Devil or Innocent
Outside the interrogation room.
Five detectives observed Abby’s demeanor through the glass; some wore faces as dark as a storm, others bore brows furrowed with deep sorrow, and a few remained silent and unreadable.
The air was thick with a suffocating tension.
Dee, who had been watching from the start, sensed that this case was anything but ordinary.
Even during the last murder investigation, the atmosphere in the squad had never been so heavy.
“Gentlemen, what kind of major case justifies treating a frail high school girl so harshly? Arresting her in front of her family?” Dee interjected.
“Abby Clark is far from a frail girl,” Carl replied, handing Dee an autopsy report, his tone more complicated than ever.
“You’ve been her classmates for so long and never noticed? She could very well be a demon in human skin.”
“I still remember the utter despair and heartbreak of those parents when they learned of their son’s death,” another officer added bitterly. “If Abby were a few years older, I might not have resisted shooting her myself!”
Dee silently opened the file and read the first entry:
Victim: Bucky Flynn
Gender: Male
Age: 8
Place of death: Booker Park, West Ninth Street
Cause of death: Multiple injuries, excessive blood loss
...
This place was not far from Gretchen’s and Abby’s homes—a half-hour walk at most.
Dee frowned.
When he saw the first photo at the end of the report, his body instinctively tensed.
In the picture, a small child lay lifeless on the grass by a lush desert willow, as battered and torn as if ravaged by a starving beast.
Blood stained everything.
Dee fell silent. What kind of monster could commit such a horrific crime?
...
He continued leafing through the pages, but before reaching the end, he closed the report with a heavy expression, shut his eyes, and took a deep breath.
Even with a stronger will than most, the brutality of the scene was overwhelming. It felt as though his very spirit had been tainted by something sinister, flashes of carnage replaying in his mind, his temples pounding as if they would split open.
This was not the work of any ordinary person. How could Abby be the killer? Emotionally, instinctively, and rationally, Dee could not accept such a conclusion.
“Abby isn’t that kind of person—she’s timid.”
A memory flickered through Dee’s mind—
A hunting rifle lay at her feet, yet Abby hadn’t dared pick it up to fend off the hunter who had kidnapped them. How could she possibly have the courage to commit such a heinous crime?
“Dee, at first we didn’t believe it either... A shy, withdrawn high school girl with no criminal record, no history of mental illness, and a file as clean as a blank page for eighteen years,” Holden said, pacing slowly around the table. “She simply doesn’t fit the profile. Ninety percent of similar cases are committed by psychologically disturbed men.”
“And based on my experience, such a depraved ‘child killer’ would have started small, practicing on animals or something before moving on to people.”
“But Abby—has she ever abused animals?” Dee shook his head.
“If Abby had such tendencies, Gretchen, with her strong sense of justice, could never have been her close friend for over a decade.”
“The Thomas family has been neighbors with Abby’s for more than ten years—they’d know her character better than anyone. Speaking of which, where is Thomas Allen?” Dee looked around for the familiar, kindly face but didn’t see him.
“Thomas has always seen Abby as a daughter. To avoid any suspicion, he’s not involved in most of the investigation and I gave him some leave to be with his family. He’s probably home comforting them and the neighbors now,” Holden explained.
Was all this really necessary?
“By your analysis, Abby has neither motive nor opportunity. So why are you certain she’s the culprit?” Dee pressed.
“There’s overwhelming evidence,” Carl Dawson replied in a hoarse voice.
“Let me recap for everyone—maybe we’ll catch something we missed.”
“Four days ago, Saturday, September twentieth, at 5 p.m., Mrs. Sophia, out walking her dog in Booker Park, discovered the victim in a remote part of the park and called the police immediately.”
Dee shot Holden a disgruntled look—if the body was found four days ago, why was he only learning about it now?
Holden shrugged helplessly. “The department’s been swamped—collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, applying for arrest warrants from the DA. You slipped through the cracks. I was also worried the brutality of the case might traumatize you—I hadn’t planned to tell you.”
“I’m not that fragile,” Dee replied.
Carl continued, “Our team arrived at 5:10, secured the scene, collected traces left by the perpetrator, and questioned witnesses in the park.”
“Three witnesses reported seeing a short-haired girl with acne, dressed in a white tracksuit and sneakers, riding a bike with the victim as a passenger, heading deep into the park.”
“The cyclist they described matched Abby in height, build, and appearance. According to their statements, only Abby and the victim entered the crime scene area—no third person.”
“The witnesses later picked Abby Clark’s photo from a lineup without hesitation—she stands out as a bit of a tomboy.”
“We checked all nearby surveillance cameras and found footage of Abby riding with the victim toward the park. That’s the strongest evidence.”
Carl tossed Dee several photos. The images showed Abby in her white tracksuit—not just from behind, but her face was clear as day. The three black stripes on her sleeve stood out in the sunlight.
“And most crucially, Thomas Allen legally obtained hair, fingerprints, and saliva samples from Abby Clark. We sent her samples for forensic comparison with the evidence from the scene. After two rounds of overtime lab work, we got the results this afternoon—both the DNA and fingerprints were a perfect match for Abby Clark.”
Damn it.
Dee’s expression darkened.
“But that doesn’t prove Abby is the killer! She could have left biological traces just from normal contact with the victim!”
“You’re right, but how do you explain this—her fingerprints and skin cells were found all over the murder weapon, which we recovered from a trash can in the park. If she’s not the killer, why did she handle the weapon?” Carl put more reports in front of Dee. “And the saliva sample recovered from the victim’s bite wounds and torn tissue was a perfect match for Abby’s.”
Carl’s tone was icy, his gaze sharp as a blade. “She one hundred percent harmed that boy.”
Those words shattered the last of Dee’s hopes like a sledgehammer.
His face went pale, both hands gripping the edge of the table.
A multitude of eyewitnesses, plus DNA and fingerprint evidence—how could he possibly clear Abby’s name now?
The certainty he once felt began to erode—
Was Abby truly the shy, innocent girl he knew—or was there a demon lurking within her?
...
No sooner had the thought crossed Dee’s mind than a glaring scarlet prompt flashed before his eyes:
New Event Triggered—Demon or Innocent?
Your friend Abby Clark is in grave trouble. The LVPD Major Crimes Unit has substantial evidence implicating her in a serious case. The proof is overwhelming—even you are beginning to doubt.
But are things really as they appear?
Now, get involved and uncover the truth behind this brutal case.
Help Abby clear her name and catch the real killer.
Or find more evidence to seal Abby’s fate.
Difficulty: Unknown (too little information)
Reward for completion: At least 80 experience points...
Penalty for failure: None
Deadline: Two weeks
Investigation Progress: 5/100
...
“You and Abby are close friends—it’s normal to have trouble accepting the facts,” Holden said, noticing Dee’s pallor and the sweat beading on his brow. “Leave this case alone and take some time off.”
“Gentlemen, let me be involved—even just as an observer,” Dee said, rising abruptly, his gaze sweeping his seniors with resolve. “Abby is my friend. If she’s innocent, I want to help clear her name. If she’s guilty, I want to ask her why, face to face.”
Carl Dawson stroked his chin, considering, just as he was about to reply—
“Katz—”
The office door swung open.
A detective in a black suit strode in and announced, “We’ve found a new witness at a bar. Come on, let’s check it out.”
...
(End of chapter)