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THE PUZZLE

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...Who killed them? Why? were the words written on a small white board.Two middle aged men photos were pinned just below the questions.Don't wanna find out? I am curious too.

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DETECTIVE MARK
He scratched his head involuntary for the sixth time, there had to be something he was missing.It was never like him to have a case still open for more than a month, ever since he was moved to homicide department, he had made quite a name for himself he was the fastest most thorough detective around which was the reason behind this case getting into his nerves.He was a swift worker and his keen never settling eyes made sure he never missed any details.He was the to go to person if one needed another set of eyes.He was intelligent and he adjusted quickly.But the case that time needed more that just keen eyes.He was on the lookout for breakthrough which never seemed to happen.That was the third month and two weeks since they found the first body.In all his service years in Luxeville Police Department he had never encountered such a case.He could never tell whether it was a crime of passion , vengeance or just a need to kill. Detective Mark still remembered the events of that day as if it were just yesterday.Someone had called anonymously and informed the police that a guy was found dead in his apartment.Since that was Marks area, he was called and within thirty minutes he was at the scene of the crime.Becky, his workmate and friend had already arrived and she was doing her thing with headphones on.The dude was sleeping on his stomach.There was blood on the bed and on the floor.The amount of blood that sent chills through Marks spine.The guy had died too much bleeding from what seemed to be a stab but too clean so it also seemed like a cut through the spine.It was clear that whoever had done that knew exactly what they were doing.There was not much evidence and all the officers carried back with them were photos and possible evidence samples and more photos.Mark had pinned them on the tiny board in his office and spent every single day since then staring at them.Not that he had something else to do anyway. It was well after 9:30 pm and he never even seemed to notice .He was too busy trying to figure out what he was missing to close this case and get the killer to pay for his crimes ones and for all, and if possible keep his incredible record untainted.He had been staring at the little white board in his tiny office for a while now.The pictures on the board were somewhat scary to look at even for a person like him who had seen lots of dead bodies throughout his two years career in homicide and in general his two years of service in the states military, they creeped him enough to keep him awake at night. Two men were dead and no one knew how or why. He remembered how they had found them the image on his mind causing cold shimmers up his spine."The killer might have been a real monster,"he thought out loud. He was entrusted with the case and he had zero progress just a big stemming pile of nothing.At that moment the case felt almost impossible to solve.He was chewing on his pen noisily, scratching his head ever ones in a while and tapping on the table which by the way he had been half seating half leaning on for the last three hours. "Mark, it seems you don't wanna go home today," were the words that brought him back from the ream of thoughts.He checked on his wristwatch before mumbling something under his breath.It was not until he reached for his bag and keys ready to go that he realized Becky was saying something which he never even understood.Becky was his friend first before being a forensics officer.She had been in the station for only a year but she had made quit a name for herself.Science was her first love and the only thing that really mattered to her deeply but that was before he met Mark.The two had crazy chemistry ever since they first me.The would check on each other during the day, encourage and push each others limits every ones in a while.Becky was a funny chick and even though she got got in the the heat of the moment and sometimes do something crazy, she never intended to hurt anyone.She liked it when everyone around her was in good spirits, and that applied to Mark the most.Mark's then girlfriend would even get a little jealous of the crazy relationship between the two.Mark had introduced Becky to most of the places he went to cool off steam after the hard days work which included his favorite tavern.The two would go there after work to enjoy some beers and listen to country music and sometimes even dance.Becky would then take a drunk beyond limit Mark home to rest.They mostly went there during the weekends.They had a special place in the owners heart and Becky had never felt at more at home.They would grab lunch together or for each other sometimes. " Another day has ended and i haven't solved the case yet, honestly I am not even close," he said reaching out and hugging Becky briefly.Becky just shrugged her shoulders before finally answering " you know ,its okey to take little time off the case if its getting too tricky," she said.Mark looked at her with those eyes she had nicknamed the " don't you dare give me that crap eyes" they were cold almost expressionless looks with one lifted eyebrow.It didn't however stop her from bringing up her point " Seriously when did you even go out for a drink last?When did you get yourself crazy drunk and danced to your favorite cowboy dance? or gotten yourself in trouble?you know I am even starting to forget how your laughter sounded like, I miss Mark.Yo know the crazy mark who decides not to Care every ones in a while and just do his thing.You know, there will be a live band next week at your favorite place," she added looking at him with genuine concern.All this while they had been walking towards home and mark was still in his thoughts only half listening to Becky.He had gotten used to too much talking from Becky, especially when she was angry, nervous or concerned.At first it bothered him a little but then he realized it was her way of dealing and he accepted her and now, he had relied on that very talk to keep his tired a*s from giving up.He however wasn't in a position to listen to her at that particular moment