Meanwhile, back to their tail, Inspector Andrew and Detective Samuel are still waiting for Johnathan to come out from the Lunar Plain Hotel. Though Andrew getting restless, waiting for them to show up.
"Relax, Andrew. Don't get too worked up for this." Samuel said while tapping Andrew's shoulder.
"I'm dying to beat him for solving these bizarre cases. If we can solve it on our own, we don't need help from the likes of Johnathan. And somehow, I'm bit curious how he solved past cases."
"Well, then, to straighten up our goals. Let's review a little of our victims, shall we?" said Samuel before taking the case files. "Our first victim's name is Jodie Harris. 29 years old. High position at real estate companies with above average salary per year. Before graduate from college, she practices a martial art. And mastered at data exchange and accounting. She was murdered right after some data exchange with an unidentified source or acquaintance. We can't conclude anything, since every time we're trying to track the data, there's some kind of virus that tries to breach our firewall." Samuel flipped several pages to the next victim's files. "Our second victim's name is Nina Barbet, 28 years old. She come from abroad, because one of her acquaintance open up new start-up company and promise her a good salary. She also has a good understanding of data computing and engineering. Furthermore, she lives alone at the outskirt of the city, which where we're about to go to next. But then again, she's also got murdered right after making data exchange with unidentified source, which also their track vanished into a thin air."
"So our culprit, presumable, have high-tech computer and or highly capable at software hacking?"
"Presumably, yes. But we don't know for sure, since everything we do keep getting us to a dead end. *sigh*. That's also one of the reasons why Chief distributes work force to other cases."
"Still, don't feel right to me to turn a blind eye toward these cases." Andrew took one of Samuel's doughnuts. "On the other hands, our current investigation came up several potential victims based on gender, age, occupation, and set of skills they have. We got Elsie Burt, 26 years old, understand cyber networking, and lives independently." Andrew swallowed his doughnut before continuing. "We got Aria Florence, also 26 years old, exceptional skill on data accounting, and also live alone. And we got Eva Palmer, 28 years old, great skill on data analytic and expenditure planning, and though lives independently, she occasionally visited her family outside the city."
As soon as Andrew finished reading the files, Johnathan and his maid finally came out of the hotel and walked straight to his car. But when he's about to get into his car, he stops. He stares directly at Andrew and Samuel and waves at them. Both men feel Johnathan's gaze even from afar and realize that they have been found tailing them. Andrew frantically starts the engine and rushes the car to park in front of the hotel's front door.
As they enter the hotel, they immediately show their police badge to the receptionist and question her about the two peculiar people that ask for a case-related room key. The receptionist doesn't say much, but when she hands over the room key, she mutters, "I, will, always a step ahead.". As soon as she says that, she feels intense pain in the head and falls over while holding her head. Samuel calls the security guard to handle the receptionist and tells them that she needs to rest for a while.
After all that commotion, both rushed to the victim's room, and when they arrived, they immediately checked if anything had changed from the case report. The most noticeable change is the footprints left behind by Johnathan and his maid. But before checking those footprints to analyze what they did, Samuel notices other things. An awkwardly placed piece of paper with something holding it standing straight. And next to it is a closed laptop, but the power lamp indicator is flashing.
While Andrew checks the footprints, Samuel checks the paper. He grabs the paper and the thing that holds it, a flash drive. As he unfolds the paper, something is written on the paper.
"Play me"
Without hesitation, Samuel opens the laptop and inserts the flash drive. As soon as the flash drive is inserted, it automatically opens a folder and shows two video files with a black thumbnail. Samuel looks at Andrew and wants to let him know about these but immediately turns his attention back to the laptop as he assumes Andrew is too occupied checking the footprints. Samuel opens the first video file.
With an hour-long video, watching all of them would be a hassle and waste of time. And so, for every few seconds or so, Samuel skips ahead a few seconds. With that, he at least gets a glimpse of the video's content without sacrificing time. But around 5 minutes before the video ends, Andrew sees that Samuel is not moving.
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"Hey, what are you watching?" asked Andrew as he tapped Samuel's shoulder.
"Oh. It's a video that we don't have at our initial investigation. There are two videos, and this is the first. The first video is about someone doing night jogging but then got mugs at the middle of it." says Samuel as he points out the files. "But this video feels.... odd. As if it was a recording of someone's eyes. What they saw, and what they focused on. It's too unreal."
"Are you sure it's not a CGI?"
"I don't think so. CGI always has distinctive difference from the real one, regardless how well it made. Everything in this video is too detailed for artificially made. The movement, the hands, the lights, every action and reaction is too advance if this was fabricated. And as I said, it feels like a recording of someone's eyes." explained Samuel.
"Damn. So what's the rest of that video?"
"Nothing, it just black screen right after the 'person' is closing her eyes."
"'Her'?"
"Yes, it's a she. "
"Is that it? Why is only a black screen? Check the time-lapse." said Andrew while pointing at the timestamp bar.
