Parallel Predicaments

6

Three days later, Officer Lee called to inform me that Andy had been arrested and asked me to go to the police station to give a statement and assist with the investigation.

In the monitoring room outside the interrogation room, I watched the lean young man in handcuffs sit indifferently on the metal chair. I recognized him; I had received packages from him before, as he was responsible for delivering parcels to our area of the school.

Officer Lee, standing beside me, asked, "Is the man in black you saw on the night of Coco's incident him?"

I replied, "I couldn't see his face clearly at the time, so I can't be sure, but his build is similar."

Officer Lee spoke into the microphone, looking at the monitor, "Ask him."

The interrogating officer glanced our way before beginning his questions to Andy, "According to our investigation, you've been taking photos of Coco for a long time and even stalked her. Where were you on the night of March 18, when Coco's incident occurred?"

Andy responded, "Officer, I had nothing to do with that."

"Answer my question. Someone saw you at Coco's doorstep."

"I did go to her place, but I didn't kill her."

"What were you doing there?"

Andy smirked, lowering his voice, "What do you think I was doing at a single girl's place?"

The officer scolded, "Andy, watch your language. This is a police station!"

Andy's gaze turned fierce as he spoke coldly, "Officer, you know how much I liked Coco. But do you know how she treated me? She agreed to a date, and I booked the best restaurant as she wanted. She showed up, ordered an expensive bottle of wine, but didn't drink a sip, nor did she stay for a minute. In front of everyone, she said she'd rather die than date a courier like me, calling me unworthy of even looking at her. Yes, I'm poor. I even had to borrow money to pay that day. I went to her place intending to rape her, to show her what a 'loser' like me could do, but I was spotted by a woman before I could enter, so I ran. Later, I thought I was pathetic. There are plenty of more compliant girls than Coco, right?"

Hearing him speak of more compliant girls sent chills down my spine, especially knowing he would go on to rape and kill four university students in the future.

Officer Lee suggested we step outside after seeing my reaction.

In the brighter reception area, Officer Lee poured me a glass of water and sat across from me, "Coco wasn't killed by him."

"How is that possible?"

"You did see Andy that night, but he's not the killer. He was spotted by you before he could enter, and the timing doesn't match Coco's time of death according to the car dashcam footage from outside the complex. Plus, Andy doesn't own a gun..."

I interjected, "But what about the black market? I've heard people can make their own guns."

Officer Lee explained, "That wasn't an ordinary gun. The bullets don't match any known sources, domestically or internationally. That's beyond Andy's capabilities. Most importantly, we found a woman's footprint in Coco's house, which couldn't have been left by Andy."

Seeing my dismay, Officer Lee continued, "However, your report did lead to a significant finding. The night we arrested Andy, he had a female student tied up in his house. We arrived just in time. With charges of kidnapping and attempted rape, he won't escape legal punishment."

The clue I had hoped would solve Coco's murder led to a dead end. The killer wasn't as simple as I thought. The mysterious woman and the untraceable gun added layers of complexity to the case. Why would such a person target Coco? The mystery deepened, but knowing my report saved another girl provided some consolation amidst the confusion.