“This is it?” Kilrain asks in confusion.

The probie, startled, just nods his head.
“There’s an elderly women who lives next door, that’s who called it in.” the probie says, answering Kilrain’s next question,“She heard a few thumps and a bunch of rustling, but nothing too sinister. The owner..uh..Steven makes noise most nights she says.”

Kilrain replaces his notepad in his pocket and rises, looking around the clean apartment. He tries to pull puzzle pieces from the impeccably clean apartment, but shakes his head in surrender.

“So why did she even call it in? Intuition? Did she like Steven Anderson?” the probie turns red as he realizes he forgot the last name. Kilrain squats down and looks closer at the symbols in the blood. He stands and heads for the door.

“I need a smoke. Get me forensics, see if they can make sense of it. It’s as clean as a fuckin Ikea in here.”

Kilrain steps back out in the hallway and looks out the window. The sky darkens, and by the time he is finished, it has begun to rain outside.