Remember that one dude we helped clean the office for way way back? --Yeah, me neither. But who would've thought the detective remembered and saw it fit to invite him on an investigation, of all things.

In the first place, what led him to believe Jan Ren was capable of investigation? Based on the previous request, besides several cues hidden all around the room there really weren't many notes to take into account. All the Sinese did was clean and organize a little, and while yes his reputation in the city did grow somewhat -- was it really enough to be invited specifically for a crime scene investigation? --Apparently, for Weirdlocke Jones, the answer is 'yes'.

When he'd arrived at the crime scene, the Sinese came to learn how he had underestimated the urgency of the situation. Everything was still fresh; enough for him to scrunch his nose in disgust, as the smell of blood wasn't just still lingering but all too strong. Freshly spilled blood meant a recent struggle, and with this prominent of an odor it meant at least one death by bloodloss. Quick deduction, this was a crime scene after all. Several tapes sealing off the area as guards were stationed all over, the familiar pompadour sticking out like a sore thumb in the darkened scene. There he was, the detective.

"Oh, Jan." He noted, holding an odd magnifying glass in his hand. "Thanks for coming on such short notice." Common courtesy was given but the tone of voice couldn't be more serious. The Sinese would make a mental note to keep in mind this man was in fact a professional, contrary to his previous impression. "Detective, what happened here?" He asked, looking around as the stench still visibly bothered him;

"That's what we're here to find out."

WC: 300

"As it turns out, these pools of blood aren't the only thing stinky around here." The detective noted, turning away from his helper to look at the lifeless body sprawled on the floor. A tough-looking man with a small mustache, eyes still open and skin disturbingly pale. Dressed in a fancy suit, now littered in red all over the back and sides; a sickening stab wound present at the nape of his neck. "Tawara Nogisaki." The detective identified; "A member of the White Star gang. ...Used to be, anyway." He noted, detailing the victim's criminal background further in. "There are numerous reasons why he'd be targeted but. A direct stab to the back of the neck isn't your typical way to murder someone." The way he casually spoke about it, despite the disdain creeping onto his face if just by a hint, spoke to Weirdlock's level of professionalism.

"...Alright, so we have our victim." Jan Ren commented, making mental effort to keep his cool. He wasn't used to bloody scenes like these. He wasn't used to dead bodies sprawled on the floor and definitely wasn't used to the foul, lingering smell. This was a first and if he was to make himself useful, he had to find it in himself to overcome his personal confidence issues. "That means we'd be looking for whoever's responsible, right?" He inquired, believing he had inferred right. Though the pompadour shook left and right, wobbling some in each direction as the detective shook his head in denial. "Not exactly. You see,"

Handing the Sinese the magnifying glass, the older man brought it closer to his aid's eye to inspect. There, he saw it; an odd marking over the splattered blood, and highlighted markings on top of the body. "This magnifying glass can trace blood types and fingerprints just by looking at someone. Or some thing. And as you can tell..." Diverting Jan Ren's attention to another pool of blood on the floor, the wizard's eyes widened some as he understood. "...There's another victim here." That pool pointed to a different blood type and fingerprint listing.

"We gotta find that guy first. At least that's our start."

WC: 661

Out into the crime scene to investigate, a magnifying glass in his hand, it didn't take too long for Jan Ren's sense of smell to kick into proper action. Toughening through the unpleasantry, still suffering from the spot's foul smell, the young man soon located yet another body. Gulping down as horror took over his expression for just a moment, feeling rather woozy. How did this detective manage to keep his cool around dead people like this? Or maybe it was because of the Sinese' heightened sense of smell? It is general knowledge that humans can't stand the sight of dead bodies for long. Such couldn't apply better than in this case. "Detective!!" He called out from a nearby second floor's window, diverting his employer's attention to his new finding.

This was a much slimmer, younger fellow with a mean scar across his cheek and an intimidating face; made all the more scary with the pale skin tone and the loss of blood -- as well as the stab wound in the back of the neck, identical to the previous victim. "The glass points that this guy's blood type and fingerprints are the same as the pool downstairs..." Oddly enough, there was no blood trail leading to his location. How did he get there without leaving any marks? --He'd leave that up to the detective to dictate. "Alright." Weirdlock approved, perplexed some; "Let's search him."

On a quick scan through the deceased's body, two noteworthy findings were made; the first, a similar tattoo to Tawara from downstairs, indicating that this man too was of the White Star gang. And the second was a note with a round inscription. After handing it to the troubled detective Jan Ren was instructed to remain and look for more clues, but couldn't find much more. As the flamboyantly-styled man took to the guards and reported their findings -- omitting the note -- he had received his pay for his work. "--Jan Ren." Though it wasn't over as the Sinese was called in for a final note before leaving;

"I recognize this symbol. This is the work of the Black Dragons, another gang in this city. They may be aware that we've been snooping around so... Watch yourself."

WC: 1,031