Chapter 8. Bernie's cup is a great help

Chapter 8. Bernie's cup is a great help

At some point, three heads had huddled together, three pairs of eyes fixed intently on the fingerprint card in Theodore's steady hands.

"Look."

Theodore held both fingerprint cards up to the light for Bernie and Wenner to examine.

On the two cards—one black, one white—the ridge patterns shimmered under the desk lamp. Their curves, intersections, and delta patterns were identical, as if one had been copied from the other.

Wenner tilted his head, studying them repeatedly under the bright light, occasionally glancing at Theodore with undisguised shock.

Bernie was even more stunned.

Wenner had witnessed cases solved through fingerprint evidence, but Bernie had only heard about it during academy training.

Their training supervisor had dismissed it then—

"These are all wild fantasies cooked up by those lab geeks. You'll only see this stuff when a congressman gets murdered."

Bernie had believed him completely. But now...

Bernie realized that if Theodore's ability to hear messages from ghosts could be combined with this fingerprint technology, they could conduct targeted comparisons with surgical precision.

This was simply a revolutionary tool for solving cases!

He imagined a future where he'd only need to lounge in his office, waiting for fingerprint results, then, with a casual wave of his hand, the culprit would be brought in shackles.

Case-solving had never seemed so elegant!

His gaze toward Theodore began to burn with newfound respect. He turned to Wenner. "Boss, I still need a partner."

"We've been working together for one day, and our cooperation is exceptional. What do you think...?"

If he didn't act fast, it would be a disservice to all the shoe leather he'd worn out chasing leads!

Wenner shot him a warning glance, then immediately stood and pulled open the office door.

"Everyone! Drop what you're doing and gather around—we've got a major breakthrough!"

The bustling office fell silent for a heartbeat, then erupted into controlled chaos as team members quickly assembled.

"You take the lead," Wenner said, gesturing to Theodore.

Theodore wasn't intimidated. He'd experienced countless such moments, and even larger audiences held no terror for him.

He began by displaying the fingerprints, passing them around for examination. Then he methodically traced the evidence chain—how he'd deduced the killer's actions from the crime scene, developed a psychological profile, and ultimately identified Anna.

When he finished, the fingerprint cards had made their circuit and returned to his hands.

However, the team's reaction wasn't the praise he might have expected.

They remained silent, studying Theodore with complex expressions.

Like Bernie, most had only heard about fingerprint-based investigations during training. This was their first real encounter with the technology in action.

To claim they weren't excited would be dishonest—but how these prints had been obtained struck them as rather... unconventional.

Those without religious convictions reduced Theodore's lengthy explanation to a single word: luck.

For the more spiritually inclined, the situation was more complicated. They found themselves thinking along Bernie's lines.

''This is one lucky kid who can guess killers at random! / This is a medium who can actually communicate with the dead!''

Wenner clapped his hands sharply to break the awkward silence and refocus everyone's attention. "Alright, let's begin operations immediately."

He started distributing assignments. "First team—go bring suspect Anna Brian into custody."

"You two, prepare the paperwork."

"I'll contact the prosecutor. You two, secure the arrest warrant."

"The rest of you, continue collecting and analyzing information."

He finally pointed to Theodore and Bernie. "You two, come with me."

After the others dispersed, Wenner said, "Once she's brought in, you two will handle the interrogation."

He looked at them seriously. "Bringing her in is only half the battle. You still need to secure a confession."

Bernie responded confidently, "Don't worry, Boss!"

Wenner nodded, grinning broadly. "Excellent. Let's try to close this case tonight."

"Tomorrow morning, I want to be standing at the Chief's door with our report, waiting for him to arrive at work!"

"Then the Chief better come in early," Bernie chuckled.

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Anna was quickly brought to the station, with Sitt in tow.

A clerk processed Anna's intake, then collected her fingerprints for official comparison. The department would forward copies to both state and FBI databases for filing.

Sitt, meanwhile, was escorted to a holding cell.

According to the officers who'd brought them in, despite looking ready to wet himself now, he'd been quite the fighter at home.

When he heard they were taking Anna, he'd immediately refused, blocking the doorway and refusing entry no matter what threats were made.

