Chapter 7 A Shroud of Mystery

However, things didn't go as planned. Even with Benjamin on board, the case was still stuck in the mud.

Just when I thought we were at another dead end, I got a call from the Harmony City Police Department that hit me like a ton of bricks.

The captain of the Harmony City detective squad sounded frantic. "Mr. Williams, we've got a brutal double murder here. Two female college students, and the scene looks just like the resin-encased bodies in Twilight City. We think it's the same killer. We need your expertise."

My heart dropped, and a chill ran up my spine.

The specter of the Undead was back, and this time, he had set his sights on Harmony City.

"Send over the case files ASAP," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

After hanging up, I called the special task force together and filled them in on the situation in Harmony City.

Brian adjusted his glasses, the lenses catching the light. "Looks like 'The Invisible Hand' has reached Harmony City."

Zoey, her neck still bandaged, looked grim. "If it's the same guy, we need to catch him fast before more people get hurt."

Alan was already itching to go. "Mr. Williams, when do we head out?"

I lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, trying to calm my nerves. "Hold on. Let's wait for the files from Harmony City before we make any moves."

Soon enough, the fax machine buzzed, and the files from Harmony City started coming through.

I pored over the documents. The photos showed the bodies of two female college students encased in resin, their deaths gruesome and eerily similar to the case in Twilight City.

Brian studied the resin composition report, his face serious. "The resin formula is a bit different from the one in Twilight City. The killer's tweaking his methods."

Alan, frustrated, ran his hands through his hair and slammed a stack of surveillance tapes on the table. "Damn it, all the cameras nearby were down. We've got nothing!"

I lit another cigarette, but the nicotine did little to lift the gloom hanging over me.

"The Invisible Hand," the name clung to me like a shadow, suffocating me.

The resin-encased bodies had become his signature, and this latest case felt like a slap in the face to the police.

I took a deep drag and then crushed the cigarette in the ashtray. "Looks like we're heading to Harmony City."

I picked up the phone and dialed the Harmony City detective squad captain. His voice on the other end was exhausted, tinged with barely suppressed anger.

"Mr. Williams, we're still coming up empty. This case is... strange."

"We'll be there first thing in the morning," I replied firmly.

I hung up, and the office fell silent, the only sound the faint ticking of the old wall clock, each tick hammering at my nerves.

My gaze involuntarily fell on Benjamin.

He sat alone on the couch in the corner, the dim light casting deep shadows on his face, obscuring his features and adding to his air of mystery.

He held a report on the Harmony City resin case, his brow furrowed, his finger tapping the edge of the report as if deep in thought.

His calm demeanor, in the midst of the silence, filled me with an inexplicable unease.

I walked over, pulled up a chair, and sat across from him, staring directly at him. "Benjamin, what do you make of this case?"

Benjamin looked up, his deep eyes meeting mine.

"This case is indeed tricky. 'The Invisible Hand' has a far-reaching and deep network. Their organizational structure and operational methods surpass typical criminal groups. This case feels like a provocation, a declaration of war. We need to be extremely cautious, or we might fall into their trap."

His tone was calm, almost detached, as if stating a fact, but I sensed an underlying message.

I lit another cigarette, my eyes never leaving Benjamin's face through the swirling smoke.

"You seem to know a lot about 'The Invisible Hand.'"

Benjamin's lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile. "I wouldn't say a lot, just more than you do."

His ambiguous answer only deepened my suspicion.

I didn't press further, just smoked in silence, the office atmosphere growing more oppressive.

The next morning, we set off before dawn, as a wispy veil of fog still clung to the world outside.

Two black SUVs sped down the highway to Harmony City, like arrows piercing the morning calm.

Outside the window, the scenery blurred past—trees, fields, houses—all becoming indistinct shadows.

My thoughts remained fixed on the case and on Benjamin.

I kept replaying Sophia's hurried profile report in my mind: the killer's antisocial personality, his twisted psyche, and the highly organized nature of his crimes. All of these pointed to a larger, more sinister plot.

And Benjamin, who exactly was he?

His appearance, his actions, his words—were they mere coincidence, or did they have a purpose?

The enigmatic aura surrounding him weighed heavily on my mind.

I glanced at Benjamin in the passenger seat. He had his eyes closed, his face expressionless, seemingly indifferent to everything.

Harmony City, here we come.