Autopsy of a Mind

When they reached, the police station was mostly empty. She looked around and saw people filtering into the conference room. 

Detective Nash was already briefing members of the force on the progress. They were searching for builders of the torture devices at the moment. 

"We found specialty makers, but there are only two in the country. Apart from that, we have been talking to customs and ports about incoming materials of this nature. These were made from scratch and the work is excellent, so they were not assembled after bringing it into the country or after buying. This means that the perpetrator bought it and transported the devices as they were."

Considering that the devices were huge, it would be difficult to transport these inconspicuously. I leaned towards Sebastian, who was sitting beside me and spoke softly. "Why aren't we considering the perpetrator to be the one who made those devices?"

"According to behavioral studies, people who make showmanship out of their performance usually don't like to put effort into it. They want to show off, but they don't have much to show people. Otherwise, they wouldn't be acting that way," Sebastian explained. 

"But you seem to forget. He is not just an exhibitionist. In this case, he is giving out punishment to people. The methods aren't original either. He is putting in the effort to make it look like he is doing a lot but instead he is just replicating what others have done before him. In that way, if he is indeed someone with an inferiority complex, he could make it himself."

Sebastian thought about it himself. "I didn't think of that, good job." He raised his hand. Detective Nash raised his brow and motioned him to speak. 

"Evie has to say something," he said with a sly smile. Detective Nash rolled his eyes and asked me to speak. I told him exactly what I had reiterated to Sebastian. 

"Good thinking. What do you think this man's occupation will be then?" he asked, testing me. 

I had seen the pictures of the devices up close. It was someone with intimate knowledge of metalwork. "It's heavy-duty metalwork, definitely so I would rule out people who make metal jewelry and other such objects. The tools will be very different as will the raw materials. However... someone who makes bigger pieces and knows how to wield and mold them would also have the equipment and materials..." But I didn't know what the profession could be.

Everyone drew up a blank. 

"Right!" Detective Nash spoke out. "Our last victim was suspected of raping and murdering an air hostess two years ago but got away due to lack of evidence. We are sure that he was the perpetrator."

Therefore the modus operandi was established. 

"According to this, we will be narrowing down the search. The third victim was constantly traveling, so tracing his footsteps and finding the people who were commonly seen would be good. Considering that all these people are originally from this city, there has to be a connection between all the victims."

The meeting was concluded just like that, leaving me with more questions than I had come with. 

Just like this, days passed and there were no real leads in the case. I was growing hopeless with each passing day. Calculating the time between the three crimes, the perpetrators might act within another week. 

In the middle of the night, the phone rang. I was in the middle of falling asleep when the phone rang and left me sleepless. 

"They had found a few suspects that fit the bill. But nothing conclusive can be drawn from any of this." Sebastian told her. 

"Did they bring him in for questioning?" I asked, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. 

"No. They are going to his house to bring him in for questioning." I checked the watch. It was six in the morning. 

"Is this a good time to bring him in?" I asked.

"They'll wait outside his house and tail him for a couple of hours. He had closed his shop for the past two weeks and followed the third victim around at that time. They found hotel and plane booking records to prove it. They even had footage of someone following the victim."

"Will they be able to pin it on him, though?" Sebastian shook his head. 

"If we show similarities between his stature with the person following the victim, we could use it to make him feel endangered. It doesn't have to be conclusive evidence as long as we make it out to be to him."

We changed and went to the car quickly without grabbing any breakfast.

"You're going into the interrogation today, you know that, right?" Sebastian spoke up suddenly. 

"But Detective Nash will be interrogating the suspect, won't he?" I asked, confused. "I would be a bother if I enter the interrogation room without any prior experience. I can trust you to hold the interaction up, but I have never worked with Detective Nash."

Sebastian chuckled. "He knows that you're my favorite pupil. He's an excellent detective and knows how to handle tense situations. I'll talk to him about the exercise."

"Don't!" I protested. "I really don't..." I sighed. 

"Okay, you don't have to go in. You can watch from outside," he conceded.

"You aren't someone who likes to give up so easily. You must have an alternate plan," I asked. My suspicion was rising. "There is definitely something about this guy that will make me walk into that interrogation room and talk to him. What is it?" I crossed my hands over my chest and waited for him to say. 

"You were spot on about everything about the man. You did a marvelous job. What are you going to do, sitting outside and letting someone else take the credit?" he scoffed. 

"The police did most of the job. I just watched and gave my amateur opinion," I shrugged. 

"And it was your 'amateur' opinion that actually helped them get the police. You were a step before me, even. I'm very proud of you." He smiled, his eyes still on the road. 

"But why do you want me to go in? You're talking in circles. It is very unlike you." And a bit manipulative, if I admitted it myself. 

"I know what you are thinking. It's just in my personality," he told me quickly. 

"If you know what I am thinking, why aren't you telling me the right answer?" I asked, slightly offended. 

"Well. You'll get a new perspective on the mind of a criminal." He paused. "Remember, you told me that you were worried. I know that you are worried about becoming the person who inflicts pain on others. You keep referring to theory and it keeps bothering me. I can't talk you out of your thoughts, I don't have the training to do so, and I know Dr. Knight will show you a way to come to terms with yourself and your nature. But in this case, I can offer you this case to show you that it is possible for you to not become what you fear."

I didn't think I had ever heard him say so much to him. Recently, he spoke a lot. He filled up the silence and my doubts with warm words and analytical lectures on life. I felt slightly good about all of it. 

"Lay it on me, what is this guy about?"

"I'll tell you this much... He customizes cars. All three victims were his clients at some point of time. And he was close to a victim who was raped and murdered."

I took in that information. 

"What else?" I asked vehemently. "He went to the same high school as the victim and he was on the location of the crime." The car stopped in front of the station and I sat silently. 

It could mean one of two things. 

He was abused and powerless in the situation and had to watch someone he knew undergo such brutal treatment... or he was the perpetrator.

Now the question remained, which one was he? 

If it was the first, I would understand the emotions he felt for people who committed those crimes. But if it was the latter, I had no clue what he was thinking when killing people who had committed the same crime as him. 

"You seem to know which one it is," Sebastian said knowingly. His hand rested on the steering wheel and he waited for me to come to the decision. 

"I seem to know what your reason is." I sucked in a deep breath and took the last step. "If you can convince Detective Nash to let me into the room and watch it up close, I'll go in," I promised. 

"That won't be a problem," he grinned victoriously. "You made the right choice."

"You're too confident in yourself," I groaned. 

"I am only confident about the things I can do. I know my limitations. I don't go beyond it," he said seriously. "I know a lot of people think I am arrogant without having the qualification..."

"But you have the qualification..." I trailed off. Which was why it wasn't too irritating. 

"Thank you." He murmured. "Only you understand me."

Well, wouldn't that be wonderful...