Junbarelyhadtimetowarmhisseatattheofficebeforehewassentbackout,vassingneighborhoodsagain.
Atthefire,hewouldn''''''''thaveknownwhosehouseitwasifnotforReya.Herquicktiphadgivenhimthelead—andhisimmediatecalltoLuhadearnedhimapceatthedailybriefings,wherethefullextentofthemanager''''''''sdepravitywasidbare.Now,Luhadevenaskedhimtostartdraftingacriminalprofileofthekiller.
Jun,likeLu,begantosuspectthattheremightbeamysteriousvigihere—someonedeliveringjustice,silentlyeradigpredatorsreyedongirlsandwomen.
Evil,itseemed,eventuallymetitsend.
Andagainsteveryprofessionalinstinct,Junfoundhimselfquietlyhopingthevigintewouldneverbecaught.
Ofcourse,asapoliceofficer,hekhatwasathoughtheshouldertain.
Justicemustbeserved—butnhbloodstainedhands.
Ifvengeancerepcedthew,ifeverywrongedsoulwieldedabdeagainsttheirtormentors,thenurposedidcourtsserve?Whatvaluewerebadges,handcuffs,theslowgrindofdueprocess?
Forthemanager''''''''scase,thepolicefollowedupwitheveryfemaleemployeesfromtheamusementpark,piegtogetheranightmarishpattern.
Atfirst,severalwomendeniedeverbeingassaultedbythemanager,untiltheysawthephotos.Then,withtear-filledeyes,theypouredoutfessions:beingdrugged,raped,bckmailedwithexplicitphotos,forcedtoendureinsilencewhiletheirtormentor''''''''sshadowlingeredoverthem.
Officersalsotrackeddownformeremployeeswhohadn''''''''tappearedinanyphotos.Eveniftheyhadn''''''''tsufferedtheworst,mosthadbeengropedorharassedtosomedegreebythemanager''''''''swanderinghands.
AsforReya,aftersubtlyprobingotherfemalestaff,theylearhatJulianhadoftensteppedintoshieldherwhehemariedtotakeadvahatatleastexpinedhowthetwoofthemhadgrownclose.AlthoughLuwasreluttoacceptit,hehadto—deathdemandsrespect.AtleasttheboyhadprotectedReyawhenhecouldn''''''''t.
TheofficerssenttoLinisan''''''''shomecamebackempty-handedaosuspeethingmighthavehappeoher.Butsheeventuallyturnedherselfinatthestation—beforeJunevenfinisheddraftingthekiller''''''''sprofile.
Herstorywaschilling.Themanagerhadfirstassaultedhertrior.Shehadsideredgoingtothepolice,buthethreateoreleasepromisingphotostoherretivesandpostthemonline,effectivelyruiningherlife.
Hermotherhadaheartdition,andafterherfather''''''''sdeath,distaiveshadbeencirgtheoldfamilyhouse.Ifthephotosleaked,hermotherwouldn''''''''tbeabletotaketheshodthosegreedyretiveswouldsurelyfindanexcusetoseizethepropertyandkickherout.So,shelivedeachdayinfear,waitingforthemanager''''''''soccasionalsummons.
Themanagerwasacautiousmaimehehadintercoursewithher,heworea.Thechildshewascarryinghadbeenceivedaftershesecretlypokedholesinit,hopingthepregnancywouldforcehimtohelpherkeeptheoldfamilyhouse.
Whenthemanagerdiscoveredsheregnant,heeruptedinrage,demandianabortion.ButLinisanhadteredwithaquiet,terrifyingresolve:evenifshewentthroughwithit,shewouldkeepthetissue,havetheDed.Sheknewofhisaffairswithotherfemaleemployeesatthepark,andshewasreadythimdownifhepushedtoofar.
Themanagerhaderedanyonelikeher.Mostofhisvictimswereyoung,naive,easilymaniputed.Linisanwasolder,hardenedbylife,andnotthetypeheusuallypreyedupon.Two,hehadchosenheronlybecausesheappearedvulnerable—asickmother,alohoutmaleretives.Thatmiscalcutionhadbeehisnightmare.
Formonths,theylivedinatealemate.Eachhelddirtoher,aherdaredfullycrosstheline.
