During the questioning of the Resource Management employees, Cole noticed a common theme. Everyone was subdued.
He didn't think it was due to sadness, there were no tears shed. Cole considered that they could be holding back their emotions, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was an absence of grief.
Even Sinje, who identified as Sara's friend, did not seem that upset. However, that did not mean she felt nothing. Cole remembered how Sinje had broken down during the department outing. It was possible that she had not accepted Sara's death and the feelings that came with such a realization.
Maybe the entire department hadn't come to terms that they had lost another coworker. Cole had felt the toll of the investigation first hand, and he could not blame anyone for the way that malicious deaths impacted them.
There was another side to Cole's thoughts during the interviews, the reason for the murder. What motive did each employee have for killing Sara? Eventually, Cole decided that it was likely due to Sara's observant nature. She must have seen something damning.
Sara did not give off the impression of a person who knew everyone's darkest details, but her actions had proven otherwise. She was the one that had tipped Cole off about Sinje's relationship with Mr. Jenkins, and she was the only employee who seemingly had decent standings with every member of the department.
Not all of them were perfect, yet Sara had managed to find connections, or personality traits that helped her fit in. Cole remembered how he had seen her seemingly shift personalities, from jovial and chatty, to quiet and attentive when Ms. Hopkins had appeared. Yet that emotional intelligence had only ended up hurting her.
Cole thought of Ms. Hopkins, revealing the second most likely motive for killing Sara, revenge. Cole believed that Sara could have been killed out of spite because of what she had revealed. Both Sinje and Ms. Hopkins had reason to be enraged.
Cole hoped it was not a case of vengeance, because that would mean that Sara had not figured out something new, and it brought up the possibility of a second killer. If enough dirty laundry had been aired out, during the original investigation, maybe someone thought that they might as well add to the body count.
At one point Cole would never have considered such an option, believing in the morality of the department employees. The investigation had warped his view of them.
Once every member of the department had been interviewed, Cole found himself leaning against a wall outside of the company building. At that moment everything seemed so pointless. They had learned nothing from the interviews; all they managed to do was add another person to let down.
Sara's death marked a tangible failure. They had not caught the killer and as a result, another person was dead. Cole remembered Alyx's words about catching the killer not for justice, but to keep them from striking again.
He sneered to himself. Maybe Alyx was closer to figuring out the murderer, but he was still as lost as the day he started working at the company. Wrapped in his negativity, even thinking of Alyx did not help Cole calm down.
He trusted that his girlfriend would be able to solve the case, but she was chained to a useless force dragging her down. Cole tried to rally behind Mirai's words. He was contributing, he was helpful, but the sentiment was empty, he didn't trust Mirai.
Alyx had asked Cole to spend time together, after they concluded their work, but Cole turned her down. Usually they went straight home on the nights where they worked the next day, and Cole was able to use that pattern as an excuse.
In reality, he felt like a burden, and wrapped himself in self pity and guilt, when he compared himself to Alyx.
As the dust settled into the city for a good night's rest, Cole spotted a figure out of the corner of his eye. The wall Cole was leaning against was near the company building, and when Cole turned his head, he saw Tom, the security guard, hurrying down a street.
Cole instantly moved to follow. HIs mind warned him to turn back, to call Alyx to let her know what he was doing, but he ignored the caution. He wanted to be useful.
He was not going to be a burden, and if his hunch turned out to be nothing, Cole did not want to bother Alyx outside of work.
Cole knew it was stupid to follow a suspicious individual that was armed, but he didn't care. He needed to do something to prove his worth, and besides he had a weapon of his own.
Trying not to be conspicuous, Cole followed Tom at a distance. As with most things related to his new role, Cole was not an experienced tail, but he felt confident that Tom had not noticed.
The man's demeanor and pace had not shifted, even after Cole had followed him for a few minutes, and his route seemed straightforward. That combination of observations made Cole confident that the man was unaware, after all, who would want to lead a stalker to their intended destination?
Cole did not hesitate to follow, as Tom turned down a less populated alley. For months he and Alyx had been incredibly careful to stay away from possible ambush spots, but Cole threw that caution away, in an instant.
After Cole entered the alley, he noticed that Tom had started walking faster. Due to the fact there were less people in the alley than on the main street, Cole knew it would be harder to hide from Tom. However, Tom's increased speed forced Cole to pick up his own pace, throwing caution to the wind. He couldn't fail.
*Wham.* Cole felt his head spin, something had struck him. Cole blinked. Was that a door? No, it was a tree… or a person.
Even as a wave of nausea threatened to consume his entire body, Cole forced himself to his feet. Even in his disoriented state, he understood that he was under attack. Cole grimaced as a figure approached him.
He had been in a similar situation before, in Harbor, and he had confidence that he would be able to replicate the results. Unsteadily he prepared to subdue his assailant.
His confidence was short lived, as his punch was easily evaded, and Cole found himself face down on the pavement. Before he could attempt to stand, his arms were locked into place behind his back, and his ankles were fastened together.
"Nice work." The voice sounded familiar, and Cole strained to look up. With his blurry vision it was difficult to make out the owner of the voice, but Cole eventually realized that it was Tom. He had been lured into a trap.
"You carry him. The muffler is running low on energy, so we need to get on site quickly." The one who had easily subdued Cole spoke, and Tom lifted Cole over his shoulder, without complaint.
Cole, struggling to stay conscious, tried to send a message to Alyx. She was the first person that came to his mind. A sharp pain seared through his temple, and Cole quickly understood the purpose of the muffler. It stopped him from communicating with anyone. He was alone.
'At least Alyx won't be put into danger because of my actions.' Cole thought when he realized that no one would save him. A few seconds later, his consciousness faded.
When he awoke, his head throbbed painfully, reminding him that he had been captured. He tried to stand up, but found that he could barely shift his body at all. He was bound to a chair, and the restraints on his hands and legs were still present.
Knowing it was likely futile. Cole tried to send another message. His only reward was an addition to the splitting headache. Cole struggled violently against his restraints, he barely moved.
However, in his attempts, he felt a familiar yet uncomfortable shape on his back. His assailants had not taken his gun. Maybe they were careless, or maybe they had bound his arms at the perfect angle to block the weapon from their sight. Either way, Cole felt a surge of hope, he had the tool he needed for his escape.
Cole examined his surroundings, he appeared to be in an unfurnished bedroom. The walls and floor seemed in good condition, so Cole thought that he was likely in a newer building. There was a single window in the room, looking out into a modern apartment.
The apartment looked normal, except for a row of beds, lined against one of the walls. Aside from the beds, only a few chairs were visible. There were a few objects strewn around the apartment, but Cole could tell that it was usually a very clean environment.
After he had given the space a once over, a person came into view, through the window. She was a sharp faced woman, with thick eyebrows that curved upwards into a defined arch.
Her eyes met Cole's and she smiled slightly before walking over, and opening the door to Cole's room.
"We finally caught ourselves a Spearsgate."