I find myself outside of a bar, sighing and rolling one of the many flowers we have, between my thumb and index finger. Joseph speaks up, "So, here we are. A bar." I nod, pausing, before saying to Joseph, "A woman, bartender, works here, Riley Sword." Joeseph nods, "Witness?" I, not answering, get out of the car, stuffing my hands in my pockets and walking to the entrance.

Joseph follows, his years old journal and pen in hand. We find ourselves inside the bar, the intoxicating smell of cigar smoke and beer, overwhelming my senses. I watch as a curly headed woman, probably in her early twenties, with caramel skin and deep brown eyes, serves a rather rude man with a cigar sticking out of the side of his mouth and his nostrils flaring a bright red. Sitting down at the bar, Joseph remarks, "A little early for a drink don't you think?" I laugh lowly, and Riley looks at me raising an eyebrow. Joseph starts, "There has been some tragic mur-" Riley interrupts, "I don't know anything, I didn't see anything."  I respond matter-of-factly, "Not even the fact that your parents were murdered a month ago? The same characteristics of the other twenty cases?" Riley shakes her head, chuckling sarcastically, "Not like they weren't dead to me before." Joseph, not believing her, says, "I can see that your hurt nevertheless, telling by your bloodshot eyes." Riley rolls her eyes, wiping off the counter with an off white towel, "I didn't sleep last night, I wasn't crying over them. My shift is over, go talk to someone else."

  I pull out my badge, "Answer our questions or you'll be forced to." Riley looks at me, her brown eyes showing an unreadable emotion, "Fine. But my sister's shift ends and I have to pick her up." I nod, "And who is this sister?" Riley drums her fingers on the counter, "Shouldn't you know?" I squint my eyes, before answering, "You look like-" Joseph finishes my sentence, "Taylor." Riley, moves her attention to the door, and I look behind me to see a man with black hair, almost black eyes and lips that curve up into a smile; Riley sets her bag down, smiling, "Hello, Gabriel, I told you I didn't want to see you here today."

 This man, Gabriel, shrugs, sitting down one seat down from me, "And I told you I make no promises." Joseph raises an eyebrow at him and Riley, and Gabriel says, not looking at him directly, "Gabriel Snow." I say, looking at him as he gulps down a pint, "Detective Graham-Jivika." Gabriel looks at me, shaking his head, "No kidding. You have become even colder since your parents died, Michael. Ever since then you've cut your friends off so long you don't even remember us? Damn, you are one heartless son of a b-" I interrupt, "I know who you are. How do you know Riley?" Gabriel answers, "Oh she is just another victim of the crime. I'm guessing you've decided your going to play detective and try and solve the murders, eh?" Joseph says, "Bloody Christ will someone tell me how you all know each other!"

 Gabriel laughs at Joseph's british accent, "I have know Detective Michael Graham Jivika  since college." I cringe at the way he said my name like I was a stranger. Joseph nods, and says, "Well Ms.Sword I'm guessing we should be on our way, correct?" Riley tilts her head, "Where?" I laugh sarcastically, "Well to go get Taylor of course. I am sure she will answer our questions, more willfully, as you will soon." Riley huffs, "Fine." Gabriel interrupts, "Hol' up." I shake my head at his wording and look at him, "What. I have a case to work on, I don't have time to be-" Gabriel shakes his head at me, knowing very well that I just didn't like friends and work meshinh together as they are now, "I'm coming, whether you like it or not, Michael." Joseph, impatiently sighs, "Can we go!?" Riley says, "I am leaving so goodbye." Putting her black purse on her shoulder and walking out of the bar. Gabriel follows her, and it isn't long before we find ourselves following them in a separate car, the plague of silence haunting us.

I break the uncomftorable silence, "Me investigating this case, has nothing to do with my mother and father. I am in no way emotionally invested in this case." Joseph scoffs, "That is a lie, or you would of took the Rose case, everyone wanted it, yet you gave it to another detective and decided to investigate the murder case that killed your parents too? Not only that, you refuse to accept that your an addict." I take a deep breath, gripping the steering wheel harder, "I am not an addict. I use a calming drug that just so happens to make other's addicted to it! I have a very stressful job as you can see! I'm helping one of my friends out, Gabriel lost his wife to this murderer, and I am making sure he ends up where he belongs, behind bars. There isn't a better detective than me in this damn city for this case." Joseph looks at me, "Cocaine is just a calming drug, Michael." I don't answer. Everyone must find a cope, and..that is my way of coping. I found my father in mother on the floor in their kitchen,  stabbed clean cut too. Alisha told me of their recent problems, and after one year of not talking to them, I found myself at their home. But as Joseph would say, I was just a "tad" too late.