《Poetic ways to slaughter》 Considered for dead Fortunately, the man was dead. Unfortunately, he wasn''t alive long enough to endure the true torture the poet had planned to place upon him, no matter the case, the bloody scene was enough to get the same people, who scroll endless hours on the dark Web, to squirm. What a mess, the walls covered in pink flesh, icy cold blood congested alongside it in a morbid mural, a reminder of the still, warm mass (hardly identifiable as a body) currently displayed. It was almost procedural, every 2 weeks, another murder, another body mutilated into the desired painting of whom people don''t speak of. Although the strict schedule the criminal placed himself upon made his murders predictable, this nightmare he crafted with his own ruby-stained hands, was the unique turn in uncovering his identity. Police sirens filled the air as a young woman stumbled upon the vile act, vomiting and heaving in the process as her whole body shook, trembling as she called 999. The glacial, dead streets of London suddenly turned alive, blue and red blinding curious neighbours, who''d been peeking out from windows from the safety of their own homes. What a shame, 5 am never did seem to be the ideal time for crime. ~???~ ¡°Detective Artemis Nektarios, a pleasure to be speaking with you today¡± the Chief Inspector started, his voice low and dangerous, looming over Artemis in a threatening way contradicting his hearty personality. ¡°The pleasure is all mine, chief, how may I be of service?¡° He questioned his superior. Artemis was almost as mysterious as the serial killer he was about to be assigned with, his chestnut hair swept back with the appropriate amount of gel to give it volume, one hair askew. He had a rather pale complex adopted from his mother, his family tanning a warm sun-kissed gold, whilst he burnt a bright coral. The outfit he had on was bursting at the seams with professionalism, a burnt umber long coat, plain leather gloves, chocolate trousers, vest and pure white dress shirt. Adorned, of course, with a matching long tie. Rich hazel eyes sparkled yet blocked advances. In short, he spoke and dressed as an old British soul, despite his Greek name. ¡° Well, I''m sure you''ve heard of the mass murders currently causing chaos? I believe the youth have been referring to him as the grim reaper''s poet as well as simply the poet¡± he explained slowly, with purpose. ¡°Yes I have sir, he is a rather confusing case¡± Artemis spoke apathetically, keeping it short. He wasn''t one to be overly empathetic during a case. ¡°That he is, which is why you''ll be working on this case with Detective Zahra and forensic pathologist Juliette. I''ve already emailed the files necessary and informed them of your arrival.¡° Chief wasn''t fond of using full names, which Artemis deemed unprofessional, insisting he must use his if not anyone else''s. Artemis had also furrowed his eyebrows together, sighing inwardly, content with being alone. ¡°I understand, I assure you Chief, you won''t be disappointed,¡± He carefully constructed his words, not missing a single beat. Standing up, he muttered a small thank you, leaving the office with a weak smile adorning his face. Finally, a case, worth living. ~???~ The meeting he had after was short, detailing the murders previously made with less than pg images. He didn''t take much time to dwell, following the simple instructions of meeting up with Zahra and then Juliette. Stepping out of his car, he inhaled the damp smog gradually, striding towards a woman with coily, onyx hair. The London streets weren''t what Hollywood presented them as, there wasn''t potential, everything was expensive and the air was heavy with gloom. Constantly moist surroundings made the atmosphere smell of fresh soil, the soft patter of the rain droplets wasn''t an uncommon sound. Artemis was (to say the least) disappointed when he realised the air wouldn''t get much clearer and tensions would only rise. Nonetheless, he resumed his path towards a familiar face. ¡°Detective Zahra Naaji, a pleasure to be working adjacent to you in this case¡± Artemis smiled tensely, bringing out a hand for her to shake. ¡°Always so professional, Arty I''ve known you long enough that you don''t have to refer to me as anything more than Zahra¡± Her voice was smooth, delicate and laced with a powerful, pronounced Egyptian accent. Her hair was placed into a bun, some curly strands spilling over, covering her decadent face. Her features were sharp, straight with a cut jawline, upturned eyes, and coffee-stained irises whilst her lips were velvet, full and plump. Artemis always thought of her as a model, her assertive stride and natural chirp were oddly fascinating. Then her personality made him lose his mind and consider resignation.