𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐑, coffinshipping

𝒕𝒘𝒐, hands wrapped around my throat

one thing about the killer that stuck out was they happened to be very good at hiding their tracks. no fingerprints, no smeared blood or trash left behind. there was no way to figure out his next move if they didn't have the slightest idea who they were looking for. what was he supposed to do now?

strahm sat at his desk repeating the same question on loop for the past hour. the dark pen locked between his fingers tapped on the hard surface. with the lack of evidence, there was no way anyone would believe a word he said. knowing that he would more than likely be the next person to fall victim to this alleged jigsaw killer, he took this very seriously.

his fingers tapped on the keys, trying to find something on hoffman that he could use. previous criminal records would be a start, but after extensive research, he came up with nothing. strahm reclined in his chair with a small sigh, his attempt to catch the killer in vain. and most likely he would be next on the chopping block.

there was one last thing he thought to check, and that was the storage room filled with previous case files and whatnot.

strahm grabbed out the most recent file which happened to be a younger male named seth baxter. sliced open by a pendulum and left for dead, what a terrible way to go. he flipped through some of the paperwork and horrific crime scene photos.

the agent sat down at a nearby desk, seeing that seth had a previous criminal record it caught his attention. trying to link hoffman to the crime he needed some background knowledge on his victims.

strahm peeked out into the hallway, knowing full well the new classified documents were off-limits. he scurried back to his office with the documents in hand, sitting them down as he did a quick search on the victim.

after being taken into police custody and found guilty of murder, seth baxter was sent to prison, where he had to face a life sentence. however, due to the legal technicality, he was released after serving only five years. sentenced for the murder of his former girlfriend angelia acomb. his eyebrows furrowed as he glossed over the girlfriend's name. it sounded familiar.

one google search later he found out why that name rang so many bells. she happened to be hoffman's younger sister.

strahm grinned, "i got you now you motherfucker." he whispered, slamming the computer screen before racing out the office door. such in a rush he hadn't stopped to think if someone else was walking in the hallway. bumping into the one person that he could've gone another lifetime without seeing, hoffman.

"watch where you're walking will ya?" he growled, tightening his grip on the stack of papers placed under his arm. strahm had a clear goal in mind, and nothing was going to stop him, not even hoffman. sure the detective was probably expecting a snarky comment or rude remark.

but strahm simply mumbles, "i'm in a hurry asshole" before continuing along on his path. hoffman had never seen his fellow agent in such a rush. it struck him as odd and ended up peaking his curiosity.

strahm got in his vehicle and drove back to the rundown building where the most recent crime scene took place. when he arrived he started down the hallway, listening to his steps echo as he continued on his path.

eventually, he got to where he was going, which looked nothing like the horrid sight he witnessed the first time he entered the room. the door to the room had been closed, strahm took a moment to observe the frame. a small peephole was dug through the door, giving him a clear view of the table where seth baxter took his last breath.

the bloody mess was cleaned and the body had already been taken, but the hole was perfectly lined up with the table.

hoffman wanted to watch him suffer. "you like to watch your victim's executions.. you sick fuck." strahm whispered, he knew there was always something twisted about hoffman. how he never showed the smallest glimpse of remorse at crime scenes, it looked more like he was admiring the work than judging it.

seeing the officers had missed that tiny hole in their crime scene report, strahm took it upon himself to observe more carefully. upon inspection, he noticed that the door locked from the outside when shut. so even if seth baxter somehow was able to break free, with the boarded-up windows and sealed door there was no hope for an easy escape.

not wanting to get stuck alone in an abandoned building, strahm made it crucial to keep the door propped open. since no one knew where he was. or so he thought. the door leading to the outside was heavy, and made a loud squeaking sound that reverberated through the empty halls.

not even the strongest winds would be strong enough to push it open, which meant only one thing, someone else was here. upon hearing the approaching footsteps strahm quickly tucked himself behind the door. knowing whoever came through that door was trespassing on a restricted building.

whether it be a squatter or a local news reporter, no one was allowed access to this building. strahm stayed hidden, keeping his breathing steady as his heart pounded against his rib cage.

the footsteps drew near and strahm feared his heartbeat would give him away. hoping that whoever they are would just leave and save him the trouble. but instead, the sound of steps entering the room sent a shiver racing down his spine.

with no way to defend himself and no way to call for backup, he hoped to settle this in a civil manner. he took a heavy breath before taking a peek from behind the door. immediately he froze.

in a moment of pure heart-pounding adrenaline, he kicked away the support holding the doorway open. the heavy door shut with a loud thud causing the person to turn and face him. the man in the suit just so happened to be detective hoffman. locking him in with the killer.