1. New Year's Day
The beginning of the calendar was marked by the remnants of confetti being swept off the streets and the incessant chatter of the previous night's wild parties. The sound of shoes travelling down the pavement in an uninterested trudge exposed a person's dismay at the end of the festivities. However, even the golden slivers of sunlight reflecting off a puddle of water near the pavement gave passers-by a reason to smile.
It was New Year's Day and nothing could ruin the beginning of the new year for them.
Despite the dark circles under their eyes at having kept awake to welcome the New Year, there was the unmistakable glint of excitement in people's eyes as they predicted what the year had in store for them.
Especially if their job involved forensic analysis and tracking down master criminals on the run.
Flashing the security guard a smile, Detective Kruger walked into the building. The Criminal Investigation Branch office looked no different than it had before Christmas, and its security systems had even been upgraded. The employee information database had recently been updated, and nobody was allowed in without their newly-isssued watches, which served as an identification tag.
Detective Kruger paused outside the elevator as she waited for it to arrive, mentally running over her list of assignments as she snuck a look at her watch.
"Update criminal database, check offline server status, collect Statistic reports," she muttered to herself as the elevator doors slid open with a chime.
She stepped in and pressed a button, prompting the doors to close. The detective gazed intently into a small black screen on the door.
"Retinal scan confirmed. Detective Jacqueline Kruger verified," a smooth automated voice declared, before the elevator climbed up to the fifth floor. The Criminal Investigation Branch would be waiting for their boss.
******
"Happy New Year, Miss Kruger!"
"Long time, no see, Detective!"
Jacqueline smiled and acknowledged the warm greetings with a wave of her hand as she exited the elevator and walked into the workspace. She set her handbag down at her desk and gazed around at her colleagues.
"Welcome back to the office, agents," Jacqueline announced, draping her coat over her chair. She looked around at the agents and slowly paced in front of her desk.
"I hope you made the most of your well-deserved vacation," she continued solemnly.
"Because we probably won't get another for some time to come."
A knowing chuckle went up, as the agents were only too used to working overtime on cases that cropped up conveniently during what might have been a relaxing Saturday.
"By the way, that's a lovely gift from Ajay, Sia," the detective mused with a slight smile, turning her gaze to a brunette haired young lady. Sia was sporting a new silver pendant, which hadn't failed to catch Jacqueline's attention.
Sia grinned. "Of course, you'd notice, Detective," she remarked, gazing down at the jewellery on her neck. It was a round silver locket with a blue stone in the centre and curling designs emerging from it.
The design on the necklace could only be the workmanship of an artist from Sikkim, Northeast India, owing to its distinct style. It stood to reason that Sia's husband brought it for her on his recent trip to the country.
"What about you, Miss Kruger?" Max quipped, a glint of amusement in his eyes. Jacqueline turned her gaze questioningly.
"Did you enjoy your stay at the Black Stallion?"
The detective tilted her head in consideration. "The handbag gave it away, didn't it?" she remarked with a slight grin.
The new emerald green handbag bore the brand symbol of Riana, which was available for sale only at the premium souvenir store at the Black Stallion hotel.
Max shrugged casually.
"It was also your car," he continued. "You drove up from the north side of the city, and not from the south, where your residence is. Which implies you came straight from the hotel, and thus you must've stayed there until the New Year celebration."
Jacqueline hummed in response and tapped a pen on her desk absentmindedly.
"Yeah, but even a quiet hotel destroyed my chances of catching some sleep, with that new club right opposite the building," she stated with a hint of annoyance.
"Speaking of sleep," the detective turned her attention to a middle-aged man sitting at the desk on the far right, and a woman seated in front of her computer.
"Matthew and Nikolina, you two seem to be the only ones who didn't stay awake to welcome the new year."
The lack of dark circles under their eyes, combined with the absence of any coffee cups in front of them seemed to bear testament to the deduction.
Matthew shrugged. "I'm definitely not a night owl. I can't keep my eyes open after ten," he confessed with a chuckle.
"I just didn't bother. It's just another day," Nikolina stated nonchalantly, not taking her eyes off her screen.
Sia huffed. "I think we're one of the few government organisations to work on the January 1st."
Jacqueline gave a dramatic flourish of her hands.
"Crime doesn't wait till the 2nd."
"Damn right it doesn't," Max quipped as he looked up from his laptop.
"Detective, we've received a message from Officer Lane," he informed, tapping the message and projecting it on a bigger screen behind Jacqueline's table.
"Code 21.
Victim - Gia Luciano, daughter of Sam Luciano
Location - 13, Blackwell Street
Time - 6:15 hours
Forensics is required to probe into it. All-branch meeting on 3rd floor in 15 minutes."
Code 21 was used to refer to a murder. The murder of an affluent businessman's daughter in this case.
It was certainly an uncanny way to kick off the new year.
