The sound of chess pieces sliding across the board filled the quiet room as Ezra moved his knight forward, eyes focused on the ga in front of him.
Across from him, Olivia studied the board with her usual calm, thinking about her next move.
They had glasses of blood wine by their side, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. For Ezra, it felt as though the weight of his duties had been set aside.
He glanced up from the board, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You've got in a corner, as usual." He said, leaning back in his chair. "I think you're getting better."
Olivia raised an eyebrow, but there was the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. "Or maybe you're getting worse."
Ezra chuckled softly, reaching for his bishop. "I wouldn't be surprised. I've had other things on my mind."
As he moved the piece, Olivia shifted her attention from the board to the conversation they had been having before their ga began.
"Speaking of which, my investigation with the human police is finally moving forward."
Ezra raised his head, his interest piqued. "Oh? You've found the killer?"
Olivia nodded, her fingers hovering over her next move.
"I already know who did it. The evidence points clearly in one direction. But," she paused, moving her rook across the board, "the challenge is gathering enough evidence that will hold up in human court."
Ezra frowned slightly, his brow furrowing as he considered her words. "Why not just use your Aura? Make him confess. It'd save you a lot of ti and effort."
Olivia's hand stilled on her rook as she glanced up at him, her expression unreadable.
"It would be too easy." She said calmly. "I could get him to confess, yes. But that's not the point. I'm not looking for an easy win."
"I want to investigate this like a human, without relying on vampire powers. It's more challenging that way, and the results feel more... earned."
Ezra tilted his head, studying her. "You've always liked a good challenge."
Olivia's lips curved slightly as she placed her rook in position. "Isn't that why we're playing chess? No powers, no shortcuts, just strategy."
"Or maybe, Gen's rubbing off of you." Ezra chuckled.
"Of course not. In fact, I'll say she's llowed out. Urban exploration? I'm surprised she's not sneaking into boxing matches or sothing."
Ezra chuckled, appreciating Olivia's dedication to the craft. It was one of the reasons he admired her.
She had the strength and the intelligence to overpower almost any human opponent, but she preferred to operate within their rules. It made the challenge harder.
"I suppose you're right." Ezra said, leaning forward to inspect the board. "So, how do you plan to catch this criminal of yours?"
Before Olivia could answer, Ezra's phone buzzed on the table beside them. He glanced at the screen, noting the "Unknown Caller" notification.
He frowned as he reached for the phone, but before he could pick it up, the ringing stopped abruptly.
Strange.
He stared at the phone for a mont, feeling an unsettling sense of anticipation, but when it remained silent, he placed it back down and returned his focus to the chessboard.
If it was important, the caller would call again.
"Well, you already know the identity of the killer." Ezra said, his mind quickly shifting back to the conversation. "Have you tried looking into his finances? People always leave a trail when they think no one's watching."
Olivia nodded, her fingers drumming lightly on the side of the table as she considered his suggestion.
"I've been tracing his recent transactions. It's subtle, but there's definitely sothing off. I just need the right mont to confront him."
Ezra moved his queen into position, eyeing her with a playful glint in his eyes. "You might also want to check-"
His phone rang again.
This ti, Ezra's hand moved instinctively, grabbing the phone and answering it before the ringing could stop.
"Hello?" He said.
For a mont, there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line. Ezra's frown deepened. "Who is this?"
After a brief pause, a woman's voice ca through, soft and careful. "Is this Captain Matten?"
Ezra sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing. "Yes. Who's asking?"
The voice hesitated, and then, "I'm the woman who escorted you to et the Countess when you visited my lord Hyde's estate."
Ezra sat up straight, his mind instantly sharpening with suspicion. The woman from Hyde's mansion? "I rember you." He said cautiously. "How may I help you?"
"I have information." The woman said, her voice low and hurried. "About Hyde. Information you need to know."
Ezra's eyes flicked to Olivia, who had paused mid-move, her gaze now locked on him with quiet curiosity. He gave her a quick nod before turning his attention back to the call.
"Where can we et?" Ezra asked, his voice firm.
"The underground parking garage of the police HQ." The woman replied. "One hour from now."
Ezra considered for a mont, then answered. "I'll be there."
The line went dead.
He lowered the phone, his expression unreadable as he leaned back in his chair. Olivia studied him for a mont before asking, "Who was that?"
He knew she'd heard everything but was just being polite.
"Soone from Hyde's estate." He answered slowly, still processing the call. "She has information about him. Wants to et at the underground garage."
Olivia raised an eyebrow. "Do you trust her?"
Ezra shook his head. "Not yet. But I'll find out soon enough."
There was a brief pause as they exchanged looks, and then Olivia returned her attention to the chessboard. "Well, before you rush off to investigate, you might want to finish this ga. I believe it's your move."
Ezra chuckled softly, his fingers moving automatically to the board. "You're right. And if I'm going to win this ga, I'll need to concentrate."
But even as he made his next move, his thoughts were already on the eting.
The woman from Hyde's mansion knew sothing, and Ezra was determined to find out what. One hour, and he would have answers.
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