Detective

Written by LeMistressV

Summary: It had been his favorite game. Close your eyes. Count to ten. Then hope to God the darkness passed. It had all been a game back then. But now Christopher must solve a string of murders spreading throughout New York City, finding what little clues left in the dark. It is a dangerous game, and with every plot and secret unraveled, Christopher realizes that he has very little time left before his client is killed.

Based on a real game I played as a child.

Prologue

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“We can’t let her get away.”

Two detectives could be made out in the darkness, dashing through the narrow halls quickly. Their coats trailed behind them as they moved swiftly from corridor to corridor. They were searching. Searching for someone hiding in the shadows.

The detective that had spoken up first panted for breath as he quickly followed his partner through the dark corridors. “We should have gone the other way. She was bound to end up where I planned,” he snapped.

His partner shook his head calmly as he ran through a darkened alley. “Raven’s smarter than that. And besides, this is a short cut,” he replied, flashing on an all-knowing grin. As he ran, his eyes scanned the area carefully, checking for any sudden movements lurking in the shadows.

For a moment, nothing else stirred, other than his partner. But out of the corner of his eye, he quickly spotted something dash out of the shadows. “There!” he exclaimed, pointing into the direction he had seen the movement.

His partner gave a nod and swiftly lunged for a nearby escape ladder. Yanking it abruptly, it gave a loud groan and came down, allowing the two detectives to climb onto it.

Quickly, the two men climbed up the ladder leading up the building’s roof and found themselves face to face with a slender figure dressed in a dark suit.

The figure turned abruptly at the source of the noise and jumped back slightly. Quickly, it backed away to the very edge of the building, as if about to jump if necessary.

“Freeze!” the two detectives shouted, aiming their guns at the figure.

The figure remained still, staring at the guns calmly. It didn’t seem threatened by the guns pointed her way.

“Raven, you are under arrest for theft!” one of the detectives spoke, tightening his grip on his gun. “Stay where are you are and surrender yourself now. You have been cornered.”

The figure laughed in amusement, putting both hands to its hips. “Arrest me, will you?” it spoke coolly. It was a woman’s voice. “I’m so sorry to disappoint you, gentlemen, but you won’t be making that arrest tonight. I’ll be off now. Ta-ta, my dears!” And with that, she somersaulted backwards into the air and vanished.

Alarmed, the two men ran to where the thief had been, glancing below them to see if the thief had left any traces behind. They found nothing.

“Impossible!” one of them spoke up, looking completely flustered. “It’s like she vanished right out of thin air. She couldn’t have possibly disappeared just like that.”

His partner stooped down and inspected something on the roof. Before him was a note with the symbol of a bird drawn on it. “Hey, Chris, that a look at this. I think our little cat burglar’s left us a little good-bye gift,” he remarked, examining the small scrap of paper with a raven embedded into it.

Chris glanced at the note and sighed, gray eyes glinting with interest. “Perhaps she’s going to be a little harder to catch than I thought.”

Chapter 1

Blake & Hart

Christopher Blake was one of the best detectives in New York City despite his young age. His expertise in catching thieves was extraordinary. It was impossible for him not to crack even the most difficult thefts in New York.

Chris was also well liked by his peers. Classy, handsome, intelligent, and a perfect gentleman, it was hard not to like him. Men and women alike adored him and marveled at his good fortune. Almost everybody wanted to be him

Yes, it appeared that Chris had the ideal life. Although he was not rich or famous, he still had everything he wanted: a wonderful job, a respectable salary, loyal friends, respect from his colleagues, and even his own apartment that he could afford for a decent price. He even had his own parking space at work.

Yes, it was wonderful to be Mr. Blake. Mr. Wonderful-Absolutely-Perfect-Christopher Blake…

…or was it?

“Chris! Chris! Hel-lo, you with me, buddy?”

Daniel Hart, or better known as Danny, waved a hand over Chris’s face as he drove his red Ferrari across the highway. The wind thrust his jet-black hair back, revealing a handsome, clean shaven face.

Chris obviously had not been listening. His mind was elsewhere at the moment. Jumping slightly to the sound of his partner’s voice, he snapped back to reality and replied, “I’m sorry, what?” His gray eyes held an inquiring look as he glanced at Danny.

Danny sighed, his eyes never leaving the road. “When are you ever going to get a girlfriend, eh, Chris?” he asked again, his eyes glinting with curiosity. He grinned, flashing his pearly white teeth. It was a common trademark of his. No one could pull off such a goofy smile other than Daniel Hart, who had the knack to charm any woman he came across.

Chris raised an eyebrow, staring at his best friend with a puzzled look on his face. “What?”

