The Supernatural Private Detective

The detectives left Cafe Two, leaving Rob alone to ponder the questions at hand. 'Who is our gravedigger, and what are his intentions? What does he plan to do with the bodies he stole? Why leave the coffins, and what are these markings he left on them?'

He tucked the newspaper he was previously reading into his overcoat, where it disappeared into the shadows concealed within his attire. Then, he dragged the open case file from his right side to his front and began reviewing it again, searching for a pattern in the gravedigger's behavior.

'Five bodies were taken; what do these individuals have in common?'' 

 The individuals were 'Amelia Sullivan, a young and esteemed artist who tragically fell from a ladder while working on what she believed would be her greatest masterpiece. Benjamin Lawson, a brilliant mathematician and lecturer at Birchwood University, passed away suddenly due to a heart attack. Isabella Sinclair, a nurse at Birchwood General Hospital, met her end in a tragic elevator malfunction that caused a fatal fall from the highest floor. Eleanor Marshall, a shopkeeper, met her demise after being shot by a shoplifter. Lastly, Vincent Ramirez. He was a charismatic cult leader who had a devoted following that believed he could communicate with the dead. His hypnotic speeches and prophetic visions lured people into his fold, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Vincent was pursued by law enforcement for an extended period before he was fatally shot by Uche Okezie. He was shot by my uncle.'

Rob decided to delve deeper into Vincent Ramirez's story. Vincent had studied parapsychology at Birchwood University but dropped out in March 2009 to start his cult, Soul Whisper. His family life was equally intriguing. He had two loving parents that funded his schooling, but after he dropped out, he murdered his own parents. The reason why he killed his parents still remains unknown.

'Vincent seems to have a more interesting story than the others,' Rob thought to himself. 

He goes through all the information about Vincent, and he realizes, 'There's not a lot of information about the cult apart from the name, which is Soul Whisper. How does Vincent relate to the others? All the other stolen bodies are regular everyday people; he's from a totally different world from them.'

Rob flips the pages back, scheming through the information about the other people whose bodies were stolen.

'They are all young adults; could their ages mean something?'

Rob pulls out a notepad and pen from his overcoat and writes down their ages. Amilia is 25, Benjamin is 29, Isabella is 24, Eleanor is 22, and Vincent is 23.

'All their ages start with the number 2, but if i write down the second number of each age in a sequence...'

Rob jotted down '59423' on the open page. He stared at the numbers for a while before letting out a frustrated sigh.

'Even if these numbers mean something, I have too little information to know what they mean.'

Just then, Jasper emerged from the door behind the counter, looking exhausted. "It's closing time. I'll head back to the apartment now; are you coming?" Jasper asked, walking around the counter to stand beside Rob.

"Not right now; I'll be staking out the cemetery tonight."

"Ah, the detectives gave you another case?" Jasper inquired, his tone conveying disinterest.

"Yes, something about a nutjob gravedigger. I was going to ask if you'd join me, but—"

"That's crazy," Jasper interrupted, tossing the keys to Rob. He headed for the door, gesturing a wave goodbye. "Remember to lock up."

'I'll ask him about the language tomorrow.'

After a few minutes of reviewing the case file, Rob packed up, stood, and exited the cafe, locking the door behind him.!

 Rob had arrived at the cemetery to investigate the crime scene firsthand. The scene matched the detectives' description; beyond the police tape lay the empty graves. With his pointed flashlight in hand, he examined the writings and circle etched into the ground. After speaking with the groundskeeper and snooping around, Rob returned to an aging Toyota Avalon—Jaspers car.

Now sitting in the driver's seat of the Avalon, he sat in silence for over an hour; his seat adjusted slightly back, but not too far so he could keep an eye on his surroundings. The car's clock read 10:15 p.m., with no unusual sightings so far. 

As the stillness dragged on, Rob pulled out his phone to pass the time with his favorite manga. The series, about wizards and dragons, followed a crimson-haired, fire-wielding boy and a blonde girl with astrology magic who fought to protect their mage community and comrades.

