I

It's 8 in the morning and the briefing room in an uptown police station is hustlin' and bustlin'. With coffee, a case file or a notebook in hand, the ladies and gents took their seats and tried to settle down.

"We sure are starting pretty early today, eh?" Aiber yawned and took a sip from his cup of hot coffee.

"This maniac on the loose sure is giving everyone a headache; it's been a long 5 months…" Matsuda said as he flipped through the pages of his notebook.

"Yeah and it seems like we're going to go back to square one. That butcher, Smithson, he was just a bait used by the unsub to again twist the whole investigation, same as that guy in the band, Schafer. Now we have another cold Barbie in need of justice." Aiber said with a sigh.

"As of now the only thing we're sure of is that the unsub is a male, has a doll fetish, leaves no trace behind and he is artistic in his own gory way."

"I can't believe that even the FBI doesn't have a sure lead on this one but it looks like the unsub is back in our territory where he started 5 months ago." said Aiber as he finished his coffee. He stretched and yawned again. He wasn't really a morning person. Matsuda who was reviewing his notes on the case suddenly stopped and nudged Aiber who instantly sat up when the chief came in.

"Everyone, around 5 a.m. this morning we've received a call from an old woman down in 12th. Just across her home, in the playground, the 9th cold Barbie was found." The chief said with a grim look on his face. He clicked the projector remote to reveal the picture from the crime scene to everyone. Matsuda felt sick, he didn't have the stomach to look at stuff such as the one on the screen, and he felt thankful that he wasn't part of the team who went there that morning. He glanced at Aiber who didn't seem to bother the disturbing picture.

Despite feeling his stomach churn and turn Matsuda decided to focus on the picture, taking in every detail of it. The cold Barbie, this is what they decided to call the case and the victims as well, was sitting below a tree, naked, its legs spread in a way that a child would leave a doll after playing with it, missing a pinky, eyes dead but open and lips sewn shut.

"The unsub's victims are all particularly attractive women. All were blondes, ages 17-23. He preserves the body and leaves it looking pretty and creepy. Naked. The lips were always sewn shut and the eyes open. Rope marks around the ankle and wrist area. Whip marks here and there. There would be lacerations and bruises in the private areas, caused by foreign objects. There are usually no signs of struggle, since victims are drugged. A pinky would always be missing from either hand, probably the unsub takes it as a trophy. All are killed due to intracranial hemorrhage caused by blunt object" Matsuda noted in his mind.

The chief sighed as he finished his brief. "We have no idea who would be the next target. There are thousands of women in this city fit to be the next target and we can't just tell them to lock their selves up until the unsub is caught. For all we know as we are speaking right now he might be off to another city. Now any questions, ideas and leads?" There were several questions raised, ideas thrown and then the chief received a phone call, he excused himself to answer it and was back after a couple of minutes.

"I was just informed that the big boss decided to seek help from the outside, the request was sent just moments ago, with hopes that one of those legendary detectives would take the case. I personally wanted us to solve this on our own because I believe we can but as much as I hate to admit it we are nowhere near to solving the case." The chief said with another sigh. There were raised brows and questioning looks. 90% of the people in the room didn't know what the chief was talking about.

"Legendary detectives? You mean….." Matsuda exclaimed in surprise. Not everyone knows of the legendary detectives, 3 of the best alive today. They're enigmatic, eccentric but extremely capable and intelligent. To most people in law enforcement the legendary detectives are just an urban legend, something detectives came up with on their coffee breaks. Matsuda being a fan boy that he is have always believed that the 3 existed. Deneuve, Coil and the one who's completely a mystery, whose name or rather alias he only heard twice, L.

"Matsuda, close your mouth. You're drooling" Aiber said slapping Matsuda lightly.

"Did you just heard what chief said?! If that is so we'd have a chance to rub elbows with either of the 3!" Matsuda said excitedly.

"Idiot! We ain't even sure if they're going to take the case and besides you won't be rubbing elbows with them. No one has ever seen them, so calm those tits of yours ok?"

"You're right… that sure got me excited" Matsuda said with an embarrassed smile.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

In a room somewhere, with insufficient lighting and only a laptop and some other small electronics on the floor, the rapid typing was interrupted with a series of sneeze.

"Is the room too cold? Don't tell me you caught a cold." An old man in a black suit said in a concerned voice as he entered the room with a silver tray in hand. "I should probably make you tea later, there's this tea I used to drink when I'm have an impending cold." added the old man as he walked towards the crouched figure on the floor.

"I'm feeling just fine. Thank you for your concern Watari, but I'd rather have sweet coffee and a bowl of strawberry ice-cream with sprinkles in it."

