"Have you found anything yet?" Rowan stuck his head into the forensics room, tail twitching impatiently. Apple was scanning the rose for samples, but the only thing he had been able to find so far was the DNA of Nettle in the blood. They had only been back from the murder site for several minutes, and Rowan was still desperately hopeful. 

Apple turned around from the computers with a flick of his ears. "Like I told you twenty seconds ago," he responded with a look of pity, "we're doing all we can. There's a very unlikely chance that we'll find anything, though. Once our DNA team has run it through and nothing shows, chances are that we won't find anything the second time."

Rowan's face went slack as he tried to control his tumbling emotions. The fragile hope he had clung to while pacing outside the room disappeared with a flash, and searing pain seemed to rip his stomach open. Moth would never be avenged. The Bloody Rose would roam free forever. Even though he knew he was still standing in front of Apple in the lab, he felt like he was falling down a waterfall of grief.

"Rowan?" 

A gentle prod shook him from his stupor, and he fixed his eyes on Ebony. The she-cat blurred in front of him as he focused. "Are you okay?" she asked calmly. "You passed out for a second."

I did? Rowan sighed. "It doesn't matter," he said softly. He turned away, regretful. A cold lump settled like a stone in his throat, a ball of anger and sadness. "Let's go see if there are any other cases," he said with a hint more warmth to his voice, turning back to her.

* * *

Rowan yawned and sat back in his chair with a sigh. He and Ebony had spent the remainder of the day relentlessly hunting down unsolved cases, and for the most part, caught the thieves. It had reminded him of the old days with Moth--spending time just together, finding clues and catching offenders.

Some of the cases had been mild--a stolen purse downtown, a cat got into a fight with his mate, drunken toms in the park--but two were more serious. One elderly tom had been murdered in his own home by a shady cat that in the past, had been associated with Bloody Rose. The information worried Rowan, but he ignored his suspicion and delivered the tom to prison.

The second case had been more serious. A gang of rogues had set a bomb off in a public square, killing none but injuring almost sixty cats. No one was in danger of dying--just shrapnel caught in their pelts or broken bones--but there were roses everywhere in the bomb. The roses were red, but not with blood, just normal red roses. No one could figure it out, not even Rowan. His first thought, of course, was the Bloody Rose, but she hadn't claimed it as her crime.

Ebony was a great partner, he had mused during the day, assisting with the roundup of the six rogues and filing paperwork after the day was done with no complaints. He had decided to tell her about Moth, and how he had died. He was sure she would understand and help him find the horrible she-cat who had killed his brother.

"Ebony," he began slowly, swiveling his chair around to where she was eating dinner. A fish and avocado sandwich was grasped between her paws and a small croissant lay on a napkin embroidered with red roses. "I want to tell you something, the reason why you were hired as my assistant."

She put the sandwich down and nodded, eyes fixed on him. "Yes?" she replied with a curious flick of her ears.

Butterflies danced in Rowan's stomach. He hadn't told the full story of Moth's death yet; that there were two roses at the scene. A bloody one, which had been disclosed to the DNA department and found to be wiped of DNA, and a plain red one, not dipped in blood, exactly like the ones at the bombed square today.

"When my partner Moth was killed, we didn't find DNA on the bloody rose the killer left us. We know it was her, both because she claimed the kill and left the rose behind. But there was another rose, one that I didn't show to the police yet. It was like one of the roses at the square today. I think that Bloody Rose accidentally dropped a rose that might have her DNA on it." 

He leaned in, the fire of desperation dancing in his eyes. "And with the rose, which connects the bombed square and Bloody Rose, we can find her DNA on this rose! She has finally made a mistake--and I will exploit it in every way possible."

Ebony looked skeptical. "The Bloody Rose does not make mistakes. That's why she's been free so long." Her face shifted to one of concern. "I'm afraid it's a trick . . . but I'd like to see the rose--just in case."

"In my bag," he told her eagerly. He rushed over to his bag and pulled out a plastic bag with nothing in it. Gaping at it in shock, he pulled it out and turned it over. "But--but--it was there this morning!"

"You must have made a mistake," Ebony shrugged. "Everyone does it sometimes, we're only cats. Now come on, I want to finish my croissant!" Her voice turned soft and teasing, and she reached out and touched him on the shoulder with her paw. "It'll turn out fine, Rowan. We'll catch her. Eventually."

Rowan nodded, comforted a little, and stared at the empty bag in his paws. He turned and gazed out the window that overlooked the city, watching the sun set calmly. But a little fire still burned in him, and as he watched the billboards flashing messages about the latest murders, he made a silent vow.

One day I will catch you, Bloody Rose, he promised. And when I do, you will regret every murder you ever committed. Because I am coming. And I will find you.

written by leopard! so excited to write my first chapter of this book :D hope you enjoyed!