The sky's gloomy. Dark clouds running wild, promising rain. Maybe perfect weather for a poet to sit by the window and write their feelings in rhymes and rhythms. But in the police station, the scene is different. Officers are as busy as ever. Someone's typing furiously on the keyboard, someone's writing down notes on the whiteboard, someone's hauling stacks of documents, and someone's arranging data on the pin board. Meanwhile, Inspector Ivan stares at the Commissioner's door, thinking if he should head in.

Benzer slides Red's phone across his wooden desk. "We no longer need its service. You can take it back."

Red takes a moment to frown at his phone, then lifts it up and slips it inside his pocket. "You... wanted me to see you just for this?"

"Negative," Benzer says. "For your information, we have a database that stores basic details and fingerprints of everyone with a national ID."

Red's lips apart as though willing to say something but decides against it and lets the commissioner talk.

"And the forensic team confirmed that your fingerprints were found on the van's rear door handle."

"Because I was there! Isn't it obvious?" Red cuts in. He's more than annoyed and struggling to keep his emotions in check.

"It is obvious. And that's why I can now arrest you."

"What?!" Red gasps.

"Don't forget you have nothing to prove you are not one of them."

"But I am the reason you could track them down!"

Benzer nods sagely. "And that's why I'm letting it slide, this time."

Red feels powerless. He has nothing to say aside from clenching his fists and glare at the file cabinet that stands beside the desk.

"I told you before and I'm telling you one more time," Benzer lectures on. "Stay away from the crime scenes or else you may end up behind bars."

Red shifts his vision to the commissioner. Benzer's all serious, yet he feels like he's got a malicious grin on his face.

"You don't get it?" Red finally says, forcing his nerves to calm down.

A frown forms on Benzer's face as he adopts his good-listener phase.

"We want a PI license," Red confirms, his eyes boring into Benzer's.

Benzer moves up his chin as Red's voice rises, "Because we want to investigate Uncle John's case ourselves. We want to find the killer and make them pay for what they did!"

Red pauses to catch his breath then goes on in a lower, more controlled voice, "Whether we have the license or not, even if we have to cross the line, we-sure-will bring them to justice!"

He wants to yell more, but the lump formed in his throat doesn't allow him to. So he turns, not caring if the experienced elder has something to say, and marches out, slamming the door behind.

Benzer rubs his eyes. He doesn't like the two kids becoming incited to act violently. If things go on like this, they may fall victim to misfortune, just like... John or Callista.

...................

Leaving the police station behind, Red steps along the sidewalk, mumbling under his breath.

"Stay away from the crime scenes!" He mimics Benzer. "We would if you police weren't slacking off!"

He's regretting coming all the way here just for being scolded.

Ridiculous! He curses his wit in his heart and lengthens his pace.

Soon enough, he reaches the cemetery. There's a narrow path inside but it's indistinguishable at places as the ground is overwhelmed with overgrown weeds.

Red walks on until, at a little distance to his right, he sees Jin sitting in front of John and Callista's graves. Red sighs and takes a moment to pacify his shaky breath before approaching him.

"Just as you said," says Red. "We have to proceed without the license."

Jin responds in silence and looks up at the somber sky. Clouds seem to stop moving, as though they are in a state of doldrums. A drop of rain falls into his eye, then rolls down to his cheek and onto the ground, getting sucked up by the thirsty soil beneath.

..........................

Thirteen years ago, it was July 15, 2011, on a Friday night. John was on his desk, writing something in his diary with five-year-old Jin on his lap. He was gently rocking Jin up and down, occasionally stopping, and getting lost in deep thoughts.

"Dad," Jin tugged John's sleeve.

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?" Jin asked, in a childish playful tone.

"Mmmm..." John put the pen on the diary, twiddled the lace of the lampshade, and turned to him smiling. "I'm connecting the dots," he said, combing Jin's hair with his fingers.

Jin giggled, swung his legs, and asked, "Is it a game?"

"Game?"

Jin's smile widened in reply.

Seeing his expression, John couldn't help but laugh.

"I wanna play too!" Jin's eyes sparkled.

John's smile faded away. He sighed and turned his attention back to the diary. He frowned as he thought hard.

"Dad..." Jin tugged his sleeve again. "I wanna play."

"What do you wanna play, Comrade?"

"The dotty game!" Jin replied, voice filled with all the enthusiasm of a child.

When Jin was pestering John, the door of the room swung open and Callista entered. John rolled his swivel chair to face her. Jin held John's sleeve tight.

"Wonder what made my lady desire to grace my study?" John asked with a smile.

Callista planted a hand on her waist, trying to kill a smile. She walked to John's desk and held a broken teacup before Jin's eyes. John let out a low whistle in surprise.

"And I wonder who broke my favorite teacup and hid inside the closet!"

Jin gave her an innocent look. Callista smiled and pinched his nose. "Now come on, Brainiac! Time to say good night!"

"No!" Jin resisted. "Dad'll teach me this game now!"

"Game?" Callista turned to John, expecting an answer.

John shook his head and said, "Not now, Chief. I'll teach you later, ok?"

"You mean tomorrow, Dad?"

"Hmmmm..." John pretended to think seriously, then said, "Yep. Tomorrow it is." He tickled Jin as he talked, making him laugh.

Jin wished him good night and walked out of the room holding Callista's hand.

