Chapter Text
“But when a woman decides to sleep with a man, there is no wall she will not scale, no fortress she will not destroy, no moral consideration she will not ignore at its very root: there is no God worth worrying about.”
― Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera
All Petra Ral had wanted was a carefree night out with her friends.
The divorce had been rough, draining her from all her powers. Her ex-husband has insisted on getting the summer cottage, the place that Petra held dearest of all her earthly belongings. Thankfully, her lawyer had managed to get her the cottage, but at a hard price; Petra had to pay a long penny for it, which nearly cost her her mental health. Now, a few months after the divorce was finalized, all Petra wanted was to forget the past six year of her life, and turn a new page in her life. She deserved a fun night out, so she had called up her friends for a few drinks downtown.
As she now laid in the pool of her own blood in a bed that wasn’t her own, mouth filling with the metallic-tasting liquid, all she could think of was how unfair life can be. At only 37 years old, she hadn’t really done anything. She had never visited France, never learned to play the piano, never seen the polar lights, never rode an elephant… The bucket list she had done as a teenager was only halfway done.
Yes, life is truly unfair, Petra Ral thought as she spluttered out a last, shaky breath.
Chapter one; Turning Pages
Earlier that day
There was a tingle in her stomach when she looked in the mirror, and a small smile on her lips. It had been a long time since she last wore make-up, and the woman staring back at her from the mirror seemed like a stranger. A nice looking stranger though, that she had to admit to herself.
A thin sheet of gloss covered her lips, and her eyes were framed with mascara. The shimmering eyeshadow really brought out the greens in her eyes, and she looked younger in years. To be completely honest, she was actually quite pleased with the result. Her ex-husband never complimented her, but he always remembered to remind her when she messed up. The last year of her marriage, the nasty remarks had been daily, and one day she had snapped. Now, six months later, she was ready to start again.
Correcting the hem of her blue dress one more time, she grabbed her purse and headed out. The cab was already waiting outside, and she hoped that she wasn’t too late. Petra Ral hated people who were late, but choosing a dress had taken longer than she had expected.
The bar was nice, with modern décor and a fresh atmosphere. The dim lights casted shadows on the floor, creating a feeling of class and elegance. After five years of living a dull life with not even a small escape to something nicer, classier, this was just what Petra needed.
Her friends Jeanine, Sofia, Bianca and Asa were all sitting in a lounge when she arrived. Someone had ordered a bottle of champagne, and there was already a glass waiting for her. She flashed her friends a wide smile as she sat down.
“You look amazing!” Asa complimented, eyeing the dress with a smile. Everyone else agreed, and Petra felt herself blush.
“Did you have surgery done?” Jeanine asked, eyeing her bust curiously. Petra blushed even more, and let out an embarrassed laughter.
“No, I just bought a new bra” she confessed. It was actually true; for the first time in her life, Petra had invested in some nice lingerie, instead of relaying on her usual nude ones she had bought many years ago. The confession made the whole group giggle, and Petra felt herself relax. She knew that the divorce was the right call, and hope for a better life awakened inside her.
The night continued as it usually did when the four of them go together; Asa and Sodia got way to drunk and wanted to dance, while Bianca tried to hit on the bartender. That left Jeanine and Petra alone in the booth, sipping on the champagne in a comfortable silence. It wasn’t long until Jeanine looked at her phone and looked at Petra apologetically.
“Sorry, I have to go. The babysitter just texted that Anton’s coming down with a flu. I’m so sorry, but I’ll make it up to you. Dinner at my place next week?” Jeanine really looked sorry, and Petra instantly felt bad for her.
“Sure!” Petra smiled “As long as I get to pick the wine”
Jeanine let out a laughter and nodded. “You always do” her friend reminded as she walked away, leaving Petra alone in the booth that now seemed too big for just one person.
Petra looked around for her friends, but they were nowhere to be found. With a small sigh, she decided to go home. Now that she really thought about it, she was a bi tired. As she walked towards the exit, a dark voice startled her. She gasped and turned around, finding herself staring into the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He was handsome. Not like Channing Tatum or George Clooney, more like Mike, from Desperate Housewives, her favourite TV-show.