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°I appreciate your distaste for my speech patterns yet they are fixed, I shall try to limit my use of your surname, however, -for my own comfort- please do not refer to me as ''Arty'',¡± His way of talking had a tendency to either spark a curious flame or make someone feel simple-minded and moronic. Artemis would have rolled his eyes in any which case. ¡°I will never not miss that mouth of yours, anyways, this play the poet has performed is awfully brutal, looking at it alone makes me ill¡± Zahra stated with a less than excited expression painting her perfect features. ¡°Anything note-worthy?¡° Artemis pondered. ¡°Only the small letter he''d left, the prick didn''t leave a trace of anything else, the man''s name was Damien Brown,¡± Zahra placed a hand over her mouth, heaving, ¡°Jesus Christ, I can''t stay here, I''ll be off to see Juliette.¡° Meekly nodding, Artemis heard the clacking of her heels become less pronounced, finally taking a look for himself at the situation the killer had displayed in such a bloodthirsty fashion. The scene was still, unmoving and stationery, the air around becoming stagnant as the blood seemed to stick to the discoloured walls. Everything was placed perfectly, in a melancholic symphony with one another. The only thing missing was the body currently being assessed in the lab. ¡°The poet who played God huh?¡° Artemis murmured to himself, carefully calculating his steps to avoid the blood. A flutter of a piece of parchment had coined his interest, ¡°This is the letter then.¡± The crackle of the paper as he picked it up echoed around the small alley walls, he could practically taste the metallic ego of the writer already. Can you smell that? Metallic taste. Cracking of bones, As the lights shuddered Intestines warped Heart thumped Limbs torn off And conscience crackled, With utter distaste. Maybe kisses, love can change For now, he has completed That metamorphosis.¡¯ Artemis rolled his eyes, the garish and uncivilised note proved his theory that the man was a psychopath. Lack of rhyme, rhythm and overuse of enjambment pointed signs to this murder being unplanned, almost incomplete with no preparation. Although he only had some examples of his poems before, this one seemed different. A hiccup. However, Artemis set that thought aside, rather he was puzzled by the mention of the intestines. He wasn''t much disturbed by the organs when he first saw the pictures, yet it spiked his curiosity. Knitting his eyebrows together at the apparent mystery at hand, he felt satisfied by the amount of inferring he would be subjected to in the coming months. Pushing himself up, he walked back to his car after a brief (mostly one-sided) conversation with the policemen, informing him of what had been found alongside time. After taking his absence, he made an effort to drive to the lab in which the autopsy had taken place. He reached his destination in a matter of minutes however neither worried nor stressed, only a small wrinkle of his brow was evident. His only show of emotion. It wasn''t as if he was a squeamish person. Juliette had greeted him before he had any time to properly associate himself with his surroundings, ¡°Artemis, I''m so glad to finally meet you, my name is Juliette¡± she grinned at him, her eyes downturned, bright and ever so shiny. ¡°The same could be said for you, Juliette Blanchet, a privilege to be working with you in this case,¡± he had reached out his hand for her to shake, which she graciously accepted. Soft hands caressed his equally velvet skin with ease. ¡°Well me and Sophie had just finished the autopsy an hour or two ago, the body is still on the table if you''d like to check it out. It''s Uh grim to say the least¡± she smiled sheepishly. Her hair was tied back in a high ponytail, dirty blonde with licks of strawberry as if it were an ice cream swirl, even if it were it wouldn''t be as sweet as the woman in front of him. Although she stood quite short, her confidence kept her on her feet with her every loving passion for helping and fighting for justice. Inspirational, delightful, and irresistible are some adjectives that were used to describe Juliette, her amber eyes reflecting those of a simple yet captivating deer. He nodded, laying down light, pleasant steps on the ground as he noticed Zahra also analysing the body. ¡°Do you think something feels, hm, odd? Off almost? Something is out of place,¡± Zahra mentions to Artemis who is still perplexed at the precise incisions made at the fleshy mass. It was vile, a mess and in general disgusting. The revolting body had looked to have been skinned whilst the victim was alive, the intestines both removed at the end of his torment. No stitches were present. A ghastly sight, indeed. ¡°It seems so messy. Although we aren''t familiar enough with his patterns to be entirely sure this disaster wasn''t planned, or worse.