Hi everyone! It's nice to be back into fanfiction… I noticed that it's been dead lately and I've had this idea in my mind for a while now so I just decided to go ahead and write it! I'm sorry I haven't typed any in the past year… A lot has happened to me. On April 20, 2014, my house of almost 16 years burned to the ground. It happened on Easter morning. The fire started in a small breaker box in my room. If I hadn't have gotten up early that morning to attend Sunrise Service at my church, I probably would be dead right now… So yeah. We lost everything. All of our clothes, pictures, furniture, etc. My cat, Alli, was also in the house. We tried to save her, but we could never find her… Not to mention that my laptop was in my house so every single one of my already typed out stories and story ideas that I had never posted was burned. I was literally almost done with writing a new chapter to What You'll Do For the One You Love buuuut oh well. I don't remember it now, sadly. Anyways, after all of that, I just lost my inspiration for writing since I had lost every single one of my future story ideas.

On the brighter side to that depressing story, I'm writing again! And my family built a new house! It's pretty nice. It's bigger but of course nothing will ever replace the house I grew up in. Also, these past two years, I've gotten my first serious boyfriend, (Heh, heh.), gotten my first car, and so far, I've survived half of my senior year already. So, life has been good to me at the moment.

Now back to the story. Just like the description says, Ellie, our main character, represents all of the CoD fandom. So basically, what she says and does would be like what our fandom would do if we were a part of the story. When you first played Cause of Death, her reactions in the story will probably match what your reactions were in real life. If you don't get it now, you'll get it as you read. Oh, and I'm going to try to do every single volume and episode in Ellie's P.O.V. So there will be plenty of chapters and you will get to relive every episode of Cause of Death! And that's about it. I hope you enjoy...

The Adventures of a Fangirl
Volume 1:

Prologue

Somewhere deep in the middle of the ocean, in a cold, dark room in the bottom of a boat is where our story begins…

Our main character, Ellie, wakes up somewhere cold and dark, struggling to open her eyes.

"Where am I? What is this?!" she asks herself, looking around. All of a sudden, a light flickers on, revealing a red-headed female in a dingy corner, just now waking up.

"Oh God…"

*Sophie's P.O.V*

"Nnh… My head… What… What happened? Where am I?" You whisper to yourself.

"Hm. Well this is interesting," a girl in the other corner, Ellie, states, wondering what is going to happen.

Your wrists are bound, and you're lying in a dingy corner. Overhead, a bare bulb shines a wane, yellow light.

"The… The last thing I remember is the club…" You think to yourself, obviously not paying any attention to the other girl in the corner.

You turn your headd to see a masked man standing at a workbench. He methodically lays out tools… A scalpel, a palette knife, a bucket.

"Oh my god… Oh my god!" You think, horrified.

"Oh crap… This girl is about to get killed!" Ellie thinks to herself, eyes wide.

Behind you, you can barely make out a narrow flight of stairs. You debate on whether to sneak out or to scream for help. Ellie frantically shakes her head.

"Don't you dare yell! Run, bitch, run!" Ellie whispers frantically.

Using the corner of the wall as a brace, you rise unsteadily to your feet.

"I need to be quiet… I can make it out of here," you thinks. All of a sudden, the step creaks.

The masked man whisks his head around to see you trying to escape. He charges towards you!

"RUN, RED-HEAD, RUN!" Ellie yells at you. You race frantically up the stairs…

"Oh my God…" you say in horror, as soon as you get on deck.

All of a sudden, Ellie magically appears on the deck of the boat with you, gazing out at the rocky shores of Alcatraz Island. The ocean spray stings against your cheeks.

"No… No!" you cry.

The masked man emerges from below decks. He is holding a syringe.

"Oh yeah. You're definitely dead now," Ellie says.

Looking down, you see choppy waves pound against the hull.

You look around, as if trying to decide what to say.

"Be brave!" Ellie whispers to you.

"You won't get away with this!" you threaten the masked man. "If you hurt me, the police will come after you!"

"I'm positively shaking," the masked man says, sarcastically.

"Well, you may not be, but I am. This is creepy…" Ellie mutters.

The masked man steps towards you. You swing at him wildly.

"Yeah, girl! Hit him!" Ellie encourages.

"Get away from me, you… You…" you threaten to no avail.

The masked man grabs you wrist and forces you to the ground.

"No more running," the masked man tells you. With surgical precision, the man sticks the syringe into your neck.

"Ugh. I hate needles…" Ellie states, shuddering.

"Ahh!" you scream. "What did he just give me…? I feel… Dizzy…" You think.

The world blurs around you. Your body goes limp, paralyzed.

