"Greetings, sir," Ellie reported to her senior.

  "You're here." He looked up from his scrolls. "Go get your things. You're going to visit the victim's family with Mr. Smith. Don't mess up anything."

  Ellie nodded, beaming with happiness. "It's my first case," she whispered, her voice full of joy.

  I smiled back. He is treating her better today. We were met with Robert in the morgue. Ellie closed the door and said, "I am going to visit your family. You'd better come with us. I will need your help to deal with them."

  Robert nodded and we went out. Mr.Smith was a man in his 30s, with a common appearance. But the scar on his neck, even if it was slight made him stand out. Alright, I am reading too much into it. He and Ellie hold the same rank but he is more respected because of his experience.

  Ellie greeted Mr. Smith. "How do you do?" Her voice a little too bright.

  "I am fine. Shall we head out?" he replied, gesturing with his hands. His voice was very pleasant, suprising for someone in this profession.

  "Absolutely, after you." Ellie politely said.

  He led her outside, where two horses waited. They were being attended to by a stable boy. The stable boy, a freckled teenager with hay stuck in his hair handed the horse's rein to Mr.Smith before scurrying off.

  "You know horseriding, right?" he inquired.

  "Yes, I do." Ellie acknowledged.

  She mounted the horse, taking the rein and so did Mr.Smith.

  "Go and sit behind Ellie," I ordered Robert.

  He looked at me with questioning eyes.

  "You have become a ghost just recently. You won't have the speed to catch up." I seethed.

  Robert hesitated, fidling with his fingers. I grabbed his arm—it felt like grabbing mist—and flung him onto Ellie’s horse. He let out a startled yelp as he landed behind her, clinging to her for balance.

  We went fast until we reached the busy markets. I floated beside Ellie. Robert looked at me with astonishing eyes. The curious eyes of the spectators followed us as we made our way. Ellie’s heart raced as she whispered, ‘It’s my first case.’ She tried to focus on keeping her smile steady, determined not to let her nerves show.

  We stopped in front of an affluent house. The house was built from sturdy stones, with weathered but well maintained walls. The roof was made out of tiles with a chimney. It was a two storey house although not comparable to an aristocrat's manor. It stood out as respectable and comfortable.

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  "You didn't tell us you were rich," Ellie whispered, enough for three of us to hear. She folded her hands at her chest as she studied the house.

  Robert scratched the back of his head and gave a wry smile.

  After a moment, we followed Mr.Smith who knocked at the carved wooden door. An old man peeped through as he nudged the door open slightly. He had no beard, and smiled wryly. His face bore marks of hardwork and his eyes looked heavy.

  Mr. Smith told the man, "We're with the Office of Justice," showing his badge. "We are here to speak with the late Mr. Clarke's family." He tucked his badge in his belt.

  The old man threw open the door and stepped aside to let us in. He gestured with his hands welcoming us in. We steppped into the modest courtyard. The trees stood in a neat row, their trunks aligned perfectly, with a vibrant garden of flowers blooming beside them. The courtyard was filled with floral scent from the blooming flowers.

  The old man led us to a big hall. I suppose this is to host for guests. There were 2 chairs at the threshold, while the rest stood on the sides of the hall.

  "I will go inform the family members. Please wait." He respectfully bowed, and exited the hall.

  "Tell us all about your family." I ordered Robert. And like a good child he began describing his family members.

  "There's my grandparents, my parents and my brother. We all love each other very much."

  I cut him off, "I am not asking about your familial love but family dynamics."

  "Okay, my grandfather is the head but my father calls the shot most of the times... Then, there's my grandmother and mother. They get along well. My brother is the youngest—he’s 21—and everyone dotes on him"

  "Your brother and you are quite far apart in years."

  "Yeah."

  And as soon as the discussion ended, we were greeted by a very old man and woman. Must be his grandparents. The woman was lost in a trance. The main although looked stern, his eyes were swollen from crying.

  The man greeted Mr.Smith bowing slightly, "We are sorry to arrive late. Please forgive us."

  Mr.Smith held the man's elbow and stood him up, "Don't do this. You are my grandfather's age. I will be ashamed. I am Mr .Smith and this is my colleague, Ms. Frost." He said gesturing towards Ellie.

  Ellie stepped in and bowed slightly to the elderly gentleman.

  Mr.Smith continued, "We are here to ask about the late Mr. Clarke." He glanced at the gate and said, "Let's start the questioning after all the family members are here."

  Soon, all the family members assembled in the hall taking their seats as the hierarchy. Robert's father had a similiar appearance to his grandfather. He looked stern but his lips were curled. His mother's eyes were red, probably from all the crying. Robert looked more similar to his mother.

  The brother however had inherited his mother's beauty but his father's aura. He looked charming, to say nonetheless.

  Wait a minute, his daughter is not present. I asked him, "Where's your daughter?"

  "She lives alone. My family doesn't know about her."

  I nodded. After everyone had taken their seats, Mr.Smith took the lead in questioning.

  "Where were you all at the time of victim's death?" Mr.Smith asked, his voice full of buisness.

  The family had various kinds of reactions to it. But that's how they all react most of the time. The grandmother was broken out of her trance and looked startled. The mother looked sad while the grandfather and father were angered and in disbelief. The brother looked sad and in disbelief at the same time. I can't read him.

  Anyways, Ellie stepped in and said, "These are just routine questions. We will also be able to help you better if you tell us truthfully."

  Everyone seemed to gotten at ease now. The grandfather said, "Me and my wife were in our room. Our family ate dinner and everyone went to their rooms."

  The rest of the family nodded in affirmation.

  Mr.Smith then continued, "Very well. What did you talk about at dinner?"

  The father spoke this time, "Nothing much. Just family chat."