Dating : The burden of Crime.

Once upon a burrow in New York, a fledgling investigator cracked a case so controversial he nearly lost his rank. He went by the name Shup. A notorious and infamous nickname for his catch phrase “shut up”, so they shortened it. We are not allowed to disclose his real name as it has been concealed for legal purposes. Shup worked the case of the serial killer who terrorized Manhattan beach, he broke it like a metal pipe to glass.

This serial killer was not the case that risked his job, merely the genesis. Shup lived near West 25th and Neptune, Brighton Beach area. His rent was steep, and his wage covered it with little surplus, which led him to bury himself in his work.

Shup was one of the few that dedicated his two-bedroom apartment to his cases, the same way portrayed in movies. Which is why his rent was so steep, despite being single. The “office” was strewn with various reports and notes. The walls were covered with cork boards, on a blown map of New York, stabbed with push pins. Or he was on a slow descent to madness.

The night where we begin this journey is July 25th of 2019. It was getting hot, too hot for comfort. Shup sat in his swim trunks as he sifted through one large report on the above-mentioned serial killer. He was scraping his pen against the paper as though he were on a mission to see how many strokes it took to dry it out. “God damn, fucking,” Shup said. He was alone. Who would he offend with such profanity? The neighbor apparently did not appreciate the nonsense. She knocked loudly, rapping at the door shouting for him to answer the door. She will be heard today.

“Hey buddy, if you’re gonna fight with your girl-.” The neighbor said. She paused when she glanced to his bright green swim trunks then up to his face, he clearly appeared wild and unkempt.

“I’m single.” Shup said. This was normal for him. He glared at her with disdain.

“I see that. Can you keep it down? I got kids and the language is not appropriate for them.”

“Yeah, I get it. You solve this murder case, and I will watch my fucking mouth.” They were at an impasse, she scowled at his remark as she dismissed him. She could not argue his logic, but it also was not her problem. Shup closed the door and returned to his chamber of madness. “East side has, no that does not make sense.” Shup mumbled. Did he even know what he was talking about? Clearly, he was at just as much of a loss as his boss. Speaking of the man, he called just a moment after he sat on the chair.

“What?” Shup said.

“We need you here.” Tony replied. His voice shaken more than his bloody Mary for dinner.

“Fucking Tony, you getting scared yet?” Shup teased, making faces before he could hear the audible fear in Tony’s voice.

“Shup,” Tony began with a stammer, “you got to see this.”

“Okay.” Shup said. His eyes curved inward as though his eyebrows were to become a “V” pattern on his face.

“See you in fifteen?”

“As long as the taxi’s do not hit me.” Shup begrudgingly threw together his uniform and zipped down the hallway. As he waited for the elevator, he wondered if he locked his apartment. “Who the fuck cares? Everything important to me is in my pocket.”

Shup padded through the hallway of the first floor, greeting the homeless group at the stairwell, toward the exit. “Fuck, I hate pants.” He remarked, tugging his crotch to loosen the tension.

“Hey, me too pal.” A random man called to him from the crowd.

“I hate the heat, but I love New York.” Shup beamed, tipping his hat at the man before they were absorbed into the vast crowds around them.

“Shup, you’re not gonna believe this shit.” Tony said, greeting him at the entrance of the station.

“What am I looking at?” Shup took the photograph, examining it carefully as they continued walking into the office area.

“That would be our suspect.” Tony tapped the photo with his forefinger as he closed the door behind them.

“Suspect, this is a young girl.”

“And your point?” Tony snarled.

“You expect me to believe four men and two women were killed by this scrawny bitch?” Shup growled in return as he tossed the photo on the desk and reclined in the chair.

“I should probably say she might lead us to our suspect. She was spotted around three of the murders and caught in the area of at least four victims the day they vanished. She might know something.”

“Ah, so speculation is gonna solve this case. I see how it is. I am a rookie and you’re the tough guy.”

“Shup, no. That is not what I am insinuating, you are. I want you to go to this address and see if you can gather some information. That is all.” Tony said. Shup sighed but agreed as he examined the photo one more time. She looked strangely familiar, as though he spoke to her at some point. Maybe they passed each other in a grocery store or sat next to each other in a movie theater. He thought of all the possibilities his day off could have entailed, like taking a much-needed nap. Shup remembered he had not showered that day. He could smell it and judging by Tony’s grimace, he could too.

“Just don’t get yourself killed. Yeah?” Tony waved him out of his office.

“What are you doing here on your day off?” Mandy flirted.

“On call,” Shup winked, “be back soon, sweetheart.” Mandy smirked in delight as she blew him a kiss. Shup never caught the kisses visibly, but Mandy knew he secretly caught them in his left hand and padded his cheek.

Shup knocked on the door, with no answer. He sighed deeply as the seconds beckoned to minutes. “I don’t have all fucking day.” Shup wiped the sweat pouring from his forehead.