The masked man carries you down below deck, with Ellie following. He lays you on the workbench.

"Hey, uh, dude? I don't think this is such a good idea…" Ellie says awkwardly, scratching the side of her head. The masked man just grunts and chooses to ignore her.

"Hhhh…" you moan.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you," the masked man tells you.

"Then what are you going to do?! You already paralyzed her!" Ellie shrieks, gesturing towards your limp figure.

The masked man dips a palette knife into a bucket and uses it to apply a layer of plaster across your face.

"Oh good God, that's disgusting…" Ellie mutters, feeling sick.

"I'm just going to show the world your true face," the masked man tells you.

"What does that mean?" Ellie asks, curiously.

The masked man ignores her and continues to work, covering your mouth and nostrils, but leaving your eyes for last. You struggle, but you can't move! Your limbs lay dead at your sides!

Ellie taps on the man's shoulder as he continues to spread the plaster on your face. "Hey, answer me. What does the true face thing mean?! Also, I think she might suffocate if you keep doing that, sir." Ellie looks at you, cautiously.

Your lungs burn for air. Your vision dims…

"No! Wait! Don't end this part yet! What does that mean?!" Ellie yells. It almost seems as if she is being sucked into the darkness with you.

Your vision dims even more…

"NO! TELL ME WHAT IT MEANS!" Ellie yells at the man one last time before…

The darkness swallows you.

Chapter One

*You are now Detective Mal Fallon of the San Francisco Police Department*

You sit in a back-alley bar in the Mission District playing a heads-up game of Texas Hold 'Em.

"Come on, Diego, what are you waiting for? I don't have all day…" You tell your friend. A heavily tattooed young man sits across from you, twitching nervously.

All of a sudden, a woman named Ellie walks in.

"Holy crap! You're… You're hot!" she exclaims, referring to you.

You smile politely and nod your head to her. "Thanks."

She swoons and fans herself. "Oh my goodness, I've died and gone to Heaven!"

You and Diego decide to ignore her.

"I'm thinking, man, I'm thinking…" Diego tells you, biting his lip nervously.

"Oooh, are you guys playing poker?!" Ellie shrieks excitedly, running to go sit with you two. She sits down and looks at both of you. "Yeah, let's play some poker!" You both just stare at her, bewildered. She looks around at the two of you, and then down at the table, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Wait…" she says, looking up now, a disappointed look on her face. "I have no idea how to play poker."

You both roll your eyes and continue playing your game.

Nearby, a TV is blaring, "The serial killer dubbed as 'The Maskmaker continues to elude capture, frustrating law enforcement…"

"Hey, you hear about this Maskmaker guy, Mal? Killing girls, making masks out of their faces. Pretty sick, huh?" Diego tries to strike up a conversation, nodding to the television.

"Oh my goodness, I just saw that happen!" Ellie shrieks, pointing to the TV. "I'm a witness!"

You and Diego choose to ignore her, once again.

"How about you leave the detective work to me, Diego, and focus on the game? You gonna make a bet or not?" You ask, smirking.

Diego glances at his two cards, then grins. "Sure, I'm in for thirty."

"Let's see… We're at the final round of betting, and I've got nothing but a pair of fours… But my gut says Diego's got even less," You think to yourself. You wonder whether to bluff or fold.

"Um… Bluff sounds good. Let's go with bluff," Ellie whispers to you. So you bluff.

"I raise a hundred," you state.

"What? No, man, you… You don't got it. No way you got anything," Diego says, frowning.

"Then call it, Diego. Put your money where your mouth is," you smirk at him.

"Ahhh, screw this, man. I fold," he says, sadly.

"Was that good? I feel like that was good," Ellie declares, nodding.

You reach across the table and gather up the pot.

"Cheer up. One of these days, your luck will turn," you grin at him.

All of a sudden, above your head, the words, 'Detective Score Up!' appear for a moment and then disappear. Ellie seems to be the only one to see it, however.

"Did you guys just see that?! What does that mean?!" she exclaims.

You and Diego give her a weird look.

"You guys didn't see the floating words?! Come on! They were right above your head!" she points to above your head. You look up to see nothing there.

"Ugh, nevermind," she groans.

You simply shrug it off. "Maybe she's just had a little too much to drink…" you think to yourself, amused.

Diego starts to shuffle the cards, when a tall police officer walks up to the table.

"Mal," Detective Ken Greene addresses you.

"Who are you?!" Ellie asks.

You all decide to ignore her.

"Well, this is unexpected. What are you doing here, Ken?" you ask him.

"I had a feeling I'd find you here… Gambling away with these other shady, unkempt lowlifes…" he says, eyeing Diego.

"Hey, I might be shady and a lowlife, but I'm very well kempt…" you joke.

