In the afternoon, there were only a few people in the lobby of Hawkins Police Station, which seemed a bit empty.
"You're unlucky to be here. The Sheriff is on vacation today and is out of the station." Operator Flo smiled and handed Dean a cup of hot coffee. "I suggest you go to the house by the lake to look for him."
"I'm not looking for Hope. Something happened to a friend of mine." Dean took the coffee and took a sip. He glanced up and saw a haggard-looking Catherine in a black women's suit sitting on a row of stools against the wall in the office area. went up, and a black-haired lady whom she met at the last dinner was beside her and whispered persuasion.
He walked over, "Catherine, Audrey?"
"Thank God, Dean, you are finally here." Catherine came over with her friends,
"You didn't explain clearly on the phone. Let's talk about it again. What happened?" Dean glanced at the two of them.
"Do you still recognize that pervert?" Audrey looked at a desk not far away with disdain. The black police officer Nick was interrogating a man who was handcuffed on the table——
He has black hair, deep facial features, and a slim figure. He is wearing an old and faded blue shirt and jeans, and his expression is as calm as a pool of stagnant water.
"Isn't this the cripple? Why has he become so perverted?"
Catherine pursed her lips, "I went home early from the newspaper office this morning to pick up an important piece of information, and found that the entrance door was ajar for some reason. I found him in my home through the crack in the door."
There was also a trace of worry in Catherine's eyes. She had successfully entered the newspaper office and started a new life, but who knew she would encounter such a bad thing again.
"I quietly left and called the police. The police station is not far from Elm Street. Officer Nick arrived quickly and caught him red-handed."
Dean nodded when he heard this and recalled what he had seen after the last dinner party. At that time, he thought the lame man was a bit weird, but he didn't expect him to be so courageous.
"What did he steal? Cash and property?" Dean looked at the handcuffed man.
Catherine shook her head in confusion, "I didn't find anything missing for the time being, and the police officer didn't find a single stolen item from him at the time."
"That's because the inspection wasn't careful enough..." Audrey hugged Catherine's shoulders and vowed, "Maybe the police came too quickly and he hadn't chosen a target yet."
"No, this Mr. Reynolds stood up to protect me in the mall. He has a great sense of justice and is definitely not a thief."
Catherine looked at the silent criminal and said hesitantly,
"I met him five or six times on Elm Street, and I also offered to give him money or help in life, but he refused them all. There was no reason for him to break into my house privately."
"I know you are kind, but kindness must have a bottom line?" Audrey warned in a stern tone, "Have you ever thought about what dangerous situation would happen if he happened to bump into you when he broke into your home privately?"
But Catherine just pursed her lips stubbornly and turned to Dean to plead,
"I asked Reynolds, but he didn't say anything. I want you to help me find out why he broke into my house? I will pay you."
Dean's eyes changed slightly as he looked at Catherine. Didn't this man once do her a favor and deserve to try so hard to excuse him?
"Don't mention the reward for now? Officer Nick is helping you cross-examine, won't you know the answer if you look at his transcript later?"
"It's not that simple," Audrey rolled her eyes, "We have already had four or five cups of coffee in the station, and the police officer also tortured him for two hours, but this guy's mouth is as tight as if it has been sewn by a sewing machine. Without saying a word, Catherine asked in person, and he revealed that his name was Reynolds, and never mentioned any other information."
"Is he waiting for a lawyer?" Dean asked,
"You think he's so broke that he can afford a lawyer? He's just sitting there staring at Officer Nick." Audrey deliberately craned her neck to glance at Reynolds' shabby blue shirt.
"Don't be so mean," Catherine interrupted, turning to Dean again.
"Catherine, I am not a police officer in Hawkins. I cannot directly intervene in the case. Don't have high hopes."
"Thank you for your help."
"That's no problem. By the way, after the last dinner, didn't I suggest you install a surveillance camera?"
Catherine's eyes lit up when she heard this.
"When you said that, I remembered that half a month ago I hired someone to install two cameras, one at the door and the other in the living room. They are in a hidden position so that most people can't find them."
"Can you bring over the surveillance video?" Dean said. "It has a high probability of recording Reynolds' actions."