'There's no better entertainment than anime and manga,' Rob thought, immersed in the story. Another hour ticked by before his attention was caught by the sound of someone sneezing nearby.

-Achoo!

Rob looks up from his manga, instantly alert. He sees a man in his late 20s, wearing a dark T-shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a shiny silver chain that glints in the darkness. The man heads into a nearby alley.

"What are you up to, Shiny Chain?" Rob mutters to himself, exiting the vehicle to tail the man from a distance.

Hiding at the alley entrance, Rob peeks out to see Shiny Chain talking to two other men: one tall and well-built with a handlebar mustache, and another of average height with a buzz cut, leaning casually against a metal bat.

"Yo, Shiny Chain, Moustache, Buzz, what are you guys up to?" Rob says nonchalantly, emerging from his hiding spot.

"Huh! Who the hell are you?" Buzz yells, as all three men turn to face Rob.

"Answer my question first," Rob responds.

The three men laugh.

"This guy thinks he's tough," Moustache says.

"You think you're tough, don't you?" Buzz asks, sneering.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," Rob says.

"Too late for that," Buzz smirks, signaling Shiny Chain with a head tilt.

Shiny Chain pulls out an Uzi, pointing it at Rob.

"Turn around and raise your hands in the air," Shiny Chain orders.

Rob complies, then speaks.

"I'm warning you; listen to me, for your own good."

"This guy is priceless," Buzz chuckles, before all three men burst into laughter.

"I warned you," Rob says, turning to face them.

"Hey, you move, and I shoot!" Shiny Chain yells.

Undaunted, Rob walks towards them. "Don't come any closer!" Shiny Chain exclaims, but Rob continues.

Buzz lifts his bat, resting it on his shoulders. "I'm gonna off someone today."

Moustache notices the rising temperature in the alley. "Is it just me, or is it getting hot?"

Buzz turns to Moustache, confused.

Shiny Chain warns Rob for the last time, "I'm warning you!" But Rob doesn't stop.

Shiny Chain fires, and bullets speed towards Rob. However, he vanishes, leaving a burst of confetti.

"The heck?" Buzz exclaims as the three men plunge into turmoil.

Amidst the confusion, they cautiously approach where Rob stood. "I just wanted to know what you were up to." Rob's voice comes from behind.

They pivot to find Rob standing behind them, hands tucked in his overcoat pockets.

Shiny Chain tries to fire again but realizes his gun is gone.

"I'll take that," Rob says, spinning the gun with his finger.

"When did you—" 

Buzz charges at Rob with his bat, but Rob disappears into confetti.

"How does he keep doing that?" Rob reappears behind Moustache and starts walking around them. With each step, a clone of himself appears.

The men are surrounded by Rob's clones.

"Is this real?" Moustache asks, disoriented.

"Surrender, and I might not hurt you," the clones say simultaneously.

Despite the warning, the men attack. Moustache throws punches, Buzz swings his bat, and Shiny Chain cuts at random with a knife he pulled out. However, the clones remain unfazed.

Now out of breath, all three men stop attacking, gasping for air. "There are too many of them," Shiny Chain blurts out, his voice laced with exhaustion.

One of the Rob clones approaches Buzz. "Stay away!" Buzz pleads, but the clone ignores him and delivers a swift punch to the abdomen, sending Buzz tumbling to the ground, his bat slipping from his grasp.

Another clone retrieves the bat and joins the others in pummeling Moustache. Meanwhile, other clones focus on Buzz, subjecting him to a similar beating.

Shiny Chain, now alone, crouches, overwhelmed, and places his hands on his head. "It's freaking hot," he gasps, realizing he's sweating excessively. The alley's temperature has skyrocketed.

He feels an intense heat emanating from in front of him. "It feels like it's coming from—"

Shiny Chain looks up to see a lone Rob clone standing motionless, exuding an ominous presence. This clone begins walking towards him, oblivious to the chaos around.