"Anyway, the Captain sent me to find you. You're needed on a case," Detective Greene tells you.

"Hm. I wonder which case that would be!" Ellie says, sarcastically.

"I thought I was suspended until the end of next week…" you say.

"You were. Now, you're not. Let's go."

"Dang, Mal. Don't ask questions! Just go!" Ellie tries to shoo you off.

"You got suspended? What'd you do?" Diego asks, curiously.

"Yeah, what did you do?" Ellie asks, propping her elbow up on the table.

You bite your lip, wondering whether you should tell them.

"Just tell us the truth," Ellie tells you.

"I punched the mayor's son," You reply honestly.

"Damn! That's hardcore!" Diego grins.

"Oh wow…" Ellie mutters.

"'Hardcore' was what he did to the girl he assaulted. I just helped him understand the error of his ways," you reply honestly.

"Wow, that's hot," Ellie swoons.

"As much fun as it is to rehash your greatest hits, we gotta roll out," Ken says, nodding towards the door.

You pocket the last of your money. "What's the big rush, anyway?"

"Yeah, where are we going?" Ellie asks, hopping out of her seat.

"Captain Yeong wants you to head up the Maskmaker Task Force," Ken informs you.

"I knew it!" Ellie squeals.

"Since when is there a Maskmaker Task Force?" You ask.

"Since we just found another victim. Let's go," Ken says, nodding to the door.

"This is getting intense!" Ellie squeals.

You get up from the seat and pull on your coat. You and Ken walk towards the door.

"Oh, and by the way…" Ken starts.

"Yeah?" You ask, looking at him.

He grins. "It's good to have you back, Mal."

"I feel a bromance coming on!" Ellie sings, walking right behind you two.

Half an hour later, you're driving down the streets of San Francisco.

Sitting in the passenger seat is your superior, Captain Maria Yeong.

"I gotta tell you, Captain, as much as I'm glad to be back on the beat, I thought Detective Blackwell was handling the Maskmaker case…" you tell her.

"He was when the victims were all prostitutes. This new one's a college girl. When the press gets word of this, the public is going to go crazy…" Captain Maria Yeong says. "And whether I like it or not, you're the best detective I've got."

"Oooh!" Ellie pops up from the back seat. "He's gorgeous AND he's a great detective?! Sounds yummy…" she wiggles her eyebrows.

Captain Maria Yeong looks back at her, curiously, startled by her sudden appearance.

"Who's this?" she asks you.

You shrug. "I'm not really sure. She's been following me around all day. I think she's some sort of intern or something…"

"Oh… I had no idea that we had interns at the station…" Captain Yeong furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Anyways," you change the subject back to the original one. "I appreciate it," you nod at her, appreciating the compliment.

"That doesn't mean you're off the hook! I want this one by-the-book, Detective. You understand that? By-the-book," she warns, furrowing her eyebrows.

You wonder whether to be cocky or follow her orders.

"Follow her order," Ellie whispers to you.

"You've got my word," you say. "I won't let you down, Captain."

All of a sudden, the words, 'Detective Score Up!' appear above your head.

"There it is again!" Ellie shrieks, just as the words disappear. You and Captain Yeong both look up to see nothing.

"Ugh, I swear it was there!" she curses.

You both choose to ignore her.

"Good. And you might want to let your wife know you'll be home late," she states.

"Wife?! You have a wife?! No! You're supposed to marry me!" Ellie yells in outrage from the backseat.

"Yeah, I'll, uh, give her a call in a bit. First, why don't you give me the basics on the case?" you tell Captain Yeong.

"This is the third murder matching this M.O. we've had in three months. The victims were young women, age 20-25, who washed up dead near the waterfront. All of them had plaster masks molded to their faces," she informs you. "We can't definitively ID this latest victim until we run her DNA against a comparison sample, but the student ID in her wallet says she's Sophie Patterson of Stanford University."

"Yep, that's her! I know her! Her name is Sophie and she was killed by the Maskmaker! That's definitely her!" Ellie interrupts.

Captain Yeong chooses to ignore her. "I've already called the tech team. They'll fill you in on this victim when we get there. Any questions?"

You debate on whether you need more information.

"Nah, you're good," Ellie says, waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

You chuckle. "Well, I guess that I know what I need to know." You then turn serious. "I'll catch this guy, Captain."

"I hope you can, Detective… Before he kills again," Captain Yeong states, seriously.

A cold breeze blows over you as you arrive at a series of run-down docks just a few blocks away from the touristy hub of Fisherman's Wharf.

By the water, you're greeted by an all-too-familiar sight: a circle roped off by police tape and a huddle of grim-faced officers.

