The pen full of life, morning light shines through the windows. Highlighting the evidence wall. A less messy room than before. Dorian hunched at the terminal. Leg shaking and focused. The look of someone who hasn’t spoken in hours, just typing and clicking through the day. Vince is sitting next to him, watching him read through files and taking notes on his notepad.

  Slater walking to the evidence wall, drawing lines between pieced evidence, just as focused as the group.

  Dorian clears his throat and breaks the silence. “We have the traffic cam in Queens, night of the outage.” He clicked through a couple times. “One sec.” A grainy image stained the main monitor. A black SUV, with a near-unreadable plate. But the corner of a ‘Halcyon Property Group’ frame sticks out under a streetlight. “Touch and go, but you can see it.” Dorian glances at Vince.

  Slater walks to the terminal and leans over. “Halcyon.”

  Dorian clicks through again a couple of times. “Yup, plate matches a broker named Michael Fuller. Mid-forties; he’s been with Halcyon for 10 years. Wow… owns the SUV. And…” he clicks an event hyperlink. Dorian scoffs, “He’s hosting an open house in Astoria. Literally today, at 11 am.”

  Aubrey sticks her head up and looks over. Vince and Slater look back at Aubrey.

  “Maybe we could somehow get his DNA. I mean, a witness statement from Elias won't help as much when it comes to legalities.” Aubrey gets up and walks to the evidence wall.

  “Shit.. if we could test his DNA and or prints to the Stonetown crime scene. We could get a real good answer.” Slater adjusts his posture and folds his arms.

  Vince gets up. “Either that or we check his garbage at his home address.”

  “I mean, yeah, but this could be a low-risk opportunity to get confirmed DNA and learn his possible angle here,” Aubrey exclaims.

  “We could shut this fucking case by tonight.” Aubrey stares at the wall.

  “Well, you’d wear a wire; we’d be right there with you if any trouble happens.” Vince rubs his chin.

  “It’s open house, even if this guy is the killer, bad strategy on his part. Not like he’s going to not see me anyways… but yeah, let’s get clear evidence from him just in case the DNA doesn’t match.”

  Slater walks to the window. “Elias called it to a T so far. Broker. Black SUV.” Slater scoffs. “I mean, selling contracts by day. And finishing them at night.”

  “Here I’m printing off his photo.” Dorian clicks through, then goes to work.

  Aubrey walks over and sees the paper come out. She grabs the paper and brings it to her face, studying the DMV photo. “Michael Fuller…. We can catch him, guys. He’s in front of us; we just have to bring this home.” Aubrey grips the paper while looking at the group.

  Slater nods while Vince and Dorian look back with a look of agreement.

  Across the street from the open house, lots of vehicles in this richer neighborhood. A white utility van quietly parked down the block.

  Vince is double-checking Aubrey’s wire, giving it a final tap. “Good luck,” he mutters. “Don’t come out with keys and a smile.”

  Aubrey smirks.

  Dorian hunched over a laptop, watching the wire feeds. “Well, that picked up, good to go.”

  “And if I come out of there with a smile, it’s because their coffee machine works.”

  The van with the group hummed now down the street from the busy house

  Slater was in the passenger seat behind the windshield cover draped over. “Archer, be smart in there. You’re not making an arrest, and you’re certainly not a detective. Jackie Adams.” Slater stares into Aubrey's eyes. “I’m serious, once you walk through those doors, you’re staring at a killer. Let’s go Archer, game face. You got this.” Slater turns around and looks at the house down the road, where people are arriving and walking up.

  “Now’s a great time.” He says before slumping back.

  Vince looks at Aubrey. “He’s right Brooke, we need something we can test.”

  Aubrey nods, and Dorian opens the doors. Aubrey steps out before they shut.

  She pulls out the DMV photo and stares at it before putting it into her folder.

  Aubrey begins to walk up the street, hair streaming in the slight breeze. Her red heels clicked against the pavement.

  “Hot mic, we’ll be with you,” Dorian says.

  “If you hit a grey area, just bail.” Vince chimes in.

  Aubrey walks to the sidewalk in front of the house, exhales deeply through her nose, and goes up to the open door.

  Murmurs and conversations can be heard fading into frame. Aubrey walks into the entrance. A voice cracks.

  “Good morning! Welcome, I'm Michael Fuller. Thank you for coming.” He reaches his hand out with a salesman's smile.

  Aubrey smiles back. “Hey, I’m Jackie Adam’s. Good to meet you.” She shakes his hand.

  “No, you’re not.” He says, still smiling.

  Aubreys heart skips a beat.

  “That's too adorable of a name.” He squints his eyes and reaches out back again, but this time with a brochure.

  Static can be heard in Aubrey’s earpiece.

  “Here, all the information about this beautiful home right here. Of course I can answer any questions, but there's most of the information you want to hear.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  His full hand is basically gripping the brochure. Aubrey stared at it, thinking. “Wow, the evidence i need in the first 10 seconds.”

  Aubrey blushes, “Oh-haha you’re sweet.” She takes the brochure at an angle before pocketing it.

  “You look like a—— Amy.”

  “Really? I get that a lot!”

  Static again.

  “You know… sometimes names just match their houses.” Michael looked back at her, smiling.”

  “Who knows? I guess we will see if that makes sense by the end of the hour.” Aubrey smiles back, speaking.

  “Hey, Mr. Fuller, can you tell me about the bookcase over here? It looks awfully like a custom German.”

  “Of course, sir, if you’d follow me. Oh and Jackie, please sign the form here. Just have to write your first and last name down with a phone number. Thank you dear.” He walks off muttering to the gentleman in the other room.

  “Brooke, if the guy gave you evidence, come back real quick. Don’t want to smudge out the evidence.”

