The Perfect Crime Chapter 8

At the press conference.

Elena was radiant.

Behind her, the large screen showed real-time surveillance of the abandoned building's rooftop.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as I predicted, the killer has an obsessive infatuation with full moon nights."

"We've laid a trap. Tonight, he has no escape!"

Just then, the conference room doors opened.

Captain Wright, leading a team of officers, walked in with a grave expression.

Elena's smile froze on her face.

"Captain? What are you doing here? I'm in charge of this."

Wright ignored her, walking straight to the stage.

"Elena, your performance ends now."

He inserted a USB drive into the computer.

The screen changed.

An incredibly precise instrument schematic appeared before everyone.

[Military-grade Micro Signal Transmitter (Model: TX-7)]

[Bioelectric Sensor Chip (Third Generation)]

[Function: Real-time capture, conversion, and remote transmission of brainwave signals.]

The crowd erupted.

"What is that thing?"

"Looks like spy equipment!"

Wright picked up the microphone, his voice echoing throughout the venue.

"This device is the secret behind Officer Torres's so-called 'detective genius'!"

"It was implanted in Detective Lane's ear!"

"She wasn't deducing—she was stealing the thoughts of a top detective!"

"Boom—!"

The crowd exploded.

Elena's face instantly turned deathly pale.

"You're lying! This is slander!" she shrieked.

"Slander?"

Wright laughed coldly and pressed play.

A clear phone conversation recording played from the speakers.

[Professor Chen: "Elena... Marcus said what Captain Wright gave you last time was false intelligence..."]

[Elena: "...What? That bastard! Deliberately making me look bad!"]

[Professor Chen: "This one I have is the real one. Please spare my son..."]

[Elena: "Haha... Don't worry, Professor. Since you're so cooperative, I won't take the kid's life!"]

After the recording finished, the venue fell silent.

Every gaze stabbed at Elena like knives.

"You... you all!" Elena's body began trembling.

Just then, an elderly figure walked onto the stage.

"Elena, you threatened me using my son's life."

"Today, I stand here and reveal the entire truth!"

Professor Chen publicly disclosed how Elena had threatened him, how she'd orchestrated everything step by step.

Every word was like a heavy hammer, shattering Elena's disguise.

She was speechless.

"No... it's not like that..."

Elena mumbled, retreating step by step.

She looked at the faces below that had once worshipped her but now held only contempt and fury.

She suddenly laughed.

A shrill, eerie laugh.

"Hahahaha... what do you know?"

She raised her head, staring fixedly at the camera.

"I was saving him!"

"You have no idea how terrifying his 'perfect crime' ability is!"

"Every day I could 'hear' how his thoughts synchronized with those criminals!"

"He wasn't profiling killers—he was becoming them!"

"I couldn't let him be destroyed like that!"

She spread her arms like a martyr.

"So I had to act first!"

"As long as he was locked up, he wouldn't be corrupted by that darkness!"

"I was saving him! Why don't you understand!"

This deranged confession left everyone stunned.

I sat in my hospital room, watching that face twisted with fanaticism on screen.

In my heart remained only endless coldness and sorrow.

Finally, Elena was taken away by police.

My name was cleared; I'd won this battle.

But I'd forever lost that sister who'd once been pure and innocent.

One year later.

I pushed open the Criminal Investigation Division office door.

Officer Kelly rushed over with a stack of files, familiar urgency on her face.

"Detective Lane! Another body was found in West District. The method... it's strange!"

I took the case file and opened it.

Inside was a brand new soul that needed to be deconstructed.

I looked up.

"Everyone, follow me."