Joint Case

Chapter 5: Missing Person Case III

Dust is scattered everywhere.

Cale cannot help himself but sneeze making his eyes watery. 

He roamed his eyes around the living room. He could see there were no human activities because of the thick dust that surrounds the room. 

Every piece of furniture, from the corner of the room up to the ceiling, was full of dust.

A detail caught his attention, there is thick dust around but in some parts of the room, there are thin specks of dust. Which means only one thing.

Some people stayed here.

"Let's split up. Since this house is big, we might take longer to find clues."

Everyone agreed and scattered around to find clues. 

Cale looked around and saw Alberu looking back at him. He raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? You're going with me? " Cale taunts Alberu trying to rile him up like how he does in the past. 

He thought Alberu would snap back at him.

"Yep, I'm going with you. "

"Huh? "

"You thought I'll snap back at you like before? Tsk tsk tsk, years made my patience longer dongsaeng. You need to work harder if you want to annoy me. "

Cale scrunched his nose in annoyance seeing how Alberu smiles at him. 

He did not know why his unsettling heart become so calm whenever he sees the genuine smiles Alberu made.

Cale ignored Alberu and proceeded to go to the second floor of the house with Alberu beside him.

'It's not bad working with him again. Besides, he already knows me too well. '

Cale was feeling irked with that thought of his.

'Ugh, whatever. I'm not going to think about it anymore. Nope. Let's just focus on the task on hand. '

***

Alberu discreetly glances at Cale and his surroundings. He could see portraits hanging on the wall. They might be the family who owns this house before it became empty and dusty. He wonders what happened to them.

A lingering smell passed through his nose.

'Huh? This smell appears to be familiar. '

Alberu sniffs some more to identify the smell.

"Its blood. " He heard Cale say.

'Blood? Why would the smell of blood be here? Don't tell me. '

He did not have time to finish his line of thought. Alberu and Cale hurriedly went to the room where the blood materialize the most.

Both look at each other, seeking confirmation before doing anything recklessly. It's a good thing they are on the same page. With a strong kick from Alberu, the door opened and there they see, the bloodied victims tied up in a chair.

Alberu checks the victims' condition if they were still breathing. He sighs in relief seeing they are still alive. Then started to untie the ropes that bind them.

"Hyung, we need to hurry up. "

"Huh?"

"This house would soon explode."

Alberu uttered a faint fuck under his breath. He gawks at Cale who is utterly calm at this moment. He could also see the bomb stationed behind Cale. A countdown started with only four minutes remaining.