Half-mad, the Chief asked for an inspection of the laptop almost in a seizure, but nothing was found in the laptop until the promised time neared. It was unclear whether the product was supplied on a formal route or not, and there was no program to point out the userās clues other than the very basic specifications. Despite the desperate efforts of the Chief and other police officers, ā if we donāt get anything out of this, we may see hell at nine oāclock tonight! ā apparently there was still no harvest tonight, and eventually they were forced to sit in front of the turned on laptop around 9 p.m.
āI feel so disgustedā¦ā
āDamn it, I know somethingās going to pop out but Iām still watching thisā¦ā
Perhaps it was hard to bear the heavy silence; small voices of complaints coming from all over the place can be heard. But since there was no other option, they all looked at the monitor with strangely stiff faces. Jeffrey, who was busy running around from daytime, nervously looking at the clock, touching his chin.
āYouāre not nervous?ā
Tim, who had already been emptying his coffee cup for the third time, asked Jude quietly. The blond detective, stretching with a long yawn, nodded indifferently at his partnerās words. In any case, Jude turned his neck lightly, smiling face-to-face at Tim who was wearing a grave expression and laughed once. The sound of people swallowing their dry saliva seemed to be heard vividly. The air was so tense that it couldnāt be stretched any longer. All their nerves were directed at the heartless second hand on the clock. Itās 8:59.
When all the police stopped breathing, several messages suddenly popped up on the monitor and a video emerged on the surface. As soon as the content of the video can be made out, the people in the room held their breath. A woman was tightly bound to a chair, lowly sobbing. The woman, who appeared to be about the same age as Sally, didnāt cry out loud even though she wasnāt gagged. Whether it was a warehouse or a basement, the space is so dark that people couldnāt even see properly. Like a sombre space where the smell of sewage and cement is likely to flourish. The eyes of the people watching were dismally and upsettingly distorted, as a black human figure slowly appears in front of the screen.
[- Hello. This is Alvin Jones. No, letās call it the person who will succeed him.]
[ā¦ā¦sa, save meā¦ā¦ donāt do this, let me goā¦ā¦!]
The womanās voice was thin but desperate. Looking back at the squeezed voice, the man covered in a black hood or something on his face continued to speak with his face facing the monitor straight.
[Since today is a special day, I gave the police permission to be present. Youāve been invited, and if you enjoy it, I canāt ask for more.]
This peculiar hoarse voice must have been the one that called on Judeās cell phone. Nodding unconsciously once, the man moved slowly and picked up something on the shelf he had placed next to the woman. Even with the unclear image quality, it could be seen that the small, sharp sparkling item was not very friendly. Even under dark lighting, the people present could clearly see the womanās face turning worse.
[ā¦ā¦First of all, Iād like to give you a brief explanation. I think you already knew that my identity wasnāt Alvin Jones. But it doesnāt matter, from now on youāll treat me as an equal to, or as his name. The name I originally had doesnāt matter now, if I could be called a more special and powerful name.]
The small thing in the manās hand, which looks like a scalpel, slowly drew a line and stopped in front of the womanās eyes. The woman was now unable to make a sound and barely able to continue her intermittent breathing.
[Do you know? This full feeling. I, who was nothing, can be named after the greatest fear just by doing this simple thing over and over again. Isnāt that amazing? Even my neighbours didnāt know me very well until yesterday, and all of a sudden I see the TV all over the country talking about my actions! Mass media, of course, is a blessing, especially for someone like me.]
It must have been a dark life devoid of any attention. Jude got a little bored with the content that was not much different from what he heard on the phone, and when he looked around at the others, they were holding out their breath and concentrating on the laptop monitor. The scalpel, which had stopped in front of the womanās eyes on the screen, slowly descended and slit her neck slightly.
[Fearā¦ā¦..darkness ā¦ā¦. shadowā¦ā¦ the abyss of a brilliant city ā¦..When I imagined I would be a name to represent them, a pleasure Iād never felt before paralyzed my brain. So, I decided to be faithful to my desire. I have studied a lot about Alvin Jones. He didnāt really try to undermine his behaviour because of painful memories from his childhood. He didnāt even try to make excuses. Of course, he didnāt feel any guilt whatsoever.]
Thatās true. Nodding his head for the first time at the manās words, Jude held his chin and breathed a short sigh. Rather, a murder for money or affection is simple. They regret, blame themselves, and easily leave their tails out because they clearly feel that this is wrong. In the back of their mind, they know that they have to pay the price for their sins.
But he is different. I donāt know how he got his home education, but the universal value of ethics seemed to have not accumulated more than as knowledge in this young manās head. He knows killing people is a sin. He doesnāt blame me for trying to catch him and execute him. Because thatās my job.
