Chapter 1
Jessica Quinn, relying purely on her deduction, sketched the portrait of the victim—my sister.
Everyone online was stunned. People praised Jessica, calling her a legend.
That case catapulted her to fame overnight, earning her fans, fortune, and recognition.
During my search for the culprit, my sister Emily Sanders, overwhelmed by the public exposure of her trauma, jumped from the thirty-third floor.
Then, the killer struck again.
To recreate the legendary feat of the Master Profiler, Jessica came to me.
*****
When the serial killer from three years ago resurfaced, the whole internet was spamming Jessica's livestream, begging her to make a comeback.
Jessica answered her fans, "Back then, I didn't have all the info, so I couldn't draw the killer's face. But if I get a chance now, I'll make sure that bastard pays for what he did."
[Jessica's on the case. She's the best profiler we can get.]
[She's gorgeous and smart. Why aren't the cops calling her in? Are they going to let that psycho roam free?]
[Agreed. I'm going to the police's official website to petition right now. If they leave a legend like Jessica unused, they do deserve to get stuck working overtime and eating donuts.]
[Chill out. Jessica is a profiler, not some miracle worker. No need to put her on a pedestal.]
[Stop whining. Let's see how you'll sketch the killer yourself, loser.]
I stared at the stream, expressionless, as comments hyping Jessica up and defending.
The flight attendant brought some tea. As she bent down, her eyes glanced at my laptop screen. She smiled and asked, "Are you a fan of Jessica too? She's really incredible. The police kept everything about that victim so secret back then, but somehow she still managed to sketch her."
I smiled faintly and didn't comment.
With a couple of taps on the touchscreen, I switched from the livestream back to my computer's main screen.
There was a photo of a girl with a dazzling smile. She was somewhat similar to me.
*****
I guess the cops finally cracked under all that pressure. They released the list of the task force members working on the case.
Jessica was on it.
Sure enough, the internet exploded with excitement.
[Thank goodness the cops finally listened to us. With Jessica on the case, catching that killer will be a cakewalk.]
[This is a strong group. Isn't Ethan Moore the legendary head of the criminal investigation team who's solved hundreds of major cases over the past ten years? He even went on a show called Top Brains.]
[This must be the ultimate dream team. I heard Captain Moore's squad is made up of the best of the best. But why are there two consultants? Besides Jessica, there's another one called Nina Sanders. Who is she?]
[Never heard of her. She gets to be on the same level as Jessica? On what basis?]
[You guys are so clueless. Nina is an internationally renowned detective. Last year, when Captain Moore was investigating an international case, Nina was his only consultant.]
[Wow, she must be a real pro.]
*****
When I arrived at the police station, Ethan was waiting for me out front.
We greeted each other briefly and walked together toward the office.
As we made our way, he filled me in with a quick summary of what the killer did.
I listened in silence, but just as I arrived at the office, I heard someone talking inside.
"Guys, I've made it to the meeting room. Don't worry. I'll follow up on the case. Remember to stay safe out there, okay?
"I'll do my best to bring the culprit to justice ASAP. I won't let you down," said a woman.
Inside, Jessica was livestreaming on her phone.
Her flawless makeup and vibrant dress made her look like she was headed for a picnic, not a criminal investigation.
When Jessica saw Ethan, her face instantly turned a little awkward.
She was clearly feeling guilty.
But before Ethan could say a word, Jessica piped up first, sounding all aggrieved.
She said, "Ethan, don't look so stern. The public's got a right to know. I'm just keeping everyone in the loop.
"And who knows? Maybe with all these folks pitching in, we might get some game-changing clues."
I could feel the tension in the office. Ethan looked ready to blow a fuse, and his team looked angry too. But Jessica doubled down, sounding more confident and defiant with every word.
"Ethan, I do respect you, but if you're going to be so bossy, then I'll stand up and fight for the public's right to know," she said.
Watching Jessica's dramatic act, I scoffed.
Maybe she didn't know that keeping a low profile was crucial during an investigation.
Her behavior was provoking the killer.
Moves like this could easily drive the killer to strike again.
But the comments section was totally blowing up.
[Jessica, you're amazing. We deserve to know what's going on.]
[I'm actually tearing up. You always put your fans first.]
[Are they guilty or what? Why no cameras? Afraid we'll see how useless they really are?]
[We already know how useless they are.]
I could feel Ethan's anger radiating off him.
Jessica looked a little nervous, shrinking back and sticking her tongue out at her fans in the livestream. "Ethan's so scary. Come on, guys. Back me up."
She flipped her phone around, and the camera caught Ethan and me.
I caught a flash of jealousy in Jessica's eyes as she looked at me.
But there wasn't even a shred of surprise on her face.
I felt a rage boiling up inside me.
My sister and I looked so alike.
Jessica got where she is by sketching this face—my sister's face—and stepping right over her tragedy to collect all that fame and fortune.
But now, she didn't even recognize the victim's face.
I forced the rage back down.
"Enough. Let's get started," I said.
Before I could even finish, the comments section went wild.
[Am I hallucinating, or did an actual fairy just walk in?]
[With that level of beauty, she should be a star. Why is she solving crimes?]