You are my precious obsession

Chapter 4

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The body has been swept away, the forensic department useless yet again, with no physical evidence or anything as simple as a lead after seventeen damn murders.

Oh, what have you got me into, father?

"Henry, I have got what you asked for again. Even if it seems completely useless to me." Penny rushed to me, forwarding the recording of the interview she had conducted with the victim's friends on my behalf.

"Thanks." I swiftly opened the audiofile, plopping on my headphones. After not getting any physical evidence, this was the best way I could get any leads. To find something common inbetween all the seventeen victims.

I clicked play, listening intently while sitting straight.

Penelope : I need to record this, none of you mind, right?

Voice 1 : O-Ofcourse, ma'am.

Penelope : I'm sorry about your loss. I'm sure both of you'll be missing your friend dearly.

Voice 2 : I really didn't expect this...to happen to him.

Penelope : It's okay. Do any of you have any suspicion on anyone?

Voice 2 : No, he was always nice to everyone...

Voice 1 : I agree, he doesn't make enemies that easily, ma'am. That guy was mostly a pushover, and a very calm person.

Penelope : Alright then. Did any of you notice something off these past few days or month?

(Both of them looked at eachother)

Voice 1 (To the other friend) : Did you?

Voice 2 : He was fired from his work, so, I guess he was just a little depressed about that.

Penelope (scribbling down) : Anything else?

Voice 2 : Other than that, I don't think anything was off. He was just as he always was, the usual.

Voice 1 : We didn't see him at all before, y'know...before he was found in the mall in that state.

The image of the blood filled body flashed in my mind, and...her pitiful white face as she stared at it. Hannah shouldn't have seen that. The murderer is an unhinged psychopath or someone with a weirdly strong grudge.

Voice 2 : T-That murderer's just a sick bastard, t-to do that to him...

I focused back on the audio.

Penelope : (Sigh) Can you tell everything that happened with your friend in these past few weeks?

Voice 2 : Everything?

Penelope : Yes. If you don't mind.

Voice 1 : Well, as he mentioned, Jamy got fired and worked his ass off in part-times. I don't remember much except this.

Voice 2 : I do though. (Clears throat) We went to the games together last weekend, he borrowed some money from us, asked a cute girl for her number, and almost got fired from his part-time too.

Voice 1 : That's all. Right?

(He nods)

Voice 1 : That's everything, ma'am.

Penelope : Thanks, but I do have a question. Why didn't you meet eachother before this happened?

Voice 1 : Uhhh...

Voice 2 : I swear we weren't fighting or anything, but, he just suddenly switched us off.

Penelope : Like, ignoring you?

Voice 2 : I guess. We haven't met at all a few days before this happened.

Voice 1 : He just ignored everyone's calls, even his family, and disappeared...

Penelope : He went missing. And none of you thought of reporting it to the police? (Fake cough) Excuse me for my language.

Voice 2 : I did think about it.

Voice 1 : But, he was an adult. So, we just thought he was starting a new life or something.

Penelope : I see. And-

I clicked pause, grunting. There was nothing useful again. Except the fact that I got to know that the victim was missing for a few days before he was found in the mall, dead.

"I told you it was pointless." Penny shot a look at me.

"Shush, just an assistant." I said with mock authority.

"Don't you dare shush me, idiot." She shot back with her usual playfulness, then followed with a little hard smile. "This case surely is one of the hardest I have been put upon."

I reclined back on my seat, rubbing my temples, that light moment overshadowed by something I had to solve which was harder than a trigonometry math problem. "Why did father even give me this case as my first?"

"Cause uncle trusts his favourite niece." she shrugs confidently.

"Yeah right. You." I air quoted with a laugh.

"Is there any doubt in that?" She said dramatically with her chin held high. After a brief moment of silence, we both burst out laughing.

I choked on my last laugh and halted. This is clearly why you should never be paired with your best friend who's also your cousin, in a serious murder case. You always end up laughing and forget that this is serious.

"Wanna do a do-over hangout?" She asked a completely out of topic question, her voice squeaky again.

"A what now?" I blinked.

"The last time we three hung out, this happened. I WANT A DO-OVER!" She exclaimed with her high pitch voice.

"Calm down first," I urged her, we were still in my office. People would definitely think we're playing around, which we totally weren't doing...maybe just a little bit. "After Hannah's shift is completed. Deal?"

She nodded vigorously and smiled like there was no tomorrow. This idiotic cousin of mine was surely my favourite cousin out of all the others.

That aside, on a serious note, I don't think I can solve this case at all. Seventeen murders, not even a single lead yet, nor even a clue on the murderer's motive. It's impossible.

Oh what was I going to do...I had to solve this somehow.

The only thing I could think of was to re-hear all the seventeen recordings submitted by Penny. It was all of the victim's close friends interviews as the family were too emotional to talk. But, it was something, and something's better than nothing.

"Don't tell me you are going to-" she started.

"Yes, I'm pulling an all nighter." I interrupted her. "And yes, I'm indeed going to be listening to the 'useless' recordings in hope to find a lead."

She stared at me for a moment, almost like wondering how I guessed exactly what she was about to say, but, let's just say I'm a professional in being a bestfriend just as I am in being a detective.

"Do whatever, idiot. I'll try in my way." She gave up. "Good luck."

So, I played all the seventeen recordings all night long in hopes to find something useful while sacrificing my sleep. There has to be something they all had in common. Something.

I will find that something at all cost.

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