The sun filtered through the window coverings of the hotel room in Siesta, its golden rays striking Ch'en and Hoshiguma as they stirred awake on Howard's bed.
For some reason, both felt surprisingly refreshed, their bodies lighter than they'd expected after a night of heavy drinking.
They should have been nursing hangovers, their heads pounding from the sake and beer, but instead, a surge of memories from the previous night flooded their minds—vivid, embarrassing memories of their drunken behavior with Howard.
Their faces flushed a deep red, so intense they couldn't bring themselves to look at each other, the reality of what they'd done sinking in like a tidal wave.
Ch'en, her blue hair a mess from sleep, sat up slowly, her dragon tail curling tightly around her leg as she clutched the edge of her swimsuit jacket, which she'd thrown on over her black bikini.
Her crimson eyes were wide with mortification as she whispered, "I can't believe we… did that."
Hoshiguma, beside her, buried her face in her hands, her green hair falling over her Oni horns, her own swimsuit—still the strap-pant design with the boob-covering shirt—barely covered by her transparent jacket.
"It's unbelievable," she muttered, her voice muffled, her yellow eyes peeking through her fingers in shame.
After a moment of shared embarrassment, Ch'en took a deep breath, steeling herself as she turned to Hoshiguma, her voice trembling but resolute.
"We need to apologize to Howard. We… we really put him in a risky situation last night."
Hoshiguma nodded, her face still red but her expression determined as she stood, adjusting her jacket to cover more of her swimsuit.
"You're right. Let's get ready and find him."
They quickly freshened up, throwing on their jackets over their swimsuits since they'd slept in them, and stepped out into the hallway, intent on locating Howard.
But as they turned the corner, they were met with a scene straight out of a nightmare—a hallway transformed into a crime scene, buzzing with activity.
Several Siesta officers stood around a room door, their uniforms crisp but their expressions grim, while crime scene investigators moved in and out, carrying equipment and taking photographs.
Yellow tape cordoned off the area, the air thick with tension and the faint, lingering scent of blood.
Ch'en and Hoshiguma approached slowly, their earlier embarrassment replaced by a growing sense of dread.
An officer, a stern-looking Feline with sharp ears and a clipboard, noticed them and held up a hand, his voice firm.
"Please, stay back. This is a restricted area."
But a familiar voice cut through the tension, calm and reassuring.
"It's fine, officer. They're with me." It was Howard, stepping out from the room, a small notebook in his hand as he wrote down observations.
His dark hair was slightly tousled, his red eyes sharp with focus, and he was dressed in the random t-shirt and shorts he'd thrown on the night before.
He handed the notebook to a nearby investigator, a Lupus with goggles and a serious expression, and instructed, "Keep this for a bit—I'll need it back later."
Slipping past the tape, he approached Ch'en and Hoshiguma, his expression a mix of exhaustion and determination.
He greeted them with a nod, his voice steady despite the grim circumstances.
"Morning, you two."
They returned the greeting, their voices hesitant as they took in the scene.
"Morning, Howard," Ch'en said, her crimson eyes darting toward the taped-off room. Hoshiguma followed suit, her yellow eyes narrowing as she asked, "What's going on here?"
Howard sighed, running a hand through his hair as he explained, his tone heavy.
"Last night, while I was on my way to take a breather, I came across this crime scene. It's… it can only be described as pure evil."
He paused, his red eyes darkening as he continued, "The victim—a woman—was left in a horrific state. All that remained was her skin, a few muscles, and bones. There was a hole in her chest where her heart had been ripped out."
Ch'en and Hoshiguma recoiled, their faces paling at the description, a shared horror passing between them.
Ch'en's dragon tail flicked in agitation, her voice low but firm.
"That's… monstrous. The only motivation for such an act would be pure malice."
Hoshiguma nodded, her Oni horns catching the light as she clenched her fists, her voice a growl.
"Whoever did this… they're a monster."
Howard's expression was grim as he continued,
"We've already identified the victim and gathered some basic details—her name, her occupation, and why she was in Siesta."
"But finding anything to help apprehend the criminal has been nearly impossible. They left no trace at all—from the room's interior to the security cameras, there's nothing. Not a single clue to follow. Even I'm having a hard time believing it."
Hoshiguma stepped forward, her yellow eyes resolute as she asked, "Is there anything Ch'en and I can do to help?"
Howard shook his head, his voice appreciative but firm.
"As of now, there isn't. I'm just trying to see if I can assist the investigators myself. They've got everything under control for the moment, but this case… it's unlike anything I've seen."
Ch'en, her face still flushed from both the crime scene and her earlier embarrassment, hesitated before speaking, her voice stuttering slightly as she called out,
"Howard…" She bowed slightly, her blue hair falling over her shoulder, her tone sincere.
"I… I'm sorry for what I did last night. We both are."
Hoshiguma bowed as well, her green hair shifting as she added, "We really put you in a bad spot. We're sorry."
Howard blinked, caught off guard by the sudden apology, but a warm laugh escaped him, easing the tension between them.
He stepped closer, patting both of them on the head, his hands ruffling their hair gently as he spoke, his voice light but reassuring.
"It's nothing to worry about, you two. You were drunk, and I couldn't get a key to your room—it was just a messy situation all around."
