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“There’s another one, detective.”
As soon as the words left the intern’s lips, the small office was filled with mutterings and quiet good luck’s directed to the investigator hunched over her desk. The file she was preoccupied with was carefully returned to its respective folder and was stashed away for later use. She stood up, her too large coat billowing behind her as she exited the office.
It was nearing dusk, but the detective was used to operating in such time. The murder cases began two months ago— it wasn’t unusual in that particular region of Atera to have such cases but the assailants were always apprehended in weeks of time. Nothing was amiss with the first two murders but when three murders followed in short periods, the people were convinced there was a killer on the loose.
The killings stopped for a while, though the police wasn’t able to seize the killer, people began to relax again. However, the killings resumed, albeit with unpredictable timing. The authorities were working hard to catch the killer but it seems like he’s always one step ahead of them. With the appearance of an acclaimed detective though, the public was confident it wouldn’t be long until the criminal will be apprehended.
“The case?”
The intern— Ike Sairofe —immediately passed his clipboard to the woman and began speaking. “The body was found by an elderly below the Sanria drive. He tried asking the victim if they were alright but received no answer, prompting him to call 911. The victim hasn’t been identified yet but so far, four stab wounds on the abdomen and a broken left leg were identified.”
“The body suffered from initial injuries?”
The woman was frowning as she gave the clipboard one last sweep. The intern took it back and answered. “It seemed that the victim suffered from a nasty fall while they were trying to escape the attacker. The response unit thought it was a riding accident until they noticed the stab marks. Is that all, Miss Asha?”
The woman heaved a sigh. Ike had been an intern in the station for only one month now—a few weeks after Asha transferred there—but he’s already familiar with the rising star’s character. Asha Rahiro doesn’t tolerate incompetency, especially if she had already tried correcting the source.
Her hand disappeared inside her unusually large lavender coat and out came a heavy looking brown envelope which she pressed to the intern’s chest. “Have this be sent to our attorney. I told the mayor that the road needed reparations but that idiot just ignored me. Let’s see if she can ignore this one.”
The intern looked amused at the sight of the envelope, wondering how long the woman was carrying it with her and waiting for the chance to use it. “Okay, Miss Asha.”
It didn’t take long for the two to reach the reception. Ike immediately went to the clerk to inform them of their agenda while Asha turned to the coffee dispenser not far from the desk. She was in the middle of drinking when she heard an unexpected voice.
“Did you just say there was another murder case? It’s the same attacker, isn’t it?”
Asha subtly turned towards the front desk and saw, to her surprise, the girl with green hair- Leez Haias. The girl turned up to the station three days ago reporting that someone attacked her while she was venturing in the woods. She was covered in cuts that she didn’t even noticed; too busy attempting to escape with her life. They were certain the girl’s assailant was their killer as the location matched and Leez confirmed the physique and weapon from their record. She was very lucky to survive, the only one out of twelve victims to succeed.
Asha could see Ike struggling with the girl. Being the good person that she is, she went and stepped in to handle the situation.
“Have you been waiting here since the day you were nearly murdered?”
The girl flinched but answered quickly, “N-No, I just arrived. I wanted to know if there’s any news.”
Asha sighed, “Miss Haias, for your safety, please stay at home. The station is too far for you to travel alone. I have made my promise that you will be updated once there is progress with the case, so kindly stay alive and stay in your village. Your presence here is bothersome.”
She gestured for Ike to follow her; the girl was calling out for them but Asha only ignored her. They have more important business to attend to than catering for an unseemly child who can’t—
Through the glass door, Asha saw Leez reaching out for her. Instinctively and before she could grab at her right sleeve, the detective turned and glowered at the younger woman. “If you value your life, you would listen to me and head home. I simply do not have the time to deal with you and as you have heard, we have a case to deal with. Ask someone to accompany you, just go home.”
With one last glare, Asha exited the station with Ike in tow.
