A year. It had been a year since Detective Brooke Snow took a chance on love and moved away from Cincinnati to Los Angeles. She knew it was a risk but Alexis meant the world to her and she’d always dreamt of being a gritty LA detective. So when her commanding officer told her it was a done deal, she was so excited.

A year later, Alexis was just making her comeback from a potentially career-ending injury. But for Brooke, it had been 12 months of nothing but cybercrime, B&Es, petty theft, and other mundane, textbook cases she could solve in her sleep. She was desperate for a case with more bite. And it just so happened one was about to, one that was going to be a little too close to home.

Brooke stepped into her CO, Captain Reyes’, office, the scent of stale coffee and cigarette smoke hanging thick in the air. The blinds were half-closed, slanting stripes of neon light across the cluttered desk. Reyes was a broad-shouldered man with years of hard-earned authority etched into his face. He didn’t look up as Brooke entered, simply gesturing at the chair across from him.

Captain Reyes: Take a seat, Snow.

His voice was rough, like gravel scraping metal. Brooke didn’t sit. Instead, she crossed her arms, waiting. After all the mediocre cases she’d knocked out of the park in the last year, this was the first time Captain Reyes had called her after hours. That had to mean something. Finally, Reyes sighed and pushed a thick file across the desk.

Captain Reyes: Take a look.

Brooke glanced down. The name stamped on the front in bold, black ink made her frown.

HOFF, DAVID

She flipped it open. Crime scene photos spilled across the pages, twisted bodies, deep lacerations, surgical markings on exposed flesh. Among them was an image of a man… well, was it even a man? It looked more like Bigfoot. Brooke arched an eyebrow.

Brooke: The guy who thinks he’s a scientist?

Captain Reyes: More than just thinks. He’s the textbook definition of “Mad Scientist” and, would you believe, he’s a f*cking professional wrestler. Been running experiments on people ever since. Some kind of twisted obsession with ‘human potential.’

Brooke studied the images again.

Brooke: And the wrestling?

Captain Reyes: Still competes, he’s with some company… HWA?

Brooke exhaled through her nose, her heart skipping a beat. She whispered Alexis’ name.

Brooke: Lexi…

Captain Reyes: Something you’d like to share, Detective?

Brooke: Sorry, sir. It’s just HWA? That’s the organisation my partner wrestlers for, she’s a professional wrestler too. Just returned last week after she fractured her shoulder.

The realization settled like a weight in Brooke’s stomach. Brooke had never thought twice about it, Alexis loved what she did, and HWA, while rough around the edges, had never seemed like the kind of place that harbored monsters like Hoff. Not since the Parkers took over. But now? She turned back to Reyes. She hesitated at first. Alexis had never mentioned Hoff before, not beyond the usual stories about crazy characters that seemed like they belonged in a circus tent.

But if Hoff had been hiding in plain sight, that meant someone at HWA could know something. She tapped her fingers against the file.

Brooke: The Parkers are still running things in HWA…

Reyes nodded.

Captain Reyes: Correct a….Butch and Wisdom. Old-school as they come by all accounts. Kept the company alive long after it should’ve folded. They might have answers.

Brooke exhaled slowly. She’d deal with the crime scene first, the file indicated he’d been arrested in LA recently. But after that? She was going to have a conversation with the Parkers. Maybe she could speak to Lexi, find out where the next show is. She turned for the door, muttering under her breath.

Brooke: They have a wrestling school here in LA, in Santa Monica. I’ll see what I can turn up. And Captain?

Captain Reyes: Yes?

Brooke: Thank you.

Captain Reyes: Don’t thank me yet, Detective, just get this done and off my desk.

Brooke: Yessir.

She turned and left Captain Reyes’ office and brought out her phone, typing into her chat with Alexis on WhatsApp.

Hope you’re still awake, because you’ll never guess what’s happened! Love you loads! Mwah! xxx

End.