Chapter 2

After the meeting, I head straight to the break room. I need coffee. My life saver. Even though it is decaf. It always is after you hit your 300 milligrams of caffeine for the day. The summary M3 sent out helped me bridge my short lapses. The project has a wild name: “Summer ghost”. Very scary. I’m sure whoever was in charge of thinking that up must have had a blast.

“Please run cleaning program.”

The coffee machine interrupts my thoughts. Goddammit. Same as always. I run the cleaning program and am rewarded with a cup of the most disgusting shit you could ever imagine, well, as long as you don’t imagine intestines or broken in skulls. I drink it. It still is the best part of my morning.
After the second cup, I reluctantly return to my desk. The title Crime recognition analyst sparkles in my face. Great, time to prove my worth and show this precinct what they are paying me for by carefully studying the new case file.
“M1, summarise the case file ‘ Summer Ghost ' as simply as possible.”
It takes a second till my companion responds.
“Right away.”
I smirk. This is what 4 years of college will get you.
“The case is ongoing and has been deemed as unsolvable by SAVIOR. It revolves around a burglar who broke into 22 apartments and stole all the summer memories of the inhabitants. Two of the victims, witnesses 13 and 25, subsequently took their own lives, while witnesses 5, 8, and 9 have since been placed in treatment facilities. The other witnesses, after undergoing 2 weeks of high-intensity rehab, have since returned to their lives.
Would you like some specific details?”
I let out a heavy sigh.
“Nah, I’m good.”