At first glance, it looked like a riding accident. Pieces of the wood fence standing as the barrier between the road and the cliff lay at her feet and in a few steps are cracks and wayward chunks of the earth caused by the impact of the crash. The yellow bike the victim was riding lay crashed beside the fences.
There are two officers that greeted them once they arrived. The response unit had to install a simple rope rail to hold on to because of how steep the terrain was. Asha was testing the ground when suddenly—
“STOP!”
It sounded like a yell from someone out of breath. They all turned around, in a defensive stance, and saw none other than-that green-haired idiot.
“D-Did you run here?!” She heard Ike exclaim and suddenly, Asha found herself staring eye-to-eye with Leez Haias. Her eyes have a glint of fierce determination in them that made the older woman stop.
“Detective Asha. Please, you have to help me. I need to know something. Give me a chance.”
They continued to stare at each other.
The girl wasn’t making sense. Asha understands the need to uncover the mystery of one’s assault but the girl is taking it too far. She’s a burden.
“This is a police operation, Leez Haias. Everything I need to tell you, I have already said back at the station.” She murmured to her before turning to one of the officers. “Please escort the civilian out of here, officer. Don’t hesitate to use force if she tries getting past you.”
She turned, intending to attend to her waiting work. Asha admits that she’s frustrated with the lack of progress too. Their killer was a professional; he seems to vanish after appearing on CCTV’s. Asha hasn’t ruled out the possibility of having more than one killer due to differences with stab techniques but there’s really not much leads. She took on the job because it needed competency and finesse, but even she is struggling to—
“He knows my name!”
Asha stiffened from where she’s standing. That caught her attention. Her pause wasn’t noticed by others who were too occupied with keeping Leez out the site.
“He called me by my name and I need to know how he knows it!”
Well.
It’s not that she hates the girl.
Asha finds herself looking out to their latest victim, surrounded by other officers. Leez could’ve been that person. The girl was sweet and kind, Asha might even like her if they met on different occasion; if she didn’t have that name.
What were the odds of Rao’s child being attacked by the killer they were pursuing?
Asha doesn’t like Leez. She didn’t want to be involved with the older investigator again, moreso his only child. The gods must be playing with her. She didn’t want to be reminded of him again. But Leez’s existence— her presence and her uncanny resemblance to that damned person is making things difficult for Asha. It didn’t help that the girl is so fucking likeable with her determination and courage and that kind smile she inherited from her father. And Rao, sweet, compassionate Rao, who looked at her with no judgment and believed in her. He must be rolling on his grave if he knew Asha’s refusing to help the light of his life…
Fucking Rao. Asha turned to her heels and addressed the officers body blocking Leez. “Let her come, I’ll take responsibility. Maybe she’ll get some sort of closure and finally shut up.”
She turned quickly but there were no doubt all the officers and Leez are sporting a shocked expression on their faces. As Asha descends, she called out. “Don’t make me wait, you bum!”
Footsteps soon followed.
The girl proved to be fast. Asha spent two seconds alone down the cliff before she was joined by Leez. She looked at her confusedly, wondering why the detective let her come. No explanation came from the detective.
Asha began walking, not bothering to wait for her assistant and Leez followed quietly.
“Have you ever seen a dead body before?”
Leez replied, “Err, yeah. Don’t worry about me, Miss Asha.”
As they neared police tapes, Asha said, “Just call me Asha. You may explore if you want but don’t go too far or touch anything, got that?”
Leez nodded and the two entered the scene. An officer with a camera immediately approached Asha and gave her a pair of gloves while shooting a quizzical look towards Leez.
Asha began prodding at the body while Leez kept a distance and looked on. It wasn’t a pretty sight, she shuddered.
The man was covered in stab wounds, drenching his shirt in blood. His leg was twisted in an awkward angle and he was a missing shoe. One quick look around and it was found several feet away. Leez deduced that the man was chased by the killer until he fell down the cliff, broke his leg, and met his demise. Wincing, she once again thanked the gods she escaped.
It took a while for the detective to finish her work. Ike joined them shortly and chatted with her when he had the time. Leez patiently listened to the officers and was impressed with their work process.
