Ohm's damp hair was sticking to his forehead just like the sheets were covered with his sweat. He tried to get up, but some sort of dizziness took over his senses and his head hit the mattress again. After forcing the air coming in and out his lungs a few times, he could regain a bit of his senses and figured out what was happening to him: it was another nightmare.
Since the first time Shadow appeared in his life, Ohm couldn't get a good night of sleep and this was starting to show. His colleagues at the Station and his personal friends like Boun and Kao had told him he looked like shit lately and even though he dismissed their worries and pretended to be a bit offended by their comments, he knew that was true. He felt like shit too.
After calming himself down, Ohm got up from the bed and went straight to the kitchen. He heated up a bit of coffee that was still on the coffee machine god knows since when and poured the brown beverage into his favorite cup. For a few seconds the color made him recall that someone's big brown eyes staring at him, but he was too tired to even think about that topic at that hour of the morning. 4 am is technically morning, after all.
After making himself comfortable in the long chaise he set in front of the living room's window, Ohm sipped his coffee and a grimace spread across his face: that also tasted like shit. He let out a heavy sigh and a bird that decided to land on the outside of his window captured his attention. The little creature was dark gray with some white and black feathers, just like humans. Everyone is gray, not too good and not too bad, living between the two opposites and trying to do their best.
"What kind of bullshit is this?", he asked himself and then decided to check his phone. "Oh, it's that day of the year again. Happy death anniversary, papa!", he raised his cup to the ceiling like someone could join his morbid toast.
Even if his mind was too troubled dealing with his job's perks, his body was still capable of making him feel the pain. His father died at a young age, he was only 61, but the way he did was something Ohm could never get over.
The man was a responsible husband and father, but one day he came home after his fishing trip looking catatonic. In a few words, the ones him and his mother could manage out of the old man's mouth, were about a fish he couldn't catch. The days after this were a nightmare. His father didn't eat, drink, sleep or talk to anyone. He just sat on the sofa and kept muttering to himself about the damn fish.
They tried to take him to see doctors and treat whatever he was feeling, but it was all in vain. They didn't have much money and wasted it all in pills the man refused to take and only a few days later they woke up to find him hung in the ceiling.
The memory made Ohm shiver and he decided to wear a sweatshirt.
After warming up a bit, Ohm got back to thinking about his father's fate. His biggest fear in life was to become like him. When he was little, his father served as an inspiration, but after the fish incident, was not possible to see him like that anymore. The doctors said his problem was genetic and Ohm feared to be fated to the same thing. Shadow for sure started to look like the damn fish by now: mysterious, intangible.
The phone started to ring snapping Ohm out of his thoughts and he frowned at the screen. "What happened, Boun? It's my day off and you know that!", he answered not feeling very nice to be disturbed by his friend.
"Hey, asshole! What about coming to the gym instead of locking himself inside your filthy apartment?", Boun suggested and as Ohm took too long to answer, he added softly "It will be good for you to put something inside your brain today... Exercises are a welcomed noise in these cases, bro."
Ohm should know his best friend would recall what day it was. It was both a curse and a blessing.
"I'll be there in 30 minutes.", Ohm said before disconnecting.
********
Ohm and Boun were leaving the treadmill after running 5 Km when the latter nudged the first in the ribs, pointing with his nose to a certain place not far from where they were.
It was Fluke. He was apparently stretching, but the personal trainer was too close to him, his crotch dangerously close to the round butt. If Ohm was the one to be fair, he would say the professional was just being cautious, but as he wasn't, he let out his jealousy take over him and averted his eyes to avoid facing the scene.
"Let's go!", Ohm crossed the path, heading to the locker room. "I've seen enough!"
The action almost got a laugh out of Boun, but the stern look on his friend's face made him wisely bite back the smart comment he was about to make.
When they got to the shower, a public area every male in the gym had access to just by being a member, Boun decided to wash away his thoughtful manners and got back to the topic.
"Seems like someone is playing hard on you, buddy!"
"This is the problem. He's not playing hard at all, he's obviously easy on me.", Ohm smirked bitterly.
"You should stop overthinking, man. I've told you before: he's clean, a good guy.", Boun pushed him again.
"I don't want problems with Kao or any other of his affairs."
"Ouch!", the word came from behind the place the duo was and they turned to face the man whom they were talking about. "Gentlemen.", Fluke leaned his head greeting them and dived under the shower stall next to them.
"Hey, Fluke! I didn't know you were a member here too!", Boun teased the other.
Ohm was absolutely quiet, almost as he was trying to vanish his existence from that place.
"Yeah, it's something recent. I've heard some colleagues saying that they liked here and I decided to take a shot.", Fluke said and then took a step back eyeing Ohm from toes to head "I must say that I like what I see...", he said and then got back to his shower.