But he doesnāt feel guilty about what he did. What can he do that he feels like that?
From a detectiveās point of view, it was the worst case.
[Iām going to be born anew, as the one I studied. To be fearless about nothing, and not bound by anything. And, by tearing apart the detective who caught Alvin Jones for a while, I am complete. I donāt really know why Alvin Jones was caught by the detective, and I donāt know why he didnāt kill him, but Iām sure about this.]
The man shrugged his shoulders as he slipped the scalpel through the womanās trembling collarbone, soundlessly.
[I think that was his only mistake. Or maybe it was an entertainment against the police. But Iām differentā¦ā¦.. I wonāt make any mistakes. Take a closer look at this womanās suffering, because you will die in a finer avant-garde form based on this.]
[No, noā¦ Donātā¦ Donātā¦ Donātā¦ Save meā¦ I have children, I have husband, I have familiesā¦ Please help meā¦]
āCanāt you track it or something?ā
At the womanās sobbing, Jeffrey shouted like a bellow, but the agent shook his head in despair. There was an intolerable sense of helplessness in his eyes.
āā¦.heās just sending it as a signal to this computer. It doesnāt seem to be a registered product in the first place. If it was a computer that can be tracked, he wouldnāt have sent it here in the first place.ā
āSo, what, weāre supposed to just sit here and watch that woman torn to pieces for hours?! What a ridiculous thing to do, and no one has ever been on the list of suspects? Whether itās a witness, look for ex-convicts based on their area of residence!ā
āWell, you know weāve done it all. Not to mention forensic evidence. Although I have requested a report, there have been no reports of witnesses yet, and most of the ex-convicts living in the vicinity have alibi. And if the killer has a carā¦ā
āI know!ā
Shouting ferociously, Jeffrey jerked his head. His face was red with shame, anger, and fear when Jude saw him. Heās a federal agent, but he has to put up with this kind of farce for the sake of dealing with numbers of bizarre cases. It was obvious that he was thinking about me ā and Jude looked around at Tim. The feelings on his partnerās face were not much different from that of Jeffreyās, but there was a stronger sadness and sympathy painted on his face. Tim, you have a good personality. With a shake of his head, Jude turned to the monitor. Speaking in a curiously excited tone, he was observing her from the womanās side in a restrained manner contrary to his tone.
[You can be honoured. Youāre contributing to the succession of a name that means great things. Based on you, Iāll kill himā]
[-Yes, I heard it well. I will be.]
Suddenly, someone elseās voice cut off the manās hoarse voice. The calm voice froze the viewers in an instant. Those who predicted the tragedy that would happen in the future, bit by bit behind the monitor looked at the man who was confused as everyone opened their eyes wide. The camera lens was out of reach from the manās gaze, and the police listened to the voice, feeling both nervous and surprised.
[You donāt have to repeat that logic because Iāve heard it so much before. Actually, itās not that interesting.]
[Y, youā¦ You canātā¦ reallyā¦ real Alvinā¦]
[You must have realized that youāre a fake because youāre using the expression āreal.ā Iām not that attached to my name, but itās a little different if youāre doing something bothersome with my name. I came here on purpose because of that. It would be bothersome to pretend to listen, right? Actually, Iām not in a very good mood right now.]
[Really Alvin Jonesā¦ Oh, my Godā¦! I never thought Iād see you like thisā¦!]
Alvin Jones! Jeffrey came close as if he would jump into the screen. Jude lowered his chin and slowly looked at the platinum-haired young man coming into the screen with his arms crossed. The man took a step back with the scalpel as if he had been pressed by something.
[Gee, whatās wrong with you? From your point of view, shouldnāt I be the one you should kill too? I have to disappear in order for you to get the title āreal,ā right? Come on, itās a good opportunity, isnāt it? Maybe I wonāt have another chance to appear in front of you like this?]
A teasing voice articulated cleverly. The man, who was falteringly backing down, soon stopped stepping back and tried to get back to his position. The woman looked alternately at Alvin and the man, as if she had no idea what was going on.
[I, Iāve always wanted to talk to you.]
[Youāll kill me next?]
[Well, thatāsā¦]
[Oh, thatās weird. Wasnāt it necessary for you to abandon the name Ted Royman? The one in the ranks of the insignificant, disgraced and discharged soldier, a failure of life in which your wife and child have all left you behind. Shouldnāt I be gone in order to paint your own gold in that life?]
āSearch him under the name Ted Royman! On the military list! Send people out when they get something out of there!ā
āYes, sir!ā
Commanding quickly, Jeffrey headed back to the monitor. The man shouted, and clenched his fist once as if holding back his anger.