¡° Artemis stated calm and composed. ¡°A copycat maybe?¡° Juliette offered. ¡°Good call, Jules but this is definitely the poet.¡° Zahra stated confidently. ¡°I must agree with Zahra, albeit, we still don''t know enough about him, to correctly make that assumption that is,¡± Intrigued Artemis, his mind swimming in possibilities pulling out his notebook to jot down a couple words from his breast pocket, ¡°We shall sleep on it for these odd circumstances,¡± ¡°Sure, his body will be put in the morgue,¡± Juliette stated the morbid truth with an odd cheer. ¡°Wait a minute, Juliette did you run a background check? On Damien Brown that is.¡± ¡°I''m sure we did, you can check it out in the police office I''ll send you the file when we find it,¡± she took off her gloves slowly, ¡°I haven''t had the time to read it all, just some basic medical history.¡° Artemis nodded, he was about to leave until a police officer had walked in on the 3 of them standing around the piece of flesh, looking as dishevelled as ever. ¡°What happened, are you alright?¡° Zahra asked hurriedly, Juliette''s gaze was coated in a thick layer of concern whilst Artemis waited patiently, although on edge. ¡°Another body was found.¡° Etched in favour As the cold weather continues to swarm and suffocate the already dense streets of London, the air is only fueled with a piercing tension, sharper than the needle currently plunged in the throat of a middle-aged woman. She was left in utter disrepair, no part of her recognisable other than her face, a forever implanted petrified, terrified expression etched into her -well lack of existence. The theme of absence continues as she is decapitated, lost for words so to speak, her spinal cord still displayed horrifically, her head placed on a stone pillar without a comforting (yet rather deadly) Griffin gently protecting the streets. The body was nowhere to be found. Policemen could hear a pin drop when they arrived at the scene, stoic, stationary, silent were the surroundings until the long chain of tension was simply snapped by Artemis himself, accompanied by Zahra, who was on the verge of showcasing what she had for breakfast. What a funny thought, to view humans as a part of a catalogue. ~???~ Artemis paced around the woman, the quiet he broke earlier was begging to be brought out as the police taped off the scene and escaped the reality of mankind''s true actions. Ignorance was Artemis'' biggest enemy. ¡°Arty, there''s another one of those disgusting notes, with a flower stuck to it?¡° Zahra''s smooth voice was cut, coated with a thick layer of confusion and inquiry as she picked up the letter with a gloved hand. The flower was incredible, white and pristine. Although it didn''t seem to be in season. ¡°Any growth that isn''t human potential seems impossible in this city,¡± Artemis stated nonchalantly as if a woman''s spinal cord wasn''t leaking in front of his very eyes. ¡°Seems to be a tulip, my mam used to own this impeccable garden,¡± Zahra almost tried to comfort herself as she passed the letter and the tulip to her colleague. ¡°Let''s have a read then shall we,¡± What would you define as art? Not like it''ll tear me apart From the performance I play, To watch them sway, From the frontlines. What would you do for a line? Would you decapitate your future? Ps. ''The poet who played God'' is definitely my favourite, very clever. It''ll be a pleasure to be working with you, Detective Arty ? Without a cohesive thought running through Artemis'' mind, he suddenly dropped the note alongside the tulip, which was promptly picked up by an officer and swiftly taken away for testing. ¡°Are you ok?¡° Zahra placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, supporting him from afar as he was shaking slightly. The realisations hit him one after the other, waves of reality splashing him as if he were an insignificant shell. He heard him. ¡°He heard me.¡° Artemis finally started, ¡°He uh, well, ahem he heard a comment I may have claimed during the previous murder,¡± He coughed, clearing his throat which now desperately pleaded for more water or any type of hydration. Come to think of it, his whole body felt parched. He thought how a nice hot shower could wash away the sin he felt like committing, to strangle the corrupted soul who left a woman simply dangling.