I Am Tired Of Being A Hero-Chapter 223: I am here

It has been four days since Arlen went to meet Korra and came out with the most tensed expression that Ravi had ever had on his face and that was including the time that the Duplicator shot at him. It has been four days since the helpless expression in his heart had compounded into a raging ball of frustration.

In the Sentinel realm, there was a golden ranking list that was suspended in the air. The number one name on the list was Ravi West. He was Ravi West and yet he would not help lighten the burden on his lover’s shoulders. His immense power seemed to be completely useless for the first time ever.

According to the time of death they have been noticing, the killing has a time frame, there have been a death every week so in three days, somewhere in Davenport, there might be another body.

They had to find this person and find this killer very fast. Ravi had done more investigative work in the past four days than he had done all year, he had even dug all the trash of the last two victims and yet there is nothing.

The healing drugs meant that they could not tell if there was a defensive wound on the victim.

Inside the mortuary, the attendant opened the drawer that contained Anny Paul’s body.

The woman in front of Ravi had already been prepared. Ravi, somehow, considering his general lack of sympathy, did not know why he was chosen by Arlen instead of Sarah to give the found relatives of the victims the news that their closest relative is dead.

It was mostly uncles, aunts or cousins, this was the rare case where he had to break the news to a mother.

The woman who had looked so cold when he opened the door was now shaking in front of the corpse. Tears rolled down silently as she trembled. She tried to reach out and grab the young woman’s hand but her hand fell to her side.

She tried severally and after a while, she reached and held the cold hand. She didn’t speak or move, but tears rolled down one by one like beads with a broken thread.

Ravi looked at her silently, just standing by her side. There was something about this silent sadness that was even more uncomfortable than hysterical emotions. She held her daughter’s hand for more than an hour before she stepped back.

"Thank you." She said quietly, "The last time that we saw each other seven years ago, I told her to leave my house and never come back. She got into drugs and every time she told me that she would change and she would not do it again, she would fall into the same pattern over and over again." The woman was clenching and unclenching her fists, she looked like she was talking to herself rather than him, "Her actions were causing a lot of problems for her younger siblings so...I asked her to leave. Did she suffer when..." The woman paused in the middle of the question like she could not bear the knowledge and looked at Ravi.

"Officer, would you find the person who killed my daughter? Officer, you have to find the person, that way I...Promise me."

Ravi looked at her. The truth was that they might not find this killer until the day they die but death was not an escape, it was just the beginning. Malik might be crazy at times but his immortal self was near infallible, "He would get justice. He would pay. That is all that I can promise you."

The woman looked into his eyes, they were cold hazel eyes and she nodded. She looked back at the corpse and whispered, "I will like to be alone with her if you do not mind."

Ravi nodded and stepped outside, only to see Draco waiting outside for him.

"You are not planning to be a vigilante, right?" The way he looked at him, there was no doubt that Draco believed that he was capable of doing that.

"Trust me, I neither have the strength or the time for that." He was not some kind of hero, Ravi was truly not. This case was horrendous and gloomy but he had seen even more horrible crimes in his life, especially in the cultivation realm. He was not as obsessed with catching this criminal as the rest of his team, because unless the killer find a way to cultivate and reach the position of a Heavenly Emperor, The Netherworld’s judgment would fall on him and even if he cultivates to the highest height, his tribulation would definitely cause his soul to shatter.

There was no such thing as going free or escaping justice.

His involvement in this case was because of one person and one person alone. The person who has not slept properly since this case began. He had gone over last night and there was a board in the living room as well.

He just wanted to solve this case so Arlen would sleep well.

"That also sounds like you. The Captain wants us to head to some restaurants in Alstria. I have discovered a potential lead." His voice was so proud that Ravi almost had that feeling to pat his head and tell him that he had done a good job. They headed back to the office and straight to Arlen’s office.

Arlen was standing in front of the board with a red marker circled around the name, Mary Taylor.

"I have informed all the relatives. Only three came this morning to identify and claim the body." Ravi reported and Arlen nodded.

"Did you interview them?"

"Yes. Here." He passed the notes, the kind of similarities that Arlen was looking for were not there. One of the women had done drugs and was kicked out so she came to Davenport that was a relatively cheaper place to live, the second had dropped out 0f college to chase her passion, music but the constant disappointment had made her come to Davenport for her last try, she played music at one of the clubs, the third left her aunt’s house because she had a child, she came to Davenport to raise the child but the child’s father soon got custody because of her job.

Different stories. Aside from the clubs, nothing was connecting these 21 women.

Arlen read through it and wrote down the relevant information under each of the women’s pictures. Ravi looked at the board again and the Why a public place circled in red and he sighed, when he had that conversation with Malik, he had initially believed that the killer might be the club owner who did rugs and ran an escort line but now they know it is a depraved killer, it had changed, he tried to recall what Malik had told him.

"Was the victim tortured before he/she was killed?... He could be taunting your guys. They are people like that, they enjoy toying with investigators. It could be seeking attention. You have to admit the sidewalk is a very big, ’Look at me’ move. It could be more old school...if this is a serial murder, dumping a body publicly can be a final act of humiliation or a way to inflict further pain on the victim’s loved ones."

It could not be to inflict further pain on the victim’s loved ones, most of the victims it could be the final act of humiliation. Ravi could feel his head buzzing the more he thought about it.

"We have a lead. Officer Brown, go and start the car." He looked at Ravi, "We have to go to Alstria and check the CCTV of about 8 restaurants and interview all their staff about something that happened five months ago."

Draco walked out and Arlen let his gaze drift from the open room to Ravi, "I am tired." he said softly, "I am so tired, Ravi."

"I know." Ravi shifted subtly closer to him to stand in front of the board, just enough that they pressed lightly arm to arm. It was a barely minimal contact yet it brought a warmth that helped to chase the cold that had started pricking Arlen’s body. A kind of cold that followed watching pictures of dead people day and night.

He relaxed, taking a deep breath of that scent that was completely Ravi. The feeling that he is never alone was really so good.

Ravi felt the helplessness return. Could he really not do anything at all to help Arlen? Maybe he could, he had never entered a world where he needed the skills to catch this kind of killer but in the Sentinel realm...

Arlen looked at him, Ravi was looking at the board but his gaze was blank, there was a subtle knot between his brows, and his lips slightly parted.

Arlen nudged him with his shoulders, "You are doing it again. Where did you go just now?"

Ravi blinked and turned to look at him, drinking him in.

His love.

"I am here." Ravi moved a bit closer not minding at this moment if anyone was watching, "I am here. Arlen, you are doing great."