Xavier's superior was speaking to the public and the media demanding answers, revealing the some report details (all lies, created from a rumor and a few speculations) – while Xavier was in handcuffs, head cast down, as he tried to swallow his reality.

They were at the site of the crime, a well-renowned villa community... that was now being investigated following several murders, and not a single report had ever been sent to the department – rather, not a single report had ever reached the department.

"Nails marks, bites; several other injuries afflicted by people struggling in despair during their last moments. Undoubtedly—"

Detective Xavier stared at the large pile of corpses, all spun together like threads into a yarn of human rot; their skins shedding whilst bringing the color of the skeletons out, and yet bearing those hateful expressions from their last breaths – mistrust, agony, and anger.

"—Author Travis is the killer. He had been struck down by pure luck, due to the shock displayed by his last prey and murderer – Mrs. A, who unfortunately expired of heart attack; please note that her family wishes her to remain anonymous – returning from the supermarket which a basket heavy enough to strike down a man. Surprisingly, another man claims to have killed Travis..."

Xavier closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, shutting down his surroundings.

Travis was murdered – and was criminal. And Xavier was a detective... and a suspect.

This was the kind of sick and rotten person Xavier was close with.

This was the identity of the childhood friend who lived in that yellow house across the street.

Even his family was horrified; his parents almost committed suicide to pay for their sons' sins, the wife took away her daughter from the nightmare of a place they were living in, and they were all investigated, and had no connections to the murder at all – was what the public was told, the internal matters unknown outside.

It was suspicious: a cellar – right under the villa, mind you – full of dead bodies, but the family members were unaware, despite the smell?

This was yet to be explained, but apparently, they had grown used to the smell – which could be a bunch of lies for all Xavier cared, given the whole department was put on high alert and was asked to keep track of them.

Funnily enough, the whole community – its residents, the builder, and the concrete structure itself – was shrouded with bloodlust, and Travis' family seemed the most innocent there.

Seemed – yes. Investigation had just begun, and the elderly couple immediately attempted self-harm, the child crying, and the mother refused to arrange a funeral for the departed, asking only for a divorce with a dead person – it was dreadfully chaotic to say the least.

He was soon gently pulled into the court – a private court, these matters would be kept within until the complete investigation process was thorough – and the judge, another close friend from training, was struggling with the others.

Xavier was asked to sit down and be on the standby for any help the judge required – the cuffs were unlocked; he was a man of high status, and he had not made his way up the ladder of success without extreme trust from his co-workers.

The handcuffs were just for show, to evoke public sentiments and buy some time on their side – because it surely was one hell of a murder.

"I stabbed him. I stabbed his wife. I stabbed his dog. I stabbed his daughter." Arden took a deep breath, before screaming out, "I was testing the blade, but then I realized they were already dead. So, I killed them again, but they didn't die this time. HOW CAN YOU ARREST ME LIKE THAT, YOU SCOUNDRELS! ANY SANE PERSON CAN SEE I'M INNOCENT!"

"Dog, daughter—? Never mind, let's believe that for now. How do you explain breaking in without a single scream from any one of the three people? And do you think the dog was a fool? Are dogs' ears for show? Or did you think your nonsense would require some legendary detective?" The judge waved his hand. "This one's been probably been brainwashed, right? Xavier, what do you think?"

"Even if he was," Xavier responded, "he should have been brainwashed right. I mean, half the details of the murder he spouted were wrong – even if he was sent as a scapegoat or whatever. I recommend sending him to the professionals; for we are short of time here. He probably wants a public confession done and further meddle matters, diverting our attention – I theorize this anyway. Though, even if he does claim to be the murderer, there will remain the others, the onlookers, as well as the mastermind."

As Arden was being taken away, James dropped his serious act and sighed. "I got called a scoundrel for the first time as a judge."

Xavier admitted it was quite random, but a smile played on his lips. "Good job. What an achievement!"

The second suspect was Ms. Annie, Travis' neighbor. She was a young seventeen-year-old, living nearby, studying for her upcoming finals.

This lovely girl lost her mother due to Travis, and would now live with her father. The 'Mrs. A' was the one in question, Travis' last victim and murderer – who didn't even get a chance to come home with the ton of groceries. It was further heartbreaking that she had even lost her sister due to Travis a few months back...

The murdered, Author Travis, was not someone who deserved to be brought to justice – agreed, but the case was about the complete situation, and perhaps a soul like his had to be brought to salvation, at least.

"Hello there!" Annie smiled, tired. "I'm Mrs. A. I am a mother of three, wife of Mr. B—"

"Pardon?" The judge, James, was horrified, absolutely horrified – and so was Xavier.

As his heart beat out of his chest, he thought, I've heard these words – no, I've probably read them...

Annie tilted her head for a moment, pondering, before continuing innocently, "—we had a love marriage, but he ran away with another lady quite early, during my first pregnancy."

"Annie—"

"Anyway, back to what you wish to know, I was watering my garden in the morning – that was the time of the crime scene, correct?" She balled her fists and made punched into thin air for unknown reasons. "And then I heard the neighbor's door unlocking, but I didn't think it was out of the ordinary! How could I have known someone broke in?"

"...Garden? I see, that does make sense, but, my child, is everything alright—?"

Annie just got up, like a calm doll, and nodded at the judge before walking out without any explanation.

James leaned on his chair, exasperated. Another person brainwashed in a wrong way – if that was really brainwashing or just a sham.

Creasing his eyebrows, James heaved a sigh. "Would you please help Ms. Annie, Xavier? I don't want the police officer being too rough with her."

The detective nodded and went out for the girl without a word.

To him, Annie was somehow suspicious – but Xavier couldn't pinpoint what exactly he sensed wrong. Hence, he had no reason to detain her, but...

Meanwhile, James thought of his youth – the excitement he shared with Xavier about becoming Heroes of Justice during training. It was all for New York, everything he had done and would continue to do – but what about Xavier? That guy probably became a detective to be as cool as the characters in Travis' books.

How would his mental state be right now?

James did know Travis in person, through Xavier, but they were never close – unlike the friendship the author and the detective shared, still acting like kids with one another though everyone were simply old men, forty-something years.

Travis Cliff was a bestselling murder-mystery author, a forty-six-year-old married man from New York. He often took anecdotes from Xavier's experience and made up his novels – with his classis bizarre twist, of course. Xavier, referred to as Mr. X, was always the main protagonist, smart and clever. Travis sometimes appeared too – he used the pseudonym 'Mr. T'.

Almost sounded like Mrs. A from the case...

But, moving on, Travis never failed to dedicate his books to his friend till the day he died. And Xavier always brought those books with shining eyes.

Poor guy, James felt. He didn't even get the time to mourn...

James rubbed hands together; it was chilly even within the court. He observed the pictures of Travis' victims – nothing alike, as expected. Though, there was one noticeable thing – each one of them were of different ages.

Probably not a huge lead.

Just then – as if Xavier had sensed the judge's previous thoughts – he burst in the room, his hands tightly grasping on a gasping Annie.

He yelled: "THE BOOK! TRAVIS WAS MURDERED JUST LIKE IT WAS IN CRIMINAL! AND ARDEN AND ANNIE WERE RECITING LINES FROM IT—"

~~

[picture in the beginning is how the published Criminal's cover looks like]

= 1506 words

A/N: What do you think of the story's start?

Trivia: I've never written murder-mystery before, and I've only read five-six of Agatha Christie's books... which is my only knowledge about this genre. I'm personally a Fantasy writer, but I'm trying my best to do justice to this story though my understanding is very limited!