"What?"
"Suicide?"
"You're not messing with me, are you, George?"
Cop felt a bit dazed upon receiving this news.
George looked helplessly at the photo sent by Beckett on his phone. "Why would I lie to you? See the photo for yourself, I just sent it over."
Cop lowered his phone and opened the newly received image.
It caught his eye immediately.
Inside a house, right at the entrance to the stairs leading up to the second floor, a hanging rope dangled straight down, and a woman in pajamas hung from it peacefully.
According to what George relayed from Beckett, who had in turn heard it from the two patrol officers.
After the two patrol officers knocked on the door, there was no response. Just as they were preparing to leave, they suddenly heard a sound inside like something dropping to the ground. They then discovered that the door wasn't locked.
When they opened the door and saw Buson Katz looking down at them from above with her tongue sticking out and her eyes rolled back, they almost lost their minds from fright.
Buson Katz.
Anila Katz's mother.
But...
Cop frowned and asked, "What happened?"
George replied, "There was a suicide note at the scene."
Could it really be called a suicide without a suicide note?
In that suicide note, Buson Katz stated that she hadn't expected Carrie Chester to be so relentless, refusing to give up on asking about her daughter's whereabouts and even traveling to New Orleans at her own expense.
After the officer from New Orleans called her, she knew the truth could no longer be covered up.
Therefore, she committed suicide.
As for the course of events, she had detailed it all very clearly.
Because Anila Katz had been acting very strange for some time, and the church Buson Katz belonged to happened to be the Dolan Church, which took the eradication of witches as its duty, Buson Katz had brought Anila Katz to New Orleans. Then, after confirming that her daughter was an evil witch, she ruthlessly ended her life.
It seemed...
Buson Katz had taken the blame for killing Anila Katz entirely upon herself.
However.
After Cop hung up the phone, he walked back into the office and looked at Kaynor. "Any word from the fingerprint matching center?"
On Anila Katz's autopsy report, besides establishing the time of death, Medical Examiner Edward had also extracted a partial fingerprint from the body's throat area.
It didn't belong to Anila Katz.
At this very moment, New Orleans' fingerprint database was running rapidly. As long as the owner of this fingerprint had a prior record, even just a drunk driving charge, their fingerprints could be found.
However, this was the New Orleans Police Department, not the FBI.
Local precincts had so many cases and only so many resources. Just like the autopsy requiring a wait in line, the fingerprint matching center also required a queue.
But still.
"I spoke with the people at the fingerprint matching center. They'll process it for us as quickly as possible. We should have results before Buson Katz's body is processed over on our end."
Detective Kaynor turned her head to answer Cop, then asked, "How are things over in New York? When will the person arrive?"
Cop forced a smile.
"??"
"She's dead."
"..."
Locke and Carrie, who had just walked into the office with Detective Kaynor, also turned their heads upon hearing this, looking at Cop.
"What do you mean she's dead?"
Cop recounted the news of the mother, Buson Katz, being discovered by New York patrol officers after committing suicide at home, leaving behind a suicide note.
After Locke finished listening, he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
So, the Dolan Church hadn't actually chosen to flatline. Instead, they chose to kill Buson Katz, stage it as a suicide, and have her shoulder all the blame in the process?
Brilliant.
Locke raised an eyebrow. This method was certainly better than a brute-force confrontation. Moreover, it had to be said that this solution felt very much like sacrificing a pawn to save the castle.
There was a body and a case, but at the same time, a killer had left a suicide note confessing to the crime and facing justice.
If it weren't for that other fingerprint detected on Anila Katz's body, according to the usual progression of events, this case would probably end right here.
But...
This was practically a clumsy cover-up.
Cop looked at Detective Kaynor's eyes and shook his head. "Whether it was a suicide or not, the New York Police Department has far more resources than we do. They should reach a conclusion very quickly."
Even if it was a suicide, this case was still riddled with doubts.
Right at that moment.
Cop's phone rang.
He answered the call.
Listening to Jim Rhodes' voice on the phone, Cop frowned. After a short while, the expression on Cop's face turned into one of surprise.
Standing nearby, Locke listened to Jim Rhodes' words over the phone and couldn't help but frown imperceptibly as well.
For no other reason than this.
Jim Rhodes stated over the phone that after Locke and the others left yesterday, he had spent the entire night interrogating that glasses-wearing otaku responsible for the surveillance. In the end, he followed the clues and found the culprit.
An hour later.
Back in that small town next to Lake Pontchartrain.
They stepped out of the car.
With a face full of smiles, looking as though he had been waiting for a long time, Jim Rhodes walked up upon seeing Cop step down. "Detective Thornton."