Catherine nodded and hurried out on her high heels. Audrey followed closely and left the police station lobby.
As soon as the two left, Dean walked to Officer Nick's desk. The latter put down the pen in his hand and gave him a strange look.
"Man, if you want to report a crime, go check it out with Flo."
"No, can I have a word with Mr. Reynolds?"
"Are you his family, friend, lawyer?"
"no."
"Then that's against the rules."
"For the sake of the director, be accommodating," Dean called him aside and said with a smile, "Next time I'll invite you to the bar for a round."
Nick rolled his eyes. He had the impression that this guy had been to the bureau several times with Director Hope and had a good relationship, so he knocked on the record book.
"Five minutes, hurry up."
Dean sat opposite Reynolds. The guy just glanced at him and lowered his head listlessly.
"Look, man, whatever your reason for trespassing...but if you don't tell the truth, you're going to be in jail for at least a year."
Nick next to him heard this, his eyelids twitched, and he opened his mouth. A theft case that did not cause any substantial losses would only serve a few months in prison at most. Maybe the judge would see that he looked pitiful, and the sentence would be even less.
"And it's not an ordinary prison, it's a special prison in Indianapolis. The prisoners inside are all hungry men with bodies as strong as bears and tattoos on their faces," Dean described vividly as his eyes wandered over Reynolds's thin body. , "They love to help you, a petite 'sugar baby', treat constipation and asthma... If you have to go there and experience the nightmare, you can go directly to Thailand to have a sex change after you come out."
Reynolds' calm face finally changed slightly, and his shoulders trembled slightly.
"Cough, cough" Nick gave Dean a "hold it back" look.
"We can do something even if you don't tell us," Dean continued to press. "We have obtained your fingerprints and witnesses. Next, we will find your home and search it inside and out. All the secrets you have worked so hard to hide will be revealed. On the surface of the water, your current resistance is a joke. If you are smarter and tell the truth, maybe Catherine will be kind enough to forgive you and not prosecute you."
Reynolds squeezed the lame ankle without raising his head, silently expressing his rejection.
"It's a tough nut to crack." Dean shook his head and sighed, suddenly looking at the subtle expression on his face, and changed the subject, "But I know you like Catherine, right?"
When the man heard this, he was not as surprised or angry as Dean expected. He just grinned, with a hint of tiredness in his smile.
"The time is up, man, don't waste your efforts, you won't be able to find out if you ask." Nick reminded,
"OK, let's talk." Dean called the police officer aside. "Have you found out his home address and job?"
"He didn't say anything. But the town is such a big one. He had a new face and an accent that was different from the locals in Hawkins." Nick patted the notebook and expressed his analysis. "He must have moved in the past few months." Come to town.”
"By the way, Tom is checking his residence on Elm Street. There will be news soon."
"Katherine also has several important surveillance videos."
"Just in time, let's take a look together then."
The two waited in the police station lobby.
But a quarter of an hour later, Catherine and Audrey returned to the police station with a pile of surveillance tapes.
"This is surveillance tape from the last week."
“Not bad, it’s better preserved than ordinary shopping malls.”
Nick praised him, locked Reynolds in the detention room, and led everyone through the front hall to the equipment room near the director's office. He took out the earliest surveillance video tape of No. 8.28 in front of the door from the basket and put it into the equipment. , expertly fast forward.
Dean, Catherine, and Audrey came to the screen and soon saw an astonishing scene.
"That's Reynolds!"
The lame man was still dressed in the familiar blue shirt and jeans. He squatted in front of the door of Catherine's house. He looked around furtively to make sure no one was nearby. Then he took out a key from his arms, inserted it into the keyhole, and hurriedly opened the door. , ducked into the room.
"He started sneaking into your house a week ago?" Dean looked at Catherine and asked,
"Maybe earlier. After all, there are only these few days of video, and the spare keys are all set." Audrey also made a point to her friend, "Do you still believe that he is not a thief?"
Catherine's fingertips were tightly entangled with a lock of blond hair, and there was a hint of fear in her eyes.
"Quiet!"