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Too bad two wrongs don''t make a right, right? ¡°That sick bastard,¡± Artemis meekly nodded, holding onto Zahra to regain his balance, yet his placements were still extremely coordinated. Unable to commit a single error. After a long pause and a small, weak and feeble swallow from Artemis, his tongue was able to move with much more haste, ¡°He is aware of my name, and my connections alongside this case early on. This feels like no coincidence, the rhyme scheme was perfect with almost no fallacies, fast pace with rhetorical questions. Only the last line broke free of this cursed rhyme,¡° He declared. ¡°That- that is a lot of information, maybe we should meet up with Juliette,¡± Zahra''s kind voice boomed, her humble nature dedicated to comforting the sick. Something Artemis respected especially, although confused by how she could be so ever patient, he would''ve lost a nerve by now. After a much more powerful nod, they both got in Zahra''s car, driving on the rough roads filled with cracks from wear and tear. It was ironic, almost hypocritical to Artemis the signs of decay deemed ''appropriate'' by society, laughing without any humour, it was filled with lead as it oozed from the back of his throat in the rather noisy car. ~???~ They finally arrived at a small caf¨¦, Juliette inside waiting for them as they both solemnly walked inside. That very caf¨¦ was the complete and utter opposite of what Artemis and Zahra had to suffer earlier, tender, plush jazz from America''s 1920s played, something both of them seemed to need as their faces were hard as flint. Finally, they sat down with Juliette, stern expressions glued to their faces whilst Zahra was trying to soften it ever so slightly. ¡°What happened? Do I even want to know? Are you two doing alright? Should I call a doctor?¡° With each question, Juliette got more and more panicked as the responses she gained were no more than limited, she was mostly greeted with a stone grip of silence. After a moment of pure exhaustion, Zahra spoke up. ¡°We uh, that murder was one of the worst,¡± she hesitated to tell Juliette the full truth, her nature to protect the things she deemed fragile overcame the need to tell the truth this time around. ¡°A woman was found with only her head and her spinal cord out, a needle plunged deeply into her neck -her body wasn''t found. I believe her name was Carmilla Jackson. The killer knows my name and association with the case,¡± Artemis hoped no one could hear the slight quiver in his voice. Naming the dead as if they were a part of a catalogue was nightmare-inducing. ¡°I couldn''t imagine how cruel a person has to be to do that,¡± Juliette finally muttered, with purpose. The long breath of silence stabbed all of them, slowly bled them out until another spoke up with nothing but pure malice towards the deranged psychopath. ¡°Yeah, uh on a hopefully lighter note, he left us a flower,¡± Zahra desperately tried to lighten the situation. ¡°Indeed he did, it was a tulip,¡± ¡°A tulip? That represents perfection as well as opportunity, they aren''t in season now they only grow in spring,¡± Juliette perked up at the slight hint of spring, it was as if the season was hers altogether, Zahra would''ve preferred summer if the conversation ever decided to shift to a much lighter, easier topic. Artemis pulled out a notebook and started scribbling down notes, nodding alongside Juliette''s calming words, turning a page and looking up at the two of them with confusion. ¡°Did we ever get any information on Damien?¡° ¡°Using first names? Who are you Artemis?¡° Zahra tried to joke as Juliette coughed up a small laugh, dropping her lop-sided smile moderately. ¡°He was an awful person, after you two left I felt I needed to check out the file, a violent man that would abuse women until they were sucked clean.¡° ¡°Overconsumption at its finest,¡± Artemis rolled his eyes, men of that nature were deemed inhuman in his mind, vile, unadulterated anger swept at his feet as he regained his posture, squeezing his eyes shut for a few ticks. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Zahra covered her mouth, ¡°Both his intestines were yanked out and placed on display, gluttony,¡± you could''ve heard a pin drop at the revelation. The ringing burned through their ears as the jazz was smothered. Juliette looked to be on the verge of tears, Artemis clenched his fists together. ¡°I.. feel like that would be much too obvious, he mentioned the intestines deliberately, I hope he is trying to almost play coy, or maybe even a crude game of red herrings,¡° Artemis swallowed thickly, perplexed and trying (and failing) to seem unbothered by this sudden revelation. ¡°I beg that you are right, but we should remember this,¡± Zahra smiled, the type of smile you smile when you are in utter disbelief, no humour could hold her accountable as her voice seeped with curiosity and pain. Artemis made it his mission to write down another set of haphazardly drawn symbols and etches into his small notebook, a big ''religious undertones?'' Underlined with the fine ink. After what felt like decades, they were kicked out of the caf¨¦, all of them calling it a night, separating to rest in their own houses. Only after creating a