It was clear now that it was a mafia related thing, but now they had to figure out what Joe knew that got him and his poor girlfriend killed. While the brunet kept looking around in hopes of finding some useful information, Hyukjae took out his phone to call someone. He was out in the entrance so Donghae couldn’t hear the conversation, but he understood he was talking to Kyuhyun. Focusing on the mess around him he continued searching. The mobsters did really a good job in turning this apartment around, making it very hard to find anything useful, even more with Donghae whose thoughts kept wandering.

Last night, when he slept at Eunhyuk’s house, he heard him in his sleep. He was tempted to go over his room to see if he was ok, but he didn’t dare. Especially since what the other told him earlier, that he couldn’t welcome him in his life, yet… That was until he felt him staring at him while sleeping. For some reason Donghae pretended to be sleeping, waiting to see what Eunhyuk would do. But he didn’t do anything. It was somehow wrong. Eunhyuk had a girlfriend and other people really close to him, Donghae felt that he didn’t have a place in his life and that frustrated him, especially since that man mesmerized him in some unexpected ways. He was drawn to him; he felt the need to help him, to be there for him. But he didn’t know how… Eunhyuk was so close, but felt so distant… His thoughts were interrupted when the detective came back in the main room.

“I asked Kyu to look deeper into Joe’s life, even hack the mafia’s network if necessary.”

“You think he’ll find something useful?”

“Let’s hope so.”

Donghae looked around feeling powerless. It’s not like they would find anything in here, if there was the mobsters most likely already took it. Eunhyuk seemed to have thought the same since he went to leave the apartment.

“I’ll call Kangin to he can send the guy to wipe the apartment. In the meantime I think I know who to ask for information.”

“Wait…”

Donghae noticed another picture on the ground but this time it was turned around and in the back, instead of being blank there were small numbers written in dark ink.

“What is it?”

“Can you hand me the picture of Joe and Ga In?”

Eunhyuk did and that was what Donghae thought, there were other numbers here. Over his shoulder the detective also noticed it.

“A code?”

“I don’t know but maybe there are more numbers in other pictures.”

They looked, then, for all the pictures in the house and found a couple of them with other numbers. Eunhyuk took out a pad to write it all down when Donghae threw him a glance.

“You know you don’t need to write it, right? I already memorized it all.”

Eunhyuk let his arms fall and raised his eyes, sighing.

“Right, all the t-shirts that I ever wore since we met.” he said, reminding what the brunet had told him the night before.

Donghae blushed slightly. Of all the examples that could’ve come to mind he didn’t know why he said this one… And most surprising was that Eunhyuk didn’t find it weird or out of place, he took that comment like the most normal thing ever…

“Now we’ll just have to find what those numbers mean. In the meantime let’s go back.”

Without waiting for the brunet he went back to his car, Donghae following him. He used the time they had in the car to reread Henry’s report about the joggers and the boat shop’s owner. Something wasn’t right… if 2 days ago the bodies were dumped into the lake and that, because of the rain it came back to surface a few kilometers from the boat shop, then when did the Checkmate killer had time to take the nails? This question was obsessing him, but he felt that he shouldn’t bother Eunhyuk with it, he was already busy with others aspects of the case.

Back to the precinct, the brunet followed him back at his desk in silence, where Sungmin was sitting at his own desk, in front.

“Hey Blondie, have you seen Hangeng?”

Sungmin frowned.

“Do you have suicide wishes?”

“I need his network.”

“Oh… I heard about the murder case. I’m surprised you’re so calm about it. You know you only got assigned to it so you don’t think about the new Checkmate killer murder right?”

Donghae already thought that Kangin would do something like that. When they had asked for his expertise before, Leeteuk had repeated over and over again that he shouldn’t discuss any of it with Eunhyuk. And now that Sungmin mentioned it, indeed the detective was rather calm about being kept in the dark about that case.

“Do you know where he is?” Eunhyuk asked again, ignoring the comment.

