Policeman and the cat

3 - Rosewater

***

Two days prior to the cat's and policeman's eyes meeting.

***

By then the supernatural experience no longer lingered on Ian's mind.

"Maam, it's not a crime to--" Ian was responding to an upset cat lady about how it was not illegal for others to feed or pet her cats outdoors, but he didn't manage to finish as a scream resounded from above.

"Excuse me," he said as he turned to run upstairs. Flinn too followed, but Ian was way faster.

The lady didn't stop him, it seemed like she too was spooked by the scream.

Ian passed the people who had opened their doors to take a look and headed in the open door of the apartment where the scream had come from. First, he felt a strong scent of roses, then he saw a woman kneeling on the floor with groceries scattered, and then he saw a corpse of a man on a couch. His eyes were bulging and he held on to his own neck. He looked like had drowned in the air--

Ian caught on his own mouth, barely refraining from emptying his stomach right then and there. It was not the first time he saw a corpse, he had seen plenty, but none filled him with an uncomfortable feeling of disgust and dread like this one did. There was something utterly wrong with it at a level he didn't understand and couldn't explain.

It didn't take him long to figure out what he was seeing - a rosewater serial murder case.

Something that popped up from time to time and had activated around recently. This would mark the fourth case in this neighborhood. Still unsolved, no evidence, no connecting lines, all corpses looked like they had drowned on air and smelled like roses but all information on why or what autopsy tells was classified.

Flinn caught up and seeing Ian's expression, he said: "Ian, head down and call reinforcements."

Ian nodded, grateful for the opportunity to leave, and ran downstairs. He called for reinforcements, then emptied his stomach in a trash can. He felt like shit. He stayed near the trash bins for a while longer. Soon ambulance and another patrol car arrived. Ian threw up again and started walking back towards the car. 

By then, a crowd had started to form.

Ian's eyes caught a familiar face, but he couldn't tell where he had seen it before - a frail-looking person with a sort of androgynous beauty. Yet there was something around or near that person that felt just as unsettling as that corpse had been.

The person lifted up his phone and Ian felt like asking to not take pictures, so he stepped closer, against his own lingering fear, but before Ian could speak up, the phone lowered without a single picture taken and the guy said something. Ian didn't hear the first words, but the following were -

"self-taught... this might be the fourth or fifth victim, though."

Like any regular policeman he had a camera and a recorder installed on his clothes and it was just barely sensitive enough to catch what the guy said, he didn't have a feminine voice and clothes too had a male cut. That voice too felt somewhat familiar.

"No, I just happen to know this particular one pretty well," the guy said almost as if conversing with someone, but Ian didn't see anyone near him.

'Know this particular one pretty well'... the guy wouldn't be talking about the murderer? Ian felt a strange chill.

"This will stay an unsolved case. I mean, to normies the only clues are the rose scent in the room and corpses that seem like they have been drowned with no water nearby." After saying that, the guy turned to leave.

Ian stayed frozen in place watching the guy's back, the ominous aura passed, then it hit him - it was the guy from the haunted apartment! He no longer had circles under his eyes and he was dressed neatly, but coupled with that ominous feeling... there was no doubt!

Ian ran towards the car and played the recording to Flinn who had just returned as well.

Flinn looked worried. "Ian, you better stay away from the guy. Haunted apartment or not, it's not our role to poke our noses with these cases, but it's good you got something like that." He started the car and drove over to the headquarters.

While on the way, Ian replayed the bit again, feeling like just in case he should make a copy and recorded it on his phone as well. Not something allowed, but it was just that precious of an evidence.

After arriving and reporting that they got some info on rosewater case, they were asked to wait up a bit.

Soon enough a charming man in mid-thirties stepped by, someone Ian saw around often and couldn't help his eyes from following - leaf green eyes and slightly curly honey blonde hair, a bit warmer in shade than Ian's. 

"Kenneth Woodpecker," he introduced himself with a charming smile. "I'm in charge of the Rosewater murders," he stated what Ian already knew. He was someone Ian couldn't help but keep watching as he passed by their department - there was something in his gait that told of immense strength - Ian wanted to spar with him. If only he ever stepped by the common sparring rooms. 

"Ian Spenser," and "Flinn Robinson" the other two introduced themselves as well.

Ian passed over the recording device and curiously enough after replaying just a single sentence, Kenneth made a faint smile and stopped the playback.

"Thank you, I know the person who said this. It's nothing to worry about," Kenneth said.

Know? Ian couldn't quite gather his words. But he didn't know what to ask either... or if he had the right to... and before he could gather his thoughts, Flinn got up.

"Thank you," Flinn said, looking over at Ian then as if to ask 'what's up?'

Ian got up as well. "Thank you," he said as well and so Kenneth left before anything became clear. Ian's eyes, again, were trailing after him - really, a pity he never stepped by the common sparring rooms. 

That night Ian could not sleep, he was bothered by it all so much that he felt like he wouldn't be able to sleep for days unless he learned something. He had a day off next, so lacking sleep wasn't that much of a problem by itself, but... he resolved to do the best thing he could to learn at least something.