Nick switched to the video of the indoor hall. In the center of the screen, Reynolds walked around the rooms several times, looking around as if he was observing the layout of the house. Then he unexpectedly took out a tape measure from his arms and neatly measured the living room. The size of sofa, coffee table, TV cabinet...
He recorded the data in a notebook again, checked it several times, and nodded with satisfaction.
"What do you mean? Does he want to decorate Catherine's home for free?" Officer Nick's dark face was filled with questions. "I have never seen such a strange burglar in my more than ten years as a police officer."
Catherine's eyes were blank, "I feel like the electrical appliances and furniture at home have not been tampered with,"
"You were too busy working to notice it," Audrey said. "You have to check it carefully next time you go back."
"Look here!"
Dean, who had been staring at the screen, frowned and pressed the pause button. Everyone saw a strange scene again——
After putting away the measuring tools, Reynolds squatted on the sofa, carefully picked up something from the gap in the sofa like an embroidery needle, and put it into a plastic bag.
The surveillance equipment in this era had limited clarity, so a few people couldn't really see what he was twisting, but Reynolds searched around the carpet, bathroom, and bedroom again, making the contents of the plastic bag gradually take on a light golden color. .
Dean glanced at Catherine's smooth and smooth hair, and then glanced under her skirt.
"He's collecting your hair, uh, hair?"
Catherine's face was as pale as paper, and she looked even weaker.
…
After collecting the hair, the man cleaned up the traces he left and decisively left the house.
…
Nick switches to the next tape, August 29th.
Reynolds still sneaked into Catherine's house in the morning after she went to work, measured and observed the layout of the room as usual, and collected the hair left on the sofa, bedroom, and bathroom.
But after doing all this, he took out a black women's suit dress from the handbag he carried and entered the bedroom. Then a strange scene appeared. He then walked out of the bedroom with the suit dress and put it back into the bedroom. Tote bag.
"What's the matter? Bringing the skirt into the bedroom and then out again, isn't it a useless effort?" Audrey looked puzzled.
"No, I think Reynolds replaced the original suit skirt in the bedroom closet with the one he brought with him." Dean looked thoughtfully at Catherine, who was currently wearing the one on the screen.
The convex curves were vaguely visible, but her face was ugly, with an expression of fear and disgust, as if she wanted to take off her clothes immediately.
"What's the difference?" Nick pressed pause and looked at Dean,
"The difference is that one set is brand new, and the other set has been worn by Catherine and has been stained with her scent." Dean asked, "If I'm not wrong, Catherine, this set of clothes is the one you wear most frequently." "
The woman nodded, "I-I didn't feel that my clothes had been changed at all."
"This proves that he knows your measurements very clearly." Dean's words scared the woman to pale.
Audrey hugged her friend's shoulders reassuringly and cursed again, "Collecting Catherine's hair and changing her clothes. What does this pervert want to do?"
"You're right, maybe he is really a pervert," Nick said seriously, rubbing his temples, "I have come across related cases. Some of the rock star's fanatic fans like to invade the idol's private life and collect idol items like crazy. They leave hair, clothes, shoes, and used towels, and even commit crimes.”
"And Catherine is stunningly beautiful, so it's not surprising that she has attracted a few ardent fans." Nick's analysis made several people nod their heads.
Dean took the opportunity to raise another doubt,
"But there is a problem. There should be a transition period between such fanatics' inner obsession and illegal behavior. And Catherine, if I remember correctly, you have only been in Hawkins for more than two months. ?”
The woman nodded.
"Reynolds took such a huge risk to break into your home in such a short period of time? It's more likely that he knew you and was obsessed with you before you moved to Hawkins."
"But before moving here, I had been living in Las Vegas."
Dean recalled Nick's previous assertion that "Reynolds is an outsider" and said, "There is a high probability that this Reynolds is from Las Vegas and chased you to Hawkins."
"I always thought I had seen him somewhere, but the impression was very vague. The name Reynolds was very strange to me."
Catherine's shallow eyebrows furrowed slightly and she tried her best to remember, but when she thought of what the other party had done, she couldn't help but cross her arms and hug her chest, and her mind went blank.
