“What’s with this floor? And why would a slimy PI like Brooklyn Payne back off from this pce?” When they left Apartment 404 and headed towards the dire of the baick asked Marcus: “It’s - it’s not gonna be just the number four, right?”

  “Beats me as well. I know that Brooklyn Payn was superstitious, but he’s also quite a dedicated stalker when he really sets his mind on it.” Marcus scratched his jaw as he gradually lowered the tration of Qi around the exterior of his body, and at the same time, he tried to suppress the aggressiveness of his Qi like he practiced a few times before after that loation at Master Liaoran’s.

  The air grew colder, and the surroundings became slightly but still noticeably dimmer when Marcus went into this state. He looked around trying to see what differehis would make, but all he saw was Tanya, the girl with long straight bck hair, running towards him and Mick, without a kit knife in her hand.

  “Detectives, wait!” Tanya called out to them just when they reached the door to the safety exit: “I have something to tell you.”

  “Great!” Mick smiled and took a look at Marcus: “are a quick minute, right detective?”

  Marcus shrugged. If he had to voice his opinion, he would still urge them to go into police protective custody. He uood why they would not feel safe, but all things sidered, it still seemed like a safer choider the circumstances.

  “We DID see Lydia going away with the guy - Carl Benson.” Tanya spoke with a sense of rush, and her facial expression told both Mid Marcus that she was not as calm and collected as before while she was in her apartment: “He spent a lot of money, bought a lot of booze, talked shit to almost everyone, just being loud and obnoxious about his new car with his friends. The Lydia drunk a with her. We tried to stop it, but there are too many of them, and even our manager did not want to piss him off - ”

  “Good.” Marodded, it was always hat a theory could be corroborated from multiple ahough he was still worried if there was no physical proof of some kind: “Would you be willing to testify this? And do you happen to know if there was security footage of what happened?”

  “I don’t know if there’s footage. As far as I know, even the managers don’t have access to it.” Tanya shook her head: “But yes, when you put the Bensons on trial, or when you’re ready to show the world the truth, I promise you now I will be there to testify.”

  “Thank you.” Marodded.

  “Leave now, before it gets te.” Tanya looked at the sky: “You’d think it’s still early, but it’s already kinda te here. And you don’t wanna be wandering on this floor when it’s te. There’s a reason this floor is mostly unoccupied.”

  “Which is?” Mick couldn’t help but ask.

  “I know that you cops don’t usually talk about this, or you may not even know this, because you work for the city, and people who work for the city, especially cops have a certain kind of - aura.” Tanya shook her head: “But there’s something lurking here, on this very floor. And it could mearouble if you’re not careful. Those who could have already fled.”

  “But, why don’t you leave?” Mick scratched his head.

  “We ’t.” Tanya stared at Mick as if he just uttered the most foolish thing, and she instantly lost all desire to say anything more: “Go now. Don’t e back here unless you’ve found something or ready t down the fug Bensons.” Then she just turned around and ran back to apartment 404.

  “What - what’d I say?” Mick looked at Marcus.

  “Let’s go first.” Marcus sighed: “And keep it low profile.”

  Both of them made it back to their car after going out the building through the back door and cirg around the neighborhood. Both of them were reasonably certain that they did not catch the attention of any unsavory folks. Because her saw anyone keeping eyes on them. After settling down, Mick finally mustered up the ce to ask Marcus: ““What did she mean by a certain aura?” ”

  “Beats me. Perhaps she’s had bad experiences dealing with cops. Who hasn’t at some point in their lives.” Marcus shrugged.

  “No, no.” Mick shook his head: “She was referring to something specifid what do you think she meant by ‘something lurking’ on that floor?”

  “The red threads and talismans in their apartment should tell you enough.” Marcus shook his head.

  “Spirits? Or ‘the un’?” Mick shrugged: “I - I don’t know. I mean. I guess it’s pretty textbook that people in danger and in these - these challenging and distress-indug enviro, believing in the supernatural could be a way to cope with hardships - ”

  “What is the most gruesome case you’ve dealt with?” Marcus thought for a short moment and asked: “Not including Carl Benson, before you came to the 17th Prect.”

  “Well…” Mick appeared to be slightly embarrassed, and finally gave an answer after about one minute of silence: “... yeah, I’ve entered a case, where a mother kinda went crazy and drugged then burned her entire family. Including her husband and three children.”

  “Hmm, okay, I remember that case, about three years aght” Marodded: “How’d she end up?”

  “Insanity plea, probably out in a few years.” Mick sighed.

  “Yeah.” Marodded a silent, then just after he made a turn at a local crossroads, he told Mick: “During my first year as detective, Detective Pahaik and I were handed a case that eventually became a Blue Envelope. It was on the edge of South-Western District as well, close to the rails. Three men missing for over a month and o be found. Finally pieces of them were discovered, ed in pstic bags shoved ier towers. There were almost no suspects for the case. The only suspects, if you ighe fact that they were dead, were the victims themselves - all three of them had a well known grudge against each other. They had no other enemies aside from those who died with them.”

  Mick shivered. Then he sighed and did not say a word even after Marcus had parked the car at another bar in the general area - the sed pce they came to check out, one of the many pces Carl Bensoo before the act.

  Basically the same story, just repeated at different pces: Carl Bensoo a bar or a nightclub, funted his car and his money and tried to get lucky, but he had no luor patience. So he left, angry, rowdy and more drunk. It appeared that the Emerald Starlight was the final spot precisely because he was able to “score”. And it was because of this unfortuurn of events that led to the act.

  Not all of these pces were as uncooperative as the Emerald Starlight, three of the nightclubs actually showed Marcus and Mick their security footage. But it was food reason, the footage showed basically nothing, just that Carl Benson remai the bar for a bit, tried to hit on a few girls and got turned down, theually left. Mick became a bit quieter this time, and Marcus was thinking maybe his question about his most brutal case was ioo harsh.

  By the time they fiheir visits and interviews, the time was already te. When they got back to the prect, most of the officers on day shift were already gone. Aside from Kevin, who was lying on a table, reading a piece of report with a picture on it.

  “Hi Kevin, what’s happening?” Marcus threw his jacket onto the back of his chair.

  “Weird shit.” Kevin sat up, his eyes slightly bloodshot and there were visible bags under his eyes: “I don’t think normal Blue Envelopes are gonna cut it. I’m eaining that the emergency reparations team and Carl Benson are ected - somehow. I just o figure out why.”

  “Why don’t you tell me your theory?” Marcus smiled a into the kit to grab a coffee mug and some snacks, then tossed Mick a nut bar.

  “Thank you, but I’m allergic.” Mick scratched his head, then put the bar bad picked out a piece of dark chocote after cheg its ingredients: “Why are you still here, Kevin?”

  “Evidence doesn’t sleep.” Kevin took a bag of gummy worms and bears from Marcus: “Shrevas and Keryn were busting their butts off, yet there’s still no meaningful leads. I just want to help. How’s your case with Carl Benson?”

  “Not good.” Mick sighed: “The guy hit a few bars trying to pick up girls, then finally nded with the pirl. And was very likely driving while drunk.”

  “Carl Benson’s parents hired Brooklyn Payne.” Marcus shrugged: “And that slimebag’s watg the two young women’s pce with his goons. The girls used to work with the victim and may know quite a few things. I am going to ask Captain Ko for some help on this.”

  “Did they even want our help?” Kevin chewed on his gummy worm while his eyes were fixated on the report.

  “Unfortunately, no.”