simple plan for the next day could they feel any type of relief, meeting with the family of Carmilla would reveal a metallic, bitter truth in the pool of deception they were currently swimming in. Artemis arrived home soon enough, rushing to take a hot shower that left his skin rosy red, walking out in his sleepwear, he fed his small ragdoll kitten, which he called marshmallow, seemingly the only decision he made in his life that wasn''t intentional, and filled up a glass of water. All of what he was doing was his normal routine, yet he couldn''t shake the feeling of being watched off his back. It was as if the crime of the man was following him, taunting him. With the inkling of liability, he gasped at every corner, whipping his head around trying to catch something or someone that didn''t exist. Laughing melancholically, he stepped closer towards his bed. One step at a time. Closer and closer. Until he was at the foot of his bed. His bed. No one else''s. He threw the duvet with an exasperated huff, expecting to find something, anything. He was almost disappointed. Mostly terrified and paranoid, yet that emotion couldn''t be ignored either, as muffled as it was. Climbing in bed he was left in silence, darkness and nothingness. Laying his head on the pillow, he felt like he wasn''t sober, drunk on adrenaline. What the fuck was that? He turned at every small noise, marshmallow sat at his feet. It got closer, the noise. Never stopping a beat. Closer, more defined. Artemis could draw out the vibrations. He stood up, opening his door a crack. He found nothing. A painting of a corpse Artemis was alone. That''s what he convinced himself, what he couldn''t convince was the aching paranoia that gnawed at every fibre of his being. A sleepless night seemed to be on his agenda. As the morning sun came up, Artemis couldn''t help but laugh at the reality of the situation. He was scared of utterly nothing. A nothing that meant everything to him. Nothing so nonexistent that it terrified him. Rubbing his tired eyes, he collected all the energy he had to his work, his face stone cold whilst he wouldn''t show the obvious fear that had enveloped and taken hold of him. His being scared wouldn''t help the case and surely wouldn''t stop the killer. With his nerves on edge and face carved into a perfect image of a blank slate, a painting waiting for its colour, he got himself prepared for work. ~???~ ¡°I feel so bad for her children,¡± Juliette started, hoping to break that dreaded silence that constantly washed over them. Currently, the three of them had entered the interrogation room, Zahra wearing a dark turtle neck alongside long, deep red trousers almost as if mourning. Juliette kept her colours as bright as she could, her hair tied back with a pink clip, a white blazer and cream trousers accompanied by pink heels. Artemis kept his outfit plain, the same as normal, only the colours changed from deep brown to a dark navy, the only pop of light came from his natural, radiant, hazel eyes. It was almost as if he defied nature, covering himself in a mask of darkness. ¡°This is sick asking them to relive their trauma,¡± Zahra gagged on her guilt, choking on it as it was forced down her throat. Juliette nodded in agreement, drifting around the room as a means to distract herself. ¡°I do believe this choice isn''t the best, but in this case, it is deemed essential. I feel it to be unnecessary to cause anyone else such pain due to this¡­ mass murderer, if we can gain some useful information, we could stop the spread of such an abhorrent emotion due to a man out of his wits,¡± Artemis methodically clarified. His voice cracked ever so slightly, yet he managed to cover it up with his own steps pacing around the room. They all suddenly turned to the sound of another pair of footsteps, loud and harsh, contradicting the soft clicking of Juliette''s heels and the taps of Artemis'' shoes. ¡°The victim''s kids are ready for you, all in separate rooms. I would be gentle,¡± a jagged voice of an officer filled the empty air, his appearance scruffy but obviously empathetic to the situation at hand. ¡°Right, thanks officer,¡± Juliette turned around to where Zahra and Artemis now stood side by side, oddly still, ¡°Should we all take one each or should we go one at a time together?¡° ¡°For the sake of time and my sanity, we should all take one,¡± Zahra sounded exhausted, an aged sapphire. Artemis nodded listlessly, picking up what was left of all their saneness, they stepped towards the doors containing one of each of the 3 children, the only legacy Carmilla Jackson had left behind after her unfortunate demise. ~???~ ¡°Hello, my name is Zahra, what''s your name?