"Needless to say, he must have used a fake name!" Audrey finally couldn't help but cursed, "Officer Nick, what are you waiting for? Send this pervert to jail!"
"Don't get excited, ma'am. These video materials are enough to lock him up for half a year. There is also hope to apply for a restraining order to prohibit him from getting close to Catherine." Nick asked, "But the video tape is not over yet, continue?"
Catherine gritted her teeth and nodded.
…
The next 30th was Catherine's day off, and Reynolds was smart enough not to invade the room.
On the 31st, September 1st and 2nd, he quietly exchanged a pair of black high heels worn by Catherine with a brand new pair.
…
And yesterday, the morning of the 3rd, the four people saw a horrifying scene on the videotape - Reynolds took out a bottle of red wine from the black handbag and replaced it with another bottle of red wine with the same appearance on the shelf in the restaurant.
Then he hid in the bedroom.
It wasn't until after eight o'clock in the evening that a tired-looking Catherine came home from get off work. She took off her high heels and stockings with great difficulty, went into the bathroom to take a shower, returned to the kitchen to cook a simple pasta, and took down the red wine from the shelf. Fill up a glass and enjoy a delicious dinner.
But after she drank less than half a glass of wine, her eyes became blurred and she wandered to the sofa in the living room as if she was drunk, fell down on it and fell asleep.
Reynolds, who was hiding in the bedroom, walked out with brisk steps, and the light cast a dark shadow on his back. Like a butcher selecting his prey, he condescendingly looked at the unsuspecting "little sheep" on the sofa.
…
Dean noticed that the three people around him were holding their breath.
Especially Catherine, whose pounding heartbeat was clearly audible, covered her mouth with her hands as if she was broken, and stared at the screen with red eyes——
But Reynolds looked at her for a full minute, but instead of being violent as everyone expected, he took out a syringe from his handbag and pierced it into Catherine's elbow, drew out a small half tube of blood, put it away, and cleaned it up Pinprick in the socket of a woman's elbow.
He replaced the drugged red wine on the table with the original bottle and left the house.
The tape fast-forwarded to the end.
…
Catherine's worried heart was relieved, she stroked her chest and let out a long breath. Recalling her physical feelings during this period, she became more and more certain that she had not been violated.
"This pervert not only stole clothes, shoes, and hair, but also poisoned and drained Catherine's blood?" Audrey's eyes flashed with fear, "It's a bit weird. What does he want to do?"
Nick looked at the record book and shook his head.
"It's unclear at the moment, but he broke into private places many times, stole, poisoned, and actively committed acts of harm. This has constituted several felonies. He has caused a lot of trouble."
"I don't understand. He went to great lengths to anesthetize Catherine just to draw a tube of blood? There was no other outrageous behavior at all." Dean's eyes flashed with a strong desire to explore, "This doesn't seem like the logic of a passionate fan. "
"Perhaps he thinks the time has not come yet," Nick analyzed. "After all, the threshold of human satisfaction is getting higher and higher. This time, if he draws some blood, he will let Catherine go. Next time he continues to break in, he may cut him off." A piece of meat. Ahem, but the two ladies don’t need to worry. He has been caught and cannot escape. He will have to spend many years in prison.”
Catherine's expression relaxed after hearing this, and she looked at Dean pleadingly.
"You still want to speak for him?" Dean was puzzled.
"No, I can't forgive him for what he did, but I want to know what his motivation was for doing it. Is it mental illness or something else? If I know it clearly, I can concoct my first hot article in the Hawkins Daily. News, and aren’t you curious as a private detective?”
"You are really a workaholic if you are still in the mood to write a report at this time."
Dean complained, and then a new prompt appeared in front of him——
You triggered a new event: Reynolds' Purpose.
Reynolds, a cripple with unknown identity and origin, once helped your friend Catherine in the mall, but secretly sneaked into her home and committed many illegal crimes...
But after being arrested by the police, he stubbornly remained silent.
Now use your ingenuity to investigate the real purpose of this series of actions!
Event Difficulty: Unknown
Progress: (10/100)
Deadline: one week
Reward: At least thirty experience points.
Failure penalty: None
…
(End of chapter)