You push past several officers and walk into the circle. On her back by the water is a young, well-dressed girl with a firm plaster mask molded around her face.

"Ah hell…" You mutter to yourself.

"Yep… That's definitely her," Ellie nods.

Captain Yeong comes up beside both of you. "The body was found by some fishermen coming back from their morning trawl. Judging by the look of her, she spent the night in the water."

"She was dumped in the ocean… But the mask stayed on?" You ask, curiously.

"Believe me, we're having a hell of a time getting it off. Our killer knew what he was doing," Captain Yeong nods toward the body.

You walk towards the body, when a young woman in a dark suit steps out from the circle and snaps a picture!

You debate on whether to be rude and yell at her or to be polite.

"Aw, be nice, she's just a girl," Ellie tells you.

"Miss, please back away from the crime scene," you ask her politely.

"I would, but that would make doing my job more difficult," the woman replies.

"Wow… You're pretty," Ellie whispers, referring to the woman.

The woman stands up, reaches into her pocket, and flashes you an FBI ID.

Suddenly, a 'Detective Score Up!' flashes above your head.

Ellie nudges the woman. "Did you just see that?!" The woman simply raises her eyebrow. "Ugh, nevermind! You must all be blind or something!"

You and the woman choose to ignore her.

"You're with the FBI?" you ask the woman.

"You've got a serial killer on your hands, and the Bureau sent me to assist with profiling. Are we going to have a problem?" the woman retorts back.

"Oooh! She's feisty! I like her!" Ellie tells you, pointing at the woman.

"Captain?" you ask, looking back at the woman in question.

"I didn't expect them to get someone out here so fast… But yes, I heard we'd be receiving assistance from the Bureau," Captain Yeong tells you, frowning. "Do me a favor and play nice."

"I'll try not to bite," you reply, smirking.

"Oooh, is he flirting? He's definitely flirting," Ellie nudges the woman once again.

You ignore her and turn towards the woman.

"I'm Detective Mal Fallon," you introduce yourself.

"Special Agent Natara Williams," she replies curtly.

"Wait… woah…" Ellie states, eyes wide, a grin forming on her face. "You two are going to fall in love. I just know it!"

You grin, teasingly, ignoring Ellie. "Can I call you Nat?"

She frowns, angrily. "You can call me Special Agent Williams."

"Oh yes! It's definitely going to happen now! You two are going to fall in love!" Ellie squeals, jumping up and down.

You both ignore her.

"Well, Special Agent Williams, mind if I examine the crime scene?"

"Geez. Special Agent Williams is such a mouth full! It'd be so much easier if you let him call you Nat, darlin'," Ellie tells Special Agent Williams, grinning.

She decides to ignore her.

"Be my guest," she gestures towards the crime scene.

"She's got no visible wounds on her. No sign of bruising around her neck, and I'm not seeing any head trauma," you state.

"Even her clothes are neat. No rips or tears, no obvious signs of struggle. Unless our killer meticulously dressed her, I'm betting we get no evidence of sexual assault," Special Agent Williams continues to observe the body. "Hmm. That's interesting. This murder is different from the previous victims."

"You're right…" You say. You try to remember how this case is different.

"The cause of death is different," Ellie reminds you, whispering.

"The cause of death is different," you repeat.

"Yes, that's absolutely correct," Special Agent Williams praises you.

Once again, the words 'Detective Score Up!' appear above your head.

Ellie looks at both of you frantically, wondering if either of you saw it.

"Am I seriously the only one who can see that?!" she shrieks.

You both choose to ignore her.

"The other victims were strangled… But this girl has no bruising on her neck," you observe. "So how'd she die?"

"Drowning, maybe?" Special Agent Williams guesses.

"No! He drugged her and put the mask on her face! She died by suffocating from the mask! Trust me, I was there!" Ellie exclaims, but everyone ignores her.

A tall man in a white shirt approaches you.

"No, she couldn't have drowned. There's no fluid in her lungs. The victim was dead before her body entered the water," the tall man states.

"I told you!" Ellie smarts back.

"Special Agent Williams, I'd like you to meet Eric Mills, our forensic technician," you introduce.

"Well, if she didn't die from drowning or strangulation, what killed her?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Look here. See that tiny welt? This indicates the victim received an injection just prior to her death…" Eric states.

"The chloroform?" Special Agent William asks.

"No, if this victim is like the others, that was administered via a cloth over the mouth… We're also seeing some signs of asphyxiation. Look at the petechial hemorrhaging behind the ears," Eric starts.

"The what?" Ellie asks, confused.

Eric clears his throat, aggravated at the interruption. "That suggests that her airways were obstructed…"

"Son of a… He killed her with the mask," you realize.