When he realized he couldn't stop them, he'd grabbed onto their legs, shouting for Anna to escape through the back door.

Though the detective kept calling Sitt "worse than a woman," he actually admired the brother's loyalty. He'd specially chosen a clean, smaller cell to house Sitt separately.

While locking him up, the detective had kept up a running commentary: "Don't wet your pants in there, nobody's coming to change them for you."

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Anna was promptly escorted to the interrogation room.

However, questioning didn't begin immediately.

Theodore and Bernie were waiting for the forensic report.

The wait stretched for two full hours.

At 2 AM, the anticipated report finally arrived.

After reviewing it thoroughly, the two immediately began Anna's interrogation.

Anna, who'd been left to stew for over two hours, was already showing signs of mental strain.

She was, after all, just a young woman barely past eighteen.

Upon seeing Theodore and Bernie, Anna's eyes actually showed a flash of relief.

Both officers were experienced interrogators. With just a glance, they knew this questioning would proceed smoothly.

After a perfunctory attempt that predictably met with silent resistance, Theodore picked up a paper bag and poured out a peeled apple.

Then he retrieved another bag and emptied several warm, freshly baked cakes onto the table.

Bernie pushed the apple and cakes directly in front of Anna.

The sweet fragrance of the baked goods mingled with the fresh scent of the apple.

"Ugh—"

Anna immediately covered her mouth and gagged.

This was pure subconscious association with the murder scene.

Theodore held out the paper bag containing the apple. Anna reached for it automatically, but upon recognizing it as the very bag that had held the apple, she retched even more violently.

Bernie kicked the trash can within reach. Anna immediately doubled over, clutching it while she vomited.

They had to pause the interrogation and have someone escort her to the restroom.

After more than ten minutes, Anna returned, and questioning resumed.

Theodore picked up another bag, pouring the ashes and fabric remnants onto a metal tray.

A faint burnt odor filled the air, but Anna showed no reaction this time.

Bernie began presenting the evidence systematically.

"We have your fingerprints on the murder weapon, the clothes you wore during the killing, and documentation of the injuries you sustained in the struggle."

He gestured toward Anna's bandaged hand. "It wasn't anything like you imagined, was it?"

"Whether driving the blade in or pulling it out requires tremendous force."

"Once it's slick with blood, the handle becomes difficult to grip. You can easily slip and cut your palm on the blade."

"When you withdraw it, warm blood sprays across your face—that sensation of hot liquid running down your skin..."

Anna's body began trembling slightly.

Bernie stopped his description at precisely the right moment.

He produced the forensic report, unfolded it deliberately, and slid it across the table.

"We compared the red ceramic plate fragment found at Diane's home with the wound pattern on your mother's skull."

"The results show a perfect match."

"You killed Diane to avenge your mother, didn't you? You knew Diane had murdered her."

"Admit it—it's completely understandable. Anyone would have made the same choice you did."

Theodore spoke quietly from beside her. "You lied to us."

"That day, you heard Diane and your mother arguing, didn't you?"

"When we conducted our sound test, we used Officer Sullivan's voice. A male voice has weaker penetration than a female's."

"That day I could only make out muffled sounds, but with female voices, you should have been able to hear every word clearly."

Anna lowered her head and began crying softly.

Theodore stood, poured a glass of water, and gently pushed it toward her. "Have some water."

Anna held the cup with both hands, taking small, careful sips.

Silence settled over the interrogation room.

Bernie and Theodore didn't press further, waiting patiently for Anna to speak voluntarily.

After drinking about half the water, Anna set down the cup and spoke in a barely audible voice.

"She wanted me to marry her son."

"My mother said my father would never agree to me marrying someone... disabled."

"Then she started saying horrible things—that I'd end up working Rose Street eventually, that I was..."

She began crying again, continuing through her tears. "My mother said she was being too harsh and asked her to take back those words."

"Then she said my mother was just like me—that she'd be abandoned by my father eventually, and we'd both end up working Rose Street."

"My mother told her she wasn't welcome in our home and ordered her to leave. They started arguing again outside."