The Crime System

The Past Chaos

Early in the morning, someone was banging furiously on Luke's door.

Groggily, he stirred. He had been chasing shadows in his dreams, but now, thanks to the racket, he was half-awake, rolling over with a groan. "Who's that? So annoying…" he muttered, still unwilling to fully surface from sleep.

"Luke Sullivan! You! I know you're in there, open the door now!" a young girl's sharp voice hollered from outside, accompanied by relentless pounding.

Through the haze of sleep, the voice registered. Jenna Dalton? Why on earth is she here this early? he thought groggily, glancing at his watch. Only 5:30 in the morning? Seriously?

Suddenly, his mind raced back to yesterday's events. The parent-teacher conference. He'd crashed it while trying to sniff out a clue, stirring up chaos. He'd nearly gotten someone's mom to call 911. And poor Jenna Dalton? She was probably mortified after his antics had disrupted her school's carefully planned event.

He meant to explain things to her afterward, but, as always, he got caught up in his investigation. By the time he remembered, she had already bombarded his phone with calls, which he avoided like a coward. Her w******p messages were filled with colorful insults and warnings about "taking responsibility" now that they'd been caught.

And now she was here. At his door. At 5:30 in the morning. Furious as hell.

The banging continued. "Luke Sullivan! I have your location! Stop pretending! Open the door now!"

He froze under his blanket, hugging his pillow like it could shield him. Why was it that he could face down suspects and criminals without flinching, but the thought of dealing with Jenna Dalton turned his knees to jelly?

Think, Luke, think! Opening the door was not an option. Not only was he wearing nothing but Pikachu boxers, but her parents owned the fruit shop downstairs. If anyone saw her entering his place, things could spiral into all sorts of misunderstandings. Nope, no way.

"I'll deal with her later," he decided, staying put.

"Alright, you asked for it!" Jenna Dalton's voice cut through the door. "I'm the landlord, remember? I've got the key!"

His stomach dropped. She wasn't bluffing. Before he could react, the unmistakable sound of a key turning filled the air.

"Holy crap!" Luke scrambled out of bed. With nowhere to hide in his tiny apartment, he bolted for the balcony. Yanking the anti-theft door open, he darted outside just as she entered the room.

"Luke! I'm coming in!" she called.

His heart pounded as he crouched on the balcony, praying she wouldn't notice.

After a thorough search of the apartment, she finally stepped out onto the balcony. He barely managed to shimmy over to the next-door balcony through the anti-theft net before she could spot him.

"Strange…" he heard her mutter from behind him. "He's really not here? Not possible. I'm sure I heard him coughing last night…"

Finally, she left. Luke peeked over the edge just in time to see her lock the shop shutters downstairs and head to school. His shoulders sagged in relief.

But his relief was short-lived. When he tried to climb back to his apartment, he found the anti-theft door locked.

"Damn it, Jenna Dalton!" he cursed under his breath. She'd locked him out deliberately!

Worse still, he was stuck on the third-floor balcony wearing nothing but his Pikachu boxers. His phone, his wallet—everything—was inside the apartment.

After pacing and fuming, his eyes fell on the next-door apartment. He knew it belonged to four party-loving women who were rarely home in the morning.

"Desperate times," he muttered, preparing to sneak inside.

Their balcony door was unlocked, and he slipped in quietly, holding his breath. A sweet, intoxicating scent hit him immediately—a woman's perfume.

This must be Miss Jessica's place, he thought, recognizing the scent.

The place was eerily quiet, and he tiptoed toward the living room. That's when he heard it—the unmistakable sound of running water.

His blood turned cold. Before he could retreat, the bathroom door opened. A woman stepped out, the light spilling into the living room.

They locked eyes. Her piercing scream echoed through the apartment, and he froze like a deer caught in headlights.

"Ahhhh!"

And just like that, his chaotic morning took an even wilder turn.

When Luke saw her, his mind short-circuited.

"Huh?"