case 143 | lee felix

5. developments

FELIX

"Felix? Felix!" I feel someone shaking me by the shoulders. I jolt awake, finding myself seated on a swivel chair inside the barber shop on the opposite side of the road. The neighbouring buildings had woken up in the witching hour to the blaring noises of ambulances and police cars. The owner of the shop was nice enough to let us keep our things and warm up in there. Did I really fall asleep in the middle of all of this? I look outside and see that the sun was beginning to rise out of the horizon. Just how long was I out for?

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I don't know how I fell asleep," I groggily apologize to Hwayoung, who was standing in front of me wearing a pair of nitrile gloves and a face mask. The metallic smell was intense and it was making me really dizzy, worsening my pre-existing migraine. I didn't want to look like this in front of her.

"That's okay, I've got some other people with me. You should go home and take some rest. I know you could use it," she says, patting my shoulder. I was still in a daze about losing Jake in the snap of a finger. I had tried calling him only to hear it ring right next to me. All his belongings except his phone and wallet were here but he was not.

"But what about Jake? We need to find him!" I rub my eyes and get up on my feet, stretching out my sore muscles. I needed a cup of coffee. I haven't done anything productive yet.

"You're not in the right state of mind to start an investigation, Felix. I know you're worried but let me handle this for a few hours while you go rest up. Keep in mind you've been staying overtime at work the past week. I'll give you a call and we can start fresh," she assures me. I sad smile forms on my face as I wrap my arms around her.

"Thank you so much," I say, a tiny sob coming out as I rest my chin on her shoulder. I feel like I've been stuck in a fever dream the past few weeks and it seemed like she actually got me, since we were the only ones who knew what happened that day all the way up till now. After a moment, she rubs my back soothingly and hugs me. I was feeling really overwhelmed and I needed to clear my mind.

Is this what a good detective is like? Taking a break when his best friend is M.I.A.? When there are pale corpses lying at his feet?

"Don't even think about it," she says, almost reading into my thoughts. "You're not slacking off whatsoever. You're recharging for a major investigation and we'll be searching for things here. No time is being wasted so we'll be fine," she says, waving me off. I reluctantly step outside and feel the chilly air again. The perimeter of two buildings were sealed by yellow crime scene tapes. I lift one up to leave and instantly a hoard of reporters make a dash for where I was standing, bombarding me with questions about the case.

"Excuse me, detective? Are there any developments in this mass murder case?" A reporter asks, shoving a long mic to my face.

"I'm sorry everyone, but I cannot disclose any information right now. Please refrain from getting too close and possibly tainting any evidence. Thank you," I say, scrambling through the crowd to find the car that was waiting for me as they continue to trail behind me in search of answers. How could I tell them that I was just as clueless as they were?

*

"This is crazy! We're not going to get anywhere at this point," I hear Hwayoung's voice as the elevator doors open and I step outside. She was pulling her hair, clearly enraged by something.

"What's the matter?" I ask, passing her a plastic cup filled with her usual iced Americano right from the cafe downstairs. She accepts it with both hands and takes a long, hearty sip of it.

"God, I needed that. Thank you."

"No, thank you for keeping everything in control. My migraine is completely gone and I feel much more refreshed." I didn't know how badly I needed that rest until my head hit the pillow and I slept like a baby.