“Anybody know a,” Shup paused “Karol, what is that, Garbonalano?”

“Nah bud, you’re in the wrong neighborhood.” A man said from a gated stairway to his left.

“What’s your name?”

“Rafael to you, bro.” Shup’s interest was piqued as he approached him.

“Can I ask you some questions?”

“You a cop?” Rafael asked. Shup wordlessly pointed at his glimmering badge and nodded. “Fair enough. I don’t know shit about shit.”

“You at least know about the Manhattan Beach Slayer?”

“Yeah, I know about him.”

“It’s a male?”

“That’s all I will say.” Rafael said, shrugging then disappearing around the gated steps. Shup assumed there was an alley.

“I cannot promise anything crazy, but we could work out a deal.” Shup said as he followed Rafael.

“Pig, I ain’t talking to you.”

“I think we could be valuable to each other.” Shup offered, finally catching up to him. Rafael stopped short of Shup running into him.

“How do you figure?” Rafael crossed his arms as he turned to face Shup.

“We make deals for those who are able to give viable information about a federal crime.”

“I think you will need me more than I will need you.” Rafael said before dismissing Shup.

“What does that mean?”

“You will see soon enough.” Rafael uncrossed his arms and strode down the alley. Shup was too tired to pursue him.

“You deaf?” Rafael shouted, motioning Shup to accompany him. Shup obliged the offer. His mission was to gather information after all.

“Where are you going anyway?” Rafael did not reply, merely leered at him.

“If you’re able to take me to him, why wouldn’t you just turn him in?” Rafael shook his head, clearly arrogant.

The traitorous heat penetrated the black suit. Though woven with sturdy thread, he was convinced he had drenched it to be 90% poly-cotton and 10% sweat. He was soaking his uniform with his sweat, in other words.

Thirty minutes into their trek down the perpetual alley led them to a warehouse-like structure. Shup did not immediately recognize it until the door swung open. That is when he realized why this case was nearly cold. Within the warehouse was the evidence they were searching for, and more.

“What the fuck?” Shup stared dumbfounded.

“Your serial killer is a cop that was paid to kill those people. In fact, we are all contracted at some point by the FBI and the military. In fact, every police officer on this force has been contracted, and they immediately label it as a cold case without further investigation or plant the evidence so someone else takes the blame. Your person of interest is meant to lead you off the trail of him.” Rafael pointed off into the distance where a figure could barely be seen amongst the shadows of the evidence room.

“Tony?” Shup scrunched his face tightly, squinting to distinguish any visible features, though his foreboding stature was difficult to miss.

“Shup, I did not want you to find out like this.” Tony sighed.

“What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

“You should have gotten married and had kids like the others. They are safe from these missions.” Tony emerged from the darkness, a machete in one hand and a gun in the other.

“What does this have to do with the murders?”

“I am commissioning you.” Tony offered the weapons.

“I am not killing anyone.” Shup replied.

“Then you have some options. Either turn a blind eye, kill yourself, or kill someone.”

“I’d rather die than kill someone else, and turning a blind eye is the same thing as killing someone.”

“Well?” Tony prodded, his sinister eyes glinting in the fluorescent bulb flickering above them.

“Give me that.” Shup snatched the gun and placed the muzzle in his mouth.

“Don’t do this.” Tony said, shaking his head.

“Give me one good reason.” Shup said before replacing the gun in his mouth.

“If you kill yourself, I will say you committed the murders. Gives me an easy person to blame. Look at your fucking apartment.” Tony lashed out. Shup sighed, lowering the gun.

“This is wrong.” Shup said.

“No shit, it is wrong. Idiot.” Shup pondered his options as he knew he needed to decide. With little hesitation he drew the gun forward and shot Tony. He fell to his knees but not before attempting to slash at Shup. “Bang, bang, bang,” Shup shot three more times.

“You did not specify who I had to kill.” Shup said. Rafael stood stunned.

“What are you looking at, wise guy?” He threw his hands in the air, clearly shocked.

“I do not want to die.” Rafael said.

“I’m not going to kill you, but I am arresting you.” Shup grabbed his cuffs and informed him of his rights. With Rafael kneeled in front of him, he called for backup and realized he had no proof of his side of the story.

“You saw what happened. Back my story up.” Shup pleaded, pressing the gun to his head.

“I did not know he was going to do this.” Rafael cried.

“Shut the fuck up.” Shup growled.

When the additional police officers arrived and saw Tony dying, they were clearly staring right at Shup.

“I was reacting in self-defense. This is actually a conspiracy…” Shup was interrupted with his rights as they arrested him as well. Rafael took the fall, even being sent to prison for conspiracy to commit murder and resisting arrest. Shup, well he went to jail for the night and was released the next morning. He was issued a warning that if he ever blew the whistle to the public, they were informed to shoot on sight, and shoot to kill. The secret of what happens between the police, military, federal government is not to be discussed.