“Can I buy you a drink?” he asked with a crooked smile. Petra’s heart started beating faster, and a warmth spread in her chest. The alcohol she had consumed earlier made her feel courageous, so she nodded and sat down next to him. He introduced himself as Parker Holdings, as he grabbed her hand and gave it a soft squeeze. His hands were soft, she noted, a quality she had always enjoyed in men. Her ex-husbands hands were always hard and gruff from work, and his touch had always made her cringe.
They chatted for a while, and he told Petra all about his adventures and life. She learned that he was a dentist, who enjoyed sailing and voluntary wok on his past time. It seemed too good to be true, even Petra could see that, but he seemed so sincere, so real that there was no way he'd be lying. She told him about her divorce, a subject that usual was incredibly hard for her to talk about. For some reason, she felt so comfortable with this man that it kind of just slipped. Instead of making her feel like she had overshared, he just smiled sympathetically and told her that he would never let go of an amazing woman like her.
The flash of lights indicated that the bar was closing. Petra looked around in question; had time really gone by that fast? A quick glance on her watch confirmed it, yes, it was indeed 2 am already. Parker smiled and shook his head, almost as if he was embarrassed. The gesture seemed boyish, cute in a way, and Petra felt herself more and more enchanted by him.
"Uh, I actually live in a motel right now... There were some pipes that needed fixing in my house so I had to move out for a bit." Parker explained, looking her deeply into her eyes. "I also have a bottle of wine back there. Would you care to join me? I'd hate to say goodbye already. It's not too often one meets a woman like you, Miss Ral"
Petra’s bod filled with lust; she couldn't remember the last time he had felt herself so wanted. It wasn't like her, not at all, but she nodded, grabbed his hand, and together they started making their way towards his motel.
The alarm clock rudely interrupted Mikasa Ackerman’s dreams. Her groan echoed in her small bedroom when she woke up, evidence of her dismay in waking up this early. The first thing she felt, like every morning, was a need for a black coffee and a cigarette; Lucky Strike blue. She didn’t really care about what label her cigarettes were, but she was a slave to her habits. As she wandered to the kitchen and turned on her coffee machine, a chill ran down her spine. It was freezing in her apartment. She looked over to the balcony, and noticed that she had left it open over the night.
“Fuck” she muttered, and walked over to it, closing it loudly. Even if she lived on the third floor, working as a police had taught her some valuable lessons when it came to safety. Never leave your door unlocked, never leave your windows open, never leave the house without pepper spray and your phone. She blamed her thoughtlessness on the stress that had followed after being promoted to detective. Even if it was over five months ago, she still hadn’t managed to make her everyday life normal again.
Her job as a detective was rewarding, but also tough at times. She had witnessed many horrid things; dismembered heads hanging from bridges, dead children stuffed in bags and women beat up so badly that they had to be identified via dental record. Sometimes she wondered why she even continued with it, but she knew that it was the only thing she could to. Working as a detective was her true calling. She knew she could have chosen differently; joined her brother Eren and his fiancé Armin to study abroad. They were both studying in Germany, and the emails and postcards they sent revealed that they were both happy. They had even got a dog, a small Labrador called Franz. It was only a matter of time before the two would get married, move into a small house and adopt a child. They had it all planned out. Mikasa could never see herself live a life like that. At 26 years old, she had witnessed many of her friends getting married, buying houses, making children... She never saw what the big appeal of it was. Children were messy, and they demanded time and love, both things that Mikasa didn't value too high. Houses needed to be tended, and for a relationship to work she had to invest in it, being 100% involved all the time. Mikasa Ackerman was not ready for anything like that. Her last relationship had gone sour when her ex-girlfriend Annie had wanted to move in together, while just the thought of sharing space with someone sent Mikasa running the other way.
A quick glance at the clock told Mikasa that she had to hurry if she wanted to make it to the station before Levi, her boss. Levi Ackerman had only been her boss for a month or two, but had during that time managed to piss Mikasa off almost daily. The only thing that they shared was their last name. Mikasa was loud, aggressive and passionate in her work, while Levi was cool, collected and always following the rules. They were complete opposites, and for what Mikasa could tell, it was not in the sappy rom-com opposites attract kind of way. Grabbing her jacket and backpack, she started walking to the bus-stop, hoping that she’d make it in time.
