Paper Masks | ᴊᴜɴɢᴋᴏᴏᴋ

17 :: berry red

It is Jeon Jungkook's familiar face that greets you the next day at the precinct.

He slides his rolling chair all the way from his table to you as you step into the precinct. You shake your head and turn the chair, holding on the wide seat and pushing him back to his desk. 

"Did you hear the news?" He asks, making an animated sound as he rolls to his desk.

"News?"

"Dr. Ross died in the hospital last night. Apparently, his lungs gave out. No signs of foul play."

"Is this how–" you're in disbelief. "How justice is served?"

"Karma, I guess," Jungkook clicks his tongue. "No suspect means no trial and that would mean that the case is closed."

You lean over his desk, "I'd still like to go to the house and look through some evidence there." 

Jungkook opens his mouth to protest but you shut him up quicker, "Don't stop me. Feel free to tag along though."

"Why?" He whines like a little child.

"Because Dr. Ross, if he is the killer—"

"You're still not convinced!"

"—is one of the smartest and most sophisticated killers we've ever encountered. Any insight into his personality that I can get will provide invaluable information when it comes to updating our profiling techniques."

Jungkook groans, standing up, "God, you sounded so robotic."

"Do you want me to take you up on that offer and join you?" He takes a step forward in the direction of the door. You look at him from being and you throw your hands up in the air, hoping he doesn't see you. 

He does. Jungkook turns around, amused, his hands folding against his chest as he looks at you with raised eyebrows, donning a questioning look.

"I thought you hated profiling. Shouldn't you be — I don't know — hitting the streets?"

"I do hate profiling," he smiles. "But I like spending time with you."

Heart flutters. Blood rushes to your face. Blood vessels constrict and you gape at him in surprise. 

You ignore him, "We just have a day, remember and there's a huge clutter down there to go through." 

"Are you telling me to stay out of your way?"

You push the main door of the precinct and walk out. You look at Jungkook, warning him with your gaze, "All I'm trying to tell you is that you should stay focused and try to search for anything particularly revealing."

"So, technically, to stay out of your way."

"See," you smile teasingly at him. "We really are starting to work like a team."

A little while later, you and Jungkook arrive at the house in Pacific Heights. It is now roped off by police tapes and people, presumably the neighbours, gather around gawking at the place.

"Are they all here to see his works or what even?"

"Hey," you frown. "They're civilians. Wait, is that who I think it is?" You spot Lance Getter amidst the crowd. Jungkook groans in dismay as you walk towards the man. 

"Dearie!" He screams about to hug you but Jungkook stands in between shoving Lance slightly and you find it amusing.

"My son—"

"God, shut up." Jungkook touches his forehead. "You give me a headache."

Lance looks offended and turns his attention to you, ignoring Jungkook, "Can I please go in? I think I can help you."

"That's not allowed, Lance," you smile. "But if we do need your help, we'll be sure to contact you." You wave him off and Jungkook rolls his eyes, mumbling, "I hate that man."

You and Jungkook walk into the room, pulling up the police tapes and entering the house, descending directly to the Maskmaker's lair. A few lights have been hung over the room to brighten the place but it is still as you remember. Dark, eerie and disordered. 

Taehyung is there, carefully shining a backlight over a stain on the floor. He sees you and nods, "Special Agent Y/L/N. Detective Jeon. It's good to see you."

"What's the set up here, Taehyung?"

"So the basement is divided into two big rooms. One looks like Dr. Ross used for storage. He has his pictures and all that here," he gestures around here. "And the other room, down the hall, has his equipment and medical instruments. It looks like he uses that for practising his–" he smiles. "–Craft."

If you didn't find Taehyung creepy, you definitely found him so now.

"Feel free to look around," he gestures around before walking away, "Just be careful while handling the evidence."

You look at Jungkook, "Have we confirmed if Ross owns the building?"

He frowns, "He doesn't actually. It's bought by a person called Michael Ressler."

"A pseudonym?"

"Since the only match with that name is an accountant who died in 2000, I guess, yes."

"So he bought the house under a false name and used it solely as storage for his compulsions," you look around the place, eyes darting, "But why buy an expensive house in a posh neighborhood for such fantasies?"

"My best guess is the basement," Jungkook suggests. "You don't find such big basements around in San Francisco."

You sigh and walk away, looking around the walls of the room you're standing in. Newspapers are all over the floor and some are taped to the walls. A desk sits at the corner, covered in folders and photographs. Various words are carved into the walls and ceilings. Several masks rest on a shelf. You walk towards the other end, opening the door to the other room. 

The back room of the basement where you had found Dr. Ross, looks like an operating room with tiles for flooring and stark, clean walls with occasional splatter of red blood. A table covered in tools sits in the middle of the room and a wardrobe is by the table. Several dummies lie in another corner. 

You pull open the heavy wardrobe doors. A lab coat is hung up and behind it is a bag of medical supplies. You take the hanger and remove the lab coat from it. You dig into the pockets and find something.

Jungkook walks over towards you. You pull the folded up piece of paper and open it. It's an old photograph. It shows two people standing in a concrete pier at some kind of tourist spot. An older girl and a younger boy. They hold hands. The face scratched out but you notice that the girl has bright red hair.

"A kid and his sister?"

"I think so," you gape at the picture in shock. "Look at what he did to the faces. The boy's face is merely scratched out. A simple X. The usual, simple and controlled Maskmaker behaviour we know. However, the girl's face…"

You feel the depression and the tiny holes at how hard the face is scratched out. "It's brutally scratched out. This is definitely the first thing I've ever seen here that demonstrates passion and emotion. Even if that emotion is hatred."

You look at Jungkook and explain, "Most serial killers have childhood trauma and my best guess is this one's no different."

"So Dr. Ross's sister…"

"That's the thing. Dr. Ross doesn't have a sister. He's an only child."

"Oh, come on," he scowls. "Don't try to convince me otherwise, Y/N. We found the guy with the mask right here."

"I know. I know. But it just doesn't add up, Jungkook. Shouldn't that mean we should look more into it? Isn't that what serving justice is all about?"

Jungkook sighs loudly. He takes the picture from your hand and flips it over only to find an address written in the back.

983 Nero Road, Tiburon.

"I know this place. It's just over the bridge in Marin," Jungkook exclaims and you smile relieved. "Let's get going."