Chapter 6: Who’s the Killer?
<strong>Chapter 6: Who’s the Killer?
</strong>
Note: Quick note. In the MC''s previous world, Brooklyn 99 doesn''t exist so he naturally don''t know the characters himself or what happens with them.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Anna Hayworth. Divorced to a Kevin Malson. No kids, parents deceased, works as a clerk in a bank.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake read the victim’s file and sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, let’s bring in this Kevin guy first and see his alibi.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin nodded and followed along.
<span style="font-weight:400">They reached a house and knocked on the door.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Kevin Malson? NYPD!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Soon after, a middle-aged man with a well-trimmed beard appeared before them.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What can I do for you, officers?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin looked at the man up and down. He was wearing an apron and there was some paint on it.
<span style="font-weight:400">His hands were also a bit dirty with paint. It was apparent that he was in the middle of painting when they arrived.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hi, I’m Detective Peralta, this is Detective Freed. We are currently looking into the death of Anna Hayworth.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Anna’s dead!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kevin looked visibly shocked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. We know that you two were divorced, and we were hoping you can answer a few questions.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Uhh s-sure. Come right in…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake and Benjamin went inside and saw that the wall was wet with paint.
<span style="font-weight:400">It wasn’t finished yet but they could tell that flowers were being painted on the wall.
<span style="font-weight:400">There were also some paint spots all over the ce. It was quite messy.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry about the mess...I wasn’t nning on having visitors over so I didn’t clean up much while I was painting.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Are you a painter?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just a hobby.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kevin smiled wryly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Anna and I met at an art ss...that was how we got to know each other. But after a while...I wasn’t able to get a proper job and...she couldn’t handle me anymore. So we separated.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. When was thest time that you saw Anna?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Uhh, A few days ago? I saw her at the bank she was working at. I was going to deposit some money and didn’t expect to see her there.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Do you know if Anna was seeing anyely?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, no. We didn’t get to talk much and I was also afraid to ask…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake nodded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Do you know if Anna had some enemies? Maybe someone with a grudge on her or something?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Uhh no...I don’t think so? She was a kind girl...I don’t think anyone would hate her at all.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see…”
<span style="font-weight:400">While Jake continued to ask questions, Benjamin was looking around the ce.
<span style="font-weight:400">His HUD Contact scanned the whole ce to see if there was anything off.
<span style="font-weight:400">Sure enough...there was a result.
<span style="font-weight:400">On the walls and on the floors, there were several traces of blood.
<span style="font-weight:400">Seeing this, Benjamin now understood what felt off at the crime scene earlier.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was theck of blood.
<span style="font-weight:400">The victim showed signs of struggle. She also had plenty of stab wounds...but theck of blood in the area was strange.
<span style="font-weight:400">Normally, there should be some blood stters here and there...but there were none!
<span style="font-weight:400">The blood was only concentrated on the blood puddle under the corpse. The rest of the area was clean!
<span style="font-weight:400">It’s not likely that the murderer attentively cleaned the surroundings before escaping, right?
<span style="font-weight:400">Now seeing the blood around this ce, Benjamin deduced that the fight must’ve happened here instead and the body waster moved in that alley before being stabbed multiple times...
<span style="font-weight:400">Then does that mean...the murderer is this guy?
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin frowned.
<span style="font-weight:400">Everything seemed to point to him...but something still feels off.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin then butted in their conversation and asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Has anyone else been here the past couple of days?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Umm, no. I don’t think so.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“So just you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kevin frowned and then said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, my younger brother came by yesterday but that’s it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Younger brother?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, Aaron. Why?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin looked at the painting on the wall and asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Does he also paint like you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not much. But we did go to the same art ss as Anna.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Did he get along with Anna while you were together?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We all got along in the past. But things changed.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kevin sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I still can’t believe Anna’s gone now…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake patted the guy.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where’s your brother right now? We’d like to ask him some questions too. You know, standard procedure stuff.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“He rents a ce a few blocks from here.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin nodded.
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake sighed and got up.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright, sir. We’ll get going now. Thank you for your time. Let’s go.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hm?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake turned around to look at Benjamin who was holding a cklightmp out of nowhere.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where did you pull that out from!? Are you Doraemon?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I borrowed it from the M.E. before. Forgot to return it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake was speechless.
<span style="font-weight:400">He was clearly not holding anything earlier!
<span style="font-weight:400">Of course, Benjamin actually bought it in the system Store. These things are cheap and just cost 5 MP...although it feels like a waste, he had no other choice as he needed to show the blood stter immediately.
<span style="font-weight:400">Even though the whole thing still seems off, he needed to show these blood stters now before it gets covered with more paint.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin ignored Jake and turned the cklight on.