Gooooood morning from us here at Radio Babylon at 101,8 FM to all our listeners! It is seven o’ five am, and like they say, the early bird catches the worm! I say fuck that, and let’s listen to some rock’n’roll! Let’s start our day with a fine ass classic, I’m talkin ‘bout House of the Rising sun by The Animals! If you don’t know this song, then I don’t know what the hell you are doing with your life. As always, I’m your host Ymir Goldstein, have a great morning!
The first drag of her cigarette hit the back of her throat in a pleasant way, its smoky aroma mixing with the taste of the acidic coffee. Mikasa had tried many fine meals and drank many fine wines, but in her opinion, there was nothing like the combination of coffee and cigarettes. She watched people enter the station, and she knew that she had to follow them soon. Not yet though. First she had to smoke her cigarette and drink her coffee. Otherwise, her day would feel off.
When Mikasa walked into the station, almost everyone was already there, writing reports and finish up cases. It had been a silent and easy month; the cases varied from bar fights that ended in someone getting killed to suspicious deaths that were later ruled as suicides.
Mikasa walked over to her desk, which was for once empty, except for the small cactus that she had gotten from her neighbour a few months back. With a heavy sigh, Mikasa took up a file from cabinet next to her desk, and started reading through it. She was to testify in a court-hearing in a few days, and she wanted to be sure what to say. The case was simple enough; a young woman had been found strangled to death in the house she shared with her boyfriend. It was obvious that he had done it, all the evidence pointed to him, but since he didn't confess, she had to appear in court and explain what she had witnessed when she arrived to the scene and made the arrest.
Mikasa looked at the picture of the victim, a young woman named Natalia Hill, and sighed. The woman was smiling widely in the photo, her blonde hair flowing in the wind. It was sad that her life had ended. Any death was sad, but this one had struck a nerve in Mikasa. Not only because the victim looked just like one of her friends, Historia, but also because Natalia had had so much to live for. Her mother had told them that she had just gotten accepted into the university of her dreams, and that her whole life was about to start. Then, one night in October, Natalia’s jealous boyfriend Nicholas Miller had decided that she was cheating on him, and strangled her after an argument.
"I’ll never understand humans" Mikasa muttered for herself.
"Yeah, me neither" Mikasa let out a surprised gasp and turned around, facing the owner of the voice who had startled her. She found herself staring into the crispy blue eyes of her boss.
"Jesus Christ, stop creeping up on me like that!" she sighed angrily to him. Levi scoffed and handed Mikasa a coffee.
"A body’s been found back in Lovehill Motel. Grab your things and follow me" his voice was gruff and bored like always. Mikasa accepted the coffee and grabbed her things before following Levi, who had already started walking towards the elevator. She noticed that he pressed the button with the sleeve of his coat before turning to face her.
"You might want to drink that up before we arrive at the scene" he said, nodding towards the take-away cup in her hand "From what I heard, it isn't a pretty sight"
Woo-ho, wasn’t that some good shit!? Welcome back, you’re listening to Radio Babylon at 101,8 FM, and I’m your host Ymir Goldstein. It’s a rainy day, so I advise all of you listeners to grab an umbrella before headin’ out. Hell, you should steal one from that colleague who’s been acting like a bitch towards you for the last weeks. We all know who I’m talking about, ain’t that right? Some more fine-ass music comin’ up, we’ve got some Dio with the song holy diver, followed up with some Black Sabbath. You know what to do, raise up the volume and let’s fucking rock!
When Levi said that the scene wouldn’t' be a pretty sight, it was a clear understatement. The small motel room was dark, and the stench of blood clear in the air. The once purple walls were now splattered with blood, even the ceiling had some spots on it.
"Wow. Someone went on a rampage" Mikasa muttered as she looked around in the room. She wanted to get a clear view of the surroundings before taking a look at the body. She knew from earlier experiences that once she saw the body that would be all she could concentrate on. After a few minutes she walked over to Levi, who was already standing next to the bed, gazing upon the victim. When Mikasa looked down at the body, she couldn't help but to gasp. Her stomach turned, and for a second she thought she was going to throw up. Thankfully, the feeling passed after a second of holding in her breath.
