Chapter 166: Trusting Us to Tell The Truth (1/2)

”Why? Are you upset that I want to solve the mystery?” I asked without emotion. She looked startled for a second before a smile bloomed on her lips.

”I was wondering why you sprinted to us and called us,” she chuckled.

”When you have an infamous serial killer coming back again, I think it is my duty to find them before someone else dies.” She blinked.

”I did hear there was a chance he was back. But you are all keeping it hush-hush.”

I sighed. ”If this is about you getting an exclusive news piece on the topic or getting an interview from someone working on the case, don't try. You'll make the situation worse than it is.” She paused and looked at me intently. ”Now, if you can give me a moment of silence, I need to figure out this cryptic message.”

This time, she complied.

[Can I trust you to tell the truth?]

And then the cryptic riddle that was added to it. I blinked and took my phone out to write it down.

”Read the letter. It's BTS,” I said, the moment Nash picked the phone up.

”Explain,” he said immediately. I could hear that he was typing in the background.

”Are you working on the new list?” I asked.

”Yeah. You would think there would be fewer people in it, but nope. It's a rather long list,” he sighed.

”Good. The letter asks us to believe him and not the other guy who sent the package. It's a printed-out piece of paper. A4 size paper with one sentence and a cryptic riddle we need to solve. Looking at the kind of stationery, it's not the accomplice.”

Nash cheered on the other side.

”I have already sent it to you. Look it over. We can solve this. It's an address, I am sure.”

I hung up the phone and looked at the reporter. ”You didn't hear any of that. If you pay attention to the rumors and speak about it to the world, someone will die. More than one person will die. And we will know you were part of the reason why it happened.” I hadn't known I was manipulative before this moment. The tone in which I told her this information was evil, but it came from my heart.

If anyone caught wind of this, especially the accomplice who had kidnapped Evie, she would be gone. I would never be able to find her, even if I caught the BTS Killer.

”There are lives at stake?” she squeaked.

”Why else did you think he sent another letter? He didn't come back even on the anniversary of his killings. And now he is suddenly back and asking for attention?”

She trembled. ”Ah, so he is going to kill.”

”Which is why you should make sure to track people around you. If you have people calling you about the matter of people visiting the station apart from me, you need to call me immediately. Understood?” I insisted.

She nodded vehemently.

”It's time for you to prepare for your show,” I said as I glanced at the wall clock. She followed my gaze and then stood up abruptly.

”I'll… not talk about this,” she told me.

”I won't thank you,” I responded. There was a burst of anger in my belly that I couldn't cast out. Her words had ignited something in me. Like I was supposed to be dispassionate about cases if it didn't have anything to do with it.

It made me question what I had been like before I met Evie. I had chased killers and criminals alike to save lives, yes, but never with as much anger and desperation as this moment.

A body does not lie, I would tell myself. But the body was someone, wasn't it? Someone who wasn't saved.

I pressed my hand over my face as I spiraled into the thought process.

Evie… You turned me into a human.

I squeezed my eyes shut for the longest time before taking in a cleansing breath and looking at the sheet of paper once again.

According to the profile of the BTS Killer, he tries to act smart in his messages. But he is not a highly intellectual man who is capable of complex machinations. In that strand of thought, I knew not to expect an expert code.