"I found two dead bodies."

Detective Darrow plays the 911 call recording for Alois. As the man speaks to the operator, Alois pulls up the crime scene photos and spreads them on the desk, imagining firsthand what the man must've witnessed. The scene is as follows: a dead man lays a few feet away from a black van, and inside, tucked in the backseat, is another dead man lying in a fetal position. From the perspective of a witness, only Samael's body would be immediately visible while a van looms nearby. It would be understandable to assume that Samael might've been hit by the vehicle. 

"How did you find them?"

"I just got here. I was out for a walk."

Alois scans the recording's transcript, searching for the exact time the call was made. 2:47 am. Ah yes, the prime time for a casual stroll. Going by how dark the background of the photos is, he assumes it was scenic.

"On Severn Street?"

"Yes. It's quiet here. The bodies were just lying there."

His delivery comes off noncommittal for a man who's seeing two corpses. Alois expected a more frantic, if not fearful, response. Instead, he sounds disinterested and almost bored.

As the call progresses, the man breaks this state of numbness when the dispatcher asks him to check if they've passed.

"They're dead."

The man makes this statement, tone absent of its previous clinical touch; he sounds pained. His attitude has led Alois to assume he's more or less irritated to be there; however, there's a tremble at the man's response that implies melancholy at the request.

Perhaps then, rather than annoyed, he's maintaining composure.

"The one outside has a broken neck and another inside…." 

The man returns to speaking in even tones, providing the dispatcher with as much necessary information as possible in a flat and tight voice.

Bingo. He's holding back.

Afterward, the man becomes unresponsive and ends the call by hanging up abruptly.

He made the call and then ran out of steam, it seems. 

Well. Alois flips through the documents; the call was made using Samael's phone, located back in the dead man's jacket. It was wiped clean of any fingerprints. Tracking him will be a hassle.

Alois hoped he stayed agitated longer; anything that could give him cracks to peek through. Unfortunately, whether by nature or on purpose, said man held his composure exceptionally well. 

No matter. The call alone has given Alois a lot.

He turns to the detective, who currently has his arms crossed and eyes closed. His head is turned towards the floor, expression neutral except for a slight squint as he seems to be still lost in thought. 

Or he fell asleep—time to check.

"What do you think?"

The detective's head snaps up and deliberates on what to say; he reaches up to grip his chin in the meantime. After a moment, he meets Alois' eyes and speaks. "The caller's behavior is suspicious… But there isn't much to go off of."

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"We don't know who he is or if he's relevant, and we lack anything conclusive. Right now, it feels like almost anything can be explained away."

"Hm."

"I suspect that once we gather enough evidence, we'll be able to come back to this with better insight." The detective sits up, face concentrated as he continues. "The surveillance data came back with nothing for now, but the area hasn't been canvassed yet. I can update you if there's anything new on that front."

There goes the puppy man. "I appreciate it, detective, but let's do it together."

"Ah- Oh no- I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Alois knows. He cuts the man off before he starts kneeling. "You're fine. It's quicker this way."

Detective Darrow nods and clears his throat. He starts gathering his materials, avoiding Alois' face. "Right. Should we head out then?"

"Wait." The detective, already standing, freezes. "Stay. Let's not go yet."

He turns towards Alois and tilts his head. "Yes?"

Maybe Alois should stop calling him puppy in his head, but dammit, the word fits. "... I have a proposal."

Detective Darrow opens his mouth, but Alois holds up a finger, signaling him to stop. Alois continues, "but first listen to this."

Alois fiddles with the recording and replays a portion that piqued his interest.

I just got here. The bodies were just lying there.

Detective Darrow walks back to his seat. "What about it?"

"His choice of words. If I didn't have the crime scene photos, I would've assumed that there would've been two corpses lying side by side on the ground."

The detective mulls over Alois' words.

"... Ah." He takes a seat. "Elliot was hard to see."

"Exactly. The van has tinted windows, and it's still dark out. Even if he peeked, how could he know? Moreover, would a normal person be able to handle a dead body?"

"That's true. He placed the phone back into Samael's pocket."

"Most people who call in dead bodies can't even touch it, yet he was able to while sounding bored the entire time."

Detective Darrow frowns." But… What can we do about this? Whether we assume he's involved or not, we'll still be in the same place as we are now." 

