Adrian opened the door to the interrogation room, the hinges groaning in protest. The air inside was thick with tension, the kind that clung to your skin and made every breath feel heavier. He was still pissed—he'd thought he finally had it, that the pieces were falling into place, that the primary suspect was within reach. But the timer in his vision told a different story: 6:01:29 left. The killer was still out there, stalking the city, locking onto the next target.
He slammed the table, the sound echoing off the sterile walls. The officers behind the two-way mirror flinched, but Adrian barely noticed. He felt the familiar surge of adrenaline, the system's interface flickering at the edge of his mind.
System: Intimidation Lv. 1 activated.
Charm: Max level.
Skill and Stat Combination: Absolute Authority.
Effect: Increases chance of compliance with requests. People may obey without needing full persuasion. Stronger effect on individuals who idolize you.
Skill will be added to your title: TV Detective.
Whenever you use the title: TV Detective, you may use this skill.
Adrian almost smiled. That was new. He'd always been good at reading people, at getting them to talk, but this was something else—a skill that bent the room to his will. The system chimed again, a note of caution in its tone.
System: Warning. Absolute Authority consumes significant mental points, similar to Rational Concentration.
Current MP: 100/100.
Using skill…
Current MP: 50/100.
He felt it immediately—a shift in the air, a subtle pressure that radiated from him like heat. No one could see it, but everyone could feel it. The sense that the man in front of them could smile warmly one second, then cut you down with a glare the next. Paul Albates, sitting across the table, straightened in his chair, eyes wide with a mixture of awe and nervousness.
Paul's hands trembled slightly as he spoke. "Detective Cross… I can't believe it's really you. You're the one who solved the Eleanor Voss case, right? I saw your interview on TV. There are even rumors you can take a bullet and keep going."
Adrian nodded, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make Paul sweat. "Let's get to the point, Paul. Why does your portfolio contain all the victims?"
Paul swallowed, glancing down at his hands. "I—I had nothing to do with the killings. Jade Photography gets hired for all sorts of events—company features, employee awards, that kind of thing. It's just a coincidence that the people I took pictures of ended up dead. I swear."
Adrian's gaze didn't waver. "Coincidence is a dangerous word in my line of work. Why were you at the crime scene the other day?"
Paul's eyes darted to the mirror, then back to Adrian. "I was following someone. Someone who looked familiar. I couldn't place him at first, but I had this feeling… I heard a shout, so I ran toward the fields. That's when I saw it—the killer, standing over Andrew Smiles, taking out his heart and replacing it with that… that clockwork thing."
Adrian leaned in, voice low. "Did you hear anything? Anything the killer said?"
Paul nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. "He said, 'You are no longer living by the clock. You are free.'"
On the other side of the mirror, Adrian could sense the officers shifting uncomfortably. The words sent a chill down his spine, too. The killer wasn't just taking lives—he was making a statement.
Adrian pressed on. "You said the person you followed looked familiar. Who was it?"
Paul hesitated, thinking. "A week ago, after I took photos of five people for the Employee Feature, my camera broke. I went looking for a repair shop and found one near our office—Timeless Fix. The owner, Jude Francois, fixes everything—cameras, TVs, watches, clocks. Now that I think about it… could he be the killer?"
Adrian's mind raced. The repair shop had all the tools needed to create the clockwork mechanisms. Jude Francois had access to the cameras, the photos, maybe even the victims' schedules. It made sense. But there was another thread—Robin Marin, the woman at Jade Photography's front desk.
"Thank you, Paul," Adrian said, his tone softening. "You're no longer a suspect. But I need you to call your boss, Robin Marin."
Paul looked genuinely confused. "Robin Marin? I don't know anyone by that name. Our owner is Jade Gaviollie. There's no Robin at our studio."
Adrian's brow furrowed. He'd just spoken to Robin an hour ago. She'd shown him the files, pointed him to Paul. Was she using a fake name? Or was there something else going on?
Paul shook his head. "I'm sorry, Detective. I really don't know her."
Adrian nodded, masking his frustration. "It's fine. One last thing—my name was on the Employee Feature list. When did you take my photo?"
Paul blinked, surprised. "I never took your photo, Detective. I would remember that. Maybe someone else used my camera, or maybe it was a file mix-up. But I never photographed you."
Adrian's mind spun. The system's case board updated silently, adding Robin Marin as a person of interest. But the prime suspect was now Jude Francois—the repairman with access to everything, and possibly the skills to build the intricate clockwork hearts.
System: New suspect added—Jude Francois.
Location: Timeless Fix, District 8.
Probability of involvement: 78%.
Robin Marin—status: Unknown. Possible alias.
Adrian stood, gathering his notes. "Thank you, Paul. You've been helpful. Stay available in case we need more information."
Paul nodded, relief flooding his face. "Of course, Detective. Anything to help."
Adrian turned to leave, but Paul suddenly stepped back, shaking his head. "Wait, Detective. I do have your photo on my computer, but it's not in the Employee Features folder. The names on the folder are Samantha Cortez, then Thomas Swiss, Andrew Smiles, Officer Lin Reyes, and lastly, Dave Caldwell."
Adrian froze. The shock hit him like a slap. "Officer Lin Reyes?" he repeated, voice tight. "She's on the list?"
Paul nodded. "Yes. She's the fourth. Dave Caldwell is the last."
Adrian's heart pounded. He rushed out of the interrogation room, barely registering the startled looks from the officers in the hallway. He sprinted to the observation room, where Lin should have been.
He flung open the door—empty. Panic rising, he turned to the officer watching the two-way mirror. "Where's Officer Lin?"
The officer looked up, startled. "She left a few minutes ago. Said she was going to check on the next possible victim—Dave Caldwell. She called for backup to meet her at Dave's workplace."
Adrian's mind raced. It was a setup. Someone had orchestrated this, luring Lin away from the safety of the station. But who? Jude Francois, with his access to the files? Or Robin Marin, the mysterious woman at Jade Photography who might not even exist?
System: Warning. Officer Lin Reyes—high risk.
Timer: 5:47:33.
Adrian clenched his fists, anger and fear warring inside him. He had to move—now.
He ran for the exit, the timer burning in his vision, the city outside suddenly feeling much more dangerous.