[You, youāreā¦! Youāve been the driving force in keeping me alive for the last few months! Isnāt it natural to think that I want to talk to such a person?]
[Gee, thatās even more regrettable.]
Alvin approached the camera. [What are you doing?] ā There was a puzzled question from Ted, but Alvin smiled at the camera and covered the lens with something.
[-Iām not interested in talking to you.]
Flap. And the lens blacked out. The people watching buzzed lightly. Instead of waking up from the nightmare, the ominousness of seeing another nightmare swept through them. Tim asked Jude in a puzzled voice.
āHe really showed up, Alvin Jonesā¦ā¦! How the hell did he know?ā
āWell, murderers think alike. Maybe they had their own way.ā
āWhat do you think?ā
āWhat?ā
Timās face was serious, and he had a face full of worry.
āCan sheā¦ can she live?ā
āWellā¦ maybe itās possible to live? Alvin Jones went to get rid of that copycat, not to get rid of her. Iāll leave it up to luck.ā
āI feel like Iām having the worst nightmare of my lifeā¦..ā
Just a few minutes after Tim shook his head, the monitor screen suddenly returned. Again, all eyes were on it, and they grew with astonishment. Where the woman was once tied, instead it was the man wearing the hood that was tied in the same way. Slowly, the sound of fluent speech and footsteps rang at the same time.
[If youāre wondering about the woman, you donāt have to worry about her, itās a bit difficult if she runs out first, so I put her over there, but I have no wish in paying attention to her.]
An uneasy sigh of relief echoed in the air, no matter who it was. Alvin smiled faintly as if he had seen their reaction, and approached the man. The man was shaking.
[Can I tell you why Iām not interested in you?]
[No, no, whatā¦ā¦.]
[You said you wanted to be me. But itās just the kind of struggle that came out of inferiority complex. There is no deep feeling. I felt it while looking at you.]
[Me, me, looking at meā¦]
[Didnāt you feel anything? That night, the moment you were holding a gun and talking to him on your cell phone, I was behind you. You will eventually come to find him, so all I have to do is wait for you around him. Isnāt it simple?]
As he spoke, Alvin picked up the scalpel that the man had just lifted. Putting on a student-like face who was contemplating what to make from this, the man shouted hysterically.
[Uh, why! I respect you! Why like this, for stealing your name? Well, then thatās it. Iāll follow you. Iāll make a move for you!]
[ā¦ ā¦ because you stole my name? No, itās a little different. Ted.]
Calling his name gently enough, Alvin turned the scalpel once in his hand.
[Maybe more importantly, you said you understood me. You kept saying, it was my mistake or for amusement sake to be caught by the police. You will be me by killing him.]
[Wellā¦ā¦. yes, no matter what the problemā¦]
[Ah, thereās a big problem.]
Alvin turned his back on the camera. Without any particular movement or words, a silver glint flashed in the air once. With a scalpel stuck under the clavicle, a hoarse scream erupted from the manās mouth. In that scream, Alvinās voice reached Judeās ear with a curious clarity.
[-You donāt know anything about me.]
His heart suddenly went numb. As Jude stepped back reflexively, Alvin whispered something into the screaming manās ear. Because it was a low sound, it was not caught on camera, but only the eyes that were enlarged by the manās consternation were captured on the monitor.
[No way, you canātā¦]
Twisting the scalpel, Alvin turned to the camera. It was a calm smile, but all the police gathered at the station felt the chill running down their spines.
[From now on, I donāt think itās a good scene to see, from your point of view. If you donāt want to see it, you can turn off the monitor. You know whatās going to happen. But I can assure you that it will be difficult to find this place until I finish all the work. When Iām done, Iāll release the woman over there, so itāll be the fastest to hear from her.]
Finishing off neatly, Alvin approached the man in the hood. As the police feel complicated feelings ā itās a relief that the woman is alive, but should they be watching it for the next few hours, canāt we just turn it off, how did Alvin Jones find him ā Tim looked back at his partner and was a little bit surprised. His partner, who was standing without any problems until just before the woman was drawn by the scalpel, was covering his mouth with a slightly blue face.
āJude, whatās wrong? Are you okay? You donāt look well.ā
āā¦ā¦no, Iām fineā¦ā¦well, I just donāt feel good.ā
āYou canāt feel good looking at that. Do you want to go early? You even played the role of bait, so you can do that. Go get some rest. Well, that guy canāt go after you anymore. Chief!ā
Not hearing any word to refusal, Tim told the exhausted Chief that he would leave and take him home first. The Chief just nodded as if he couldnāt afford to think about anything, and Tim pulled out the key and dragged Judeās arm. Turning away from Jeffreyās sharp gaze, Jude headed for the car as soon as Tim pulled him out.