"Not necessarily. He could be just a bystander that wants to remain anonymous, but let's say he isn't, then why would he call in?"

The detective leans back and drums his fingers on the table. "… Some guilty parties call in, but it's to impede investigations- as in giving false statements or redirecting the authorities. But he didn't stay."

Alois can sense his impatience, but he appreciates the detective for playing along nicely. "Alright, so let's review it then. He calls in, doesn't stay, doesn't divert, and doesn't mask the identities of the deceased." 

"Right." 

"Assuming he's involved, the motive appears quite simple."

"Eh?" Detective Darrow's eyebrows rise. It takes a few years off his face. 

"It's a message– a signal." Alois is tempted to poke his cheek, but that would be inappropriate; instead, he elaborates. "He wants us to know they're dead. Maybe he could be toying with us, and there are more bodies on the way, or maybe we're not the intended audience. We could be the means that makes these deaths public."

"…"

"In any case, you could still be right. We don't know his background– he could be someone who dislikes police but isn't heartless enough to ignore the dead. After all, Samael's phone has a flashlight, and that could be enough to explain how he knows about Elliot. As you said, with where we are currently, almost anything can be explained away."

"So what then?" Detective Darrow knits his brows once more. Alois wouldn't say he's pouting.

But he's kinda pouting.

Finally, Alois lets him off the hook. "Say he wants us to talk, well then… Let's force him out. I was already interested in keeping this case low profile initially, but this time around, we keep an even tighter lid on it– no names, no announcement- it's as though he never called. He may think he's out, but we're dragging him back in."

"Ah-I see!" Detective Darrow snaps a finger, his spirit lifted now that he's caught up. "This won't matter as a passerby, but if he isn't, he'll sweat if he sees there's no news about it."

Alois nods. "And when he does try to make contact, I want us to be ready with a trap." For a moment, the detective tilts his head ever so slightly upwards while one side of his mouth quirks up, a hungry glint on his sea-green eyes. 

Ah, there's the bite.

He had a feeling this guy wasn't as soft as he looked.

The display barely lasts a second before it morphs into a gentler smile, dimples now on display. The detective sits back, legs spread, one arm casually resting on the table. He looks a lot more relaxed than before when he was ready to bolt out.

"No wonder they sent you, huh." Well, the man seems satisfied from where Alois is sitting. It's… a little blinding.

"It helps that I don't have a life." Edging on almost 30, no partner, no kids, only hobbies– Really, Alois is the perfect guy to put on call.

The adoring look switches to pity. Detective Darrow reaches out to pat Alois on the shoulder. "We should go out for some drinks sometime then."

Alois does not appreciate that delivery- now the offer sounds like charity work. He shrugs. "Sure, only if you pay."

Might as well make it real charity work.

"If your hunch is right, I will."

"Well… Now the stakes are really high."

Detective Darrow laughs. "This is not how I expected you to be."

"Explain."

"I thought you would hit the ground running- considering how big this could get."

Alois arches a brow. "You don't think I am?"

He's aware of how he reads to people; stone-faced and straightlaced. Alois looks like he eats raw eggs for breakfast and punches trees for fun. It's useful when dealing with suspects, but not so much for making friends. Claire used to tease him for scaring her past boyfriends.

Considering how the detective shifts and looks off to the side, he must've jumped to similar conclusions. He rubs the back of his neck and responds. "No– I mean, bringing a whole team and setting up a task force. Maybe even a press conference or a public announcement. You know… the whole bit."

"And for what?" He squints his eyes just to incite slight panic. He isn't mad, but that doesn't mean he won't tease.  

"... To work as quickly as possible? Make people feel reassured?" The man answers sheepishly.

Alois shakes his head. "Too soon. At that rate, all I'll be doing is reassuring myself. I don't need to put the cart before the horse."

"You're not worried about wasting time?"

"I always am."

"Oh."

Alois understands the sentiment; the weight of the Scarlet Spades is heavy, and it's tempting to rush and get them off the streets as soon as possible. But doing it quickly isn't the same as doing it well. He wants no loose ends, no stone unturned, and no possible exits.

Alois starts gathering loose paper and photographs and tucking them back into his folder, ready to move now that they've discussed the call. The detective catches on and gets up.

Alois speaks. "Anyways, we keep quiet and play hard to get with the caller?"

"Sounds good." Detective Darrow nods, playfully he adds. "Now we go?"

"Now we go."