He knelt in a pool of blood, trying in vain to wake the dead man lying in front of him, until he was startled by the sudden sound of footsteps approaching from behind.
He picked up the bloody gun and pointed it at the intruder. "I'll kill you, you son of a bitch"
Even though his finger mechanism pulled the trigger, there was no movement in the gun barrel. The intruder mocked and ridiculed him. "Haha, the great detective Silas Winter actually killed his won boss and partner with his own hands. Just thinking about tomorrow's newspaper headline is making me laugh. I'm really looking forward to it."
The rage seemed to tear Silas' chest apart. He dropped his gun and rushed towards the intruder who had put him in a desperate situation. However, the other guy pulled out a iron rod he had hid under his clothes and hit the detective in his ribs.
Silas collapsed on the ground, blood and saliva flying out of his mouth while he's trying to steady his breath.
"Clang!!!"
The sound of the iron rod hitting the ground was cold and harsh.
"Listen, from now on there will be no Silas Winter. If I hear or even smell any sign of your comeback, trust me, I will be there an definetely not to celebrate. Hahaha" With that, the figure disappeared into the darkness...
Gabriel Voss woke suddenly. The sweaty face in the rearview mirror looked weirdly unfamiliar. Although he desperately tried to forget it, that blood-stained night kept reappearing in his dreams, tormenting him anew.
"Shit, of course there is none when i need it"
He took out a pack of gums from the locker, shook it,and realized the box was empty. He threw it back in annoyance, cursing his situation.
'Damn, I'm sweating again. Although it's autumn, the heat is still merciless. It's the timewhen the seasons change, so it's very easy to catch a cold if you're not careful. As a taxi driver, I don't have the freedom to stay at home for a few days.'
he glanced at the time.It was already 2 in the morning. It was almost time to go back home, take a shower and then go to bed.
There was a beep from the phone, indiating a new order. The passenger who placed the prder was one kilometer away.
After looking at the place the passenger wanted to go, he realized it was on the way home. He could earn some money while driving home,so why not?
He skillfully clicked to confirm the order and started the car.
A beautiful figure appeared in the headlights. Gabriel conceitedly straightened his hair, after all even as a taxi driver he had to look somewhat presentable.
The woman walked to the back of the car and sat down on the back seat.
"So, what's the destination so late at night?"
"I don't want any small talk. Didn't the order say we're going to Hotel 'Silbermond'?"
The woman complained angrily.
After he started driving, the woman took out a pack of cigarettes from her bag. Gabriel quickly noticed.
"Miss, I'm sorry but you can't smoke in here." He said with a slight smile.
"Tch"
The answer he got was a disdainful look and a click with her tounge.
But Gabriel didn't mind. It wasn't because of the smell of the smoke. Not at all. He could just open the windwo and the problem would be solved.
He just had a personal problem. He hated cigarettes as much as he hated alcohol or drugs. He just didn't understand why people take that stuff which only leads to a shorter lifespan.
But he learned to mind his own business... At least if it doesnt have anything to do with him.
So instead he tried to lift the mood with some small talk again.
"It's pretty dangerous for a woman like you to wander alone at night"
'Shit, now he sounded like some third rate criminal that's about to attack a lone woman at night.'
Fortunately she didn't seemed to mind, or maybe she was just too dum– cough I mean busy to notice.
"i'm just meeting a friend"
"That's what they all say and the next day you see them in the newspaper, and definetely not because they won the lottery. Anyway, you should still try not to wander into criminals, especially murderers."
"Murderers?" she sneered "You can't just tell who is a murderer and who isn't."
"That is quite easy actually. You just have to pay attention to the subtle signs they show. Matter of fact, if one was getting into my car, I would immediately notice."
"Oh?" she seemed intruiged. "Tell me then, what does a murderer look like?"
"Well of course you can't just tell from their looks but there are certain signs almost every murderer shows. They usually have wandering eyes and a guarded demeanor. They are also very sensitive and irritable and often avoid talking about their own situation."
The woman snorted, "You talk as if you've seen one before."
"Hahaha" Gabriel suddenly burst out laughing, " Well maybe I have, maybe I don't. Or maybe I even am one, who knows."
