The Case, a Murder

     Cienna Jenson. Sebastian Wells. Diana Everfields. Giani Frostfeather. Vincent Darkwood. 

     Five equally skilled detectives who had all heard of each other, and how amazing they were at their work. Yet that was all there was to their relationships with one another. 

     So that made it impossibly awkward and difficult for the five to sit down together and start discussing a supernatural case like they were longtime acquaintances or something.

     Cienna had chosen the finest diner for them to have their first meetup at, a French restaurant called Seaside Highlights. They had all finished their appetizers and were waiting for the main course when the first person actually spoke.

     “I believe we are here today to work together and collaborate on solving the case of the Night Killer, not sit in awkward silence for an hour.” Sebastian stated calmly, setting down his fork.

     “I—yes, I was waiting for someone to say that.” Diana said flusteredly, trying to hide her embarrassment behind a glass of wine.

     “So let’s just get straight to the point here.” Vincent objected. “There have been random people dropping dead in the poorer neighborhoods of the city, without any clues on why they died. Each and every single one of the victims didn’t show any stab marks, any injected poisons, any blundering damage, nothing. Their hearts just stopped beating in the middle of the night. And that’s what we’re trying to investigate.”

     “Maybe there’s something that we missed?” Giani suggested. “Perhaps it was all just a coincidence that they all died from heart attacks?”

     “There’s been nineteen murders so far, I highly doubt that they all just dropped dead from a failing heart.” Cienna mused. “Maybe we should investigate any new local drugs in the area. Perhaps an unidentified drug caused their deaths?”

     “That is a possibility worth looking into,” Diana nodded. “Should we send out an investigation team?”

     “Hold on.” Sebastian objected. “Maybe the answer is something more complex than simple answers, such as murder and poison. Something that scientists themselves have not discovered…?”

     “What are you suggesting?” Giani raised an eyebrow. 

     “Maybe the murderer had to remove an essential part of their bodies to kill them soundlessly!” Diana suggested, then realized how childish she sounded. The blonde blushed yet again, looking downward with embarrassment.

     “Well, the one thing that we were able to connect with all of the victims was that they had all been wearing a ring of sorts, before the murder. And when their bodies were discovered, the rings were missing. Not gonna question how they found that data.” Cienna noted. She still pondered just how exactly the detectives had made that conclusion.

     “A ring? What does that have to do with anything?” Vincent inquired doubtfully.

     “Well, that’s the only coincidence that we’ve been able to discover so far, other than the fact that they were all murdered in the same general area.” Sebastian concluded, fingering with a sapphire ring on his thumb. He stood up, brushing aside any crumbs that may have fallen on his suit. “I’m going out for some fresh air.”

     “Alright, but be back soon,” Cienna responded, raising an eyebrow but not poking at why he had to do that.

     Cienna continued to discuss animatedly with the other star detectives on any other leads they may have on the murderer besides the location and ring coincidences. The waiters came around with the main courses, and that was when Diana first noticed that Sebastian still wasn’t back.

     “Guys, where’s Sebastian? It’s been ten minutes. He should be back by now.” Diana mentioned.

     “I don’t know, maybe he lost track of time.” Giani shrugged. She stood up. “I’ll find him.”

     But before Giani could move, there was an ear-piercing, frightened scream from outside. Cienna and the others immediately shot up from their seats, dashing out the glass front door.

     In the alleyway beside the restaurant, a waitress was standing there, shaking furiously and green eyes wide with shock and fright. Cienna pushed past the terrified waitress, and breathed in sharply at the sight.

     Slumped down on the ground, was Sebastian, his eyes lifeless.

***

     “He’s gone, just like all the others.” Diana murmured. The remaining four were crowded around the crime scene, sorrowfully examining the lifeless body of Sebastian Wells. “There’s no signs of bloodshed that could have caused his death, and I highly doubt there’d be any traces of a poison discovered in his body as well.”

     “Once an investigator in the case, now a victim.” Vincent sighed. Cienna felt inexplicable grief towards the man. She barely knew Sebastian as a person, but she had heard of his amazing works in solving several difficult cases and what a brilliant mind he had.

     “Look!” Giani gasped quietly, pointing to Sebastian’s left hand. “His sapphire ring is missing!” Cienna’s eyes widened just a fraction as she noticed the absence of the jewel-encrusted ring that had been on the man’s hand not long before.

     “So this really is the cause of death in all those people.” Cienna frowned. “But now the question is: what does the ring have to do with anything?”

     “I…if the ring really is the reason, then I have a suspicion that this isn’t any normal thing investigators have ever seen or dealt with. This sounds impossible, but…maybe something supernatural is involved.”

     Vincent did not say anything. Instead, he stared down at Sebastian’s body with narrowed navy blue eyes, deep in thought. Cienna noticed his intense concentration first.

     “Is there something you want to say, Vincent?” Cienna queried.

     “The ring Sebastian had. I think…I think I might have seen it before.” Vincent started, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. “I read once of a cursed sapphire ring that was said to bring bad luck to its bearers. One of my former cases involved the mysterious death of a shopkeeper who had bought the sapphire ring from an auction. Eventually, it was brushed off as poison, because of an unusual substance found in the victim’s body, but now I have a suspicion that it was more than that. It was the ring’s curse.”

     “We need to do more investigation into this ring if the case is ever to be solved.” Giani murmured, her frosty blue eyes narrowed coldly at Sebastian’s body.