because his thoughts felt like they had other things to do.Even though it was not at all helping. He was soo occupied and tired to even notice that they were already at the front gate of her house. They didn't have to drive or take a bus since their places were just a few streets away from the police post and two streets away from each other.She said goodnight which he hardly heard before making her way through the gate.Mark just kept on walking.He hadn't actually realized Becky absence until he was a few steps away from the apartment.After a few minutes he was already at his gate, swiftly he opened it and made his way up the stairs.This time keen enough to notice a beautiful girl going down past him.Hr was not the kind that noticed looks not unless it really concerned him, but there was something about that lady.He had not seen her before and he knew the apartment was already full so maybe she was there to visit someone, or maybe she was at home there he just had never sewn her before.He never even had time to notice people before.Why did that even concern him?.All in all he opened his apartment door went in and switched on the lights and for a short while they remained like that.He intended to work a little bit more Mark was not the heavy sleeper type and he dedicated every single second of his life to work.His father had taught him to hide his emotions in work, and he was doing a good job soo far.He only rested when it was absolutely necessary and because his body needed to recharge.Ever since his girlfriend left, he had been drinking himself crazy after work or working himself to oblivion.The current case wasn't helping to his situation either. He was to go home in a weeks time and it was not in his intentions to go before solving the case.The last thing he needed was having to tell his father a failure story.The old man would down talk him to hell.He loved the fact that his father crappy down talk was what kept him going, but he wasn't looking forward to hearing his lecture.His father was not a bad guy and all he wanted was for his son to be the best out there.He was a soldier about to retire and the fact that Mark had chosen the police instead of the military hadn't left him a very happy father He however was ready to support his son whatever he chose to do.Either way he was making the world a better place and that was what that mattered.He was proud of his boy but he was not willing to show it.He thought if he showed his contentment Mark would start sleeping on the job.He crap talked him because he knew that, for everything he said, Mark took it as a challenge and he worked harder to make sure to prove his old man wrong.He had proved him wrong in everything and every way so far and he intended to keep it that way.He had called Mark because he needed to tell him everything.He had files in his possession signed as confidential and he felt like he could only entrust their secrets to Mark.Mark on the other hand had planned to skip the going home if he would have not solved the case by then. Mark had tried to work for a bit but it was soo much hard.He was still scolding himself for not answering Becky's goodnight.He was starting to realize that the case was changing him.He had forgot who he was ,and now he was even forgetting who his friends were and what they meant to him.Maybe he was sleep deprived.He needed to sleep.Unfortunately, for people like him, sleep was hard to come by.He was always beating himself up for this or that.He was still mad at himself for his girlfriends leaving.He thought maybe he could have done things differently and maybe then she could have stayed around a little longer.He was however a little bit happy he had never introduced her to his dad for the past year they had been boyfriend and girlfriend. Mark still remembered how he had met her.He was as usual around his everyday catching the bad guys business.A college student had been found dead in her bed and the police had been called to do their job.After serious crime scene and body examination, it was determined that the girl had suffocated to death.The case was classified as homicide and Mark was put in charge.Back then things were easy.He would work out a case in only three days and even had a record of working a case in two hours couple of months before.He went down to business to look for whoever killed the poor girl and that meant, witness tracing and a lot of questioning.Like every other case on his department, turns and dead ends are what rules. He had hit a two dead ends and was starting to break a little sweat when a girl Naomi, a close friend to the dead girl showed up in the police station claiming to know what happened." I know how you can catch the people that killed Natalie, but if I say you have to protect me and my sister," She had said to Mark shortly after she had settled easy.Mark had to assure and reassure her that she was going to save.He promised to look after her and her sister at all cost.After she was completely convinced, she told what she knew. "Natalie came to me a few months ago with a sweet deal she claimed was offered to her by her then boyfriends brother.She was soo excited and she kept telling me how she was going to make a lot of money in only a week.She then started disappearing at nights and missing classes and sometimes she would be gone for days at a time.Every time she came back with some serious money which she would the use to party all weekend and sometimes even all week.She seemed happy for some time but then she changed.The parties died down and she withdrew from her friend and including me.She would still go with the people she "Worked" with and whom she could not tell me about.About two weeks ago she came to me and she looked awful.She had a black eye and her lips were swollen and she couldn't tell me why because she knew that telling me would put me in danger.However, she gave me a box and told me to open it if she didn't come back before the end of that week.She told me that the key was in her mothers key chain.She then left looking all unhappy.I tried to convince her to just not go but she didn't listen to me.She had had not been in school for all that week but then she showed up dead that day.I know she was not in her apartment that day because I was there myself.She had called me and told me to wash her cloths and take some of the cash she had stashed in her box.She had also told me she wouldn't