“You heard me,” his best friend replied, grinning to himself. “You’re one hell of a popular guy and you still don’t have a girlfriend. Now, either you’re the suckiest lady’s man out there or you’re just into me. Now, I hope it’s the former because I’m definitely not your type. Man, I’ve never even seen you out on a date. When’s the last time you’ve…you know…‘expressed yourself?’”

“What?” Chris looked completely flustered. “What are you talking about?”

Danny glanced at this friend and motioned his hand impatiently. “You know…‘expressed…yourself’…? You know…”

Chris sighed and rolled his eyes. “Danny, you are the biggest idiot I have ever met. And you’re quoting from a song to top it all off,” he grumbled, slightly embarrassed. “‘Expressed yourself’…geeze.”

He gave a sigh and thought for a moment, enjoying the rushing wind against his dark hair. He knew it was going to come to this. It was always the same routine. Danny would always ask him the girlfriend question whenever possible. “I’ve already told you that was never really an issue for me. I think I can handle without any girlfriends,” he added, slightly offended.

Danny sighed, glancing at his friend once again with an odd expression. “Hey, we’ve really got to talk about this, man. You’re twenty-five and you still don’t have a girlfriend. Man, that’s not normal. You haven’t even gone out on a single date,” he retorted, a concerned look rising to his face.

“I’ve been on a few dates,” Chris replied, looking bored. The subject of relationships and dating always bored him. It was not often the subject would cross his mind, unless of course, Danny was pestering him about it.

Danny rolled his eyes and shook his head in disapproval. He turned his gaze back on the road, thinking for a moment. “Chris,” he began, speeding past the other cars. Ignoring the speed limit and the many cars honking behind him, he continued, “I’m only telling you this because I’m your friend. I’m really worried about you, man. All work and no play isn’t healthy for you. I’ve seen good guys like you end up in asylums because they’ve had too much to put up with. I seriously think it’s time you found yourself a nice girlfriend. You know, someone who’ll take your mind off things once in a while.”

Chris looked skeptical. “Oh, really? And why haven’t you gotten yourself a girlfriend?”

“Hey, we’re talking about you here, not me. Don’t change the subject,” Danny replied, looking at Chris.

Chris didn’t reply at first. He knew he didn’t want to be dragged into another one of Danny’s blind date ideas, and he certainly didn’t want to get himself into a serious relationship right away. Women expected commitment, and Chris had no commitment to spare after all the heart he put into his work. Still, it was worth a shot trying to get a girlfriend for once. Maybe then Danny would stop butting into his love life.

Finally, after a long moment, Chris sighed and gave a reluctant nod. “Fine. I’ll give it a shot. But I’m not making any promises.”

Danny grinned, removing one hand from the wheel. Punching Chris lightly on the shoulder, he replied, “Great! I knew you wouldn’t let me down!” He turned to glance at the road once again and raised a fist at an old couple yelling angrily at him from the other side of the lane. “Ah bug off, ya old bag! I’m a police officer! Mind your own business!”

Chris sighed and rubbed his temples. What had he gotten himself into this time?”

---

The restaurant Danny brought Chris to was fancy and expensive. It was rather quiet except for the hushed conversations from the customers and from the musicians playing at the corner of the room. Large chandeliers, glowing a pearly white color lit the area. The walls were made of white marble and so were the columns. Murals decorated the walls as well, portraying mythical creatures. There were also a few vanilla orchids scattered around the restaurant, emitting a sweet aroma.

Danny smirked as he looked around, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “See, Chris. The first place to look for a date is here. Chicks dig this place,” he said, catching the eye of a pretty waitress. Winking, he watched as the waitress walked away, blushing and giggling at the same time.

Chris shrugged, pretending not to notice how much of a playboy his partner was. “Danny, don’t you think this place is a little expensive? I don’t think this place is good to meet anyone,” he mumbled, leaning against the wall; obviously not interested. “Not even I would eat in a place like this.”

Danny shrugged, grabbing a fancy cookie from a tray a waitress had been holding up. “Knowing you, you like girls who’ve got class. I figured this would be it,” he replied, munching delightfully on his cookie.

“Danny, we are surrounded by old, rich people,” Chris grumbled crankily.

Danny opened his mouth as if to say something. But at the spur of the moment, his cell phone began to ring, interrupting him. With a reluctant sigh, he excused himself from Chris and spoke quietly to the phone.

Chris waited until Danny’s phone call was finished. He gaped at his partner, not wanting to be left in a place like this by himself.