¡° She started with the basics, a cool, bleeding shiver ran up her spine as the girl in front of her looked up, eyes red from crying, blonde hair dishevelled with her mascara running carelessly down her full, doughy cheeks. She sat down in front of her, the squeak vibrated around the stoic, lethargic room. ¡°Don''t you have that in your file already?¡° The girl tried to add some humour to the already awful conversation, death was never meant to be heartening. ¡°That is true, but you might prefer being referred to by another name, best not to assume,¡± Zahra beamed at her, earning back a fragile smile her way. ¡°My name is Adelaide Jackson, I am also 18, so I''d rather you wouldn''t treat me as a child,¡± Zahra felt her back straighten, jumping in surprise at how quickly Adelaide had picked the pieces up to her soul and identity, however her confidence wasn''t unwelcome. ¡°Well, Adelaide, could you possibly answer some questions linking to your mother''s murder? This conversation is being recorded but you have no reason to be forced into answering anyone if you feel you can''t.¡° A sniffle came from Adelaide as she wiped away the remaining tear, more threatening to fall to hear her mother''s name be said in a categorical sense, just another death to them, just another name, ¡°I''ll try my best.¡° Although, Adelaide knew there was practically nothing she said would help in the case. ~???~ Soft clicking heels filled the room, a room already suffocated in heaves, sobs and wretches as a girl, no older than 16, tries and fails to function. Juliette''s eyebrows furrowed, her own eyes swelling at the nauseous sight. No dead body could make her blood run as bitter as raw, unadulterated human agony. Looking at the utter misery the girl was in made Juliette feel unable to truly comprehend that she had felt more torture than this sweet, innocent victim. One that laid her emotions on the stone, smokey grey table right in front of her. ¡°Hello, my name is Juliette I have some questions for you.¡° The tone felt more like a question within itself than a statement, she sat down in front of her, tentatively.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I just,¡± another heave, hiccup and a long, shaky breath, the girl fanned her face with her hands, ¡°I just- can''t- won''t - I, oh god, I-¡± another anguished sob escaped her lips, unable to catch her breath again. ¡°Hey, you don''t have to do anything, I''m here to help you, not to intimidate,¡± Juliette''s words rang in the girl''s mind. She looked up at her, eyes stained a ruby red tint, the same scarlet that blushed her cheeks, her hair dishevelled from her pulling on it in hopes of calming down the attack so unjustly placed upon her. A long deep breath, a rugged exhale, ¡°My- my name is Harmony. I um, I am sorry for, ah, my um outburst. I just- just God I can''t get my words out,¡± her frustration felt familiar. Juliette smiled thoughtfully, yet full of sombre which almost made Harmony burst out in tears again. ¡°Harmony is a beautiful name, fitting to a girl such as yourself,¡± a cheap compliment, but Juliette meant every word as Harmony looked up at her again through her glassy, fragile eyes. She could almost sense the years of damage and naivety practically evaporate from Harmony like a sad melody. A melody one would listen back on and get that deep feel of nostalgia now inaccessible to this youthful soul. ¡°Thank you,¡± she hiccuped, pausing between words to take in breaths struggling to keep her alive, ¡°My brother and I have matching first letters in our names, us being twins made our mother- God our mother- she''s dead.¡° She laughed, whipping her head up to look at the ceiling, clenching her hands into fists so tight they were turning white. ¡°My mother is dead,¡± tears welled up again, ¡°And there''s absolutely nothing I can do,¡± ~???~ ¡°Good evening,¡± Artemis started gradually, his voice levelled but thick as he advanced towards the weak, plastic chair, sitting down, back straight in front of the boy. He looked deep in thought as his rich blonde hair covered his face, eyes focused on the table, unmoving. The boy was stiffer than a corpse. ¡°Who are you? What do you want from me?¡° Artemis was taken aback by the hostility leaking, polluting the air around them with tension thick enough to be sliced and served. Clearing his throat and fixing his tie, he began to speak softly, ¡°My name is Artemis Nektarios, I am here to ask some questions regarding your mother.¡° As apathetic as the outside shell Artemis tried so hard to keep intact, he let some empathy glimpse out from beneath the cracks, he was convinced he did it for the sake of the boy. ¡°What is there to ask? She''s dead. Isn''t it pretty cut and dry?¡° Artemis sighed, the boy hadn''t looked his way, keeping his gaze glued to his own hands which were twitching, spasming being his control. ¡°I would appreciate your cooperation, what is your name?