Asha stood up and said, “I’m going to check the site he fell from. Ike, send someone to deliver the news to his family once we wrap up. Leez, follow me.”
This time, the officer with the camera followed them and briefed Asha on some things. Leez trailed behind them and observed Asha working for a few minutes before she got bored. This must be the time she’ll explore. Leez told Asha she’s going to take a walk and the woman only grumbled in reply.
There wasn’t much to explore, actually. Asha’s area is boring and she doesn’t get the importance of studying dirt. Leez went back to Ike but he was examining something too. She went around the now-covered body—careful to keep a distance lest she mess something up—and took a short stroll.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything special with the woods either; it was a normal, OK woods. Leez went back to Ike and the others when she suddenly saw a flash of orange on a nearby tree branch. It looked intriguing enough. It was obscured by the leaves and Leez didn’t see any way to view it except climbing up the tree.
Assessing her surroundings and finding nothing to be harmed if she’d fall, Leez began scaling the tree. She was aware of Ike’s concerned warnings but she ignored the man for the mean time. There was something familiar with the color so she had to…
Her breath got caught in her throat.
She was only looking for mushrooms that morning but Leez found the jackpot. Her mouth was watering as she took in the sight of the golden patch of curry mushroom before her.
Leez immediately set to work to gather as much mushrooms she could fit in her bag. The birthday girl knew by heart that the extremely rare mushrooms disappear if they are not picked the moment they are found. Man, she’s gonna have the best birthday feast!
She was happily picking the curry mushrooms when she noticed a shadow of a man in front of her and the sound of something being unsheathed…
Suddenly, she found herself sitting on her bum and Ike shaking her shoulder. Leez blinked, she must’ve fallen off…
“Are you alright Miss Leez? Ah, you look pale... I told you to be careful.”
She only registered half of what the assistant was saying but she nodded and immediately stood up. Leez made up an excuse and turned to go see the detective, her heart hammering in her chest with each step.
She found the woman talking to the officer with the camera. Leez knew her mom would be angry with her if she interrupted someone’s conversation but her anxiety level was off the roof. Timidly, Leez tapped the detective’s shoulder.
“A-Asha? Do you think… you could let me have a look at the other victim’s files? Or even just the pictures?”
The older woman looked at her and upon seeing her pale face, frowned. “Only the police can access those files but…why? Did you find anything?”
Leez licked her suddenly dry lips. “I’m not sure but I have to check.”
Asha nodded slowly but her eyes had a calculative glint in them. “I guess I could let you, under my supervision. You are our prime witness, after all. Just wait for a few and we can go back at the station. Okay, Leez?”
She was obviously not the comforting type but for some reason, Asha stiffly patted Leez’s forearm before turning back to the officer to resume their conversation.
“You have to excuse our office. There’s not much funding for this region so we had to make do.”
They entered a small, beige office once Asha finished talking to the receptionist. There are two other people with them, focused on their work. She sat down on the chair Asha brought out.
“Alright, what do you need?”
Leez looked around, “Do you guys take pictures of the surroundings of the crime scene?”
“Of course. We don’t document the extended area of the scene though but there should be enough pictures for you to find what you’re looking for.”
With that, the detective pulled a box from her side and put it down the desk. Leez could see that it’s labeled 9-12 in front. “Do you want to see the pictures from your own file?”
There’s no use in that, they both thought. Leez shook her head and said, “I’d like to check the ones before mine.”
Asha nodded. “You can’t read their personal information or the documentation. Peek at it and I’ll have your ears for not listening.”
The girl looked like she’s biting back a smile, which puts a frown on Asha’s face. How she hates it when people are having fun. The detective opened the first paperboard and quickly found the photograph section.
“Alright, go for it.”
Asha watched her as she went through the first few pictures. By the time Leez was in the first half of the compilation, Asha thought to herself that it was tedious and she could do something else productive. She doesn’t want to admit it but Leez seems reliable and responsible…
“Can I trust you to not go against my instructions?” Asha eyed her.