be back in three days and she needed me to update her notes for her and submit some assignments.I know the answers to what happened to her are in this box," She removed the box and showed it to Mark.Mark then went on ahead to call Natalie's mother who came down to the station in a flash.The box was opened and as the girl had said, Natalie had left behind what looked like a diary explaining what had been happening.The book was written in cute handwriting.It had everything the police needed and it read. "Naomi, I know my life is in danger.But I don't want you mixed up in it.My fate is most certainly sealed and I know if I tell you you might decide to do something about it and it could endanger your life and that of your sister.Remember the deal I was soo happy about? It was not a legal nor a clean deal but Dave forgot to tell me about it.They together with this big boss whom they call Tonie have been selling stolen jewelry.I don't know where since they don't tell me a lot.They just send me to correct and bring them back and they pay me for that.On Saturday I saw them kill this guy and they saw me.They don't trust me to keep the secret and I heard them say there was only one way to deal with the situation.You are a smart lady and I am pretty sure you know what that means.Tony even beat me up last week, you know the black eye and the bruises.Dave wanted to kill me but I got away while he and the other boys were arguing.I know they are after me and I don't want them coming after or your sister.It would make me happy if you kept this between us but I am almost sure you won't.Please stay safe and don't go confronting them.If I survive I will come back but if I don't, cry a little and move on.It is not your fault.I am the one who made a bad decision. Naomi wasn't sure who Tonie was but she knew the guy who had introduced Natalie to the deal was her boyfriends brother Dave.The guy had dropped college an year earlier and a gap had grown between him and his twin brother Dannie.Dannie had refused to join his brother in the big move towards money and instead had decided to go on with his studies.The two were identical but in terms of everything they were as different as heaven and earth.Dannie was the quiet nerdy one while Dave was the crazy wild one.Dave had promised his brother that he would never let him stay peacefully so long as he refused to join him.That was the reason why Dave had recruited his brother girlfriend just so to hurt him.Natalie had then changed because of the money and eventually she and Dannie had broken up. Mark had to keep Naomi and her sister under protective care until Dave was apprehended and the other group members caught and for that, Naomi's sister was called to the police station.Upon sewing her, Mark was intrigued.She was soo beautiful and Mark could not help but stare.she was tall with some seriously arresting facial features her somewhat big but not two big, white eyes sparkled, her nose was properly put into place, almost as of God had used geometry to perfect them.Her rosy and juicy pink lips and well made chin completed her sophisticated face.Mark was lost in her figure.He stared at her for a sweet seven Mississippi's maybe more. He had to do his job still and for that he, he had to look away from her and try to get to the guys before the end of the day so that the.two could go on with their lives.He tracked the where about of Dave and his clue and sent some officer to bring them in.It took them about five hours and by the time the boys were brought in it was already 9 p.m. Mark volunteered to take the two sisters while his then partner Josh was left to do the interrogating.The boys were pinned hard until they confessed.They had also not met Tonie who was their boss.He only communicated them when need be and he deed so in person he remained in the shadows but not for long.Karma would soon catch up with him and he would not like it. The case was solved but Mark had more than just the case in his mind.He had a make to move and after living a crazy lonely life for a long while, the move wasn't all that bad.He wasn't sure about anything but he mastered the courage to ask for her number as she was getting off the car.She looked back at Mark for a while, probably deciding whether to give him the number or not.At last she decided to give it to him and after a few ignored texts and call the two hit it on.A dinner at Mark's favorite Dinner, flowers and more flower and three months later a dinner at Marks place and the deal was sealed.They had then pushed together for a whole year and two months before she decided to walk off.Mark remembered the good times, the laughter the fight , the tears, all up to the final days.It gave him some sort of grief but he was not looking forward to dwelling on it He had the present days problems to deal with and he had Becky to hold his hand.He slowly closed his eyes and faded off to sleep.Heavens knew he needed it. Becky on her side, was still awake doing things she didn't even have to.She was always discovering something and as of the moment she had just finished doing something crazy in the basement.She was still thinking about Mark and his tough life.She however couldn't fully understand why he was pushing her away but even more wonder why she was still pulling him back soo bad.Maybe he just wanted to be left alone.Or maybe he was pushing her away because he needed her but couldn't just tell her.She was working overtime to try and help him break the case.The only way she could do that was by digging for evidence in the most unbelievable of places.She had turned her basement into a lab and was sneaking evidence from the office to work it out in her house.She hadn't found anything yet, but she was not tired to keep looking. She was tired and hungry and she had to stop working to fix herself something to eat.She quickly passed by the kitchen and made some eggs and instantly noodles.It was slowly becoming her main dish.She was so determined to help Mark that she sometimes forgot about herself.Every now and then she would stop to think about Mark's ignorance towards her efforts and sometimes she would even feel like dropping the whole helping crap, but she just couldn't.By the time she came from her thoughts, she had already finished her meals.A quick visit to the washroom and then to bed.Thinking of the crazy Mark Rogers.

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