Davies arrived home, carrying the case files like a physical weight. He paced the living room, his gaze drawn to the case files on the coffee table. He told his wife Tina he'd review them after dinner, a promise that hung in the air between them, unspoken but understood. During dinner, the TV news played in the background, a low hum of voices and scrolling text. A report about a gruesome missing person case flashed across the screen – a young woman, her body discovered in a shallow grave just outside the city. The details were disturbing – the anchor's voice tight with barely suppressed revulsion, mentioning that the victim's internal organs were missing. Tina winced, turning away from the screen. "That's awful," she murmured, a frown creasing her brow. "It makes you wonder what's happening to the world." Missing organs… that's what Ranier said… something about missing organs… Davies nodded, a chill creeping up his spine. It wasn't just the brutality of the crime; it was the way it echoed the Thomas case. The savagery, the… unnatural feel of it. Five cases… Thomas, this woman, Ranier's two, and Rio's… it can't be a coincidence… can it? He thought of the conversation he'd had with his friend, the restaurant owner, Ranier, earlier today. They'd talked about the Thomas case, how it felt… different. Ranier, a former cop himself, had mentioned two similar cases that had happened just months ago, ones that had haunted him ever since. He'd talked about a feeling of… wrongness, a sense that something was deeply amiss. Davies had dismissed it at the time, attributing it to the stress of the job, but now… now he wasn't so sure. "You know," Tina said, her voice thoughtful, "this reminds me of what Ranier was saying. Those other cases… weren't they similar to this one?" Davies's head snapped up. He vaguely remembered the details of those cases, the sheer, inexplicable violence of them. They were originally his, but were transferred to Detective Miller when he went on leave due to the injury he sustained while on duty. He'd barely given them a second thought at the time. Now, though… "That's it," Tina said, nodding. "It was… awful. Just like this one. And… wasn't there something about missing organs too? People were saying…" She trailed off, a look of disgust on her face. A cold dread settled in Davies's stomach. Five cases… Thomas's, this woman's, Ranier's two, and Rio's. Each one brutal, each one… different. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were connected, somehow. The missing organs, the savagery… it all pointed to something… inhumane. He pushed the thought away, telling himself it was just coincidence, just his imagination running wild. But the feeling lingered, a cold knot of unease tightening in his stomach.
Another news report came on – the death of a teenager. The reports stated that the incident, which happened right at the very heart of the school months ago, involved foul play and has now come to a close. An ironic fate befell the best friend, as he was initially considered a suspect but dismissed as quickly as a blink of an eye. The incident, deemed a juvenile crime, saw the teenager involved transferred to the social welfare group. Davies paused, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Ethan. He remembered Ethan. It had been a year ago. He'd been the one who'd brought them all in – Ethan, his best friend, and a couple of other kids whose names he couldn't quite recall – after a minor scuffle in the streets. "Just kids being kids," he'd thought at the time. Now… now he wondered, "is this what Miller was referring to earlier?" Now even kids are capable of terrible things.
Then he returned to his food, the taste suddenly ashen in his mouth. Tina gave him a strange look, a mixture of concern and something else. He knew she could sense his unease, his preoccupation with the case. She'd been on the force herself, after all, that's where they'd met, amidst the chaos and the darkness. She tried to smile reassuringly, but it felt forced, unnatural. He knew he couldn't hide it from her, not entirely. The darkness of the cases was seeping into his life, staining everything it touched. He finished his dinner in silence, the news reports a disturbing soundtrack to his thoughts. He paused by her chair, and placed a single red rose, that he had picked up earlier, into her hand. "Happy Valentine's Day," Tina said, her voice gentle. "I know this is hard." "Happy Valentine's Day, Tina," Davies replied, his eyes meeting hers, a small, tired smile playing on his lips. "Thank you for understanding." "Thomas," Tina began, her voice laced with worry, "be careful. You know... with these cases, and... you've only just come back from that injury. Don't push yourself too hard." Davies reached out and gently squeezed her hand. "I will, Tina. I promise." He excused himself, promising Tina he wouldn't be long, and retreated to his study, the case files waiting for him like a hungry beast.