<span style="font-weight:400">Instantly, a few glowing spots could be seen around the area.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I assume this isn’t part of the painting you were doing? Do you mind if we have someone look into it and see if it matches the victim’s blood?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I...I...this…”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kevin was shocked and confused.
<span style="font-weight:400">What was this? What’s going on?
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, he understood what Benjamin was trying to say.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Y-you think...I killed Anna!? I would never! I loved her! Why would I stab her!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Love, hate, both are emotions that aren’t that far off from each other. Love can easily turn into hate, and hate can easily turn into love. In any case, you are now a suspect. If you are innocent, we will know soon.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake immediately moved after hearing what Benjamin said and cuffed Kevin who still looked in shock.
<span style="font-weight:400">As he was doing so, he looked at Benjamin with a grin.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ha! I knew something was off about this guy! We should name this case, the Blood Painter Case.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...No.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No? How about, the Painted Blood Case?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake squinted his eyes while speaking in a deep voice for some reason.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin rolled his eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Come on. The sher Painter Case?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We are not naming the case. Besides, he might not be the murderer.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What do you mean? The blood’s here, they’re divorced, easy peasy lemon squeezy.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin chuckled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“We still haven’t found the murder weapon.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m sure it will turn out once we search the ce. Come on!”
<span style="font-weight:400">They ced Kevin in the car and got ready to leave.
<span style="font-weight:400">As Jake drove, he suddenly spoke.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Unless...you think it''s the brother?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Could be. After all, he did say that his brother came by yesterday.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“W-why would Aaron kill Anna!? He didn’t kill Anna! I didn’t kill Anna!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Kevin shouted at the back.
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake shrugged.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe they’re having an affair, but Anna saw you at the bank and her old love was rekindled. When she’s about to get back to you, your brother protested, they got into a fight, sshed some paint to cover the blood, carried her to the alley, and killed her there?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin rolled his eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yeah right. What kind of drama would that be?
<span style="font-weight:400">An hourter after putting Kevin in the detaining cell in the precinct and driving off to take Aaron for questioning…
<span style="font-weight:400">“I did it...I killed her...that bitch separated from Kevin but all it took was one meeting and she suddenly wanted to get back to him! We got into a fight at Kevin’s house when he was away...blood was all over so I covered it up with some paint then tossed her in an alley...”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...”
<span style="font-weight:400">Both Jake and Benjamin were speechless.
<span style="font-weight:400">What happened? Howe he suddenly just confessed?
<span style="font-weight:400">Isn’t he supposed to deny it and we’ll have to wreck our brains on how to nail him down!?
<span style="font-weight:400">Why did he just give up!?
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Okay, I’m confused. Why did you suddenly confess? And if you’re gonna confess anyway, why go through the trouble of framing your brother, covering the blood with paint!? This doesn’t make sense!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin also frowned.
<span style="font-weight:400">Something...something feels off…
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where’s the murder weapon?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I threw it, I don’t know where it is now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin kept asking.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Remember it! Where is the weapon!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Look I don’t know where the damn paintbrush is!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“...Paintbrush?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake and Benjamin looked at each other.
<span style="font-weight:400">They recalled the M.E. saying that the weapon was a knife about 4-5 inches.
<span style="font-weight:400">How can a paintbrush stab a person?
<span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, Jake noticed something.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait, you said you tossed her in an alley earlier...so you didn’t bring her in that alley and stabbed her multiple times?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What? No! Why would I do something that sick!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Aaron shook his head.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Look, we were arguing in Kevin’s ce. Things got heated up and before I knew it I picked up a paintbrush and mmed it on her head with the handle...there was blood everywhere and she wasn’t breathing so...so I thought I killed her! I panicked and tried to cover the blood with paint sshes to make it unnoticeable, then tossed her body in an alley and took her wallet so someone would find her and...think a thief did her in…I didn’t stab her!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin sighed and felt like beating this guy up.
<span style="font-weight:400">The stab wounds weren’t post mortem which meant that she was still alive when he dumped her there!
<span style="font-weight:400">“How exactly did you think that she wasn’t breathing!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I-I...I ced my finger near her nose and mouth…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Idiot! You could’ve used a ss to check it properly! And why didn’t you take her pulse!?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I-I panicked okay!? I didn’t know!”
<span style="font-weight:400">This idiot!
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake and Benjamin felt frustrated talking to this guy.
<span style="font-weight:400">After roughly cuffing him up and tossing him to the detaining cell, the two of them sat on their desks tiredly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“In the end, we’re back to square one.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Benjamin nodded and kept looking at the photos of the crime scene.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. Worst case, the victim woke up soon after and ran into a psychopath who stabbed her multiple times.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe witnessed something she shouldn''t have and died because of it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Jake shook his head then got up.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I guess Kevin’s innocent. Guess we should let him go now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah…”