¡° Artemis toned down his way of speech, simplicity suffices in matters so complicated on occasion. ¡°Harvey.¡° He scoffed. ¡°Harvey, could you tell me anything about your mother?¡° Artemis enjoyed the name as it rolled off his tongue, ¡°I do quite enjoy your name,¡± he spoke before he thought, clasping his mouth shut and squeezing his lips into a tight line. ¡°What''s with the fancy talk? Thanks anyways I guess,¡± a couple of tears feared to roll off the boys'' puffy cheeks, which were already carmine glazed, ¡°uh- my mum. She- Well, she was¡­ Jesus Christ I think I just realised she''s actually dead. Like- she- God, I- what was done to her?¡° Harvey was desperate by now, begging Artemis for answers, such as he was entitled to. ¡°¡­She was found decapitated, her body yet to be found,¡± Artemis paused as he watched realisation practically pour over Harvey, his expression melted from hostile and bitter, to sombre to utterly distraught. Letting out a cursed sob, he cupped his face in his hands and cried, he wept and sniffled. ¡°Holy- I- what. There''s no way. No- no she can''t be dead, I saw her just yesterday, or was it two days ago? Wait- I,¡± Harvey was rambling, meshing his words together in a fabricated manner. His words were barely that, yet Artemis wrote down whatever he could scrounge up from the heap of emotions displayed upon him. Still, he felt there was nothing he could do to help the boy, who had finally registered his mother gone, forever. ~???~ Sitting in the same police office as they once began their day with, all three of them gathered what notes they could from Adelaide, Harmony and Harvey. Zahra''s glow appeared ever so slightly, more pronounced than earlier before the interviews, on the contrary, Juliette looked exhausted. Her eyes showed a hint of red, her mascara faintly smudged against her cheek. ¡°Well, Zahra what information have you acquired from,..Adelaide was it?¡° Artemis started before that creeping silence enveloped them once again. ¡°Yeah Adelaide, she was very cooperative, she had informed me that their mother had gone missing for 3 days, which was normal for them because she works many different jobs and comes back very late and gets up early,¡± Juliette seemed distracted but tried to listen, looking at her feet while Artemis started jotting down whatever Zahra had been saying. ¡°They only ever heard from the police that she had been found dead, Adelaide didn''t tell her siblings how, but in general she didn''t have much to say, it was a normal day for them.¡° ¡°Did she mention time?¡° ¡°Unfortunately not, I asked but she didn''t know,¡± Artemis let out a hopeless sigh, leaning back on the wall behind him, folding his hands delicately across his chest. ¡°What did the others say?¡° Juliette shook at this, yet it went unnoticed by Zahra and Artemis as they tried to place the puzzle pieces together to solve the murder. ¡°Harvey was very hostile, it only took 2 minutes for him to truly break down into a fit of sobs. He had told me he thought he saw his mother 2 days ago so his perception of time has clearly suffered. Anything he had informed me of has to be taken with a pinch of salt,¡± he ran through his sentence smoothly, avoiding the uncomfortable situation of Harvey''s clear panic attack, fortunately, Artemis had helped him through it yet that didn''t give them any information. Gloating that he helped a grieving child wouldn''t help the case in general. Zahra just nodded at the information, motioning to Juliette, ¡°What about you?¡° Juliette had been startled, her head flew up. ¡°I didn''t get anything from her,¡± Juliette was snippy, short with her answer. Zahra''s gaze flew to see the state of her, eyes red, swollen with old smudges of mascara that were desperately swiped at. Her whole world shattered, for reasons unknown. She watched Juliette''s breathing hitch, chest rising and falling with more and more haste from the look in her eyes. She could taste the salt. The salt of the tears that stained Adelaide. Harmony. Harvey. She wouldn''t -couldn''t- let anyone else be swallowed whole by one of mankind''s worst inventions. Grief. Running, she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. Juliette''s hands were cold. Her face was warm and wet. She was in her arms. She wasn''t a victim, she wasn''t at work, she wasn''t home. She was in her arms. She was alive. Zahra whispered anything yet nothing, so sweet yet powerful which succeeded in Juliette calming down. Her breathing was haphazard, yet it was comforting, coercing Zahra''s heart into a sense of security. A sweet lullaby. Juliette is alive. Artemis watched in utter shock, mouth agape with no thoughts running through his mind for once. He blanked. A destitute, lonely silence broke each of them in ways deemed so torturous that the poet would''ve been jealous. They were all alive. But at what cost?