Reyahadrecovered.
Everydayshebrimmedwithenergy,likeasunflowerturningtowardthelight.Hersmilewassweeter,moreradiant.Itwasthekindthatliftedpeople''''''''smoodsjustbyexisting.
Lu,however,hadnotimeforsmiles.Theteamwasbusyagain.
Amurdercase.
Inthiscity,withitstrapoputions,boomingservidustries,andhazeofdesirefueledbymoney,murderwasnothingnew.Afteryearsinthecriminaliigationunit,Luhadseenitall.Hewasnearlynumb.
Butthisonewasdifferent.Twovictims,bothchildrenofhigh-rankingofficials.Thepressurecamedownhardfromabove:strictordersthatHomicideUnitmustsolvethecaseimmediatelyandbringthekillertorealjustice.
"Bringthekillertorealjustice."
Asifeverythingthey''''''''ddonebeforehadn''''''''tbeenrealjustice.
Ofcourse,ascaptain,Luwaocrackthecaseassoonaspossible.Butthevictims''''''''sensitivebackgroundsmadeevensimpleinquiries—intotheirdailylives,theircircles—nearlyimpossible.Everyonewasevasiveanduncooperative.Therookiesoeam,facedwitharrogantattitudesandcloseddoors,werereadytothrowiowetanymoment.
Thendlordwho''''''''ddiscoveredthebodieswasalreadydetaiheprimarysuspect.Thepolicesealedoffinformationfromthemedia.Yetrumorsspreadanyway,floodierlikeavirus.Despitefiltersaions,whisperscarriedthroughmessagingapps—dark,distortedtalespassedfromooaraheday.
Somecimedtheroomhadbeencoveredinachalkywhitepowder,asiftwogiantcockroacheshadbeencrushedthere.OtherssaidthevictimshadshriveledintomummiesstraightoutofEgypt.Thedescriptionsdefiedlogic,sdbasichumandecy.
JustthinkingaboutthemmadeLu''''''''sheadache.
Therealcrimesewasn''''''''tasgrotesqueastherumorscimed,butitwasdisturbingenoughtoleaveLuandhisteamwithlingeringunease.
Hehadbeenoyofraids,anti-viceoperations,andcrackdownsorades,andhadseehanhisshareofcorpses.Butwheeppedintothatlittleroom,somethidifferent.
Thetwomenynakede,softbed,onehorizontal,theothervertical.Thecurtainswerewideopen.Sunlightstreamedinthroughthewindow,theshadowsofthewindowpanesformedtwobckcrossesthatfelldirectlyoverthebodies,liketheyhadbeenoacrucifix.
Lukwasonlyce.Afewminutesearlierorterandtheahesunwouldhaveshifted,movingtheshadowsaway.
Still,hecouldn''''''''tshakethefeelingthatitwassomekindofsilentjudgmentfromabove.
Heremindedhimselfthat,assomeonewhorepresehew,hecouldn''''''''tlethispersonalfeelingsdictatewhodeservedtodie.
Yetevenafteralltheseyearsasadetective,wheneverhecameacrosspeoplelikethis,hecouldn''''''''tstopthatlittledevilinsidefromgindelight.
Thesetwopracticallydeservedit.
Theforensicsteamhaduncoveredadisturbingnumberofsextoysinthecrampedroom.Aireassortment,allclearlyused,noattemptmadetohidethem.
Butthatwasn''''''''ttheissue.Afterall,adultshavingsomekinkytastesweren''''''''tacrime.
Therealproblemwastheboxofdiscs.
Thereuteronthedesk.Lugesturedforsomeoopickadisdloadit.
Insidewerevideofiles,eachstampedwithdatesandcrypticcodes.
Evenbeforeheclickedonone,Luhadabadfeeling.
Theimageshowedayounggirlinalocalhighschooluniform,herdoll-likefaceframedbystraightbangs.Aballgagfilledhermouth,herhandsboundbehindherbackasshecurledoerebed,likeafishstrandedonshore,filinghelplessly.
Lu''''''''seyesnarrowedattheaperpatterninthebackground.Thiswasalmostcertainlyfilmedihesameroom.
Then,ahaeredtheframe—slender,adorhadistinctivesilverring—andremovedthegagfromthegirl''''''''smouth.
"Mama...Mama...!"
Hermuffledwhimpersinstantlybrokeintodesperatecriesforhermother,hervoicetremblingwithrawterror.
Thehandwaselegant,almosttenderasitstrokedthegirl''''''''spalecheek.Butthefortwasalie.Herpanilyworsened.
"What''''''''syourname?"Aman''''''''svoice,calmandmeasured.
Thegirldidn''''''''tanswer.Sheonlythrashedharder,screamsscrapihroat.
"Begood,orelse—"
Somewhereoff-cameracameamutedthunk.Theunmistakablesoundofabdebitingintofabric.
Thegirl''''''''scriesdiedinstantly.Hertear-filledeyeswidearingatsomethingjustoutsidetheframebeforesnappingbacktowardthecamera.Herbodywentrigid.Nomorewildfiling—onlyfaint,untrolbletremors.
Forensicshadalreadycollectedtheevideeddybear,stabbedandshredded,baggedfromthebed.Apropforterror.
"Themanwiththesilverringwasholdingthecamera,"Lumuttered,recallingtheevidencelog.Then,sharply:"Whereisthecameranow?"
"Captaiherookieiigator,Brian,started.