"Hm.... there's still around 10 more minutes left. I'll just fast forwarding 'till the end." said Samuel as he skipped 10 seconds every 3 seconds.
...
"Hmm, there's still a blank screen for the last 8 minutes of run time. 2 minutes left," Samuel said as he kept skipping. But then, for a split second, there's white text appears... "Oh wait, what was that?" Samuel began to backtrack every frame until that text appeared. "It says, 'This is a gift from me, my fellow officers. Race you to the next victim's place. Yours truly, Johnathan Brown'."
"Goddamn it, he's one step ahead of us. Just grab that additional evidence and let's rush to our second victim's place!" said Andrew as he started running back to their car.
Samuel immediately closes the laptop and carries them. Andrew gets to the car first and onto the driver's seat. He opens the door for Samuel, and not long after, Samuel gets into the car. Even though Samuel hasn't prepared yet, Andrew has already stepped on the gas. From a distance, they look like they are being chased by a monster. Unknown to them, Johnathan and his maid are silently watching from afar. Both of them are watching at a distance that abnormal for a human being. Even though Johnathan is reading a book, he still can clearly see Andrew and Samuel moving away.
"It seems the prey already took the bait," said Johnathan.
"Yes, they are. Master, so uh.... where to now?"
"What time is it? Hmm.... 2:23 PM. How about we go to a restaurant of your choosing, Grace? I believe in your judgment of choosing the place with good food." he gave the command while reading a book.
"You got it, Master."
----------------------------------------
After a while round about the city, Grace finally decided which place to get lunch. She picked a small town Diner with a town park for a view. After she parked the car, they entered the Diners and picked available seats. Johnathan gives a hand gesture to Grace to take a seat with him, so they can eat together. As Grace takes the opposite side seat, the waitress comes and asks what they're ordering.
"So, what's your order?" asked the waitress.
"I'll get a pair of toasted bread, 3 slices of bacon, and scrambled eggs. And you can get whatever you want, Grace." said Johnathan without taking off his eyes from the waitress.
"I'll get 2 of your signature burgers." says Grace.
"Aannnddd, two signature burgers. Sir, what your order is a breakfast course." said the waitress checking the order she wrote.
"Let's just say I haven't got mine."
"Uuuhh huh, alright then. Your order will be up in 5." said the waitress as she walked away to give the order to the cook.
"Um, Master? Why you didn't order a full-course lunch instead?" asked Grace.
"I get a feeling that I need the 'room' for later."
"Well, Master, I'll be right back. I want to wash my hands." says Grace as she goes to the restroom.
Johnathan continues reading his book but not for long gets interrupted.
"Um... uh... Are you Mr. Johnathan? Johnathan Brown?" someone asked with a weak female voice.
"And to whom I owed a pleasure?" asked Johnathan as he closed his book and turned his attention to her. "Before you answer, please sit down."
The young woman he talked to was wearing glasses, messy long hair, a long jacket, and carrying a wool laptop bag; by the look of it, he assumed she was in her mid-twenties.
"O-okay." she replied and immediately sat in front of him. "Um, I'm Aria Florence. So uh.... I need your help. I have a feeling that I can trust you. I saw you from the footage from the Lunar Plain Hotel." She pulled out her laptop and showed the footage to Johnathan. "And I.... I believe that you're the only one who can help- no... save me. Please... I re-" she suddenly noticed something outside the Diners. "Oh no. Please, I-I know that you'll help me. Meet me at this place. Please. H-help me."
After she gives a piece of paper to Johnathan, Aria runs as fast as she can, far away from the Diners. After she gives a piece of paper to Johnathan, Aria runs as fast as she can, far away from the Diners. Johnathan analyzes Aria's movement from inside the Diners until she's out of his sight. With Aria nowhere in sight, he picks up the paper she gave and stares at it intensely. The intensity breaks after around 15 seconds, and then he sniffs it.
"I'm back, Master. It seems that I did more than just wash my hands," Grace said while she rubbed her stomach. "Anyway, what's with that piece of paper, Master?"
"A new lead. But before we get to it, let's fill our stomachs first. Our order is coming." said Johnathan as he pointed at the waitress and put Aria's paper in his pocket.
With delicious food being served to Johnathan and Grace, they quickly like and savor it. Johnathan tells Grace to mind her manners, in which she heeds her Master. Both of them eat so elegantly that they seem out of place. After finishing their meal, Johnathan raised his hand to call the waitress.
"How much of it?" asked Johnathan to the waitress.
"That will be $56,50... Mister." waitress handed over the bill.
Johnathan pays with exact amount and adds another 50 dollars for her tip. The waitress raises her eyebrows in delight as she takes the money. Johnathan and Grace leave the Diners and get to their car.
"So uh, where to, Master?" asked Grace after she started the car.
"Just drive, and I'll give the direction."
"Yes, Master." Grace replied.