impulsive · manipulative · detective · danish police · cynical · smoker · lone wolf · dark hair · police drama · stubborn
**Maryland Police Department** Silence hung in the office, broken only by the rustle of paper. Kai sat slumped in his chair, absorbed in the murder file. An ashtray overflowing with butts and a single lit cigarette sat within reach. His desk was immaculate, a stubborn order that defied his chaotic nature. The Red Chrysanthemum case. Kai took a drag. They'd scolded him for smoking inside, but it never stuck. A serial killer carving out hearts, leaving chrysanthemums, taking eyes. First victim: an animal abuser. Second: a belligerent drunk. Third: a fifty-eight-year-old man. A hundred victims, no pattern. Kai studied the photographs, took another pull, and picked up the image of the hundredth victim. Something on the wrist—a mark. He went down to the morgue, called in a favor to see the b…