Leez faced her and nodded seriously before going back to scrutinize the files. Well, she really doesn’t care about anything than the photographs. Asha relaxed and opened her computer, intending to finish some work for her case today.
For a while, the only sounds she heard from the office were the gentle hum of the air conditioning unit, Leez’s turning of pages, and the occasional noise from the other cubicles. She was almost relaxed when she suddenly heard a quiet gasp from her side.
Instantly, Asha abandoned her work and focused on the younger woman. “What is it? Are you okay?”
Leez was chewing her lip when she looked up to her. “I found something. But… I need to check the other files to make sure. Can I do that?”
There’s softness on Leez’s voice that made it hard for the older woman to reject her. Though if she’s being honest with herself, Asha was already set on helping out Leez with everything she has the moment the girl stood her ground against her.
Asha nodded and pulled the other boxes out. “You’ve already burned through those files, there’s no harm in checking more.”
The girl gave her a relieved smile, which sent a pang of something to Asha’s chest. Damn the Leez household and their insufferable smiles.
This time, Asha stopped her work and reviewed the files alongside Leez. What did the girl see? Scrutinizing the forest was giving her a headache and she’s getting nowhere. The detective stood up and excused herself to get something to drink.
When she got back, Leez was waiting for her and the files were neatly arranged in their respective boxes. There are several files stacked on the desk and she quickly deduced that the girl had something to show her. Asha put a cup of coffee in front of Leez before settling on her seat.
“There’s a water dispenser by the door if you want some but I got you coffee in case you wanted one.” She said, as she took a sip on her own cup. “Alright, are you going to share what you found?”
Leez nodded. “Do you remember when you guys interviewed me about what happened when I was attacked? It was my birthday and I was in the woods, picking mushrooms. Earlier today, before I went to you, I spotted that same mushroom again not far from crime scene. It could be a coincidence, but it’s an extremely rare kind so I had to check if you guys managed to capture it in a photo in the older cases.”
The girl took a deep breath and patted the paperboards beside her. “Well, you guys did. In six of them, I spotted curry mushroom.”
That was unexpected.
Asha nodded slowly. “Could you show me these, ah, curry mushrooms in the files?”
And show she did. The detective was impressed with the girl’s observing skills. The mushrooms weren’t easy to find and they blended with the background. Only a mushroom connoisseur could locate them in those pictures.
“How you spotted these is beyond me. You should replace our magnifying glass,” Asha muttered, which earned her a smack from Leez.
“Well? What do you think?”
Asha gave her a tight smile. “We have to research just how rare these mushrooms are. I admit, it’s eerie that over half of the cases had an encounter with that mushroom, but we have to verify things first.”
She could see Leez’s disappointed face in the corner of her eye. Well, she can’t have sad partner to work with. “Hey, cheer up. We’ll search if we can find anything about the appearance of that fungus in the other areas.”
The detective pulled a tablet from her desk and gave it to Leez. Two heads are better than one, after all.
The two began working on their devices. First, they researched about the mysterious mushroom. It was, actually, extremely rare and they only found a short paragraph containing information about the elusive mushroom. They hit a dead end with their second step and that’s when Asha thought of calling in to their IT department so they could scour through darker places in the internet in hopes of finding any lead about the shroom. They were provided with several sites they could try and Asha set to work, not trusting the girl with illegal content.
(Along the way, the two got into a short argument about the name of the mushroom. Leez insisted on calling it curry mushroom while Asha wanted to find and call it by its scientific name. The younger woman won.)
While they—more like Leez—were having a biscuit break, Asha hit the jackpot.
“Leez. There’s a forum for sightings and entrepreneurship for your curry mushroom. Scoot closer.”
Biscuits abandoned, Leez joined Asha in reading through the forum. The longer they read, the more shocked they become. They found out there’s an underground market for the curry mushroom—not only that, but the people seem to hold the shroom in high regard. The next thing they looked at is the sighting section. That changed things.
