“I got lucky.”
“What the hell?!”
“Dang! Don’t turn rabid on me! Put those fangs away before you hurt someone! You look like a snarling dog. But I’m jealous you look so cool even when you’re scowling. Makes sense why you made everyone’s dream girl fall for you—uh, right, that’s not the point. Anyway, I didn’t do anything to her. I’m not the kinda bastard who takes advantage of a crying woman.”
“……”
“I’m serious! She kept saying your name the entire time she was crying, you know? Imagine the girl you crushed on crying into your chest calling for another guy! It’s hell.”
Wei was seriously trying to pacify the Beast Blood who had half-risen off the bed. With the bloodlust he was giving off, Wei was afraid the other man would smash through the glass and choke him to death.
“Argh! Fine! I’ll admit it, as much as I hate to! Mia is crazy about you! She pleaded with me to help you, her pretty big green eyes full of tears. She insisted ‘Zel’s a nice guy. He looks and acts scary, but he’d never hurt a lady. He’s been set up!’ She went on and on like that.”
“…Then she cried?”
“Yeah. She tried to act tough at first, throwing out all sorts of difficult legalese such as it’s a human rights violation and there being a lack of evidence. Then she suddenly broke down crying when I asked if she loved you. Honestly, it threw me for a loop. By the end, the most beautiful woman I know was on her knees, weeping like a child. That was enough to do me in.”
Dammit to hell! Feels like somebody ripped out my heart and stepped on it! It pisses me off that she borrowed this man’s chest, but her beautiful emerald eyes wept for my sake… Zelaide gnawed his bottom lip.
“Whoa, dude. You okay there? You look like hell. You sure you aren’t hurting somewhere? Heh heh.”
You can’t deny you have the hots for her with a face like that. Wei grinned as he looked up at the robust Beast Blood.
Irked, Zelaide whipped his face to the side.
Going by appearances only, they looked like two men in their twenties joking around with each other.
“Shut your trap. Would ya get to the point? Spit it out already, unless ya just came to keep railing on my looks.”
“Yeah, good point. Don’t have much time as it is.” Wei pulled himself together and cut to the chase. “Some big timer in the Homicide Division wants to hang you as the real culprit no matter what it takes. I’d say he’s getting pressure from someone even higher up the food chain.”
“I bet.” Zelaide expected as much.
“There’s also incontestable proof. They found your sperm all over the victim’s vagina and room. I checked out the data too. It’s legit evidence.”
“I know. But…it was planted. I didn’t have sex with Manuela.”
“Okay, then can you explain why live sperm was found pouring out of the victim? Did you do a sterilitas test somewhere?” Wei asked about the most obvious and critical point, but it seemed to be something Zelaide needed to consider.
“…Hey, there’s somethin’ I need to ask you. How long can sperm survive outside the body?”
“Beats me… I can’t say for Beast Bloods, but I’d venture a guess that a human’s can last two to three days… Hold on, don’t tell me you…” Wei’s spine went rigid when he realized the implication there.
“……”
“Hey?”
“It’s from that time…” Zelaide uttered in a stupor.
“What?”
“I did it two nights ago…on my own. Y’know…masturbate or whatever.”
“Why?” Wei’s sharp eyes widened at that completely unexpected confession.
Zelaide’s nose scrunched in a disgusted frown. “Why does anyone do it? Don’t make me repeat myself. Obviously I just cleaned up and tossed aside the mess. The situation was…a bit sketchy, so I forgot all ’bout it later…”
“Alrighty then. So, where’d you do it?”
“Biotechnology Research Institute. In a tiny breeding lab. The rodent breeding lab.”
“You did it at Biotech?!” Wei’s jaw dropped.
“That’s it, isn’t it? There was some damn voyeur who set up shop knowin’ we’d be in that room… Dammit it all to hell!” Zelaide gritted his teeth. “Yumi said she disabled the cameras, but…even without the video footage, a high-quality bug would give away most of what happened in that room.”
“Oh geez, give me a second to catch up to you, Sherlock.” Wei asked him to stop drawing conclusions so he could process the situation first. “Aagh, basically, you and Mia were alone in a room together, right? Things were getting heated enough for there to be a Peeping Tom, yeah? So why did you have to—” masturbate? Wei swallowed that last word.
Why would he have to do that? Especially when the girl he has the hots for is right in front of him and willing to go all the way? I mean, I’m glad he didn’t do anything with her, but wouldn’t most guys? They would, right? I’m not the only guy, right? It was the perfect opportunity.
Wei was too baffled to know what to ask next. Zelaide was lost in thought with a frightening expression.
“I get it now… The peeper snuck in to collect the leftovers after we left. Filthy bastard…”
“Hey, listen to me, damn it! Why did you masturbate?!”
“But I cleaned up after…with paper towels…”
“Colony to Beast Blood, are you listening to me?!”
“Be quiet… I knew it. There’s a sleeper agent at Biotech and very close to Euphemia. Is it a researcher? Or an Inferni disguised as one? Either way, I’ve got to skunk ‘im out!”
I bet it’s the same bastard who snuck out the Chude last time. Zelaide rose from the bed and glared down at Wei.
“It sickens me, but I need your help.”
“You suck!” Wei snapped, frustrated his question kept being ignored.
“Why?”
“Forget it! Hmph. I’m supposed to listen to a request from my crush’s crush, huh? I’m such a nice guy I’m starting to hate myself! Sheesh!”
Wei turned away. This handsome man capable of captivating people with just a glimpse of his beauty had, for reasons beyond Wei’s comprehension, turned down his dream girl’s tempting invitation. Some part of Wei could tell that the Beast Blood wasn’t lying. Call it his instincts as a cop.
“Please help Zel!”
Wei wasn’t convinced that Zelaide was innocent after hearing Euphemia out. He simply decided to hear the Beast Blood’s side of the story and go from there.
But…Wei’s honed cop instincts were sounding off all sorts of alarms. From the extreme treatment they inflicted in the name of questioning, to the higher ups acting suspicious, to the Beast Blood’s demeanor and stance—each piece added up to being more than just a simple homicide case.
There’s more to it. Definitely more. This could turn out to be a thrilling case.
“Hey, what’re you thinking ’bout over there?” Zelaide asked gruffly.
“All sorts of things… Oh, but I heard you. There’s not much I can do, but…I’ll look into it,” Wei said, looking Zelaide directly in the eye.
“Thanks. I don’t know who you are, but you have my gratitude.”
“C’mon, dude… At least remember the name of the guy you asked for help.” Wei shrugged, disappointed.
“Ah, sorry, Wanton.”
“It’s Wei… There’s no way you have any guy friends.”