bookrebus Chapter 189 Taking a Statement
Chapter 189 Taking a Statement
Chapter 189 Taking a Statement
When Margarita asked us to enter the room for interrogation, I had already constructed a story in my mind that matched Sylvie's.
“Sit down,” Margarita commanded, gesturing to the chairs beside the table. We sat down, and she sat opposite us, preparing her tablet to take notes.
“Start from the beginning. Tell me everything you know, including details of the basement and what happened before. Don’t leave out any details.” Her tone was firm and unambiguous.
She first looked at me.
“Sylvie explained what happened in the alley; she said you were seriously injured.”
“Yes, we were ambushed on the road. I tried my best to protect Sylvie, but I was injured in the process. The attackers were demon followers.”
This must have been something Sylvie had already told her. However, I knew how a high-ranking officer like her handled cases; endless suspicion and interrogation were their norm. I could sense her inner turmoil from her subtle movements.
"So, how did you get here? According to Sylvie, she thought you were dead."
"Officer, are you saying I should die there?"
"..."
She paused, looking at me. Twisting someone's words is a tactic they use in interrogation, and that's how I'm dealing with her. And she won't think I'm doing it on purpose; she'll think I'm dissatisfied with her statement.
No, that's not what I meant.
Judging from the emotions on my face—my furrowed brows and clenched fists—she could tell, as a police officer.
"So......"
"I just want to figure everything out."
After she finished speaking, I knew I should back down a bit. If I continued to avoid the topic, her suspicions would only deepen.
“Sigh…” I sighed deeply, looking into her eyes. “I understand. After the demon followers left, I sensed Sylvie’s magic, and she has been healing me. With her help, I managed to move with difficulty and eventually reached a local market. Then they called an ambulance, which is why I am here.”
Margarita listened intently, her expression serious, yet tinged with approval. "You were healed by Sylvie's magic? You could even sense her from a distance?"
“It’s a bit hard to explain, but I do feel a gentle force that helps me stay alert and move. Without it, I simply couldn’t get to the market.”
Margarita continued taking notes on her tablet. “Understood. We need to verify this information. Healing abilities like this are rare, especially among untrained individuals. Sylvie, can you confirm this?”
Sylvie nodded, meeting my gaze. "It's true. I could feel his injuries, and I tried to help him with my abilities."
Her eyes revealed an emotion I was very familiar with; only someone who has experienced despair would have such unwavering determination.
Margarita noted down this information to gain further insight into the investigation. "Very good, we'll investigate further. Now let's talk about the masked man."
Her gaze shifted to Sylvie, meeting her eyes directly. She hadn't excluded me from this part of the interrogation, which meant she intended to share all the information with me.
“The scene will be further investigated, but can you tell me what happened?” She cut straight to the point.
“Hoo…” Sylvie took a deep breath and began to recount her experience, her eyes filled with fear and unease. “When that masked man entered the basement, he didn’t look at me once, as if I didn’t exist. He went straight to the demon’s follower.”
She described how the masked man swiftly and precisely subdued the demon follower, detailing the brutality of the attack. "He...he seemed to target only the demon follower. I was frozen in fear, and he didn't care about me at all. Once the demon follower fell, he left without saying a word."
Hearing this, I fell into deep thought. I tried hard to control my expression so as not to give away any information. I had a subtle feeling, as if someone was watching me.
Margarita narrowed her eyes slightly as she continued listening to Sylvie's account. "Did he say anything? Was there anything special about it?"
Sylvie shook her head. "No, nothing at all. Everything happened too fast. He didn't say a word. I felt like he had a specific goal, and that goal wasn't me."
"understood."
Margarita then continued to ask for details about the masked man. What weapons did he use? What was his fighting style? And many other questions.
However, it's undeniable that Sylvie's fragile mental state played a role in this. The brain reacts abnormally when a person is in fear; this is a normal human psychological phenomenon, especially for Sylvie.
The more she answered, the further she strayed from the truth.
"Thank you for your cooperation. We will continue our investigation based on the information you provided. Please feel free to contact us if you remember anything else. You may leave now. However, please be sure to check the information regularly, and we will contact you further if needed."
After she finished speaking, she gestured for us to leave, and we both stood up.
"Oh, right."
I knew she wouldn't let us off so easily.
Margarita asked a question, a question directed at me. "Before you leave, I have one more question. What are your thoughts on this case? Do you have any theories or doubts?"
This is a crucial question; she's testing whether I'm a suspect.
I remained calm and answered cautiously.
"Given their behavior, I suspect this is an internal conflict within a rival organization. The masked man seems to have only one clear objective and is uninterested in the others present."
Margarita stared at me, her serious expression unchanged. "Internal conflict, indeed. But why are you ruling out other possibilities? How can you be so sure there aren't other motives? How can you be so sure this wasn't an individual act?"
I had anticipated this question. Although her words were skeptical, I could tell she was satisfied. She had come to a similar conclusion, and my answer made her feel that her point of view was more convincing.
“I haven’t completely ruled out other possibilities. I just think that the other side’s strength, specific objectives, and indifference towards Sylvie suggest that this is likely an internal problem within a hostile organization. This is a theory based on the information available, not a conclusion.”
"Based on the masked man's behavior, he was clearly aware of the situation, which means that he or she was connected to insiders of the organization that kidnapped Sylvie. As for individual behavior, there is currently no clear evidence to suggest this, and other clues also rule it out."
"Hmm..." She pondered for a moment, then nodded, seemingly satisfied. "We will consider your theory, and thank you for your cooperation."
All that's needed now is to show goodwill. I nodded and continued, "I share your desire to bring the criminals to justice. Please feel free to contact me if I can assist with the investigation. I also want to ensure the safety of this city."
After saying that, Sylvie and I left the room, leaving Margarita alone.
“Phew…” Sylvie looked at me and sighed deeply. “So tired, today has been such a long day.”
Her eyes and body looked exhausted. This was not surprising; everything she had been through had a significant impact on her mental state, especially for an innocent girl like Sylvie.
I nodded in agreement. "Yes, at least it's over now. Let's go back and rest for a bit." With that, we started walking back.
"that......"
Suddenly, I felt my clothes being tugged, and I saw Sylvie grab my sleeve. She seemed to have something to say, and hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Morse, thank you, thank you for protecting me all this time."
Hearing her sincere words and seeing her kind eyes, I felt guilty.
If I wanted to, I could have avoided this incident, stopped Mason's actions, and ensured that the enemy had no chance. But I didn't; I chose to involve Sylvie in my own way.
"Why...why don't you say something?"
Perhaps I had been staring at her for too long; she lowered her head. I spoke with a sense of guilt, "It's nothing, it's what I should do. Whether in the past or now, it's my responsibility..."
I know that if I had made different choices in the past, things might have turned out differently.
Sylvie looked up, searching for something in my eyes. "The past?"
"Don't worry about it," I quickly changed the subject.
“I understand…” Sylvie seemed to understand and did not ask any further questions.
Noticing the slightly awkward atmosphere, Sylvie changed the subject, and we continued walking through the city.
I felt a little more relaxed. I had achieved my initial goal and made some progress, but that was far from enough.
Ding!
Our conversation was interrupted, and our smartwatches received a notification at the same time.
[Emilia: Everyone, get to downtown immediately. It's an emergency.]
Upon seeing this message, a sense of foreboding washed over me.