They found multiple pages of documentary about the shroom. For something fleeting, it seemed everywhere. They quickly moved on to the archives, hoping to find places they sighted a shroom in. And they found it.
Leez’s heart dropped when Asha confirmed the places of the remaining files had a shroom sighting, the exact same day the murders occurred.
The office was silent.
Leez took a shaky intake of breath. “But… there’s not much known about curry mushroom, let alone the reason why and how they appear or disappear. How… How could they tell where it would pop up? Are they secret experts or something?”
When she received no reply, Leez looked to see Asha with a concentrated look on her face. She knows she could do nothing but wait, and so she kept quiet and stared at the files, lip chewed in worry.
It didn’t take long for the older woman to speak again. There was a hint of unease on her voice.
“I think,” Asha looked up to her, “I have an idea of what is happening. I am not sure about it yet but it is plausible.”
Leez nodded slowly. Though she’d only met the detective a while ago, Leez knew Asha is a brilliant and insightful person. If she knows anyone who could solve the mysterious murders, it would be the blue-haired detective.
Asha stood up. She gestured for Leez to follow her and the two went out of the office. When she spoke again, she sounded worried— which made Leez even more worried.
“You need to go home, Leez. I’ll have someone escort you to your village, come on.”
Leez blinked, surprised at the sudden change. “What? But- what about the case?”
“I’ll contact you once I finish my research. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you in the dark.”
Leez huffed and glared at Asha. “You’re keeping me in the dark right now! You’re not telling me something. What is it? What were you thinking?”
Asha gave her a tired smile. “I’m sorry but I can’t tell you right now. You were of great help today, Leez. Thank you for helping me. Now, I have to do my job and you have to stay safe.”
Well. Leez didn’t feel it’s fair. There was a heavy feeling on her chest as she followed the woman towards the reception, as another officer followed them, and as they went out the station. It wasn’t fair. She wants to help and stay with Asha and solve the cases and… she understands that she has to go home and stay safe.
Her eyes burn and she told herself it’s the night breeze.
“Make sure she gets home safe, Wein.”
She heard Asha say just as the car door slammed shut.
As they drove away, Leez took one last glance back to Asha and noted the grim determination set on the woman’s face.
It was several days later until she heard from the detective again.
Leez was ironing her clothes when she heard the telephone ring. Her mother was out so she answered it. The call came from Asha, who congratulated her for staying alive before telling her the news.
The detective’s research paid off. Two days after Leez left, they found four suspected shelters that were put under watch. With careful operation, the members were trailed and several lead to shroom sightings— they noted they performed some kind of ritual before harvesting the curry mushrooms. They reached a breakthrough when an attempted murder occurred which lead to the arrest of the person that gave them the warrant to search one of the shelters.
They found several documentations about the past victims. It was incomplete but it solidified Asha’s theory that there were multiple people involved with the murders. They also found some kind of shrine and a location for something. In fact, they were currently at the place and they’ve started securing it.
“It’s a cult.”
Somehow, it made sense. Leez continued for Asha. “And they’re worshipping the shroom.”
The detective then told her she’s welcome to join their investigation and she already had someone waiting for Leez if she acquiesced. Of course, the girl accepted and Asha bid her safe travels (among orders that she check the officer’s ID and ask for the letter she left for the driver, lest Leez gets kidnapped.)
It was a long drive. They went past the Sanria drive—Leez noted that the fence and the road looked newly repaired—and an entire town until they turned and entered a clearing. The path turned rocky as they ventured deeper into the forest and just as Leez was about to ask the driver if they were kidnapping her, an old and creepy warehouse came into view with officers all around it.
The girl stepped out of the car and, with a smile, saw Asha heading her way.
“Hello, Leez.”
“Asha! It’s good to see you.”
Leez suddenly embraced the woman, surprising Asha. The detective looked positively awkward, which made Leez grin. Payback for the last time they met.
“So! How was I involved with this cult?”
Asha was thankful to move past the sudden hug. “The… murders were a sacrifice. They believed that sacrificing several people for this god would bring prosperity for the shroom. All hail the shroom, apparently.”
