Chapter 3

The station felt different that day.

Not louder. Not busier.

Just… heavier.

Like something had settled into the walls overnight.

Jason stood in front of the evidence board, unmoving, eyes locked on the photos pinned across it. The alley. The position. The teddy.

The stitching.

Every detail mattered.

Every detail meant something.

Behind him, chairs scraped lightly as officers moved around, voices low, cautious. No one wanted to say it out loud, but everyone felt it.

This case wasn’t normal.

“Still staring holes into it?”

Adam’s voice cut through the quiet as he walked in, tossing his jacket over a chair.

Jason didn’t look away. “You’re late.”

Adam smirked. “You say that like I haven’t been here for an hour already.”

Jason ignored that.

His focus shifted slightly to a photo—zoomed in.

The stitches.

Uneven.

But not careless.

Deliberate.

Adam walked up beside him, following his gaze.

“You’ve been looking at that for too long,” he said. “It’s just stitching.”

Jason shook his head slightly.

“No.”

A pause.

“It’s not random.”

Adam raised a brow. “You found something?”

Jason stepped closer to the board, pointing.

“Look at the spacing.”

Adam leaned in.

“Okay…”

“Now look at this one,” Jason said, pointing to another image.

Adam’s eyes moved between them.

Then—

“…Wait.”

Jason didn’t say anything.

Adam straightened a little. “That’s not messy. That’s… repeated.”

Jason nodded once.

“Pattern.”

Adam let out a low whistle. “You’re telling me the killer stitched a pattern into a teddy bear?”

Jason’s voice stayed calm.

“I’m telling you the stitching is the message.”

Silence.

Adam crossed his arms, thinking.

“…So what? It’s a code?”

“Yes.”

“And we’re supposed to what? Read it like a book?”

Jason finally turned to him.

“Yes.”

Adam blinked.

“…You’re serious.”

Jason didn’t respond.

Because he was.

A moment passed before Adam exhaled.

“Okay. Fine. Let’s say it’s a code. Where do we even start?”

Jason glanced back at the board.

“With repetition.”

Adam frowned slightly. “Repetition?”

“If it’s a code, it follows rules. If it follows rules, it repeats.”

Adam nodded slowly. “And if it repeats…”

“We can break it.”

Adam gave a small grin. “Now that sounds fun.”

Jason didn’t share the excitement.

Because something about this didn’t feel like a puzzle meant to be solved.

It felt like—

Something meant to be understood by only one person.

Before Adam could say anything else, a voice called out—

“Detectives.”

They both turned.

A senior officer approached, holding another file.

“We got something from nearby cameras.”

Jason stepped forward instantly. “Show me.”

The officer opened the file, revealing a series of grainy images.

Street view.

Nighttime.

Rain.

Blurry shapes.

Adam leaned in. “That’s it?”

“Enhancement is still in progress,” the officer said. “But we caught… something.”

Jason’s eyes scanned the images carefully.

Frame by frame.

Then—

He stopped.

“…This one.”

Adam leaned closer. “What?”

Jason pointed.

“There.”

At first, it looked like nothing.

Just shadows.

Rain.

Darkness.

But then—

Adam saw it.

A figure.

Standing at the edge of the frame.

Still.

Watching.

“…That’s him?” Adam asked quietly.

Jason didn’t answer immediately.

His eyes narrowed.

“No movement,” he said. “No blur.”

Adam frowned. “So?”

Jason looked at him.

“He wanted to be seen.”

That made Adam pause.

“…Why would a killer want that?”

Jason turned back to the photo.

Because it wasn’t just about being seen.

It was about—

Control.

“He’s not hiding,” Jason said.

Adam’s expression shifted.

“He’s waiting.”

Silence fell between them again.

The kind that settled deep.

Uncomfortable.

Real.

Adam straightened, trying to shake it off.

“Alright,” he said, forcing a lighter tone. “So we’ve got a code, a creepy teddy, and a killer who likes cameras.”

Jason didn’t react.

Adam glanced at him.

“…You’re thinking something else.”

Jason didn’t deny it.

“This isn’t just about the victims.”

Adam’s smile faded slightly.

“Then what is it about?”

Jason’s gaze stayed on the photo.

On the figure.

On the presence that felt too intentional.

“It’s about us.”

Adam went still.

“…You’re joking.”

Jason finally looked at him.

“No.”

A pause.

Then—

“He’s getting closer.”

Adam let out a quiet breath.

“…Great.”

But this time—

He didn’t sound amused.

Because for the first time…

It didn’t feel like they were chasing the killer.

It felt like—

The killer had already found them.

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End of Chapter 3

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