Anti-crime unit (Levi x Hanji) (Modern)

22. The killer

LEVI P.O.V.

When I came back at the police station with Hanji at my side, everyone's eyes laid on me.
Some faces had a shocked expression, others were disappointed, others again were nodding in agreement.
We ignored all of them and led immediately to the science lab.
Inside there was nobody, neither Ymir and that bald guy Connie.
"They had nothing to do today so they took the day off" Hanji explained "but it's better this way, because we have all the lab for us"
Even if I don't know why, this phrase sounded a bit awkward to me.
Stop thinking about dirty things!

The detective reached a little white machine that was on the lab desk. I walked towards her to watch what she was doing.
Hanji put one of the hair I took at Erwin's inside the machine and waited for a bit. Then she took an hair that was inside the little sachets and did the same.
I looked at her, waiting for answers.

After a few minutes, Hanji looked at me.
"I don't know if this thing may make you happy or sad, but... we have found the assassin"

Something inside me started to boil. I didn't know how to feel after that communication.
Erwin... so he really was the assassin...
I couldn't understand.
My friend. My BEST friend. He was a criminal... a real criminal.
He killed a person and tried to rob me...
But now the question was, why?

"Guess we'll find out his reasons by asking him directly" Hanji said, answering at my question like if she had read my mind.
I nodded, but my mind was completely burned.
Even if I wasn't really shocked, because I had my suspects, I would have preferred anyway to not hear those words from the detective. I really wished that I was wrong...
Erwin... why did you do such a thing?

***

When we arrived at Erwin's place, the bar had just opened for the second turn. I waved at Oluo and asked if Erwin was inside his apartment.
"Oh, I think so" he answered, while he was serving a young lady that wanted a sandwich.
We thanked him and we went upstairs to talk to him.

I knocked on the door.
I heard Erwin's footsteps walking towards us. The man opened the door.
When I met his gaze, my heart stopped. That eyes... how could that blue and smiling eyes be the ones of a criminal? The eyes of my best friend... the one that never let me go... the one that always supported me... the one that remained near me after Isabel and Farlan's death... the one that offered me a job...
I couldn't believe that he actually killed someone.

"Hey, Levi! Do you want your apron back? It's not fully dried yet..." he said, smiling.
"Not really..." I answered, looking at Hanji.
Erwin seemed to notice her only in that moment. His smile faded away.
"Detective? How can I help you?" he asked, looking confused at her.
"I just wanted to ask you something, Mr Smith" she said, a serious look on her face.
Erwin remained silent for a moment, looking at her with no expression, like if he was trying to understand what was happening. Then, he smiled.
"No problem. Come inside"

Erwin offered us to seat on his sofa, but we refused. We all remained in the middle of his living room, looking at each other.
Hanji started to talk.
"Mr. Smith, we have some proofs that you might be the assassin of Miss Carolina" she said seriously.
Erwin looked confused at her, then he moved his eyes on me.
"What are you talking about? I never did such a thing" he commented, shaking his head in disagreement.
"Well, we analysed some hair that we found on the body and they correspond to yours" Hanji explained.
"Mine? And how did you take my hair?" Erwin asked, looking angrily at the detective.
"I took them" I said, putting me between the two of them.
Erwin looked at me with disappointment. He suddenly made me ask if I did the right thing...
Hanji took the word.
"Since your hair correspond with the ones found on the victim and also with the ones inside Levi's house, I believe that you owes us some explanations"
Erwin looked furiously and quickly at Hanji, then at me, and then at Hanji again.
"What kind of joke is this?!" he asked, angrily, his breath gettin heavier.
"Yours" Hanji answered, calmly "And now we just want to understand why"
"I'm not gonna answer to your questions! I never did such a thing!" Erwin yelled.
"Erwin..." I started, walking towards him "why were you interested in my mother's ring?"
"I was just trying to help you know the truth" he said, defending himself.
I shook my head. Making him talk seemed impossible.

We remained in silence for a bit, looking at each other.
Then Hanji sighed.
"Listen, Mr. Smith... it's better if you confess the things for yourself, or we're gonna take you to the police station to do a serious examination. All the proofs are against you, so you have nothing else to loose"
Erwin maintained his angry look at Hanji.
"I'm not gonna confess for something that I haven't done!" He yelled.
I noticed that his hands formed two fists.
He was getting angrier... He seemed at the point to attack us.
Hanji remained calm.
"Mr. Smith, here I have the DNA test. There is obviously a correspondence between the hair. Look"
The detective took the hair and the paper with the results of the test and gave them to Erwin. He looked at them, always angrily.

We remained in silence again. Erwin was starting to breath more slowly. Maybe he felt defeated by the detective and he was starting to loose hope of saving himself...
But I was wrong.
A second later, his fist were raised in the air and were pointing at Hanji.
She seemed realize it so she did some steps backwards. But Erwin reached her and grabbed her by the collar of her yellow blouse.
The man raised his fist and he threw it at a full speed towards Hanji. Erwin punched her face, making her fall on her ground with a bloody nose, but she didn't seem too injured.
Before his hand could touch her face again, I stepped between them, pushing Erwin away. Then I started fighting with him, a bit of punches and some karate moves that I remembered from the lessons when I was younger.

I punched him in the face for the fifth time. While I was doing it I was feeling so bad... I was really fighting with my best friend... Again that feeling... that feeling of pain and delusion... that feeling of trust that was fading away... feeling of betrayal...
I wanted to stop. I didn't want to hurt him anymore. I didn't want to see his face all beaten up by me.
All the years we passed together... all the conversations we had... every day of our lives... seemed faded.
I started to cry while punching his face. Erwin... why are you doing this? You're not like this... I know you...

Maybe I got distracted by my thoughts, because I felt his fist against my face, right on my nose. A excruciating pain invaded me. I felt my nose starting to bleed.
Behind me, I heard Hanji screaming. I almost forgot that she was there, even though I had heard her calling someone for the past minutes, while I was punching Erwin.
The man took advantage of my momentary distraction to kick me in he stomach.
I suddenly felt a strange intense pain, like if all my organs were disappeared.
I put my hands on my belly, stepping backwards. While the pain was growing, I started to not feel my legs anymore.
I fell on the ground, my back against the wall.

"LEVI!" Hanji screamed, running towards me and sitting on the floor next to me.
I couldn't see her clearly, my view was blurred, but I looked anyway at the oval that should have been her face.
I felt Hanji's hand on my right cheek, caressing it.
"Levi, I'm gonna call an ambulance" she said, her breathing was heavy.
I tried to focus on the things around me. Particularly Hanji's face.
Instead, I noticed a big figure behing her with blonde hair that was holding a knife.
The figure reached us and raised the knife above Hanji.
I widened my eyes, my heart losing a beat.

"HANJI! WATCH OUT!!" I screamed.
Erwin didn't wait a moment more. He lowered his knife right on Hanji. I tried to move but I couldn't feel any part of my body.
I closed my eyes while she was starting to scream.