  Aubrey stared at the trail of fuller hearing the muttering of many distant conversations in another room. She begins to write her name on the form. ‘Jackie Adams’ in cursive.

  She joins a group in the living room. Fuller walks back and into the living room.

  “Okay everyone, thank you for coming. If I haven’t met you yet, I'm Micheal, and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. Lovely home built 5 years ago.” He jokingly. Puts his hands on his mouth like he’s whispering to someone. “And if you don’t buy it, I might.” He says jokingly, getting some others to chuckle. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me, just across this room over here.” He points to the obvious kitchen in view.

  “Well Micheal, if they have a Reynolds steakhouse down the street, I’ll have to fight you for it.” An older man says. Others laugh.

  Michael looks at Aubrey as the others resume looking around. “Once again, thanks for coming… Amy?” He points friendly when he says Amy.

  “Aubr…Jackie.” She almost slips.

  “Interesting, do you have to first name ‘Jackie’? He jokingly says back.

  Aubrey pauses for a second. “Ha, no, sorry. The light fixture threw me off. I haven’t seen a design like this before.” Recovering herself.

  “Weeeell, it is a more family-like design. I won’t bore you with the origin of how, but do you have family, Jackie? I noticed the ring you were rubbing, and it’s gorgeous.”

  “No, it was my mother’s.”

  “Oh, she sounds like a great woman, I bet, one of good taste.” Michael fiddled with a pen between his fingers.

  “She was.” Aubrey smiles.

  “Sorry to hear that. Miss? Adam’s?”

  “Yes, I'm not married.”

  “Well, Miss Adams, when you find a home, you tend to find a piece of yourself. But at least nobody to second-guess you.”

  Aubrey pressed her ring into her skin deeply. “Ha or harder.. nobody to blame if you get it wrong.”

  Michael laughs, then says. “Very true, would you like to see the master bedroom upstairs?”

  Aubrey nods.

  “Stay cool, Archer, don’t let him pry.” Slater over the mic as Michael is walking toward the stairs. Aubrey follows.

  Before they reach the stairs, Fuller stops by a little hallway that leads to a single door.

  Fuller led her through the hallway towards the door.

  “Before we head upstairs, I’ll show you the garage,” he said, turning the knob and stepping halfway in.

  He gave the space a quick glance before smirking.

  “Not much to see — completely empty. Just a tool cabinet on the far wall.”

  He pointed lazily across the room. “Honestly, it’s a waste of time walking through. Just imagine me standing over there giving the same speech.”

  Aubrey leaned slightly to see past him. The concrete floor was bare except for the red cabinet, its drawers uneven and dusty.

  She nodded faintly. “Got it.”

  As Fuller shut the door, her eyes lingered on the wall a moment longer.

  If there was ever a place to hide during a home invasion, she thought, it sure wouldn’t be behind that. He points to a tiny tool cabinet alone in the dark room.

  Fuller pauses for a moment, then puts his hands in his pockets. He sighs before saying, “Only part of this house I truly dislike is the walls here, made from cheap mobile home. Corner-cutting is a good way to kill your career.” He looks at Aubrey. “Especially in real estate." He points his head towards the wall. He takes his hands out of his pockets.

  “Alright,” Fuller said, already moving toward the stairs. “Let’s take a look at the master.”

  Fuller walks up the stairs as Aubrey follows.

  “This is my favorite spot, I mean, where you are truly yourself? Your home, and especially where you relax for the day. Great view line to the street, spacious. Nobody can surprise you.” He chuckles.

  Aubrey half smiles. “Nothing gets by you huh?”

  He smiles back. “Hardly.”

  Michael walks to the master bathroom. “Check this out as well.” Aubrey follows.

  Michael turns on the faucet and opens the cabinet doors to underneath the sink. “Very firm, builder didn’t cut corners. Pipes are higher quality, that’s how you know you had the right crew working here.”

  Aubrey turns the faucet off and looks around.

  “This is really nice, are all your homes this good… I mean, do you show them personally?”

  Michael making eye contact. “Well, usually by area, so I'd say you’re seeing top quality right now.”

  “I see that, older style designs, yet new school framework, but also very clean. Not in the general sense, but in a flavorful way, you know?”

  “Yes exactly, that’s what makes these homes so beautiful. It’s not just the color, but the story of where each different style came from. But all mixed well like a good dish.”

  Aubrey leans against the bathroom wall. “Seems like you have a lot of points to hit during this open. Ugh, does it ever feel like you’re being rushed? Even when you’ve done it a thousand times?” She looks back at Michael.

  He pauses for a moment. “Never, unless I'm forced to.” He says coldly.

  A moment passes. Michael and Aubrey glance at eachother. “But we should go back down, down want everyone thinking I snuck off and sold you the house.”

  Michael rubs the faucet handle with his shirt sleeve and walks out. Aubrey looked back before walking back.

  Michael walking downstairs. Will you join me in the dining room? I would love to show you the best trick in the house.” People start walking passed to the dining room.

  Aubrey now reaching the bottom of the stairs. “Well thanks so much, this place is amazing. Not sure if it’s for me, but thank you, Mr. Fuller.”

  Michael smiling. “Thank you for your time, Jackie. Here’s my business card.”

  He reaches out with his card in hand. “Have a beautiful day, if you want a second walk through. Let me know.” His smile fades.

  Aubrey takes the card and nods with a smile.

  The words familiar lingers in her mind. “Of course, I’ll let you know.” She tucks the card away and walks outside, heels clicking against the ground. Michael turned around and walked to the dining room.

  Aubrey walks back to the van calmly. She brings the brochure back out and looks at it. “Great fucking job Archer, you got two pieces of evidence there. Way to keep your edge there.” Slater says over the receiver.

  Aubrey pauses in her response while walking back and feeling frozen but robotic in her movements.