The only thing that scared me was your need to bite," he added with a teasing grin, his red eyes sparkling with humor.
Ch'en and Hoshiguma both let out small, embarrassed laughs, their faces still red but their shoulders relaxing at his easy forgiveness.
Howard continued, his tone more practical,
"We'll talk it out later, I promise. For now, you can go pick up the key—I already paid for it, so it should be ready at the reception desk."
They nodded, grateful for the chance to move forward, though the weight of the crime scene lingered in their minds.
As they turned to head back to the lobby, Howard returned to the investigators, his notebook back in hand, ready to dive deeper into the mystery of the heartless murder—a shadow that threatened to darken their Siesta getaway.
***
Howard remained inside the hotel room where the murder had taken place, his red eyes scanning every detail with meticulous precision.
The Siesta officers and investigators had stepped back, giving him space to work, recognizing his expertise after his assistance in the initial assessment.
He looked through everything—the victim's clothes, neatly folded on a chair; her position on the floor, arms splayed as if reaching for something; her lifeless eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling; and the room itself, from the bed to the walls to the carpet.
Nothing.
Not a single clue that could hint at who had done this.
The scene was so perfectly clean, it left no room to discern what kind of person the killer might be—no fingerprints, no stray hairs, no signs of a struggle.
Frustrated but undeterred, Howard opened the window and stepped onto the balcony, hoping for some overlooked detail.
The balcony was just as pristine, the morning sun casting long shadows across the spotless tiles, the ocean breeze carrying the scent of salt but nothing else.
He leaned against the railing, his mind racing as he recalled the autopsy he'd conducted with his eyes earlier.
There were traces of restitching on the victim's body—subtle, precise stitches around the chest where her heart had been removed.
This meant she had been killed outside the room, her body tampered with, and then brought back in.
But how?
The CCTV footage had been clear: the victim hadn't left her room after 9:00 PM the previous night.
So how could someone move her body out, kill her, and bring her back without being seen?
Howard's mind churned through the possibilities, each theory more baffling than the last.
The hotel's security was tight, its cameras covering every major entrance and hallway, yet there was no footage of anyone entering or leaving the room during that time frame.
Howard was having a hard time piecing it together, but then something clicked—a sudden realization that sparked a new angle.
He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found Alexander.
If anyone could help shed light on this impossible crime, it would her
Howard dialed the number, his voice steady as he spoke, "Alexander, it's Howard. I need your help with something—fast."
***
Ch'en and Hoshiguma sat at a table, enjoying a breakfast spread of pancakes, tropical fruits, and coffee.
They had picked up the key to their room from reception, as Howard had instructed, and changed into more casual attire—
Ch'en in a light blue tank top and shorts, her dragon tail curled around her chair, and Hoshiguma in a loose green shirt and pants, her Oni horns catching the morning light.
Despite the lingering embarrassment from the previous night, the food and the relaxed atmosphere of Siesta had lifted their spirits, their earlier tension replaced with a tentative ease.
Howard appeared, his expression a mix of determination and exhaustion as he slid into the seat beside them, still dressed in his t-shirt and shorts from the night before.
Without asking, he picked up a pancake from Hoshiguma's plate, folding it in half and sliding it into his mouth with a casual air, his red eyes scanning the room as he chewed.
Ch'en, sipping her coffee, glanced at him, her crimson eyes curious but tinged with concern.
"How are things going with the investigation?"
"Will everything be okay?" she asked, her voice steady despite the unease she felt.
Howard swallowed the pancake, his expression darkening as he leaned back in his chair, his tone grim.
"On the contrary, the worst is about to happen."
Ch'en set her cup down, her dragon tail flicking slightly in agitation as she frowned.
"What do you mean by that?"
Howard posed a question, his voice low but pointed.
"What happens when a crime occurs inside a building that's currently at its highest profit?"
Hoshiguma tilted her head, her green hair shifting as her yellow eyes narrowed in confusion.
"I don't understand what you mean," she said, her tone cautious.
Howard's gaze hardened, his voice carrying the weight of his deduction.
"What happened today will happen again tonight—no doubt about it."
Ch'en's eyes widened, her voice sharp with shock.
"How do you know that?"
Howard leaned forward, his hands clasped on the table as he explained, his tone grave.
"We're dealing with the worst type of criminal. If my assumptions are correct—and I'm almost certain they are—this is the kind of person who kills every night. But did you notice?"
"The hotel has suppressed the news about the death that happened. They're at the peak of their tourism season, their profits soaring, and they don't want this getting out—it'd scare off the guests."
Hoshiguma's expression shifted, a spark of understanding lighting her yellow eyes as she nodded slowly.
"I get it now," she said, her voice a low rumble. "That's why you asked about the profit."
"Exactly," Howard confirmed, his red eyes intense.
"This criminal chose this place with that in mind. They knew the hotel would suppress the news, which not only lets them keep killing without immediate backlash but also lets them profit from the chaos."
Ch'en clenched her fists, her crimson eyes burning with determination as she processed the implications.
"So, what you're saying is… we have a new mission on the break we were supposed to have."
Howard sighed, running a hand through his dark hair, his exhaustion evident in the slump of his shoulders.
"That's right. We have to catch this killer as fast as possible, or more people will die. We can't let Siesta turn into a hunting ground."