“Who was the victim?”  

“A woman about 25 years old,” the policeman showed Chunli the victim’s identity card.  

“Who found her?”  

“A woman lived nearby heard a scream coming from the alley and decided to call the police,” the policeman looked through his notebook. “I have her telephone number…”  

“No, no, is okay.”  

Chunli pulled opened the plastic cover that was used to cover the body, “What caused her death?”  

“I’m… I’m… not… not… sure…” the young man stammered. “The only thing I know was that, there was no obvious injuries. However, we couldn’t find the cause of her death,” he paused, noticed that Chunli wasn’t mad because he couldn’t find any useful information, he heaved a sigh of relief.  
   

“Over here, Chunli,”  

Chunli smiled apologetically at the policeman and walked towards Cammy.  

“Find something?”  

“Not exactly, but is kinda weird,” Cammy paused and pointed something to her.  

Chunli followed the direction of her finger.  
Something soft, red, half-eaten, Chunli touches it: blood, dry blood.  

“Looks like a heart…” Chunli muttered.  

Cammy nodded in agreement, “Yeah, some half-eaten heart…”  

“Should we…”  

“Yes, take it back.”  

“Hey! You!” Cammy pointed to the young policeman, who had just spoken to Chunli. “I want you to pack this up…”  
   

Chunli tuned off the rest of their conversation. She sighed, wandering off to the other side of the alley. In front her, the sky was green and palest pink, shading to ultramarine in the west. The last stars were going out, the first light was touching the wall of the alley. Something shone under the light. Out of curiosity, Chunli plucked the thing. Under closed examination it looked like the scale of a fish… except that it was bigger and it changed pattern of multicolored sparks, twinkles, and flares.  

She turned it the other way; some flesh was stuck onto the scale. Chunli fished out a small plastic bag from her pocket and carefully she dropped the scale inside. The scale shone eerily under the light. All of a sudden everything seemed to go clear and cold for Chunli. It maybe because of the cool breeze that touched Chunli or was it some omens.  
   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
   

Chunli sat in her office, studying the file of the victim.  

Name: Tammy White  

Age: 25  

Sex: Female  

Date of Birth: 10th December 1974  

Running footsteps were heard outside the corridor, Chunli smiled and folded her arms, waiting patiently for the arrival of her ‘guest’. Cammy burst into the office and glanced at the place distastefully. An ordinary office constructed with a corner desk, a computer and filing cabinets.  
   

“Why don’t you decorate it? It’s naked, ” Cammy pointed to the bare wall.  

“Because I can’t,” pointing to the file she was holding to, “Is this the report?” Chunli chuckled good-naturally.  

“You aren’t going to believe this,” Cammy sat onto the armchair heavily, causing the chair to screech under her weight. *I’m not that heavy* She sighed and handed the report to Chunli.  
* Maybe some diet will help *.  
   

Chunli opened and glanced through the report quickly. Her face was a mixture of emotions: excitement and curiosity.  

“Jeez, I don’t believe this myself… Is all too…” Cammy waved her hands, searching for the right word, “…… weird.”  

“And… the half-eaten heart?” Chunli spoke so softly that as if she too was afraid of the answer.  

“DNA and blood test showed positive. Yup, I’m afraid to say that the half-eaten heart belongs to the victim,” Cammy clutched to her stomach. Just thinking of the half-eaten heart made her feel sick. “Well, that’s all for the report.”  
   

Hands supporting her chin, “You may leave now… No… I mean, wait! What about the scale?”  

“Scale? Oh! Well, further test will have to be done.” Cammy paused, “Chunli…”  

“Mmm…?”  

“Take care,”  

“Thanks… I will.”  

"Don't work too hard. The salary isn't that good..." Cammy joked and left the office immediately.  
   

As the door was closed Chunli flipped opened the file that contained the post-mortem report. The first page showed the photograph of the woman taken at the alley. Her eyes were closed; she seemed to be asleep. You see, death had not stolen her beauty. That’s how Chunli had felt then; she could have lit many lives with her beauty had she just been given the chance. Chunli shook her head.  
* What a pity *.  
   

No injuries, no struggles. Her death was indeed a mystery. Her heart was extracted directly from her body. Yet there was no sign on how her heart was extracted. Her body wasn’t dissected. The missing heart had caused her instant death and yet it was impossible for a particular someone to extract one’s heart without using any weapons or tools. Something strange was happening…  

The icy breeze that had blown through the alley earlier that morning felt as if it had taken a detour into Chunli’s office. And her windows were all closed. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead.  

Or maybe… … just maybe … …  
The murderer wasn’t a ‘someone’ but a ‘something’.  
   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
   

The child seemed to be all alone now. She crawled out from her hiding place, looking for her mother. * Please, let me find her * As if answer to her prayers, the girl found her mother lying montionless on the floor of the bedroom, head rolled to one side.  

“Mommy?”  

No response.  

“Mommy, wake up!” * no please, no, this isn’t going to happen *  
“Mommy, I promised, I will never, never misbehave, I will never, never lie, but you got to wake up,” she shook her mother harder. Her mother was as dead as the floppy doll she was holding.  

“No… …” tears rolled down her cheeks, she let out a strangled sob that echoed in the vast stillness of her house like the cry of a wounded animal.