After hearing the answer, Boun couldn't help but whistle at the man's boldness.
"Good luck with this one, buddy!", the blonde said before leaving the shower area.
Ohm did his best to finish his things quickly, very tense to be alone with naked Fluke just two stalls next to him, but after noticing the other was taking glances at him, he decided to strike back.
After turning off the shower, Ohm stopped in front of Fluke's stall and eyed him just the way the latter did a few moments ago.
"Hurry up, we have better things to do."
Fluke took a moment to realize the detective was talking about their work, because his intense stare was something that made the smaller man's legs soften like pasta. He rested a hand on the wall to keep his balance, shaking after the exchange.
"At your command, sir!", Fluke muttered to himself, still trying to regain his coolness, but visibly torned by the events.
********
Norman's credit card's record didn't help much in their investigation. The man had dinner in a small restaurant hours before being murdered, but the place didn't have cameras or staff willing to share information. According to the manager, "We're known for our hospitality and it would be bad for the business to bother with our clients' privacy like that, sir." Ohm had called the Prosecutor to get an official request for the staff's statements, but in his core he knew it would be all in vain.
"Ok, where are we going now?", Boun decided to ask after they got in the car.
"We're gonna see the psychiatrist. I wanna ask a few questions.", Ohm said maneuvering the vehicle. "You know, this all could be easier if we had more evidences of the body, but someone kinda ruined it.", he said looking at the rearview mirror to the backseat where Fluke was.
"Well, I can't be the only one to blame here, you know?", Fluke said looking at Boun's nape, which felt like burning instantly, making the man himself to intervene on the little disagreement going on there.
"Hey, hey! You two! We're on the same team, remember? Chill out, besties!", Boun tried to ease the mood.
Both Ohm and Fluke sighed hard and dropped the topic until Ohm was bitten by curiosity. "What did you mean by saying you're not the only one to blame?"
Boun turned to face Fluke and whatever was silently exchanged between their gazes made the youngest say "I mean that you're trying to catch this guy for a while now. If i tripped on you and spilled coffee on the body wouldn't be the biggest mistake of them all", he shrugged and that was enough to shush Ohm.
********
Their next stop was at Earth's psychiatrist clinic.
"Detectives? Do we have an appointment today?", Earth seemed a bit startled when the 3 men entered the little reception room.
"Not really, but I'd like to make you a few questions, Doctor Ea-", Ohm interrupted himself as someone he could never imagine seeing there showed up before them.
"Hey, Earthie, I think the new decoration is lovely and... Detectives!", Kao widened his eyes looking at his team.
Noticing the awkwardness, Earth cleaned his throat and said "Let's get inside to talk, detectives. Kao, I'm gonna talk to you soon.", the doctor left Kao at the reception and was quickly followed by the other 3 men.
"So, what brings you here?", Earth got straight to the point.
"We're still on the same spot, Doctor. Can you please talk to me again about the subject's behavior?"
Earth exhaled and fixed his glasses on his nose.
"There isn't much to add, detective. I've said the most important part. The subject likes to torture hia victims, but as we can't see any sign of struggle by their part, it's probably initiated as a consensual thing. It's not hard to find people who like this kind of stuff."
"About the sex...", Ohm started, prompting the other to take the cue.
"We're not sure about it, huh? As we can't speculate if the victims ejaculate after being induced or against their will."
"But the toxicological exam didn't show the presence of sildenafil in any of the-"
"Detective, there are a lot of ways to induce someone to have sex and not all of them are illegal. I mean... if Norman or the other victims were seduced by this subject, this means we're behind someone pretty capable of using their charms to pass unnoticed. Usually people like this are confident and know how to use their power, however someone must have seen this person, they are not a ghost or a shadow like they're saying on social media.", Earth crossed his hands under his chin. "It's your unit's job to find these witnesses and discover who is the killer.", the doctor looked sternly at Ohm.
The detective could feel the doctor was behaving awkwardly like he was in a hurry to get rid of them. It was unusual for the man that always seemed to be willing to help the Police with this or any other cases, though.
"But-"
"Ohm, let's go. The doctor said it's a dead end street.", Boun tapped the other's shoulder, trying to imply they were invited to leave the room.
"Imagine finding someone so controlling and charming that you would dismiss your bodyguards. Imagine finding someone that is cleaning the city from the bad man in power. Imagine someone as charismatic as Shadow...", Ohm scoffed as they reached the sidewalk outside the clinic.
"Are you giving up, detective?"
"I'm only beginning, kid!", Ohm answered and it was at that moment he knew he was as enchanted as his father was right before dying. The only difference was that the fish he was looking for was much bigger and caused much more damage.
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Notes:
Ooh can we sense the rising tension between the members of our little team? 👀