The woman in front of them had been butchered. Her stomach was opened in four slices; each spreading out around her. From what Mikasa could see, all of her insides were still intact. The coroner, Hanji, still had to verify that later. The woman was still wearing her underwear; dark red from the blood that had soaked into every fabric around the victim.
"Anything you can tell us about the victim?" Levi's voice was neutral, almost as if the scene in front of them didn't affect him at all. Mikasa knew the truth though; Levi would most likely, just like her, have a glass of scotch or some alcohol of his choice to try and forget about the horrors of the world when he got home.
The crime scene investigator, Jean Kirschtein, who was leaning over the woman’s body sighed and shrugged, something that he always did before he answered. Sometimes Mikasa wondered if that was a habit he had from younger days when he was bullies. He hadn’t really talked about it, but Mikasa’s best friend Sasha had been in the same school as him and told her about it. From what Mikasa had gathered, high school was not a pleasant time for Jean.
"Victim's female, mid-twenties to mid-thirties. She doesn’t' have a ring on, so I guess that she's unmarried."
"The killer might have taken it with her" Mikasa suggested, interrupting Jean. He shook his head and pointed to the bag on the floor.
"Nah, don't think so. All of her belonging are already here. Nothing seems to be missing."
Mikasa felt a pang of annoyance in her chest. She should have noticed that.
"From what I can tell, she was sliced up post-mortem. From the bruising on her sides, I'd guess the cause of death would be blood loss from the stab-wound to the chest." It wasn’t until now that Mikasa noticed what stab wound Jean was referring to. The gaping hole in the woman’s stomach had taken all her attention, so she hadn't notice the small wound on her chest. It was hard to imagine that that would have been the cause of death, when there was so much more damage done to the poor woman’s body. "But you know, I might me mistaken. We won't know for sure until the autopsy." Jean continued.
Levi and Mikasa stayed on the crime scene for an hour or so, interviewing the other guests and the owner of the motel. No one had heard or seen anything. The only thing they found out was that the room was rented to a Parker Holdings. The name turned out to be fake after Levi called up someone to check on it. The owner couldn’t give them a good description of the man, other than “white and normal-looking”. Mikasa could see that it annoyed Levi, who was very precise when I came to detail.
The clock was already two in the afternoon when they left the crime scene and headed back to the station. Mikasa sighed as she looked out of the car-window. It was going to be a long day, and she could already feel a headache building up.
Hello my dearest listeners, I hope that your Sunday has started with a loud fucking bang! It’s three o’ clock, and I’m just getting started. We’re having a small contest over here on Radio Babylon, where you have a chance to win tickets to see none other than the great Aerosmith in the party capital of the world, Rrrrio de Janeiro! This is a price I’d kill for, but sadly that’s not what the contest is about. I want you to call in, and tell me about the wildest party you ever been to. The one with the most fucked up story wins, so come the fuck on and call me. The number’s the same as always, 555-69698. Before we start, let’s listen to Uriah Heep’s Easy Livin. You’re listening to Radio Babylon, with Ymir Goldstein in the studio.
The coroner, Hanji Zoe, greeted the duo with her usual wide smile.
"If it isn't my favourite pair!" she greeted, her tone as joking as always. Mikasa answered her with a stern smile. Hanji was one of Mikasa's favourite persons on the force. When she first had gotten to know her, Hanji was still transitioning from male to female. Many of their colleagues didn't take it so well, since many of them were not only religious, but also extremely conservative. It wasn't until last year that the mean dabs and shit-talking had ended. For some reason, the bullshit never fazed Hanji. Mikasa had learned that she had gotten a lot worse reactions from her family, but Mikasa hadn't asked any extra questions.
"Whoever did this, had a lot of aggressions inside him" Hanji said as she removed the white sheet covering the body. Now that all the blood was washed away, Mikasa could see the victims face clearly. She was beautiful, with her long pale lashes and light auburn hair. “Our vic was killed by a single stab wound to the chest, puncturing the right lung, but that wasn’t enough to whoever killed her. After she had suffocated on her own blood, he proceeded to cut her stomach open, as you can see.”
Hanji proceeded to explain something to them, but Mikasa was no longer listening. She couldn’t stop staring at the woman in front of her, who’s life had ended way too soon by someone else’s hand. Mikasa sent out a silent promise to the woman. I’ll find whoever did this to you.