"What? I LITERALLY JUST TOLD YOU THAT!" Ellie yells. "I WAS THERE! I'M A WITNESS!"

Eric blinks at your accusation. "Come again?"

You bend down, gently moving the girl's head to the side and touching the edge of the mask. "Look how tightly it's plastered onto her skin. My guess is he drugged her, plastered over her face, and let her suffocate to death."

"Nooooo! Really?! Who would have ever guessed that?!" Ellie exclaims, sarcastically.

"Then this crime is even more different than I thought," Special Agent Williams comments. "He made the mask while his victim was alive instead of doing it after she died…"

Ellie dramatically falls on the ground in exasperation. "I swear, no one listens to me!"

You try to think of something to say.

"He's evolving!" Ellie cries from the ground, a hand dramatically covering her face.

"He's evolving," you repeat.

"Exactly. And when a killer this precise, this methodical, this disciplined, still has room to evolve…" Special Agent Williams starts.

"That's trouble," you finish, just as 'Detective Score Up!' appears over your head.

"Ugh, I give up!" Ellie exclaims, still on the ground.

"Yeah. A lot of it," Special Agent Williams confirms, a serious look on her face.

"Hey! Mal! You might want to see this!" Officer William Rye calls.

You turn to the officer, who is holding a blacklight over the body.

"Look what I found on her arm!" Officer Rye exclaims, pointing to the victim's arm.

He shines the blacklight on the inside of the girl's wrists, revealing a stamp, a circle of animals from the Chinese zodiac.

"Wait a minute, I know that stamp. That's from the Zen Club in Chinatown. It's an upscale bar and karaoke club," you report. "Given how crisp the image is, I'm guessing she was there last night."

"Someone there must have seen something…" Special Agent Williams says.

"Well, Special Agent Williams, looks like we just got a lead," you reply.

"A lead?!" Ellie jumps up from the ground. "Oooh! That's so exciting! Where are we going?!"

A few minutes later, you drive Special Agent Williams and Ellie to Chinatown. The Special Agent goes over her paperwork in stony silence.

"Not much of a talker, are you? Too busy profiling?" you ask, grinning.

"As a matter of fact, Detective, I am. And I'm not sure I understand why you find that so amusing," she says, angrily.

"Hey, don't be mean to him. He's sensitive," Ellie says, patting your shoulder.

"It's just… Come on. That pop psych stuff probably sounded great in a classroom at Quantico, but it's not going to find us this killer," you honestly reply to Agent Williams.

"Oh really? And what is going to help us find this killer?" she asks, smartly.

"Real policework. Hitting the street. Grilling witnesses. Following my gut," you say.

"Oh please. Spare me the 'tough cop' routine, will you? I've worked with enough detectives to know it's all an act," she rolls her eyes.

"And you think you know me that well? Have you profiled me?" you ask, curiously.

"As a matter of fact, Detective, I have. Would you like to hear it?" she asks.

"Yes, let's hear it!" Ellie exclaims.

"Sure," you shrug.

"Your name is Mal Fallon. I'm guessing that you're a descendant of Malachi Fallon, first Chief of Police of the San Francisco Police Department?" she asks.

"Wow, that's cool," Ellie comments from the backseat.

"So you've read a history book," you roll your eyes.

"So policework runs in your blood," she states. "But your response to me suggests an innate distrust of women. Absent mother, I imagine?"

"…" You furrow your eyebrows and don't reply.

"I'm guessing you had a rebellious youth? Didn't play by the rules? Maybe even a little legal trouble? And all of this culminates in a personality type that serves authority without fully respecting it."

"Oh, no she didn't…" Ellie whispers, eyes wide.

Special Agent Williams turns to look at you. "How'd I do?"

"Pretty good," you shrug. "But you're wrong about my mother. The woman was a saint."

"Uh huh. So you were a little rebel, huh, Mal?" Ellie smirks.

You suddenly get an idea.

"Now how about I tell you what my gut thinks of you?" you ask Agent Williams, ignoring Ellie.

"Be my guest!" she almost laughs.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, the local FBI branch is working the Flores Cartel, their biggest organized crime takedown in fifteen years… And yet, you're stuck helping us with this," you reply.

"Oh, no HE didn't!" Ellie gasps, eyes getting wider.

"What are you implying?" the Special Agent asks, furrowing her eyebrows.

"She must have pissed someone off…" Ellie whispers to you.

"You must have pissed someone off," you repeat like a robot.

"…" Special Agent Williams doesn't reply.

"I'm right, aren't I? You're on crap detail," you say. 'Detective Score Up!' appears above your head once again.

