One Hundred and eighty one

CHAPTER 181

Noel put his foot on the gas pedal after Nicholas finished buckling the seat belt around his chest. Meanwhile, Hendrick and Peter drove home in the same car. They both decided to leave after finishing their investigation at Jason's house.

Jason Abraham was an American-Arab pawn shop owner who was supposed to help Nicholas find Ace's whereabouts.

"We have all the evidence, it's premeditated murder and... unfortunately, it's also a serial killer."

Nicholas, who was sitting looking at the window, turned his head quickly. He frowned and asked, "Serial killer? How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Mr. Mr. Abraham was killed and thrown into the water, isn't the pattern the same with Jill? He was thrown into the water, between the beach and the river. Fresh water and salty water. We finally found the similarities, didn't we?"

Noel's words were true. They finally had a common pattern among the many murders that had occurred lately. Nicholas bit his lip, considering Noel's words in more detail. Nicholas pressed his tongue against his mouth, then said, "Aren't Jill and Jason the same age? They're both forty years old, aren't they?"

"And their names both start with the letter J!"

Nicholas' brow furrowed. He looked at Noel in surprise, before finally blurting out a question. "Would initials make you want to kill someone?"

Noel's laughter rang in Nicholas' ears, and he turned towards the police station. "I'm just guessing. It just so happens that their names start with the same letter, I thought it would help us find other similarities."

"But you're sounding too forceful, you know."

Noel pulled the car into the parking lot, where the police patrol cars were kept. He took off his seatbelt, as did Nicholas. They both got out of the car and immediately entered the office.

Inside, Hendrick and Peter had arrived first. That made Noel chuckle in amazement. "Wow, you arrived first. Are you guys speeding?"

Peter smiled shyly, then nodded. "I wanted to show off my skills a bit and I thought it would be good to get here faster."

Hendrick, who didn't seem happy that Peter was being so big-headed, pointed at Peter from his desk and said, "You know that speeding is dangerous, right? I let you because it's cold outside."

Nicholas brushed past the men and made his way to his private room. After a long time of always conducting investigations in the field, Nicholas was finally able to land his butt in that room. A new room, after his promotion to the top of the police force.

Not even fifteen minutes into Nicholas' rest, a knock on the door woke him up. The cold air really made him sleepy. But Nicholas alertly called out, "Yes? Please come in."

Peter entered cautiously. "Excuse me, Chief. I would like to give you the report of our investigation into the Jason Abraham case." The man handed him a piece of paper containing the report he had written himself. "I've copied it on my phone, so there's no need to wait long for a printout."

"This is great," Nicholas praised. He took the paper and started going through it. "Could you add a caption at the end, that Jason and Jill have the same murder pattern."

When Nicholas handed the paper back to Peter, Peter immediately took it. He was really quick and alert. "Yes, Chief."

"And, let's see if the two of them ever had a history of the same illness or if there was a hospital that brought them together."

Peter frowned and asked, "Why do you think Jason has a disease? He seems to be a healthy and fit man."

"They have children the same age, I just wanted to check," Nicholas said frankly. "And, oh, is Hendrick being nice to you?"

"Of course, Chief."

"I feel something is off about Hendrick. Do you think I'm wrong?"

Peter was silent. He mumbled for a long time, then said, "If you suspect anything, I'll help you to check."

"No need to do that. Just keep digging into Jason and Jill's background. If there is any connection, no matter how obscure, I want to know about it," Nicholas instructed, his eyes reflecting the intensity of the investigation.

As Peter left the room, Nicholas could not shake the feeling that there was more to this puzzle than met the eye. The eerie similarities in the murder patterns between Jason and Jill were more than just coincidence, and Nicholas was determined to uncover the truth.

Day turns to night as the investigation progresses. Peter delves deeper into the lives of Jason and Jill, uncovering a web of connections that go beyond the surface. Medical records reveal a shared history of a rare genetic disorder, a puzzle that brings Nicholas closer to understanding the motive behind the murders.

Peter, who manages to find the information, immediately writes it down in a note, it is an important discovery that will get him praised, or even promoted by Nicholas.

On the other hand, Nicholas was struggling with his own thoughts. He began to wonder who the person in the police department was who helped Ace escape when their prison had strong security. Hendrick was the officer guarding the prison that day, he didn't even know that an inmate was escaping from the prison. Should Nicholas be worried about Hendrick?

And Nicholas couldn't help but be curious. He called Hendrick into his room, making him sit across from him.

"Is something bothering you?"

"Um, well, I need you to recount the chronology of Ace's escape from prison."

Hendrick looked surprised. Both eyebrows rose reflexively. He mumbled for a long time, then began to speak in a slower tone compared to before.

"Um, that day... I checked the prison guards, one by one, everything seemed fine." Hendrick nodded his head slowly, then tried to continue. "The alarm went off and that's when I realized that Ace had left the outer layer of the prison building."

Nicholas' eyebrows furrowed deeply. "What? That's it?"