"The footage has just arrived." James nodded to his coworker and opened the email he had received. Leaning back, he pulled out his packet of cigarettes from his inner breast pocket and took one out, lighting and inhaling it. Clicking play, he watched as the video buffered for a second before staring. Despite the poor quality, James could make out what was happening as the rain that plagued Newport endlessly blew past.
Watching for ten minutes and seeing nothing, he sped up the footage, taking another inhale of his cigarette and ashing afterwards. A change occurred in the alleyway as a man in a thick overcoat and a bowler hat walked in, carrying a briefcase. Slowing the footage, he watched intently as the man spoke to himself for a moment. The next second, his shadow moved like a wave, gliding across the floor and attaching itself to a nearby trash can.
Pausing the footage, James grabbed his phone and sighed, calling his boos. "Captain." The call was picked up instantly, and taking another puff of his cigarette, he stared at where the shadow had moved to, "The murder on Baxter Street involves ability users."
There was a deep sigh on the other end, "You heading down there?" The captain asked. James stayed silent for a second, speeding up the footage once again, seeing the man in the bowler cap not do anything for a while.
"I'll watch this first. Whose on the scene right now?" James asked, slowing the footage, as a blacked-out SUV pulled up just outside the alleyway the man was in.
"NPPD." James nodded to himself, expecting as much. The Newport Police Department, although having Ability users within it, didn't specialise in crimes involving them. That was his branch of the department, NPSD, Newport Specialist Department.
Looking at the car, two people stepped out: a middle-aged man with trimmed brown hair, wearing a suit and white gloves. By his side, a woman in a suit with black hair tied in a ponytail, wearing a mask and a pair of red gloves. In her hands was a briefcase. James groaned and paused the footage, finishing his cigarette and putting it out.
"Sir. The Gentlemen's Society is involved." James didn't get a reply; instead, getting a rhythmic tapping on a hard wooden surface. He could understand why the captain chose to stay silent. In Newport, although numerous criminal groups existed, the Gentlemen's Society was the largest, having wormed its way into all facets of society, from petty crime to bending the ear of politicians.
"You sure?" The tapping stopped as the captain finally asked.
"White gloves, middle-aged man, who, from the looks of it, is well groomed." James zoomed in on the suit and chuckled, "The suit, I can't tell clearly from the camera, but it looks high quality. Does anyone else dress like this? Hell would anyone dare to copy them?"
Playing the footage again, the captain stayed silent, so James could work. Watching the footage, the two parties approached one another. The white-gloved man stepped forward, giving a formal bow, placing his hand on his chest and lowering his head as he spoke. It only fueled James' suspicions, not knowing of any other group of criminals who would act in such a way.
The woman next to the man stepped forward, moving ahead of the white-gloved man, opened the briefcase, showing numerous stacks of neatly pressed banknotes, and closed it afterwards. The two waited for the man in the bowler hat to do the same. James could already tell that the man had no intentions of doing so as he dropped the briefcase he held, before saying something else.
From the shadow, a dark figure popped out, leaping towards the two as the man in the bowler hat reached under his coat, pulling a pistol. The woman reacted quickly, lifting the briefcase and catching the knife aimed at the white gloved man's throat with it.
'Very quick. Almost like they were expecting it.' James wouldn't have been surprised if that was the case, given the Gentlemen's Society's connection; he wouldn't have put it past them if they had been forewarned of the ambush from the cameras.
The white-gloved man acted quickly, his friendly smile never faltering. Without a clear shot, the man in the bowler hat held his fire. The white gloved man didn't act the same, stepping to the side and pulling his own revolver out, firing a shot clearly in the man's head.
The shadow figure didn't hesitate to let go of his knife. His solid body changed, becoming like smoke as he retreated towards the briefcase by the dead man's side. Picking it up and preparing to run away, the white gloved man lifted his hand up. The footage went black for a moment, followed by a ripple and then the scene in the alleyway.
'A barrier-type ability. Maybe.' The woman dropped the briefcase, took off the glove from her right hand, and slowly walked forward. The shadow figure tried to escape but crashed into an invisible surface. Stopping his futile escape, he turned around and merged with the shadows again, disappearing. The women stood still, making no effort to protect the white-gloved man.
James wasn't sure if it was trust in his abilities or a lack of care. Watching intently, he saw the shadow dart across the ground behind the women. The moment he was fully behind her, the figure jumped out of the shadow and wrapped his arms around her neck, ready to snap her neck. The woman was eerily calm and lifted her hand up in an unbothered manner, touching the man's arm.
James froze at what came next. The shadow figure head snapped upwards, letting out an agonised scream. The darkness covering his body seemed to grow darker from where she touched, spreading acorss his body. Desperately trying to pull his arm away, it tore in half from where her power spread from, slowly corroding his body, turning it into dust.
The women paid no more attention and picked the briefcase they had come for, as the barrier dropped again. Just before they left, the woman looked up at the camera and said something, receiving a wave from the white gloved man. Leaving the alley, the two climbed into the SUV once more and sped off, leaving the shadow figure to scream as he turned into dust before being blown away by the wind.
"Captain." James paused the video and sighed. "I'm heading down there."
"What's wrong?" Hearing the slight change in James' tone, the captain asked, already expecting the worst.
"The man is fine, typical for that group. The woman, however." He paused, rubbing his eyes, "Have you heard of an ability that can turn someone to dust just by touching them?"
"No." James heard a click of the tongue on the other end. "Do what you've got to do. Keep me updated. For now, don't tell anyone the Gentlemen's Society is involved. We need to keep this under wraps for as long as we can."
"I know." James hung up without a goodbye, not needing the warning. He was already used to investigations being bogged down by meaningless paperwork or closing early whenever their involvement was found. It had become second nature for those not on their payroll to keep that knowledge to themselves until it was no longer possible.