(Author's note: The dialogues in telepathy are italicized.)
The tension in the major crime unit's office is palpable. The joint teams investigating the Black Hood serial murder case sit in silence, awaiting the results of their hard work over the past few weeks.
"Poof!" With a sudden sound, Kyle and James appear in the center of the room, having teleported back from the Identity Verification Department. Their arrival fills the office with a mix of anxiety and hope.
"How's it going?" Crystal asks, her expression serious.
"We found the man in those unchanged memory records," James announces, raising a document in his hand. "We know who he is!"
Kyle continues after the Evo Team is escorted out, only the detectives in charge of the case and Crystal remain.
"William Kensington, a man in his twenties. He has a registered ability called 'photographic memory,' but that may only be a fraction of his true power. He works as a freelance cameraman."
The team studies the photos Kyle has pinned to the board, depicting a handsome young man. Aside from a slightly gloomy expression, he looks completely normal.
"We spoke with some of his former co-workers," James shares. "They described him as quiet and unsociable, but acknowledged his keen attention to detail and exceptional skills in scene preparation and record editing."
"Sounds familiar," Marcus nods. "That might explain how he was able to leave the crime scenes and witnesses' memories so spotless."
Crystal agrees. "If he's an Evo user, we can track his account activities. Give me a moment."
The team waits in silence as Crystal presses her temple to telepathically contact her assistant. After a brief pause, she looks at the detectives with concern.
"He hasn't logged into his account for three days. His signal was active for just a moment yesterday, but nothing since."
"That's a bad sign," James frowns. "Can you pinpoint his last location based on that signal?"
Crystal takes a moment to consult her assistant before confirming, "Yes, my team is on it."
"Okay. Check your gear, guys. We're teleporting there!"
What happens next leaves the team stunned, though it isn't entirely unexpected. When the three detectives arrive at a log cabin deep in the forest, they find themselves just in time to prevent the suspect, William Kensington, from being killed. The potential murderer is none other than his girlfriend, Rachel Haler, a talent manager at an entertainment agency.
Near the abandoned hut, William crawls on the ground, his hands and feet bound, mouth gagged, and eyes blindfolded with tape. Blood trails behind him. Right there, Rachel stands with a cold, emotionless expression on her face, and a bloody hammer in her hand. This scene compels the detectives to rush in, capturing her and rescuing William. The police and an ambulance arrive shortly after to take them away.
"So, let me recap," James sighs deeply, concluding their team meeting after returning from the eventful trip. "Rachel Haler is now the main suspect in the Black Hood case. We found evidence in her home, including the lock-laced sneakers and various outfits of different sizes and genders she used as disguises, along with weapons bearing the victims' blood. Her boyfriend and accomplice, William Kensington, has been taken to the hospital. Rachel intended to kill him when she discovered his plan to report her to the police. We checked his memory records, but he deleted all memories related to the crimes. He said Rachel forced him to assist her using his ability. He couldn't erase himself from her memory, because she had too many memories of him and deleting them all was out of his limit. That's what we have so far. Anything to add?"
James looks around the table; only Kyle and Marcus remain. Crystal and her team, having found the memory records modifier, packed their equipment and returned to their company.
The three detectives sit silently in the dimly lit room, thinking about how to process the situation.
"He changed others' memories just by looking at them, right?" Marcus reminds James. "Have you informed the hospital and the guarding team to keep his eyes covered at all times?"
"Yes, I have," James nods. "Let's take turns watching over him, just in case."
"I'll go first." Kyle stands up, saluting quickly before disappearing in a blink. Used to this, James and Marcus exchange glances and shrug.
"We're going to meet Rachel Haler, then."
"So, that's how it is. You're still with me, Gab?"
Gabriel talks to Kyle on the phone, "Yeah... this is so sudden." He hesitates. "I met Rach... I mean, Rachel, just a few days ago. She was so kind."
"Unbelievable, right?" Kyle sighs sympathetically. "And you haven't known her long. Imagine how An would feel if she knew. That's why I called you first, so you can take better care of An, okay?"
"Sure." Gabriel glances at Anna, who is in the middle of a photoshoot, unaware of her manager's predicament.
"But is she really the culprit?" Gabriel wonders after hanging up. From his many encounters with criminals in his line of work as an executioner, he knows all too well not to judge a book by its cover. Yet, recalling Rachel's bright smile makes it hard for him to see her as a twisted murderer.
James studies Rachel Haler's health check report on his desk, frowning. Marcus asks with concern, "What's wrong? Aren't you satisfied with the results?"
"I'm not sure," James replies, rubbing his forehead. "We have more than enough evidence to charge her, but this report indicates she's not the psychopath we profiled. All those heavy crimes, too, how can a recessive woman be capable of such things?"
"Well, the criminal profile is just a theory anyway," Marcus explains. "Who knows? She might be stronger than she appears. After all, she was an idol's manager. It's quite a labor-intensive job. Did you see those energy boosters at her house?"
"Hmm, you're right," James concedes reluctantly. "I might be overthinking it. She even admitted to her crimes."
"Exactly, that's the most crucial point," Marcus smiles triumphantly. "What's there to ponder? Let's prepare to wrap this case up and take a break. We look like a mess."
James glances at their disheveled appearances and chuckles, unable to argue. "Call Kyle back. We need his teleportation for transferring the culprit. It wasn't easy to catch her; better safe than sorry."
"You're right," Marcus nods. "I'll transport William Kensington from the hospital. The poor guy's a victim, but he's also an accomplice."
"Alright, I'll leave that to you," James stretches his arms, beaming. "Let's have a toast this evening!"
"I'm all in, captain!" Marcus salutes playfully. "Call that girl Crystal from Evo too; she was a great help."
"And a beauty too, right?" James teases the senior detective, who is still single.
"What... what are you saying?" Marcus's normally fierce expression flushes for a moment. "I'm leaving!"
"Just kidding, man!" James waves after him. "Come back soon!"
Gabriel glances back at Anna through the interior rearview mirror. She is briefly dozing in the back seat as they head to their next destination: an outdoor concert. There are still two hours until the event begins, but a large crowd has already gathered around the main stage, eagerly awaiting the show.
"There are so many people," Gabriel says nervously, looking out of the van. "Why did you agree to come to such a dangerous place, An?"
"The agency planned this long ago," Anna replies, her tone softer than usual. "They worked hard to get a newbie like me a spot in this big concert. You have no idea how competitive it was. How can I back out now just because of some threat?"
Seeing Anna so determined, Gabriel can't bring himself to dissuade her. With the latest update from Kyle about the Black Hood being caught, maybe it's safe for Anna to perform here now. Yet, an unsettling feeling lingers in his chest, making him uneasy.
"We've been looking forward to this so much," Anna remarks sadly. "If only Rach could be here with me..."
Gabriel feels even more awkward, unable to tell Anna about her manager's current situation.
"I'm going inside with Polly. Come to the green room near the stage, okay?" Anna opens the van door. An assistant from her agency, waiting nearby, hurriedly guides her away while Gabriel drives to the parking lot.
Meanwhile, Marcus's police car turns onto a winding, deserted road as he receives James's telepathic call.
"Sup, Capt'n?" Marcus answers mentally.
"Where are you? How's Kensington?" James asks.
"On our way," Marcus says, glancing at the suspect beside him, whose eyes are blindfolded and hands are cuffed. "He's with me. Now we're onâ"
Suddenly, Marcus's signal cuts out. James tries to reach him again but hears nothing.
"Go to Marcus, now!" James grabs his gun and shouts to Kyle. "He's in danger!"