"So what do we do now?"
"Let's go talk to Herman."
"What's with that kid again?"
"He lied, hiding his experience of dating Josie."
"Why would he do that? It's prestigious to date the cheerleading captain. If it were me, I'd want everyone to know."
"You're right, and that's exactly the issue. That's why I think there's a problem." The two entered the campus, and Luke asked subconsciously, "How come you were gone for so long? Who were those guys?"
"I chatted with the security guard for a while. That old man is very talkative and likes me a lot," Little Black bragged a bit before getting down to business, "They were fixing the surveillance system, specifically modifying the circuits of the surveillance, replacing some of the older equipment to prevent power outages from disabling the surveillance again."
Maraboya High had installed surveillance systems quite early, which is why the equipment and wiring were relatively old and had not been updated for a long time, making some of its features quite outdated.
It was because of the shooting incident that the school decided to make changes.
Luke stopped, "So you're saying, the surveillance can't be used now?"
Little Black said, "I didn't ask in detail, but it sounds like it."
Luke showed a grave expression; he felt he had guessed something but it seemed to be just beyond reach, like a layer of frosted glass.
First, the school police lied, then there was the encounter with Pete, followed by the discovery of Herman's lie, and now the surveillance can't be used?
What's the connection between all this information?
The reason for the school officer's lie was unclear, but from what they could see, the cause of death for Kyle Torres, the victim on the science building rooftop, likely had issues and might not be as they were told.
So, should that victim be temporarily ruled out?
The entire shooting case became clearer. The three shooting victims were the bully's girlfriend Barbara, cheerleading captain Josie, and student council member Herman.
Luke speculated that the real target of the killer was not Barbara; otherwise, there would have been no survivors. The purpose of shooting Barbara was probably to create chaos.
The real target must have been Josie.
After killing Josie, according to the school officer's account, the shooter went to the music building to kill Kyle Torres. Assuming the school officer lied and the shooter did not go to the science building but went straight to the music building,
Then the killer's motive is very clear: eliminate Josie, then kill Herman.
Previously, Herman lied, and the police were unaware of his close relationship with Josie, making this lead not very apparent.
Now, excluding other possibilities, the killer's motive becomes clearer.
Seeing the unusual look on Luke's face, Little Black asked, "Buddy, what's wrong?"
Luke speculated boldly, "I feel like the killer might reenact the shooting, and this time the target would probably be Herman."
Little Black laughed, "You can't be joking. It's only been a few days since the shooting, how could the killer continue? I doubt he's got the guts."
"Exactly, everyone thinks he wouldn't strike at this time, which precisely suggests it's the best time to act. Don't forget, now the cameras can't be used, he doesn't even need to cut the power.
And with the experience from the first time, he would be more skilled and confident this time.
If I were the killer, I'd choose now to strike."
Little Black also became serious, "Are you sure?"
Luke shook his head, "No."
Luke continued, "It's better to err on the side of caution with these things. It will be too late once it actually happens."
Luke thought for a moment, "Ordinary students might not notice the cameras being out of power, but if the killer is on campus, he would likely observe the cameras consciously.
Once he realizes the surveillance isn't working, he might strike again.
However, the killer might not notice the cameras' malfunction immediately, so there's a time difference.
What we need to do now is make good use of this time difference.
You go find the school administrator right away and have them restore the power to the surveillance.
As long as the cameras are back on, Herman should be safe for the time being.
Given the killer's actions during the first incident, he wasn't completely out of control and is unlikely to strike under the surveillance."
"Got it, I'll go find the principal," said Little Black, and after a couple of steps, he looked back and said, "Buddy, be careful."
The comprehensive building.
The student council office.
Herman sat next to the desk, straightened his shoulders and was writing a speech, although only grazed by a stray bullet, pulling the wound still hurt.
As he wrote, he gesticulated, feeling that speeches written this way would have more impact.
There was a knock on the door from outside the office. Herman placed a book on top of the speech to hold it down.
"Come in, the door's unlocked."
"Creak..." A sound came from the door.
A Caucasian student entered, carrying a backpack.
"Hi, Benson, I've been waiting for you."
Benson set his backpack on the table and pulled up a chair to sit, "How's the speech coming along?"
"You know me, I'm not very good at this. I've only written a few dozen words. If you hadn't come, I might have considered copying straight from this book." Herman picked up the book on public speaking from the desk.
Benson scanned the surroundings, "You're alone here; it's a good place to write a speech."
"Come on, buddy, you know that's not my thing. You're the one who's good at this," Herman said with a smile.