“Already a new partner and no respect for your old one.” Sungmin pouted. “He is at the gym.”

Eunhyuk smirked at his pouting friend then blew him a kiss playfully.

“Thanks blondie.”

Sungmin threw him a very specific finger and they went to the third floor of the precinct where the gym was. Actually Donghae was quite surprised, because he didn’t know they had a gym in their office, he now realized the building was huge. Still following Eunhyuk, they got to the gym that was empty except for a little metallic sound. At the back of the room they found Hangeng exercising on a bike. Donghae had crossed path with him before, but he never really got the chance to look at him properly. The man had a slender silhouette, and his hair usually tied down in a bum, were falling over his shoulder; the color of his hair was quite peculiar, blond with gray highlights, making him look older than he actually was.

“You have a second?”

Hangeng didn’t stop pedaling, and didn’t even turn to them. Donghae knew that Eunhyuk’s relationship with Heechul was quite conflictual, but he didn’t think his partner would follow his lead. He was expecting Eunhyuk to call him again, or get mad at him but he didn’t. Instead he stayed silent and patiently waited until the man was finished. Not knowing what to do, the brunet stayed silent next to him. A few minutes passed, and finally Hangeng seemed to slow down, until he stopped. Then he turned to them.

“What can I do for you?” he asked very calmly.

“I need intel.”

“And I imagine it’s not in my detective function.”

“No indeed.”

Donghae didn’t understand a thing of that conversation but he decided to stay out of it and just observe. Hangeng drank from his water bottle and went to the corner of the room to take a towel and wipe out the sweat on his face.

“Korean, Chinese or Japanese?”

“Korean, from Gangnam. Socheon gang?”

Eunhyuk turned to Donghae for confirmation and the brunet nodded.

“That rings a bell. I’ll see what I can dig.”

Expecting the detective to thank his sunbae, instead he took something out of his pocket and handed it to Hangeng that took it before Donghae could see what it was.

“Payment accepted. Now get out of here before Chullie sees us.”

Turning around, Eunhyuk got out of there. When he was sure they couldn’t be heard, Donghae finally asked.

“What did you give him?”

“Tickets for Lotte’s amusement park.”

Donghae frowned.

“I was supposed to go with Boa, but I’m sure she won’t mind.” Eunhyuk explained.

“I didn’t take Hangeng for an amusement park guy…”

“He isn’t, Heechul is.”

Alright that was a weird information, and the brunet wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask more about it.

“Hum… and why did you ask Hangeng sunbae for help? Does he have special connections or something like that?”

“You don’t need to know.” the detective said.

Donghae stopped on the spot, his words like a slap. Eunhyuk also stopped and turned to him sighing. Maybe he realized that he had been a bit rude.

“Hangeng is half Chinese, and his Chinese side of the family turns out to be from a well-known mafia from China. So he has, let’s say… a good network in the world of mobsters.”

“Was it that hard?”

Eunhyuk frowned.

“Was it hard to tell me that? I mean I have the right to know how you work this case; I’m your partner after all. Seriously, Hyuk, stop treating me like a newbie.”

Then ignoring his shocked face, Donghae went away, returning to the NP. This little moment of rebellion did good to his ego, but now he was regretting a bit to have talked to the detective so familiarly.

When he arrived at the NP, it was empty. It seemed ages that he hadn’t seen his desk, when really it had only been a day. He sat down and let out a deep sigh. He needed vacations.

A few hours later Donghae was almost sleeping on his desk. He didn’t find out about the numbers but he was sure it was a message that Joe left. Suddenly his phone rang; it was a message from Eunhyuk telling him to come up. Shuffling, he went upstairs, dreading to see the detective, after how he acted before. But arriving at Eunhyuk’s desk the man didn’t seem annoyed or even recall the other’s attitude.

“Hangeng found something.”

“That was quick.”

“Apparently the gang is making some noise. According to Hangeng they own some ware