She winced. Crap, definitely a cult.
“How did you figure it out, Asha?”
Asha smiled sadly, “Here comes the part I apologize to you.”
Leez blinked in confusion. The detective looked around to see if there’s anyone within earshot and once satisfied, she spoke. “I developed this theory once I handled my first murder case here. See, I run a thorough background check with my victims so I wouldn’t miss anything that could help their case. There, I found something that connected them all.
I had my clue but it just didn’t make sense. Why would they be killed because of that? I researched from Mythology and classic psychology motives until I have a compilation of theories to support it. Until you pointed out that mushroom, I couldn’t see the motive behind those murders. With that, the pieces just came through.”
Asha looked at her with an apologetic expression on her face and Leez didn’t like it. The detective was brash and sarcastic, sorry doesn’t fit her. Leez steeled herself for what’s about to come.
“All the past victims, including you, shared one thing in common: You were all named Kubera.”
Oh.
Leez was frozen on the spot. Asha was the second person outside of her village that knows her true name. It… brings back bad memories. Her silence and the look on her face must’ve been bad because Asha began apologizing.
“I’m sorry, Leez. I should’ve told you beforehand— it was your privacy. I understand that you’re angry with me.”
“I… I’m not mad, Asha.” She clasped the detective’s hand with her own. “Sure, I’m surprised that you knew my real name and, well, kinda hurt that you never told me but I understand it. Really, Asha, I’m not mad. I forgive you.”
But still, Leez’s expression turned sad. She let go of Asha’s hand and stared at her own. “I just… I’ve always wondered why I was named Kubera. Mom said that dad gave me this name because it would give me a good life filled with happiness. But it’s given me nothing but trouble these past sixteen years— it even nearly got me killed! The worse is… I never even got to meet my dad. Sometimes… Sometimes I wonder if he loves me.”
The girl suddenly turned around. Asha had this awful feeling that she’s crying. Dammit, the detective placed her hand on her shoulder.
“Whaa… Asha, I’m not crying! My nose is just itching and it looks u-ugly.”
Leez even attempted to laugh but Asha could feel her shoulder shaking from tremors. She sighed internally; the Leez household will be the death of her reputation.
“Leez. Kubera, listen to me: Your father loves you very much, he couldn’t wait to meet you. He… had to leave because other people needed him. If Rao could see you right now, he would be very sad.”
The girl stiffened. “You… knew him? Were you close to my dad?”
Asha hesitated. Well, old habits die hard. “We… we were not close, but Rao said something to me once. He wants nothing but for you to find happiness, Leez. So… cease your crying.”
“R-Really? He said that?”
Finally, Leez turned around. She was sniffling but she looked at Asha with hesitant hope.
“Yeah. Come on now you bum, let’s get going.”
And so, the two entered the warehouse.
It smelled fancy.
Leez crinkled her nose as they walked around the abandoned warehouse. The smell and the look of the place didn’t match the vibes she got when she saw the building standing in the middle of the forest. It looked well-maintained and modern, opposite to the creepy look of the building from the outside.
“Wow, pretty nice for a cult,” Leez said to herself as she looked around.
To her surprise, Asha agreed. “It’s nothing like the average cults.”
They were taking a turn when the older woman suddenly stopped. Leez looked at the comfortable-looking sofas and the expensive coffee dispenser Asha was eyeing.
“If this is how they accommodate their members, I might fucking join.”
Their tour of the warehouse continued in silence. At some point, Ike asked for their presence outside and they followed suit. They were lead to another section of the forest where other officers were gathering.
There’s an erected stone spire in the middle. Someone was taking pictures of the scene and another was setting up police tapes around the area.
It looked scary. And worrisome. Leez hesitated before asking, “Is this the end, Asha?”
But the detective was staring at the spire. Or more specifically, what was etched on it. Leez took a step closer, taking in the image of the curry mushroom and… a bear-like creature on the stone.
“No,” Asha answered gravelly, “This is only the beginning.”