The next morning, when Jin woke up, he found the curtain wide open. Bright sunlight was streaming through the window. He looked around, but no one was there.

"Mom...?"

Rolling on the bed, he got off and held the bedside table to steady himself. He slipped his feet into the sleepers and grabbed his toy gun from beside his pillow before shambling out of the room.

A corridor led him to the stairs. "Dad?" He called, walking down.

"Jin! You're up!" Callista came out of the kitchen.

"Mom... where's Dad?"

"He's gone to work," Callista said, wiping her hands with her apron.

"But it's his day off today!" Jin said with childish disapproval in his voice. "He said he'd teach me the dotty game!" His eyes teared up.

"Aw!" Callista kneeled down and hugged him. "Dad sure will when he gets home," She patted Jin's back to comfort him. "But, tell me, can you learn with an empty stomach?"

Jin shook his head and smiled. Callista kissed on his cheek and walked him into the dining room.

After breakfast, they played clapping games. After lunch, they watched Jin's favorite TV show. As the show went on, Callista kept caressing Jin's hair and he fell asleep on her lap.

Callista turned the TV off. John left at about eleven last night and now it was already time for sundown today. She took her phone to call him, but to trigger all the bad thoughts, his phone was switched off. She bit her lips. She was worried.

Time glided past, it was 9 PM and Callista was patting Jin to put him to sleep.

"Mom..." It had been an hour since Jin snuggled down, yet he was awake.

Callista twitched her eyebrows. "Fighting off the sandman?"

"Why isn't Dad home yet?"

Callista paused a bit then continued patting. The rhythm eventually made Jin lose his stubbornness and surrender to the comforting sleep.

Sunday morning, the world was shaking, at least Jin felt that way. He opened his eyes to see he was fastened with the seatbelt in the shotgun of their five-seater SUV. Callista was driving, her eyes focused on the road.

"Mom..." Jin mumbled. "Where are we going?"

"Uncle James' house," Callista replied, so fast that Jin almost failed to get her words.

"Is dad there too?" He says after a moment.

"No."

"Mom..."

Callista didn't respond.

"Where's dad?"

No response.

Callista drove in silence, her face was pale, dark circles invading around her eyes. Jin had never seen her like that before. He couldn't think, couldn't ask any more questions, but kept looking at her unusual face.

Within half an hour of driving, they reached James' house. Jin was very happy to see his cousin, Red, who was of his age. As soon as they arrived, Red dragged Jin into his room, all excited. There were toys scattered around and the room was beyond messy. But who cared? They were having fun and that was all that mattered.

Leaving Jin, Callista and James went to the police station to file a missing person report. John had left Friday night but hadn't returned. No one could reach his phone, not even his colleagues, fellow officers of Azimuth City police, knew where he was.

It was a bad sign.

The police assured to put all their efforts into finding John. And they did. They managed to track down John's location using the GPS installed on his bike.

In the evening, Red was asleep in his room, when Jin was in the living room, sitting on the sofa with his chin planted on the armrest, facing the front door. He didn't want to play anymore. The only question he had been asking for hours was when Mom and Dad would get home. Kate was beside him, looking at the anxious child with her lips tucked in.

Breaking the silence, her phone rang. Jin turned to her and held her arm as she answered the call.

Kate's face turned gloomy. Her hands were shaking when she kept the phone down.

"Auntie..." Jin asked. "Who was it?"

Kate turned to Jin. Her lips were shaky, eyes were glistening with tears.

"Was it Dad?" Jin asked, his voice breaking. "Why isn't he coming home? Is he angry with me?"

Kate couldn't answer. She dragged Jin toward her and hugged him tight. Jin didn't understand who called or what happened yet tears began to stream down from his eyes.

John was found dead in the Darkwood forest. His cold lifeless body was lying near the river. He was shot to death and according to the autopsy, the approximate time of his death was between 12 to 3 AM on Saturday.

He was shot three times: one bullet hit his left thigh, another hit between his shoulder blades, and the third one pierced through his heart.

The investigation team explained that John might be chasing the killer. The killer shot him to escape and the bullet hit the front of John's thigh, making him fall. According to the forensic experts, during this shot, the approximate distance between John and the killer was about ten to twelve meters.

As John's gun was found near his body, fully loaded, it was further explained that when he fell, he drew out his gun but before he could make his move, he was shot again. This time, the killer was behind John and was only three to five meters away from him.

The police, with the help of forest rangers, turned the Darkwood forest upside down. Yet no clue was found regarding John's case.

Unfortunately, there was little clue to go on. All of the suspects had solid alibi and police couldn't find any leads even after investigating for months.

Everyone was crying, Jin was crying. It was unimaginably hard for him to believe his father would never return. Nothing was like before.

Callista never smiled. She could no longer count on the police and was desperate to find the killer who took away John's life. She had her heart set on investigating John's case on her own.

As the saying goes, misfortune never comes alone. A few months after John's death, Callista was on her way to the Darkwood forest. It had rained last night and the road was muddy. The tires were struggling to find grip, yet she was driving at the maximum speed she could.

When the car approached a sharp turn, its tires skidded. Callista tried to gain control but in vain. Her car slid off the road and brutally slammed into a tree. The front crumpled, glasses shattered and the misfortunate driver... couldn't survive.