In The Midnight | ✔ (EDITING)

Chapter 5

Back at the station, the two officers stayed in their office in silence. No one wants to talk, then a knock suddenly came.

"Just checking you guys out, you guys are so quiet. I thought something happened, " the captain joked.

"No sir. We are still alive, " Bernardo tried to smile.

"Don't kill each other. And I hope you're doing great about the case, you can catch that bastard, right? "

"Of course, I will definitely catch that bastard, " Sanchez answered.

"Good. "

The captain bid his goodbyes, and so they are left alone again.

The silence continues.

Bernardo yawned loudly, breaking the silence. "Sorry, " she apologizes, trying to fight sleep.

"You should get some sleep. I figured you didn't get any sleep last night," Sanchez suggested.

"We are not done yet. The only thing we figure out is the victims' places of works are near each other. And we are not even sure if that is their connection, or how it became a connection, " Bernardo said while rubbing her eyes.

"You're right. "

"Sergeant, what do you think about the case? " Bernardo asks.

Sanchez thinks carefully before answering. " Since the victims don't know each other, the killer probably knew them before the murders, and if you are saying that the connection is the vicinity, the killer is probably near that area. "

Bernardo agrees with him.

"Maybe he or she is also working there, something that we can connect to all four victims, " she said.

Sanchez finally acknowledges that maybe his partner is not that bad, that they can really work together, and he hopes that they can stop arguing, provided that she will listen to him.

Bernado on the other hand wanted them to work together, that he can listen to her at the same time she will listen to him. Simple as that, after all, that was partnership is.

"There are no signs of sexual assault, do you think we can eliminate the possibility of an incel or a crazy guy who wanted to get laid? " she asks.

Sanchez nodded. " I think we should do that. "

"It could be a woman, but can she carry them to the river? Or were they carried to the river? " Bernardo started to feel a headache, she rubs her temple.

"Yeah, there are a lot of questions but the thing is, there are a lot of people near the river. That is a famous picnic place, " Sanchez explained.

"Yeah. But there are also lots of drunk people, maybe they just didn't notice. Besides, a lot of people don't care about their surroundings, " Bernardo said. Sanchez looks at her with amusement.

"Wait. Don't argue. I'm just saying, " Bernardo said raising her hands in defense

"I don't have any plan to argue with you, " he said.

"Okay, " Bernardo said smiling.

It's early in the morning the duo decided to come back to the park, much to Sanchez's disappointment, but Bernardo is so persistent that he can not do anything but agree.

The only people in the park are the ones who love to exercise, some people are doing Zumba classes. They watch as they dance to the rhythm.

"They are having fun, Zumba classes are fun, "  Bernardo said.

"We should talk to them. "

Bernardo nodded,  they stop dancing as the duo approaches. Of course, they knew them, they were here last night. They tried to talk to them with no avail. This time they will try again.

"You again, " the Zumba instructor said.

"It is early in the morning, I think it is a good time to talk, right? " Sanchez said.

The instructor sighed in defeat, they went to the coffee shop the second victim owned.

"What do you know about Lala Cruz? " he asked.

"Well, she loves Zumba. That's her hobby, she is always present. You see, there are two Zumba sessions every day, one morning then at night, she didn't attend any of them. Very unusual, that's the only thing she ever does in life after all, " the instructor explained, Bernardo noted.

"What else? Do you know any of her friends? Boyfriend or any enemies? " this time it is Bernardo who asked.

"I only know her friends from Zumba class other than that, I don't know anything. " the instructor answered.

They look at each other, it looks like there is no useful information they can gather.

"Okay thank you, " Bernardo said.

"I thought no one handle this case anymore? To be honest, it is a good thing there is someone who cares about the victims. I thought that they forgot about them, " the instructor smiled weakly, the sadness is evident in her eyes.

After the instructor went back to the park the duo went quiet for a minute, both disappointed at what happened....or the lack of happening, as Bernardo would describe.

They look at each other when a man enters the coffee shop and the employees greeted him.

"Is that the husband? " whispered Bernardo.

"Let's find out, " Sanchez said.

Yesterday they did find out that the husband sold the coffee shop after his wife's death. All of the employees in the coffee shop are new, only a few employees remember the previous owner, mostly because it's in the news.

The new owner said that the husband might come tomorrow to sign something, that is the reason why Bernardo is so eager to go back.

Despite knowing that, Sanchez is reluctant to go back. But he eventually agrees. Bernardo didn't stand, she just observe his superior talking to the man.

The man looks uncomfortable at the same time he has looks of resentment. Bernardo understands that because until this they the victims never receive justice. Justice that they deserve.

She can't help but feel bad, they don't deserve to die like that. She wanted to solve the case immediately, she wanted to give them justice.

How? Is the only question, she is not sure how.

And by the looks of her sergeant coming her way, with his look of disappointment, he doesn't have a clue either.

END OF CHAPTER 5