Danny looked slightly grim as he placed his cell phone back in his pocket. “Hey, something’s come up,” he explained, noticing the look on Chris’s face. “Look, I’ve got to go right now. I’d really love to stay, but they’ve called me back to the office. You hang out here a while,” he explained, walking away. A sly grin spread across his face as he made his way out of the restaurant. “Tell me how it goes, eh, Chris?” And with that, he was gone.

Chris sighed as he looked around the room. Great, he thought, pushing off against the wall. Just how am I supposed to find a date here?

He slumped against a chair near the window, his mind beginning to wander. Caught up in his thoughts, he failed to notice sitting on an occupied table.

A young woman in her early twenties peered up from the tea she was stirring. She glanced at Chris curiously, wondering why he was joining her table. “Uh, excuse me, maybe I help you with something?” she asked politely, bringing Chris out of his thoughts.

Chris jumped as he noticed a pair of hazel eyes staring curiously at him. Blushing, he immediately stoop up. “Oh! I’m terribly sorry,” he apologized. “I was just thinking and I happened to sit down by mistake…”

The woman chuckled in amusement, waving a hand for him to sit back down. “Oh, please, sit. I could use the company. Besides, you don’t look in any way dangerous to me,” she replied cheerfully, in a thick British accent.

Chris quietly sat back down, studying the woman’s face carefully. He couldn’t help but notice what a beauty she was. The young woman had pretty auburn hair tied into a braid, hazel eyes framed in rectangular glasses, fair skin, and soft pink lips that curved into a lovely smile. Chris found it hard to gape at her so.

“I hope I’m not interrupting you with anything,” Chris finally said, looking at the woman calmly.

The woman matched the calm gaze, smiling pleasantly. “Oh don’t be silly. I only came here to have a bite to eat. If you have nothing better to do, then you’re welcome to join me,” she replied, starting to stir her tea once again.

Chris gave a nod and glanced at the menu before him. After ordering just a glass of water, he galcned back at the woman. “I’m Christopher Blake,” he said, extending a hand to shake.

“Angelina Sinclair. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Blake,” she replied, shaking his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Sinclair,” Chris replied. Curious about her accent he added, “Come here often?”

Angelina took a sip from her tea and nodded to the waitress. “My first time, actually. I just moved here a few months ago,” she replied. “I came from London. I’m studying here for art.”

Chris gave a nod, clearly interested. “Ah, an artist,” he noted.

Angelina nodded. “Yes. And I’ve always wanted to come to New York, so I thought it’d be perfect to study abroad. So here I am,” she answered, grinning.

For a long moment he two fell silent.

Angelina glanced out the window, gazing far off into the distance. After a moment or so, she finally turned back to glance at Chris. “Ah, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Blake. I do hope we meet again,” she said, standing up. “I’m afraid I must dash, though, or I’ll be running late on my schedule.” And after one final smile, she opened her wallet and placed her money on the table.

Chris quickly placed his credit card on the table before Angelina could pay. “Don’t bother. I’ll pay for it,” he said, too polite to allow a lady to pay.

Angelina looked slightly taken aback. “But, you hardly ordered a thing.”

“Relax, I’ll handle it…”

---

“So! How’d it go?” Danny asked as Chris reported back to work the next morning. He had jumped out of nowhere in order to get to Chris first.

Chris shrugged, continuing to walk to his office. He greeted his colleagues by nodding his head while passing by.

Danny scowled, following Chris into the office. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he demanded, almost impatiently.

“Well, I met this one girl,” Chris replied, arranging the stack of papers piled on his desk. He was going to have a lot of paperwork to fill out again.

“…And…?” Danny prompted, his face contorted with impatience.

Again Chris shrugged calmly. “That’s about it. We merely met, exchanged a few words and that was it,” he replied, putting aside the stack of papers on his desk. He made sure to leave out the fact that he was left to pay for the rather expensive bill.

“That’s it?!” Danny demanded in shock. “That’s all you did for the whole damn day?!” He slammed his hands against Chris’s desk and glared at him in frustration. His movements immediately scattered the papers Chris had just arranged onto the floor.

Chris gaped at the papers that slowly floated to the ground. Taking a deep breath, he moved to pick them up. “Well what was I supposed to do? I hardly knew her,” he replied coolly. Sighing, he began to rearrange the papers once again, this time with more difficulty. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Danny, I’ve got some rearranging to get to. Papers, which, you have scattered onto the floor have to be regrouped and restacked once again. Now go and do something in your own office,” he grumbled, apparently irked. “Weren’t you assigned to a case earlier on?”

Danny shrugged, still leaning against his partner’s desk. “Well you could at least describe the girl to me!” he snapped impatiently. Danny was never a patient man, and he was always prying into other people’s businesses. He was no stranger to trouble at the end of the day. “By the way, they just assigned the two of us to a case,” he added quickly in one short breath.