"Well anyway, it seems we've arrived at the designated destination. Please dont froget to give me a good rating."
The woman just scoffed pulled out here phone and typed something.
"Honey, this driver talks too much, it's so annoying"
She then quickly got out of the car disappearing into the distance.
Shortly after the woman was gone Gabriel's demeanor took a 180 degrees turn. His face that just showed a wide smile turned blank and his previous warm eyes were now cold.
---------------
On the morning of September 9th, the body of a young woman was discovered on the riverbank approximately 100 meters from the Annenbrücke in a German city. The victim, estimated to be around 25 years old, was slim with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her clothing was torn, and forensic examiners found marks consistent with strangulation from behind. An autopsy carried out by the Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed strangulation as the cause of death. It was also determined that she had had sexual intercourse shortly before her death.
Roughly 300 meters downstream, investigators from the Kriminalpolizei located the victim's abandoned handbag. Inside were her ID card, mobile phone, and other personal items. It was confirmed that approximately €1,000 in cash was missing. The phone was initially water-damaged and wouldn't turn on, but after a technical restoration, two text messages sent shortly before her death were recovered. Both were addressed to her boyfriend:
> "Honey, this driver talks too much, it's so annoying."
> "Just got out of the car. I think someone is following me."
The boyfriend confirmed receiving both messages at the specified time. The Kriminalpolizei is now in contact with the ride-sharing platform to determine the identity and background of the driver.
Chief Inspector Lin Kirchhoff, head of the local Kriminalpolizei's homicide division, read out the official case summary in a calm, measured voice. A murmur ran through the previously silent crowd.
> "Another murder linked to a ride-hailing driver?"
> "Are these drivers all dangerous now? Maybe it's time to shut these platforms down."
> "Let's not jump to conclusions. There's no proof the driver was the killer."
> "At 3 a.m., no one else is around that bridge. Who else could it have been?"
Chief Inspector Lin Kirchhoff slammed his hand on the table several times, and his subordinates immediately fell silent. Lin said firmly:
"Ride-sharing services, rape and murder, young women… Just under a month after the last homicide linked to a ride-hailing driver, we didn't expect these words to resurface so soon.
Once the media gets wind of this case, it will have a major social impact. That's why our superiors are placing tremendous importance on this investigation and have instructed us to resolve it as quickly as possible.
I'll take responsibility for shielding you from the pressure coming from above and from the media. What we need to do now is focus and proceed with discipline.
All leave is suspended for the next two days. If you usually sleep seven hours, make it five. We aim to get results within 48 hours. Understood? Do you have confidence?"
His words were strict and heavy, yet when Lin Kirchhoff spoke, they carried a cold clarity and a sense of urgency.
"Yes, sir! We have confidence!" the members of the task force replied in unison.
"Good. I'll now assign tasks. Franziska, take your team and go back to the scene for another inspection..."
One by one, the officers filed out of the meeting room. Lin Kirchhoff was gathering up documents when he noticed someone still standing behind him. He paused briefly, then continued stacking his files. Without turning his head, he asked:
"Why haven't you left?"
"Why did you give me such an unimportant task like looking into the victim's social relationships?" came a sharp, defiant voice.
"There's no such thing as an unimportant task. Every part of this investigation matters. Just follow orders."
"Hmph. Sounds nice. But it's always the same. You never assign me the dangerous or complex missions. Will I always be the little girl in your eyes who never grows up? Lin Kirchhoff, I spent four years at the police academy. I didn't come here to warm a desk and learn life lessons!"
Lin finally turned and met her eyes—full of challenge and hurt. His expression softened.
"Sophia... I—"
"Chief Inspector Kirchhoff!" she interrupted loudly. "Is it appropriate to speak so personally with a subordinate while on duty?"
She turned and walked to the door. Just before leaving, she paused and said quietly but firmly:
"Brother, I'll prove it to you. This time, I will make a real contribution." (Now you did it yourself)
As she disappeared down the hallway, a faint, bitter smile crossed Lin Kirchhoff's face.
---
Well, yeah.... This is Chapter 1 and it will mark the beginning of this journey. As you can see, the novel will play in Germany, because... Well I'm german.
Please give me an honest Feedback and don't hold anything back. I want to improve my Story as much as possible.