Linisan''''''''spnhadalwaysbeensimple:carrythebabytoterm,thenleave,recimherlife.Despitethechildbeingceivedunderduress,itwasstillhers—herfleshandblood.Shehadbeguntoformabond,howeverrelut,withthelifegrowinginsideher.
Buthorrorreturnedinanuedform.Herheavilypregnantfigurereighemanager''''''''stwisteddesires.
Now,sittingierviewroom,shenolongerresembledthetrembling,iwomanofbefore.Calm,posed,shepressedherpalmstoherswollenbellyandwhispered:
"Hesaidthatsiheamusementparkwasclosed,andIdidn''''''''thavetogotowork,Ishouldjuststayathomewithhimuntilthebabywasborn.Ithought...maybeIcouldefortwomoremonths—forthesakeofthechild.
Butthen...hewaomeup.Hesaidhekhebabywasagirl,thathewouldn''''''''tsparehereither...Ijustpushedhim,andhisheadhittheerofthewall...itwasanact."
Moxi''''''''sautopsyhadreportedsignsoftraumaonthebackoftheskull.Unfortuhebasementhadbeenburnedbeyondsalvage.Therewasn''''''''tenoughphysicalevideofirmtheexactcircumstaheimpact.
Linisanhadalreadyfessed.Herstoryusible—panic,fear,desperatioroyingthebodyintheensuingfireseemedlikeanaturalextensionofthatpanic.
YetLucouldn''''''''tshakethefeelingthatsomethingwasoff.
Thebodyhadbeenfoundlyihemattress.Ifthemanagerhadfallenbackwardandhithisheadduringaion,whywouldheendupthere?Couldaheavilypregnantwomanreallyhavemovedamanweighingover200poundsbyherself?
Theautopsyaddedanotherwrinkle:nosoot,nothermalinjuryintheairway.Hehadn''''''''tbreathedwhilethefireraged—hewasalreadydeadbeforeitstarted.Hehadn''''''''tcrawledtothebedhimself.
LuhadpreviouslybedthroughLinisan''''''''ssocialcirdfoundnosignofanothermanwhocouldhavehelpedher.
Withhertearfulfession,thecaseteicallyclosed.Withalltheselingeringdoubts,Lusubmittedthereport.
Linisanwaschargedwithdesecrationofacorpsearuofevidence.However,sideringshehadbeeedlysexuallyassaultedandpsychologicallymaniputedbythedeceased,andthecaseinvolvedself-defehafession,thecourtwaslikelytoshowleniency.Hersentencewouldbenomorethanthreeyears,anditwouldbeginonlyaftershegavebirth.
Withiwocaseswereclosedjustlikethat.
Onpaper,justicehadbeenserved.
ButLucouldstillfeelit—theitchbetweenhisshoulderbdes,thewhisperinthebackofhismind:Thisisn''''''''tover.
Itwasn''''''''tthathelikedtooverplicatethings,orthatheingfh-profileserialkillercasetoboosthiscareer.Aftersomanyyearsasadetective,Lusimplytrustedhisinstincts—andtheywerescreamingthatsomethingwasn''''''''tright.
Butpoliceworkdemandedevidehoutanythingsolidtochalleheofficialclusions,allhecoulddotthem.
Junhadhisdoubts,too.
Thecaseswerestrangeenoughontheirown:privilegedyoungmensexuallyassaultingunderagegirls,amanagerpreyingonfemaleemployeesanddotingitinphotographs—sosimir,surfagsoclosetogetherintime.
paredtoLu,Jun''''''''ssuspisfurther.Hehadavaguefeelingtherewasaninvisiblethreadtyingalltheseretiogether.
HethoughtofMadelihefemalestudentwho''''''''darguedwithReya—thevictimintheSilverRingandCocases.
HethoughtofJulian,Reya''''''''scoworker,whohadtallysuicided.
AndReya''''''''smahemonsterwhopreyedonemployeesuntilsomeonepreyedonhim.
Allofit—howevertenuously—circledbacktooneperson:
Reya.
Notasevideevenasatheory.
Justahunch.
Onehewouldnevervoicealoud.
Becauseifhewasright...theimplicationswereunthinkable.