Chris looked up and scowled. “Oh, really?” he muttered, raising an eyebrow. With a reluctant sigh, he looked back down at the stack of papers in his hands and replied, “She had auburn hair…British accent. Said she came from London. She just moved here a few months ago.” Chris glanced at Danny and noticed the smug look on his face. “No, I didn’t ask for her number. No, I didn’t ask her for her address. And, no, I didn’t ask her out.”

Danny gave off a frustrated sigh and slammed his face onto Chris’s desk. “Argh! You’re hopeless! The world would freeze up before you get yourself a girlfriend!” he grumbled, moving his head off the desk. “Was she pretty?”

Chris let out an exasperated sigh. “If I tell you, will you leave me alone?” he grumbled, clearly annoyed. Watching Danny give an unconvincing nod, he replied, “Yes, she was, actually. Now will you go?”

Reluctantly, Danny moved towards the door and stopped mid-way. “Oh, by the way, our client’s supposed to be arriving any minute now. I think she’s headed right this way.” Suddenly, his eyes bulged out in disbelief. “Uh, hey, Chris, that girl you met…auburn hair?”

Chris continued to scribble a quick signature on each paper, not bothering to look up. “Yes, I mentioned that earlier.”

“Auburn hair in a braid?”

“Yes.”

“Hazel eyes?”

“How’d you know?”

“Auburn hair in a braid, hazel eyes…about 5’5?” Danny continued to prompt as he peeked through the blinds.

Again Chris gave an agitated sigh. Taking a deep breath he answered, “Yes! Anymore stupid questions I have to answer for you?”

Danny licked his lips and turned to glance at Chris. “Okay, just one. Now, if you were to see this particular girl again, what would you say?” he inquired, placing his hand on the doorknob.

Chris did not look amused. Slamming the papers against his desk, he headed towards the door and twisted the knob. “Right! As if she’s going to waltz right through this–”

“Oh!”

Chris stopped in mid-sentence and slowly craned his neck towards the door’s opening. His gaze soon met pretty hazel eyes.

Angelina stood before the open doorway, he hand raised up as if she were about to knock again the polished wood.

“…door,” Chris gasped, staring at Angelina in disbelief. His jaw dropped slightly in surprise, as if he had seen a miracle occur. Quickly, he shook his head and regained his composure, clearing his throat and running a hand through his dark hair.

Danny stifled a snicker and coughed – loudly – into his hand. “Yes, yes…Right it is,” he murmured quietly to Chris.

Angelina smiled and lowered her raised arm. “Mr. Blake! We meet again,” she said, shaking Chris’s hand. Glancing at the office for a moment, she released Chris’s hand and shifted her gaze back to the young detective. “May I come in?”

“Oh sure,” Danny replied in a sing-song voice, stepping aside the doorway. “Chrissy over here would love that very much – hugh!”

Chris elbowed Danny fiercely on the ribs, temporarily silencing him. Smiling uneasily, he gestured for Angelina to take a seat before his desk. “Oh, please come in.”

“Thank you.” Angelina walked into the room and sat down; retrieving a small purse she carried along with her. “I must admit, I was not expecting to see you here,” she said honestly as she opened her purse.

Chris leaned forward behind his desk slightly. “Miss Sinclair, I’d like you to meet my partner, Daniel Hart,” he introduced, gesturing to his friend leaning against the wall.

Angelina glanced at the charming Danny and smiled. “Angelina Sinclair. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hart.”

Danny shook the beauty’s hand and grinned. “Please, it’s Danny, if you don’t mind. Everyone here calls me that.”

Chris cleared his throat and said, “What’s this you have to discuss with us?”

Angelina acquired something form her purse and held it up before Chris. “Yes. Over the past few weeks since I came here, I’ve grown aware that someone’s been stalking me. Everyday I would get the same note. A threat, more like it,” she explained, looking slightly troubled. “At first I thought it was merely a prank. But it wasn’t until I found my house burglarize did I take the notes seriously.”

Danny thought for a moment as he studied the notes Angelina held up. “So you want us to find out who’s been stalking you?” he asked quizzically, glancing up at Angelina.

“Well, basically, yes. But I’m afraid that’s not all,” Angelina replied. “As I told you, my home was broken into. It was a few days ago, actually.” She handed Chris a few pieces of paper. “As you can see, they all bear the same emblem.”

Chris studied the notes carefully and immediately recognized the emblem of a bird on each note. There was no mistake about it. It was the emblem belonging to none other than Raven Farrell.