Cop shook hands with Jim Rhodes expressionlessly, then directly said, "Where is the person?"
"In the confessional!"
As Jim Rhodes spoke, he led the way ahead, his expression truly looking heartbroken. "Detective Thornton, I really never expected such a thing to happen."
According to Jim Rhodes, although they were the Witch Hunter Group of the Dolan Church, this thing was actually just like an honorary society; it was a matter of tradition over action.
After all, how could there be any witches in this world? Besides, the Salem witch trials had already been recognized worldwide as a form of persecution against heretics by the Church.
Jim Rhodes claimed that at most, they now just performed those so-called witch-burnings to attract tourists and the like. He never imagined that one of their own would lose his mind and actually commit such an act.
Very quickly.
Inside the town's church bearing the Dolan symbol, following Jim Rhodes' arrival, the inner doors of the church were opened. Subsequently, a guy tied up with hemp rope, looking in very poor shape, was pushed out from inside.
Two officers who had come along stepped forward and took control of the guy.
"Ian Mullen."
Jim Rhodes looked at the restrained Mullen with deep anguish, speaking to Cop beside him.
"Last night, he confessed everything to us. Detective Thornton, we are not a church like that California Celestial Eye organization. We are merely a church formed by the descendants of the Crusaders."
The Crusaders...
Was his reputation really that useful?
Locke glanced at Jim Rhodes. Moreover, while others might not see it, he could tell, and even Carrie beside him could tell.
The condition of this Ian Mullen, who was currently restrained by the two police officers, was not good.
In fact.
It was already a miracle that this Ian Mullen could still stand right now.
A deathly aura was gathering over Ian Mullen's head. By the looks of it, his days were numbered.
Holy cow.
To think there was such a way to break the deadlock?
Locke took a few more glances at Jim Rhodes. He wasn't omniscient either; no one was. Anyone claiming to be omniscient was either a madman or a total fraud.
Anila Katz had died at Lake, and it was definitely done by this Witch Trial Group.
But...
Locke didn't know specifically who did it.
If this Ian Mullen insisted that he did it, frankly speaking, this matter really might just end here. Jim Rhodes would then become a survivor who had caught his attention, completely grabbed that sole glimmer of survival, and escaped with his life.
Locke felt a bit of regret.
However, because he held kindness in his heart and believed that every person who deserved to die should have one chance at salvation, he had established this rule of a sole glimmer of survival.
If he went back on his word now, what difference would there be between him and an executioner?
"Ring ring ring!"
"Hello."
Detective Kaynor was at the fingerprint matching center. Looking at the matched results, she was somewhat excited. "We found it, Cop. Ian Mullen. He was arrested five years ago for attempted kidnapping and arson, and was just released on bail last month."
Listening to Detective Kaynor's words, Cop looked at Ian Mullen, who was being sandwiched between the two officers, let out an "understands," and said, "I got it."
He hung up the phone.
Cop nodded to the two officers.
The two officers immediately gripped Ian Mullen tightly and walked toward the outside of the church.
Cop glanced at Jim Rhodes, who was forcing a smile that screamed cooperation. He smiled, turned around, and left without saying a word.
"Mr. Broughton."
Jim Rhodes stopped Locke once again, shaking Locke's hand very gratefully and taking the initiative to strike first.
"Fortunately, Anila Katz had a friend like Mr. Broughton, and fortunately Mr. Broughton saw through the conspiracy. Otherwise, with such a frenzied killer inside my church, if this went on for long, I'm afraid... I wouldn't be able to clear my name even if I had a hundred mouths."
The expression was perfectly on point.
The tone was exactly the same.
But...
It was far too hypocritical and melodramatic.
Locke said with a smile, "Mr. Rhodes' control is still very strong. We only left yesterday, and you've already handed the person over today. Quite a move."
Jim Rhodes' expression remained unchanged, still full of smiles. "In the church, we are all family. There are no secrets. If there are, then he is not part of our family."
Locke said, "So, Buson Katz is no longer part of your family?"
Jim Rhodes blanked slightly. "What do you mean?"
Locke smiled. Although Jim Rhodes thought his acting was flawless, there were still flaws. "Nothing. Goodbye, Mr. Rhodes."
Jim Rhodes expressed some regret. "I heard Mr. Broughton purchased plane tickets for tomorrow. What a shame. I was originally planning to invite Mr. Broughton to attend the year-end Great Witch Trial Gathering."
Locke smiled slightly. "Sure, I can always reschedule my flight."
Jim Rhodes: "..."