My Hand For You

The sun has just sparked at the huge metal beam at the building construction site.

The camera shutter dominates the scene.

Sam approached Emma who was first arriving, as usual.

A charred body was found by the construction foreman as he started his shift that morning, hanging from the end of the crane with the big chain, still with a slight smoke billowing from its black body.

Several officers from the police had to use special security equipment to retrieve the body.

Even after getting close, they were still struggling because the chains binding the body were still hot from the burning residue.

Sam shook his head.

"Heh they are so innovative huh, doing the killing in such a spectacular way, amazing, what is this some kind of competition?"

Emma took a deep breath, she'd been wearing her latex gloves a while now, but the poor body was still hanging there.

"You think this is some kind of competition?"

"Well if it's not, then what? Once a week there are strange and saddest killings as if the killer is trying to increase his level of inhumanity."

The area was cordoned off with police lines, several officers stood guard several floors before the roof to prevent construction workers from approaching, everything there will be evidence of the sadistic murder.

Sam was just about to leave when the phone in his pocket vibrated.

"Wow" he saw who called him, though it might be hard to believe what he did that morning to deserve such an honor.

Cleared his throat cavity with a scream before picking up the phone.

"Ehem! Test test!!"

Sam moved to the freight elevator standing in the corner to pick up the phone.

"Hello"

Call from Dakota.

"Well I, could be there in a minute, um" Sam glanced at his watch.

"I can be there in twenty minutes at the most, yeah, okay, bye, see ya"

Emma frowned as she watched Sam approach with a beaming smile.

"Who is that Sam? Why do you look so happy like that? You just win a lottery?"

"I'll leave you here then, just let me know if the body has been unloaded and examined"

Emma was too late to stop him when her co-worker had already entered the freight elevator with several officers who were about to get off.

"Hey, really? The others haven't come yet, and I'm alone!" Emma shouted, who was ignored by Sam who waved his hand.

"Just a sec Em!"

....

Several sophomores gathered at the door of Dakota's study.

Police have already demarcated the room with a yellow line.

His assistant Dina and some of the students who formed a club for him helped out in the room, looking around every corner for anything else that might be suspicious.

Dakota sat in the corner of the sofa a little way from the table where several police officers had already started work.

Dina approached.

"Prof, there's no class after this, our suggestion is Professor should go home now, we can drive you home."

Dakota raised his head.

Soon several students approached, there were Daniel, Ray, Susan, Emmet, Dina, and Laura, and there were many more who entered his fan club. He never suggested anyone create a club in his name, but because of the level of Dakota's popularity that kept rising, he could no longer take control of them. His popularity not just inside the campus but outside too. They even created a special social media in his name.

"Thanks, guys"

Forensic officers have secured some evidence and documentation.

Sam emerged from the door. Some of the students disperse and continue their business.

"Dax!" he called out for Dakota.

The young Professor raised his head. Sam approached him and then headed towards the table where the carton containing the package was still there. A forensic officer took out its contents slowly.

A piece of a woman's hand, cut from the wrist. Still complete with slender fingers with bright red nail polish and a silver ring with purple eyes on her ring finger.

The officer put it on the plastic next to the cardboard and took the photo again.

Sam stood up and took a deep breath.

After days of searching for the hand, it turned out that it had appeared in an unexpected place, belonging to the victim that he immediately thought of.

Aris, one of his team members, handed over a letter in an envelope that had been put in a plastic bag in an open position.

Sweet handwriting with lip marks at the end of the writing, just a few words 'to my beloved Dakota, my hands will always protect you' Kisses Love.

Sam approached Dakota again.

"Is there anyone you might suspect? The package was intentionally sent to your room. So the sender might be someone close or who used to always watch over you here, while you still have another office at the headquarters"

Dakota frowned in thought, he shook his head.

"No one"

Soon Thomas appeared from the door. The man widened his eyes to see what was on Dakota's desk.

"Woo Dakota, this is on your monthly online shopping list, isn't it? Halloween party is still far to go, right?"

Sam slapped Thomas's shoulder with the plastic in his hand.

"Don't be noisy, this is an important matter, what case did you guys work on that makes someone terrorize Dakota? Don't take this as a joke"

Thomas frowned.

"Ahem, apart from doing some research on the 'Copycat Erick' serial killer there isn't anything else, I think your team also knows what we're doing"

"Well I heard you guys went to a super high-security prison to visit the man, isn't that too dangerous, for you maybe it's not a problem, but what about Dakota?"

"Well it's all under control, nothing happened there"

"Next time don't take him there, you know how every eye looks at him as if he was a bunny who is so delicious to be eaten"

"You are just too much, He's not a kid anymore"

"Well, he is!"

While the two of them were so noisy near his desk, Dakota was still frowning in deep thought. That handwriting, somehow he felt very familiar. He had a photographic memory, which meant he would always remember every detail of anything he saw before. That wouldn't go wrong, but now he doubted his memory.

"Heh"

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