"WHY DOES IT KEEP SAYING THAT?!" Ellie screeches.

You both turn around in your seats to give her strangle looks.

"Oh, just go back to your conversation," she waves you both off, frustratingly.

"I'll admit I'm not on the best of terms with my District Chief…" she trails off.

"Aha! I'm so good at this guessing game!" Ellie exclaims.

"I knew it!" you brighten up. "What'd you do? Blow a major lead? Get too cozy with a reporter? Did you shoot someone you weren't supposed to?"

"How about you leave the profiling to me, Detective?" she asks, narrowing her eyes at you.

"All right, all right. Just keep your gun holstered around me, okay?" you ask, still grinning.

"I make no promises," she states.

"Is she… flirting?!" Ellie asks, excitedly.

You and Agent Williams (and Ellie) approach an upscale nightclub in Chinatown. The words 'Zen Club' hang over the door in bright neon.

"So how'd you recognize the stamp, anyway? You don't seem like the karaoke type," Special Agent Williams asks you, sounding amused.

"You're only saying that because you haven't heard me sing," you wink at her.

"A teenage rebel AND a singer?! Ah, I think I'm in Heaven!" Ellie swoons once again.

You both ignore her.

"Oh really?" Special Agent Williams asks.

"That and I know the owner here. Shady guy, but he helped us out with an investigation a while back," you inform her.

You step into the bar. It's before business hours, but a few of the staff are already setting up.

"Ah crap, it's you. Listen, I already told the last cop, I had no idea those kids were under 21," the club owner explains, frowning.

"Relax, Milo. This isn't about your liquor license," you reply. "There's been a homicide. We have reason to believe the victim was here last night."

"We want to know about a redhead in her 20s, with a tattoo of a constellation on her lower back. That ring any bells?" Special Agent Williams chimes in.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the one. She's a regular," Milo grins.

"Um, how does he know she has a tattoo of a constellation on her lower back? Does that mean he's been looking at her butt?" Ellie asks, disgustingly.

You all ignore her.

"Hey, wait… Is she… You know…" Milo trails off.

"Just tell us. Was she with anyone?" you ask him.

"A guy! She was with a guy, I bet!" Ellie chimes in.

"Yeah, yeah, she was talking to Jared," he says.

"Jared?" you ask, raising your eyebrow.

The owner jerks his thumb across the room. Behind the bar, a muscular young man wipes down shot glasses.

"Hey, Jared! Some cops are here to see you," Milo calls to him.

"Oh, uh, just give me one sec…" Jared mutters.

"You better get ready. He's about to make a run for it," Ellie hints, nudging you.

Jared steps away from the bar, tosses down his towel…

…Then bolts through the kitchen door!

"I told you," Ellie smarts, looking proud of herself.

"Damn! He's getting away!" you shout. You jump the bar and grab the door handle! It's locked!

"Kick the door in!" Ellie shouts.

You kick the door in! It flies off its hinges in a spray of wooden splinters! You, Special Agent Williams, and Ellie rush through!

"Hey! You'd better be paying for that!" the owner, Milo, yells after you.

Jared races through the kitchen, speeding towards the rear exit!

"Freeze!" you yell at him. In return, Jared grabs a steel saucepot off a rack and hurls it at your head!

"Duck!" Ellie screams.

You duck under the pot! It clatters harmlessly behind you! Jared sprints around the stoves and streaks out the back door!

"Stay on him!" you shout to Special Agent Williams.

"I am!" she shouts back at you.

You burst out the door after Jared, dart through a tight alley, and emerge onto a crowded street!

"Where the hell is he?" Agent Williams yells frustratingly.

"Keep your eyes sharp!" you yell. You look for the suspect and his distinctive…

You try to remember what color hair he had.

"He had brown hair!" Ellie shouts to you.

Suddenly, you spot him. "There! Down by the street!"

"FBI! Get out of the way!" Special Agent Williams yells to the passerby.

The two of you sprint towards Jared! He spins around desperately, then darts into the street!

"Jesus!" you yell. Horns blare and bellow! An SUV swerves right by Jared, nearly clipping him! He stumbles, pulls himself up, and keeps running!

"I got him!" Special Agent Williams yells to you. She runs after him… Right into the path of an oncoming city bus!

"Mal, push her out of the way!" Ellie yells to you.

You propel Special Agent Williams and yourself forward, shooting past the bus!

"Thanks for the assist," she nods at you, gratefully.

Up ahead, Jared keeps running.

"I got this!" you exclaim, confidently.

Jared makes it to the sidewalk on the other side of the street. You sprint after him… Hop over the dash of a cab… Get right on his heels…

You hesitate on what to do next.

