.”

“Anyhow, it’s good to see you again,” Yunho said. “Have you had the chance to meet any of the other models?” Haruki shook her head. “I’ll point them out to you. That’s Sohee, standing next to Jessica. Nicole is talking to Sunny over there…”

Haruki nodded at each name, attempting to match it with its owner and store it in her mind. She always tried to learn as many names as possible whenever she went somewhere- it was much less awkward than having to ask for the name of someone she’d already been introduced to.

Almost all of the models were scrambling around for last minute touch-ups and primping in front of mirrors, except for one girl, who was already standing at the banquet table. She was leaning slightly against it, examining her nails, her legs crossed as she tapped one toe against the ground.

The model cast a disinterested glance around the room and flicked a strand of her short, dark hair back. Even though she had a bored look on her face, she drew every eye around the room towards her like a magnet.

“Who’s that?” she asked Yunho.

“That’s Ga-In.”

“She’s really pretty,” Haruki murmured, feeling even more self-conscious about her outfit which, as she had just discovered, had a hole in one of her pockets.

“She’s pretty, but that’s not what you’re noticing,” Yunho replied. “It’s the way she carries herself. She walks into a room and everyone’s attention turns to her. She’s like one of those women in a 50’s crime movie. What’s the phrase?”

“Femme fatale,” Haruki replied. She thought of the nickname the media had given her- “Fed Fatale”- and smiled ironically. They couldn’t have picked a less-fitting name.

“Sorry I made you stay for that whole boring thing,” Jessica said quietly as she pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders.

“Well, misery loves company,” Haruki replied.

Jessica rolled her eyes. “That’s not why I asked you to come,” she replied. “I…I’ve never invited my parents to this. I never used to invite Krystal either. All the other girls would have their families with them, with their parents bragging about how great their daughters were- it never used to bother me much. But, I don’t know, hanging out with you has made me soft, I guess.”

Haruki raised an eyebrow, shooting the model an incredulous look. “Excuse me?”

“I’m just saying that you’re the closest thing I have to a family right now,” Jessica snapped. “And, well, I guess that made me feel better.”

Haruki smiled. This time, it was her turn to link her arm through the model’s.

The two of them were so similar in all the wrong ways. Haruki had never considered herself lonely- how could she be, when her work revolved around working with, questioning, and understanding people? She kept her distance from her colleagues- she considered them acquaintances and sometimes referred to them as her friends, but her relationship with them rarely extended beyond work. Even Sungmin, who she’d considered her best friend, had never talked to her about anything that wasn’t related to a case.

And her parents…she didn’t think about them, much.

It was only after meeting Jessica that she realized how much she’d needed someone she could vent about her day to, who knew what to do when everything seemed to be going wrong.

“I’m hungry,” Jessica complained suddenly. “That crummy food they had at the dinner wasn’t nearly enough. I mean, each dish was the size of my thumb!”

The detective laughed. “But what about your diet?”

Jessica waved a hand. “Please, like I’m going to gain a dress size in one night. Come on, let’s get some real food.”

They headed towards a small café that Haruki had only been to once before, but she knew was one of Jessica’s favorite places. As they walked towards the door, however, Haruki stopped and pulled away from the model, staring over her shoulder.

“What is it?” asked Jessica.

“I thought I saw something,” Haruki replied. Her hand went to the gun hidden in her pocket as Jessica shivered and took a step backwards. The detective slowly approached the edge of the building and peered around the corner.

There, lying face down in the shadows where he likely wouldn’t have been found for several hours, was a young man. Cautiously, Haruki knelt and pressed her fingers to his throat. No pulse. She carefully turned the body over as she reached for her phone. Her eyes widened as she peered down at his face, which had been bruised and battered beyond recognition.

He’d been beaten to death. 

A/N: I am SO SORRY for the late update everyone! I have no excuse other than writer's block. I'm really sorry. I've just been in a creative slump lately. Hopefully, I'll shake it off soon. 

Thanks for sticking with me so far!