Sarah's eyes widened. Seeing Aisha's reaction, she knew everything the masked man had said was true!
Sarah sank to the ground, feeling drained. She touched Aisha's face. "Tell me this isn't true?"
Aisha turned her head away without saying a word.
Sarah let out a wry laugh, her desolate and confused gaze fixed on Dean as she pleaded, "Kill me!"
You're making this rather awkward for me, Dean thought. He saw the will to die in her eyes. He decided to end it all today in a different way.
Aisha, after you killed Henry, you put his body in a sofa to transport and dispose of it, then used this little companion of yours to launch a media offensive.
I'm quite curious, what exactly were you trying to do?"
Aisha turned her head. "If I tell you, will you let me go?"
"Of course, no problem. In the end, you'll get your wish and go to the prison you desire. It's just a pity for that little boy. The person his sister, Sarah, adored—you—tortured and killed him. And then Sarah, in her foolishness, actually sympathized with his murderer, never realizing her own brother's death was entirely her fault. Truly a twisted and selfish love."
Aisha, however, ignored all this and clung to Dean's words as her only lifeline.
"I wanted to free a murderer. Normal methods might fail due to issues with another state, leading the forensics department to conceal the blood evidence they found and end this matter before it even began. They've done this sort of thing before. But during special times, stirring up public opinion can force those powerful people to deal with the issue promptly, and incidentally, take care of Sarah for me." The most update n0vels are published on ɴovel(ꜰ)ɪre.nᴇt
"So, to free a murderer, you mimicked his modus operandi, killed Henry, and deliberately left that murderer's blood on him?"
"Yes, I specifically researched his killing methods and secretly obtained a sample of his blood through special channels. It was a bit of trouble, but everything went smoothly until you suddenly appeared," Aisha said this nonchalantly, just like three days ago, when she unabashedly transported Henry's body concealed in the sofa, in full view of surveillance cameras, to dispose of it.
"Well done, you've survived."
Having said that, Dean didn't dawdle and turned to leave immediately. After all, he only said he would not kill Aisha. There was still a woman in the room whose heart had been repeatedly tormented and who felt she had lost everything.
Aisha looked outside the dark bedroom incredulously. After waiting for about ten seconds and hearing no movement, she revealed a look of surprise. He had really left!
Just as she was about to get up to tend to her wounds, Sarah stared at her expressionlessly. "Aisha, tell me, why did you kill Henry, have me sell our tragedy, and manipulate those people's emotions? What was it all for?"
Aisha replied dismissively:
"Do you think I was lying just now? Sarah, don't be naive. I don't want to play along anymore. I designed all of this to get rid of the trouble you were, and at the same time, to complete the entrance assessment for an interesting organization. Only after contacting them did I understand what it's like to be with one's own kind, not to be stuck with you, boringly 'polishing mirrors.' Ever since I met you, I frequently get mouth ulcers. I'd long..."
Watermelon juice splattered.
Aisha was struck, hitting the wall, her 'third eye' gaping wide, her gaze blank and shocked as she looked at the gun in Sarah's hand—the scene froze.
Sarah had killed Aisha.
With a tragic smile, Sarah tossed away the handgun she had pulled from a drawer. Dazedly, she sat on the ground, a smile on her face, but tears streamed relentlessly from her eyes.
It was all fake! Everything was fake!
After a long while, she numbly got up, picked up the camcorder Dean hadn't taken, aimed it at herself and Aisha's body with the bullet-made third eye, and said neurotically, "I no longer have the courage to live on. I'll leave this recording for the police. I also hope no one is duped by my performance into doing anything impulsive. I'm sorry."
With that said, while still recording, she took out her phone, called the police, and calmly explained the situation.
After hanging up, she walked over to Aisha's body, nestled into her still-warm embrace, picked up the handgun, and put it in her mouth...
After a loud BANG from the gunshot, the bedroom fell utterly silent.
Dean was amusing Harry's awakened daughter. This little cutie seemed to have gotten used to waking up with no one around her. Not only did she not cry or fuss, but she also opened her eyes wide with curiosity, examining the mask on Dean's face and reaching out her little hands as if wanting to grab it.
Little baby, with that good-for-nothing mother of yours gone—the one who treated you as a tool—I guess your path ahead will be much smoother... I just don't know how Harry will face his future as a stay-at-home dad, hehe...
Dean stood up, checking the information in his mind: [Child Torture Case Solved, Experience Points +700, Level: 17 (1,200/3,200)]
The Experience Points were so-so. But this also meant Aisha's murder of Henry was indeed orchestrated by her alone, without anyone else involved. But honestly, this woman didn't seem like the type to have such brains.
Dean stroked his chin, letting out a sly smile. After making some arrangements inside and outside Aisha's house, he quietly left.
His timing was impeccable. Minutes later, a police car flashing red and blue lights stopped outside Aisha's house. There were also neighbors awakened by the gunshot, but no one turned on their lights. After several unanswered calls at the door, the patrolling officers decided to break in...
After returning home, Dean expected to receive a call from the duty officer at the detective bureau, since Aisha's place was also in the Fourth Squad's jurisdiction.
But by the next morning, Dean hadn't received a call, not even a text message. Instead, he saw numerous news reports and discussions about the Sarah incident in the Los Angeles media. It seemed that overnight, the police had apparently figured out the cause of the incident and fabricated a very plausible story of tragedy, complete with cause and effect.
This meant the video recorder he left at Aisha's house had already been taken by the police. The fish had bitten the hook!
Dean leisurely poured himself a cup of coffee, then turned on his computer and connected to a specific IP network. After some buffering, four surveillance feeds covering Aisha's residence filled the computer screen.
Let's see which little fish took the bait, Dean rubbed his hands together, reviewing the surveillance footage from after he left the previous night.
The panel showed the case was closed, but it only covered Henry's death. This was a case within a case! Behind Aisha, there was someone else!
He recalled how he'd been targeted at the NSA's Point 13 by someone suspected of being an affiliate of the Lucifer Game Organization while seeking information on the 'Masked Serial Killer'. Dean suspected that members of the Lucifer Game Organization were becoming active again in Los Angeles.
He had no desire to continue having his information sold, so he had left bait at Aisha's house. He wasn't certain that the people Aisha encountered were from the Lucifer Game Organization.
But it didn't matter. The type of fish wasn't important. First, he'd set the bait. He'd kill whoever took it. Whatever happened, he couldn't come away with nothing!
Gathering his thoughts, Dean lit a cigarette and fast-forwarded the surveillance footage.