Butbeforehecouldfinish,theseniorforensialystNeil,hisvoicelowandgrim.
"Wehaven''''''''tfoundityet."
Brianhadonlyjoiheforensicsafewdaysago.Themomentherealizedhemighthaveoversteppedandstolenhissuperior''''''''sspotlight,heshrankback,hisfacecwithembarrassment.Neilcuthimasharpgre.Brian,fusedbutchastened,cmpedhismouthshut.
Lu''''''''seyesremainedfixedoermonitor,oblivioustothesilentexgebehindhim.
"Goodgirl.What''''''''syourname?"
"M...Madeline..."
"Prettyname."
Thegirl''''''''sfaceturowardtherightsideoftheframe,herbodytremblingassheshra.Amansteppedinfromtheright,onlyhistorsovisible,hisheaddeliberatelycroppedoutofview.
"Madeli''''''''spyagame,okay?Ifyoulose,hewilltakeoffonepieceofyourclothing.Ifyouwin...we''''''''llletyougo."
Madelinenoddedquickly,desperately.
"Oh,sillygirl.Youdidn''''''''tevenaskwhatthegameis."
Themaninthevideocrouchedandunboundherwrists.
Sherubbedattheangryredwelts,hervoicebreakingthroughsobs."W-what...game?"
Therecstretchedonfornearlyanhour.
Andthisdisc—beledsimplyMadeliainedsixsuchrecs.Timestampsfirmingthey''''''''dbeenfilmedonsixdifferentdays.
They''''''''donlywatchedsixorsevenminutes.
BythetimethefacelessmanhadstrippedMadeliely,gropingherlikeprey,Lu''''''''sfirembledoverthemouse.
Heforcedhimselftokeepwatg,iofirmthemenintherecwerethesameonesnowlyingdead.Nauseaandrageedinhisgut.
Thegirl''''''''sscreams,herpleas,themen''''''''svulgartaunts,eachsouhisnerves.Hisjawchedsohardhismorsthreateocrack.Aveihistemple,alivelikeawrithingparasite.
Thetimelinecrawledforward,eachsedascalpelfyiepartsofhishumanity.
Then—theframefroze.
Asilver-ringedhandblockedtheclose-upofthegirl''''''''sexposedflesh.
Lusnapped.
Herippedthemouse''''''''scordfromitssocketandhurleditagainstthewallwithacrack.
Luknewheshouldn''''''''tbedoingthis.Theforensicsteamhadn''''''''tevenfinishedprocessingtheroom.Buthecouldn''''''''tstophimself.Heodosomethihesuffogpressureinhischest,orelsehe''''''''dexplode.He''''''''dfliptables,smashwalls,maybeevewocorpsesstillwaitingtobetransportedandripthemapartwithhisbarehands.
Aroundhim,hiscolleaguesstoodinheavysileheairwasthioughtochokeon.
Theboxofdiscsheldatleastforty,maybefiftymore.Ifeaetainedfootagelikethis,thatmeantfortyorfiftyvictims.
Ludidn''''''''tknowifallofthemwereasyoungasthegirlinthevideo.Hedidn''''''''twanttobelieveit,butexperieoldhimthetruthwasalmostalwaystheworst-casesario.
Younggirlswereeasyprey.Tooscared,tooashamedtotelltheirparents.Aheydid,mostfamilieswouldchoosesileoprotecttheirdaughter''''''''sreputation.
Ahereweretheperpetratorsthemselves—menwithes.Threats,bribes,coer...therewerealwaysawaytokeepvictimsquiet.
ButwhattwistedtheknifeinLu''''''''schest,whatmadethepressureunbearable,wasthis:
Theyhadn''''''''treceivedasinglereport.
Notone.
"Hasanyonefoundthissilverring?"Luasked.
Neil''''''''sanswerhadn''''''''tged."."
Luorderedthediscremovedfromtheputeraireboxsenttothetechdivision.Everyvictim''''''''sdetailhadtobecataloged.Everyframesedforfaces,tattoos,scars,anythingthatcouldidentifythemonstersbehindthis.
Hewascertainthemeninthosevideoswerethetwocorpseslyingbeforehim.Butthatknowledgeonlydeepehenightmare.
Thevictimshadbeetheperpetrators.Fortyorfiftydiscs.Fortyorfiftygirls.Fortyorfiftyfamiliesdestroyed.
Andnow,thepoolofsuspects—thepeoplewhomightwantthesemendead—hadjustexplodedfarbeyondtheirusualsocialcircles.
Heheer''''''''sreportfast.Causeofdeathwasthefirststep.Withoutit,theycouldn''''''''teveonarrowthelist.
Buteverymovefromherewouldbeaminefield.
Thefathersofthedeceasedwerepowerfulmen.Theywouldn''''''''ttoleratestainsontheirsons''''''''legacies.Interferencewasiable.
Luhadtomovefaster.
Fasterthanthehigher-upswhowouldtrytoblockhisaccess.Fasterthanthehandsthatwouldreachtoeraseevidence.Fasterthanthesilehadalreadyswallowedthesegirlswhole.
Evenifthosefathersdecidedtoburythetruthalongwiththeirsons,Lucouldn''''''''t.
Nirls.
Agrimcertaintylodgedinhisgut:thisfightmightcosthimhiscareer.Maybeevenhislife.
Butherefusedtolettheirvoicesrotinthedark,bodiesbroken,spiritsshattered,pretendingeverhappened.