Signs of Murder

Chapter 1

The rain poured relentlessly, turning the narrow alleyway into a river of filth and secrets. Neon signs flickered overhead, casting eerie glows over the soaked pavement. Detective Kaito Mori pulled his coat tighter around his frame as he stepped past the yellow police tape, his sharp eyes scanning the scene. The stench of blood mixed with rainwater, forming a sickening metallic scent that clung to the air.

A body lay sprawled against the graffiti-covered brick wall—a man in his late forties, dressed in a tailored suit that was now drenched in crimson. His throat was slashed, a deep and precise cut, and his right hand clutched a small, bloodstained card. Kaito knelt beside the corpse, careful not to disturb the evidence, and took a closer look at the card. A single word was scrawled across it in black ink:

"Who's next?"

"Same pattern as the others," said Officer Reina Takagi, standing beside him. Her voice was steady, but Kaito could tell she was unsettled. "This makes it the fourth victim in three weeks. Same execution. Same message."

Kaito exhaled slowly, his breath forming a mist in the cold night air. "This isn't just another murder. This is a message."

He glanced around the alley. No CCTV cameras, no visible witnesses. The rain would wash away most of the forensic evidence. But the cut on the victim's throat—it was too clean, too deliberate. This wasn't a crime of passion. This was precision.

"Did anyone hear or see anything?" he asked.

Reina shook her head. "We're still canvassing. But judging by the time of death, it happened within the last two hours. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

Kaito stood up, scanning the area again. There was something off about this crime scene. Something deliberate. His instincts, sharpened over a decade in homicide, screamed that this wasn't just about killing.

The victims were chosen.

The murders were staged.

And if history was any indication—

The killer wasn't done yet.

To Be Continued...