Every morning's better with caffeine, compliments, and a corpse
...
Manhattan Police Department.
"Good morning, George! Good morning, Lynn!"
As the two entered the station, cheerful greetings followed them through the hall.
A young woman with a golden ponytail, dressed neatly in a blue police uniform, walked over.
She handed Lynn a coffee and a paper box. "Lynn, try the coffee and cake I made myself. Don't worry—it's just how you like it, not too sweet."
Seeing Jennifer's bright smile, Lynn accepted them with a grin. "Ah, lovely~ I haven't had breakfast yet. You know, Jennifer, for someone who loves sleeping in, getting bombarded by calls first thing in the morning is torture."
Jennifer covered her mouth, laughing softly at his tone. "You must've overslept again. Otherwise, Detective George wouldn't look so grumpy."
"See? That's what I call reputation!"
George Stacy, walking ahead, stopped and turned back with a dry look. "That's the power of reputation," he said flatly.
"Tsk. Jennifer, I didn't expect you to take his side. That really hurts my heart."
"Oh? And how should I make it up to you then?"
Jennifer's light blue eyes sparkled playfully as she reached out to straighten his collar. "How about I treat you to a movie tonight?"
"We'll see," Lynn said with an easy smile. "I have to help that old-fashioned guy organize case files, so I'm not sure I'll have time tonight."
Winking at Jennifer, Lynn Hall strolled straight toward the office.
Watching his retreating figure, Jennifer clasped her hands behind her back, a bright smile spreading across her face.
Not far away, Officer Sean, who had silently witnessed the scene, noticed Lynn's casual rejection.
He quickly approached. "Jennifer, are you free tonight? I bought two movie tickets, and I was wondering if you'd like to—"
"I'm sorry, Officer Sean," Jennifer interrupted politely, "I already promised to have dinner with my parents tonight."
Without hesitation, she turned and walked away, leaving Sean standing there awkwardly.
...
"See? This is your fault!"
At the office door, George Stacy, who had been observing the entire exchange, let out a sigh. "Sean's been chasing Jennifer for almost three years, and ever since you showed up, her attitude toward him has completely changed!"
Lynn raised his hands innocently. "What's that got to do with me? I swear on the lights in this station, I've never even touched Jennifer."
"You might as well have!" George grumbled. "At least then Sean would finally give up."
He opened the office door, shrugged off his jacket, and sat down behind his desk.
Then he handed Lynn a file from the stack in front of him. "Here. Handle this one. You solved the case, so get the paperwork ready."
Lynn took the folder, flipped it open, and glanced inside—it was a murder case from last week.
Unfortunately, the victim's spirit hadn't been strong enough for Lynn to absorb any death energy.
He took off his jacket, draped it over his chair, and got to work alongside George.
Some time passed before George's phone suddenly rang.
He answered, his brows knitting together. After shooting Lynn a sharp look, he said into the receiver, "Got it. I'll take my team there right away."
The moment he hung up, George grabbed his jacket and stood. "What you said this morning actually came true again. Is this what people mean when they call you a jinx? I still don't understand what that has to do with a crow's mouth."
He headed for the door. "Let's go. A body's been found by the Hudson River."
At the mention of a body, Lynn's eyes immediately lit up.
Inside the patrol car, as they drove toward the scene, George glanced over curiously. "Lynn, I really don't get it. Why do you always look so thrilled whenever you hear about a murder, a homicide, or even just a corpse?"
"Care to explain that?"
Before Lynn could answer, George added pointedly, "And don't give me that nonsense about justice or finding meaning in life. I know you—deep down, you'd rather be out enjoying yourself."
"Then I've got nothing to say!"
Lynn shrugged, grabbed a donut, and took a bite. "Jennifer's too strict. I hate donuts without sugar."
He glanced at the box in his lap. "George, if I gave these cakes and donuts to Sean when we get back, do you think he'd be grateful?"
"Oh, come on, Lynn—try being a decent human being for once," George said, giving him a helpless look before stepping on the accelerator.
By the time they reached the Hudson River, the scene had already been sealed off with police tape. Officers were keeping curious onlookers from getting too close, while two others were questioning the jogger who had found the body.
After all, people loved a spectacle.
As long as there were no gunfights or real danger, even New Yorkers enjoyed gathering to watch.
One such bystander, still catching his breath from his morning run, spotted George approaching and nudged him with an elbow.
George had just lifted the cordon and was about to duck under it when he turned back, puzzled. "What is it?"
The man grinned and pointed. "Look, your idol's in the crowd—watching the show!"
"Who?"
"Steve Rogers—Captain America! You know, the guy whose 'is-he-still-a-virgin' rumors got voted on by hundreds of thousands of netizens!"
At that, George Stacy's eyes lit up.
He instinctively turned to scan the crowd. "Where? I don't see him."
"The one in the baseball cap and tight T-shirt," Lynn said casually.
Thanks to his Super Senses, he had spotted Steve Rogers in the crowd almost instantly.
While George was still trying to catch a glimpse, Lynn lifted the police tape and stepped into the restricted area.
"Detective Hall!"
A uniformed officer quickly approached after spotting his badge. "We got a call from someone who found a floating suitcase by the Hudson River. When he pulled it ashore and opened it, he discovered an adult male body inside."
"After checking the area, we didn't find any signs of a struggle, drag marks, or footprints nearby."
"It's possible that last night's rain washed away all the evidence," the officer added.
Lynn listened carefully and nodded in acknowledgment.
His gaze, however, settled on a translucent, nearly naked man—wearing nothing but a pair of underwear—standing beside the suitcase.
It was obvious that this male spirit was the very same person whose corpse lay inside.
Activating his Death's Eye, Lynn quickly assessed the spirit's condition—and saw that its obsession glowed red.
Spirits' obsessions were ranked by color: white, green, blue, red, and purple.
Only those above green allowed him to absorb death energy.
And the stronger the obsession, the greater the amount of death energy he could harvest.
With that in mind, Lynn Hall stepped closer, crouching beside the suitcase as if examining the corpse.
In truth, he quietly activated his Phantom Spirit ability and began communicating with the spirit through thought.