"Tackle him!" Ellie yells.

You tackle Jared, smashing him into the curb! "Gotcha!" you exclaim. A wave of 'Detective Score Up!' runs over your head.

"Tell me that I'm not the only one who saw that!" Ellie yells, looking around wildly at bystanders.

"Aaaaagh! Damn, man! Get off me, pig!" Jared yells.

You dig into Jared's pockets and find a baggie of little white pills… "I'm guessing these aren't prescription. What are they? Roofies? GHB? Your secret weapon when it comes to knocking girls out at the club?"

"I'm not saying anything until I talk to my attorney!" Jared exclaims, angrily.

A few minutes later, you, Agent Williams, and Ellie stand on the sidewalk. Uniformed officers have taken Jared down to the station.

"Man…" Ellie exclaims, bent over, still trying to catch her breath. "I don't know how you guys run every day! Geez!"

You both ignore her.

"That was a pretty close call with that bus," you hint at Special Agent Williams.

"Yeah, I… It was…" she trails off.

"You doing all right, Special Agent?" you ask, sincerely.

"I… I am. Thank you, Detective," she says, still sounding shaken up. You wince at her calling you 'Detective.'

"Please. Call me Mal," you tell her.

"Oooh! Yeahhhh! Call him Malllll!" Ellie wiggles her eyebrows, nudging Agent Williams. Agent Williams rolls her eyes, huffing, and walks away.

"Hm, tough crowd…" Ellie mutters to you.

"Tell me about it…" you reply, shaking your head in amazement at the new FBI Agent.

Back at the precinct…

Before you and Special Agent Williams go into the interrogation room to speak with Jared, Captain Yeong pulls you aside.

"So, think the kid did it?" she asks.

"Maybe… I don't know. He could be, but that just seems like it'd be too easy. " Ellie says, wrinkling her nose.

"Could be. Jared's connected to the victim, but we won't know if he killed her until we speak to him," you reply, just as 'Detective Score Up!' pops up over your head.

"Tell me that you see that, too!" Ellie begs Captain Yeong, pointing over your head to the words just now disappearing.

"I'm sorry?" Captain Yeong asks, confused.

"Oh my GOODNESS!" She yells in frustration.

Captain Yeong then decides to ignore her and go back to your conversation. "Good to see you're not getting ahead of yourself, Detective. What about you, Agent Williams? What's your take?"

"He fits the standard serial killer profile. Mid 20s. White. Prior relationship with the victim," she pauses. "But he also works in a highly social profession. Serial killers tend to be detached and awkward around strangers."

"I doubt that'll be enough for a jury, Special Agent," Captain Yeong says.

Eric walks over. "Detective, I've got that analysis of the drugs Jared was carrying. It's a morphine derivative called hydromorphone or hydro."

"Sounds cool!" Ellie butts in.

"I know hydro. It's popular with club kids who like a medicine cabinet high," you say, ignoring Ellie.

"Overdoses cause dizziness, light-headedness, blackouts…" Eric trails off.

"So it could've been what the killer used to incapacitate Sophie?" Agent Williams asks.

"No! It was an injection! Not pills! Remember?" Ellie shouts.

"We'll need the completed tox screen to know for certain, but it's certainly plausible. Then again, it's also possible your suspect's just using them to get high," Eric states.

"Thanks, Eric. I think it's time we had our little chat with Jared," you say.

You, Agent Williams, and Ellie sit down across from Jared and his lawyer in the interrogation room.

"Hello, I'm Catherine Krutzik, I'll be handling Jared's case. You should know that I've advised my client not to speak," the lawyer informs you.

"Ugh. I have a feeling that we'll be seeing her a lot in years to come…" Ellie groans.

"That's okay," you reply to the lawyer. "All he needs to do is listen."

"Yeah! This is about murder!" Ellie exclaims.

"This is about murder," you repeat.

"Murder?! Why's he talking about murder?" Jared panics.

"Jared, let me handle this," the lawyer soothes him.

"But…" Jared frowns.

"I said, stay quiet," she snaps.

"Oooh feisty lawyer…" Ellie whispers.

"Well, Officer, you've succeeded in unnerving my client. Now explain yourself," she snaps at you.

"My pleasure," you reply as a 'Detective Score Up!' appears.

Ellie grits her teeth angrily. "You see that?" she asks Jared. His eyes widen and he shakes his head.

"Ugh!" Ellie groans, forming her hands into fists, and banging her head on the table dramatically.

You clear your throat, gaining everyone's attention again, and begin. "Last night, Sophie Patterson went to the Zen Lounge. Six hours later, she was found dead. Jared, as far as we know, you're the last person who saw her alive."