"I have arranged for our flight back to England two days from now but I received a request from the police just a while ago." Watari said as he placed down a brown envelope, a cup of coffee and a jar of sugar cubes beside the crouched figure whose eyes didn't left the monitor.

Running his long elegant fingers on the envelope, he held it up with a thumb and a finger as if to inspect it with the light from the laptop. He carefully opened the enveloped and picked the pages out of it and laid them in a line in front of him. He opened the jar and started dropping sugar cubes in the cup of coffee. He then slowly stirred it with a silver teaspoon and then took a couple of sips before putting it down only to add a couple more sugar cubes in it.

"Interesting. I have been looking up on the case just now; it was on the local news this morning." said the crouched figure as he started nibbling on his thumb. He eyed each page he took out from the envelope, taking in every detail and information he can get and then he focused on the pictures. Picking them up one by one with the same manner he did before.

"Watari, looks like we're going to have to cancel that flight back to England."

"So you're taking on this one." replied the old man.

Putting the picture down and then taking the cup of coffee and finishing it in one slurp, the crouched figure replied. "I guess Coil wouldn't mind to take on a serial killer. Watari, you know what to do"

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

"No way! Coil took the case?!" Matsuda exclaimed almost jumping out from his seat.

"Jeez, can you at least try to hide your excitement" Aiber said as he sat back at his chair.

"Matsuda, this is serious business. You're not going to get your autograph either because he won't be showing himself here at the station. We were instructed that we would communicate through the number he gave us. He asked for everything we have gathered since the killings started, even our thoughts on the case and list of possible suspects." Said another detective who is part of the team assigned for the case.

The next 1 hour was spent on discussing theories on the case, the possible suspects, evidence gathered on the recent victim, information about her personal life, her whereabouts and activities before she disappeared.

~~~o~~~o~~~o~~~

A raven haired man, tall and lean, with pale white skin which matches his dark eyes with dark circles under them, walking in his usual slouched posture, took a seat in a black couch in the middle of a vast room, devoid from any unnecessary decorations. He sat in his habitual crouched position. He took the bowl of strawberry ice-cream with sprinkles in front of him and started eating.

"Should I now contact the police department?" said Watari who stood across the couch with a phone in hand.

"Please do" replied the man who was busy licking ice cream off his spoon. The old man then dialed a number and just after 3 rings someone answered. The old man did the introductions and then handed the phone to the raven haired man.

"Hello? This is Detective Aiber, so do I now have the pleasure of talking to Detective Eraldo Coil?" Aiber said with a grin on the other side of the line. Matsuda has his head right next to the phone, despite the call being on speaker.

"I'd get to the point Det. Aiber, the suspect to the recent murder sure is from your city. He moves here and there to kill but he doesn't stay far from home. The other one should be making his move in a couple of days or a week." replied the raven haired man who just made his voice sound more mature and imposing.

"Other one?" Aiber replied a bit surprised that the idea Matsuda threw out about having more than one unsub might be true.

The raven haired man stirred the melted ice cream on his bowl. He sighed, thinking how much he hated to explain everything to others but did anyway. "Yes. I've noticed a difference between the victims from the west coast and those from the east. The way the mouths were stitched and the women themselves. 4 of those from the west are no taller than 5"5 and have smaller body frames, while the 5 on the east have athletic builds and their height ranges from 5"8- 6. The suspects spread the date of the killings in a way that it would seem like he was travelling from one point to the other. The stitches, looks the same at the first couple of glance but if you look at them closely the ones on the victims from the west are not as meticulously done as the others."

Everyone in the Cold Barbie case team is quiet listening closely to every word. Some shuffled to grab the case files and checked the observations given to them by the detective. Their eyes widened as they realized Coil was correct.

"Det. Aiber, by any chance that someone is sitting right next to you, listening closely to our conversation? If yes then please tell him to stop breathing on the speakers, I find it really annoying." Upon hearing this Aiber pushed Matsuda's face away from the phone and glared at him. Others from the team tried to control their laughter as they watched Matsuda's face turn bright red.

"The killings seem to be answering each other; I wonder if the suspects are in a competition? Anyway we'll find out. It seems like the two are related by blood or bond. If we catch one, then we'll find the other. I'll be leaving the one on the east to your team and I'd take care of the other. That's all for now, in 5 minutes you'd receive my complete opinion and analysis of the case through Det. Aiber's mail. Please discuss things amongst yourselves first if you have questions. I hate repeating myself. You know how to reach me." The call ended before Aiber can even say "Ok", "What the hell!" or "Goodbye".

Note: So hey there! Thanks for reading chapter I! Hoping you read on hahaha and please do leave a review :))

*unsub means Unknown subject.