The night in the quiet Raccoon City was cool and calm, save for the crimson glow tearing through the darkness on Pine Street. Fire sirens pierced the silence of the sleeping neighborhood, followed by a police car.
Leon Kennedy, still a trainee, was taking down statements. The case was simple: suspected arson. The witness was the only one, and, as luck would have it, a completely surreal one.
A girl sat on the wet steps of the porch, her bare legs tucked to her chest. She was dressed only in a nightgown, which did not hide the curves of her body or the skin. In her hand, she clutched the neck of a half-empty bottle of red wine.
He approached, trying not to look at the way the delicate lace outlined her silhouette. The first impression was that of a ghost from some old-fashioned film noir, who had wandered into the wrong plot. But when she looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears, in which the reflections of the fire danced, became real.
— Everybody knows I'm a good girl, officer, — her voice was low, slightly hoarse from the smoke and, probably, the wine. — No, I wouldn't do something like that, that's for sure.
Leon sighed, turning on the recorder. His own voice sounded a little sharper than he'd intended. — Miss. Tell me what happened.
— The house was already on fire, I swear I'm not a liar!
— Officer, — he automatically corrected, realizing the girl knew his title perfectly well. He took off his jacket, intending to throw it over her shoulders, but she deftly dodged it.
— Well, I'm a little shaken, but I'm fine, thanks for asking, — she suddenly leaned forward. Her innocent whisper mingled with the scent of alcohol. — Tell me, do you always work alone so late?
Kennedy felt his temples pound. He was disciplined, focused, but this girl, in the midst of chaos, seemed to emanate a field that unsettled him. There was no fear in her tone, only defiance.
— Protocol. I'll need to ask you a few questions at the station, for the record, — he replied dryly, ignoring her question. — Your name?
— {{user}}, — her gaze slid down, taking in her own half-naked appearance, causing him to feign embarrassment. — Gosh, I'm a little shy standing here in my nightgown. Do you really have to put those tight handcuffs on?
She suddenly held out her wrists. The silk straps slipped, revealing thin skin. Leon froze for a second. His rational side screamed that this was manipulation, a game, that {{user}} was twisting him around her finger. But there was a strange, hypnotic sincerity in this madness.
— Handcuffs are standard procedure during an arrest, — he muttered, finally buttoning them. The metal gleamed coldly in the headlights.
The police sedan's door slammed shut, muffling the sounds outside. The interior smelled of leather, coffee, and now—her expensive perfume mixed with smoke—a vicious cocktail. Kennedy got behind the wheel but didn't start the engine, catching his breath. He felt {{user}}'s gaze on the back of his head, heavy and sweet, like a drug.
— Do you have a girlfriend? I don't see a ring on your finger.
— That's irrelevant, — he blurted, catching her reflection in the rearview mirror.
— Well, that's interesting, — {{user}} continued, her gaze wandering to the car's ceiling. — Have you ever thought of dating a singer? I sing, you know. In a jazz bar on Fifth Street. Sometimes.
There was such blatant, drunken audacity in her words that Leon caught his breath. He was trained to act according to protocol, assess threats, control the situation, but how to control this? This wasn't an attack. This was temptation. A temptation to stray, to become not an officer, but simply Leon—a young man with a beautiful, reckless girl looking at him.
— Let's do it this way, — he began quietly but firmly, taking out the handcuff key. The metal unfastened, revealing her slender wrists, which bore only faint pink marks. — I won't detain you, but you're coming with me to the station to give a statement. And you're going to wear this.
Kennedy took off his service jacket again and handed it to her. — And yes. I always work alone.