“So do you have any idea what’s been stolen? Furniture? Secret documents? Antiques? Priceless paintings?” Chris asked, looking up from the notes.

“Jewelry, actually,” Angelina replied. She retrieved another item from her purse. This time, it was a photograph of a diamond necklace. “It’s an heirloom of mine. Something my grandmother endowed to me before I left England.”

Danny and Chris stared at the photograph in awe. The necklace was gorgeous! Made entirely of sequined diamonds, it sparkled brightly. Almost all other jewelry paled in comparison to its wonder.

Angelina waited for a moment to let the thought sink in. Finally she explained, “It’s a very rare diamond necklace, as you can see. It’s called the Kage.”

Chris continued to study the picture in his hand. “The Kage,” he said softly, his gray eyes glittering with interest. “I’ve heard about this.”

“What about it?” Danny asked curiously.

Chris tore his gaze away from the photo and glanced up at Danny. “The Kage was rumored to be a key to open to the ultimate knowledge of the universe. During the days of Cortes and conquistadors, it was long searched for. Of course, it was never found in America. Instead, an old philosopher – his name eludes me – claims to have discovered it around Europe,” he replied, setting the photo down on the desk. Tracing a finger along the form of the necklace, he added, “Look at how the necklace is shaped, Danny. It’s as if it forms something…”

Angelina peered down at the picture and gave a nod. “Yes, it does make a peculiar shape. I’ve never been able to figure it out, though.”

Danny whistled in awe. “Wow.” He glanced at their client, a curious looking forming on his face. “So how’d you end up with this?”

“I’m not entirely sure. My grandmother said that my ancestors found it along some mine long, long ago,” Angelina replied. “But I’m afraid I’ve never been able to figure out the strange way it’s shaped. As if it’s not really a necklace, but something else.”

Chris studied Angelina’s hazel eyes before giving an answer. “So,” he began carefully, “you want us to retrieve this necklace for you?”

“Basically, yes,” Angelina replied. “Legend, or no legend, that heirloom is very dear to me. I must have it back at all costs. Please. I don’t care what it takes. I just have to get it back no matter what.”

There was a long pause of silence as the three occupants in the room grew quiet. Chris gaped at his client intently, a small scowl rising to his face.

Angelina held Chris’s gaze with hers, her face expressionless.

Finally, Chris sighed and glanced back at the photo and the notes on his desk. “This is not going to be easy, Miss Sinclair. I’m afraid you’re another victim of Raven…And she’s not exactly the easiest person to catch nowadays,” he finally replied, holding up one of the notes bearing Raven’s emblem.

“I beg your pardon? Raven?”

“Raven, the most sought after cat burglar in New York. She’s suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and the police have been after her for months,” Danny replied, studying one of the notes on Chris’s desk. “I’m afraid she doesn’t leave very much clues for the police to catch her, and there have been no suspects so far.”

Chris nodded, shuffling through the notes quickly. With a sigh, he set them down and rubbed his temples. Leave it to a pretty girl to get him to chase around some necklace from children’s stories. “…All right, we’ll help you out. It’s our job to catch Raven anyway, so I suppose we can look for your necklace as well,” he said, looking up at Angelina.

Angelina broke into a smile. “Thank you, gentlemen. This means the world to me.” And with that, she pulled a card from her purse and handed it to Chris. “This is my business card, if you wish to contact me in anyway.”

Chris nodded and looked the card over.

Continuing to smile, Angelina rose from her chair and headed towards the doorway. “Good day, Mr. Blake. Mr. Hart.” And with that, she was out the door

---

Author's Note: Whelp, tell me what you think. I started writing this story when I was in 8th grade. I've never gotten around to uploading it though because I was never satisfied with the work. To be honest, I've changed the plot many times, and added and deleted characters over and over again. I've tried my best to smoothen out most of the complications, but somehow I'm not as satisfied with the result. Hopefully, it'll improve in the next chapter. Anyway, please RnR.

Oh, and before I forget, let me explain what the game 'Detective' is. In this game, there is a murderer, a detective, and suspects (it's all picked out of a hat). The detective must leave the room where the 'murder' is happening and can only enter when s/he hears a scream (this means the murdere has killed one of the suspects). The detective will then re-enter the room and find as many clues as possible in the dark (the clues were usually things suspects held in the beginning of the game. It is the detective's job to notice each suspects' item while leaving the room). Once the detective thinks s/he has found all the clues, the lights in the room come up, and the interrogation begins. The detective has 5 minutes to figure out who the murderer is before s/he loses the game.

Hopefully my explanation didn't sound too complicated. It's a really fun game, trust me. But it's fun to have a lot of people take part. Hehehe.
I sound so childish.