As the clone approaches, the heat intensifies. Shiny Chain's breathing quickens as he tries to flee but trips and falls.

He raises his head to find the clone squatting before him, piercing eyes locked onto his.

The temperature soars, making the heat visible.

"How are you doing this?" Shiny Chain exclaims, his voice trembling.

"I control what you see," the Rob clone replies calmly, his voice menacing.

He grasps Shiny Chain's chain and locks gazes with him.

Suddenly, everything around them vanishes: the clones, Buzz, Moustache, and the alley. The surroundings become pitch black, like a void. Only Rob and Shiny Chain remain visible.

"What's happening!?" Shiny Chain panics.

Rob maintains his grip on Shiny Chain, raising his free hand, which engulfs in flames. Threateningly, he asks, "What do you know about a gravedigger?"

"Please, I don't know anything!" Shiny Chain replies, distressed.

"What were you doing in the alley?"

"Nothing—we—we were just hanging out, I swear!"

Rob notices a cuttlefish tattoo on Shiny Chain's upper chest, visible under his T-shirt.

"This tattoo, what does it mean?"

"I was in a cult—and—uh—this—this was our crest."

"What is the name of this cult?"

"The—name—is—the name—"

"Finish your sentence!"

"The name is Soulwhisper!"

"They're still active?"

"Well, you see, the thing is, I'm not a member anymore. I quit, I swear. Since Lord Ramiraz died, it hasn't been the same."

"Ramirez? Do you mean Vincent Ramirez?"

"I'm sorry, sir, I only know a Lord Ramirez. Please don't kill me. I'm clean; I tells ya, I'm clean."

"I need a place; where do they hold their meetings?"

"Last I knew it was at the abandoned warehouse on Maple Street."

"Give me the full address!"

"847 Maple Street!"

"What else do you know?"

"I've told you everything I know, sir! Please don't kill me! Just let me go; I don't know nothing else!"

Rob releases Shiny Chain, and instantly, the world around them snaps back to normal.

Shiny Chain glances around, noticing Buzz and Moustache are gone. As he turns back, he realizes Rob has vanished.

Frantically, Shiny Chain scans the area, bewildered.

Moments later, Buzz and Moustache walk into the alley, approaching Shiny Chain.

"Hey man, are you okay?"

"Oh sh*t, I'm lucky to be alive. That guy had weird superpowers and sh*t. And I think he had these crazy clones."

"The heck are you talking about?" Buzz asks, confused.

"The guy in the overcoat, he beat the crap out of all of us," Shiny Chain explains.

Buzz and Moustache burst into laughter.

"Ha—ha, that weirdo? We taught him a lesson he'll never forget. When you tried to shoot him, you missed, and then you started talking to yourself and acting crazy. After seeing the gun was loaded, the dummy ran off, so we chased him and beat him up on the street in front of the alley."

Shiny Chain's face contorts in frustration. "No, no, I know what I saw! He could make fire with his hands and split into clones."

Buzz and Moustache erupt into laughter again.

"You might wanna ease up on those meds you're taking," Moustache teases.

Unnoticed by the trio, a car drives by on the street. Behind the wheel is Rob, with a slight grin.

Rob had created two separate illusions, deceiving the men. In Shiny Chain's illusion, Rob appeared to beat him and his friends while interrogating him about Vincent's cult, Soul Whisper. Meanwhile, Buzz and Moustache's illusion showed them pummeling Rob on the street, when in reality they were beating a large trash bag.

Rob's mastery of his mystical martial art allowed him to manipulate how sound waves travel by altering air temperature. He made Shiny Chain hear different words from what Buzz and Moustache were saying and made them hear sounds of screaming and wailing as they pounded the trash bag.

'I can't believe they didn't realize they were beating a trash bag,' Rob thinks, turning the wheel at a corner.

Jasper's Avalon glides through Birchwood's neon-lit streets, headlights slicing through the night. The engine's low growl echoes through the quiet air as shadows flicker across looming buildings.