"Wait… What?! You're saying Sophie…" he trails off.

"Well, yeah, he just said that," Ellie rolls her eyes.

"Is dead." You finish for him. "And right now, the evidence isn't looking good for you. Last one to see her alive… Access to illegal drugs… Trust me. It'll be better if you start talking now."

You decide on whether to ask him or accuse him.

"Ask him," Ellie whispers.

"What can you tell me about Sophie?" you ask.

"…Sophie?" Jared asks, frowning. Tears well up in Jared's eyes. "Sophie's just this girl, you know. Cute, fun… We even hooked up a couple of times. Mostly though, she came to me when she wanted to party."

'Detective Score Up!' appears above your head as you ask, "And last night?"

Ellie bangs her head on the table once again. "Where do these things keep coming from?!"

Jared ignores her. "She found me. I fixed her a drink, but that's it! I wouldn't sell her anything harder."

"Why not?" you ask, curiously.

"Because she looked like she'd already been partying. Unsteady on her feet, you know? Last I saw, she was stumbling towards the rear exit, and then…" he stops.

"And then?" you ask, impatiently.

"And then nothing. She was just gone. I figured she'd bailed," he finishes.

A few minutes later, you and Agent Williams watch as uniformed officers escort Jared back to the holding cells.

"Well, any luck verifying my client's alibi?" the lawyer asks you.

"Yeah. The club owner confirmed Jared was still mixing Mai Tais at Sophie's time of death," Agent Williams confirmed.

"Very good. I want it noted that my client cooperated fully with your investigation," the lawyer says, sticking her nose up in the air.

Captain Yeong walks over to the two of you. "I think we've done all we can today, at least until the Medical Examiner comes back with a full autopsy report tomorrow."

"I have enough information to draw up a profile. I'll have it ready by tomorrow morning," Agent Williams nods to her.

"Go home and get some rest. I'll want you both alert tomorrow," she orders.

You, Agent Williams, and Ellie walk out of the office. The night is cold, and the sky is hidden behind thick clouds.

"Need a lift to your hotel?" you ask Agent Williams, politely.

"It's not far. I'll walk," she politely refuses.

"You did well out there today, you know. Even if we didn't get the right guy," you smile slightly.

"You weren't bad yourself, Detec… Er… Mal," she grins, a slight blush dusting over her cheeks.

"This is getting interesting," Ellie grins evilly.

"You have a good night, Special Agent Williams," you nod to her, starting to walk away.

"You too," she says, walking off.

A moment later, Ken walks up to you. "That your new Fed partner? She's one good-looking woman. Think I'd have a shot with her?"

"As far as I can tell? She'd break you in half," you joke.

"Heh! You happy to be back on the force?" he asks, smiling.

"Yeah, I am. I just wish I'd come back under better circumstances."

"Well, I bet your wife's happy you're not lying around on the couch all day. How's she doing, by the way?" he asks. "Things still good with you and Sandra?"

"Ugh. I forgot he had a wife!" Ellie cries to herself.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah. Couldn't be better," you stutter.

"Do I detect a suspicion here?" Ellie says, raising her eyebrows.

"All right, Mal. I'll catch you later. Don't be a stranger," Ken nods at you.

You drive home and park outside the street. You walk up the stairs and into… A lonely, empty apartment. The lights are off, and packed boxes sit everywhere.

"Well, this is suspicious…" Ellie mutters to herself, looking around.

"Damn. The light's still out. I really ought to fix that one of these days," you think to yourself, not noticing Ellie in your home.

Somewhere on the far side of the room, your answering machine is blinking.

"Go check it!" Ellie whispers.

You walk over to your answering machine and hit 'play.'

"Hey Mal. It's, um, me. I wanted you to know that I'm going to come by at the end of the week to pick up the last of my stuff. I know you're not going to return this call, because you don't want to deal with this or anything else… Just don't make this difficult, okay? I'll leave my key when I'm done. Goodbye, Mal." The machine beeps.

"Well, that's not what I needed to hear right now," You think to yourself.

"Who in the world was that?!" Ellie asks herself.

You walk over to the TV and flip it on. 'As we reported earlier, the serial killer known as 'The Maskmaker' has claimed a third, as yet unidentified, victim. Police Captain Maria Yeong has reportedly assigned controversial Detective Mal Fallon to lead the task force…'

"I'm 'controversial' now? That's a step up," you think. You flip off the TV.

"Talk about one hell of a day…" you think, stretching. You shove past the stacks of boxes, open the bedroom door, and sprawl on the small bed. Sleep doesn't come easily.

*Chapter One completed*

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that! Please review and let me know if I should continue with this story! Thanks for reading!

Love always,

bugreid