Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 7

Zoey got where Mark was coming from, but she wasn't about to let any bad guy off the hook. She pressed her lips together and said, "Ella's already given the hospital enough evidence. Whether we have this towel or not doesn't really change things. If we're gonna nail Lawrence, we need more proof."

"What proof? What else do you want to dig up on Lawrence?" Mark cut in, sounding frustrated. "Zoey, are you solving cases based on your gut feelings? Is this what they taught you at the police academy? We've already gone through Lawrence's records with a fine-tooth comb! His file is spotless, except for this one incident."

Joseph could feel the tension rising in the car and quickly tried to calm things down. "Zoey, we've really looked into Lawrence's background thoroughly, and there's nothing suspicious."

"Nothing suspicious?" Zoey's voice went up a notch. "A regular stalker would follow someone for weeks without making a move?"

Zoey explained, "A stalker is someone who keeps tracking, harassing, or spying on someone, invading their personal space. They're usually obsessed or dependent on their target, and their behavior might be driven by personality disorders or other mental issues. These problems make it hard for them to control their impulses, leading to stalking. They might keep following their target, invade their space, and send threatening messages or items, making the target feel scared, anxious, or stressed."

Zoey took a deep breath and paused for a moment before continuing, "But didn't Ella feel like she was being followed, which is why she reported it? If she's felt that way since the 20th of last month, it's been a month and a half, right? If he hadn't done anything all this time and just scared her, that'd be one thing. But he did make a move! Do you get what I'm saying?"

She went on, "A stalker would just stalk and not harm Ella. The fact that he made a move means he's not just a stalker but a criminal who's been lurking around Ella for a long time, planning to hurt her!"

He didn't fit the profile of someone with a mental illness but rather a psychological disorder.

Joseph seemed to get it but also looked a bit lost. "So, you're saying Lawrence isn't just a stalker?"

Zoey sighed. "That's not exactly what I mean."

Joseph still looked puzzled. He kept his eyes on her. "Then what do you mean?"

Zoey glanced at Mark through the rearview mirror. "A well-known foreign psychologist once did a study on hundreds of criminals who liked stalking and peeping, and he roughly categorized them into several types."

"There are rejected stalkers, intimacy seekers, incompetent stalkers, resentful stalkers, and predatory stalkers," Zoey explained slowly. "The most dangerous is the last type. They don't stalk to get closer to their target or to steal their clothes for some weird fetish. It's more like a predator-prey thing. They get a kick out of watching their victims secretly, enjoying the thrill of scaring them. When the victim is most terrified, they jump out and kill them!"

She added, "This type of stalker is the most likely to turn into a serial killer. Once they start, they can't seem to stop even if they want to."

That was why, after killing a couple of people, these stalkers just kept going.

Their twisted pleasure came from seeing their prey on the edge of death.

It only took a few minutes for their victims to die. To keep that thrill alive, they had to keep killing.

When Zoey finished talking, the car was still dead silent.

You could hear a pin drop. No one said a word.

After a bit, Joseph, trying to break the awkwardness, forced a compliment. "You're amazing; you know more than I do."

Zoey felt a bit frustrated. That wasn't the response she was hoping for!

She knew Joseph was just trying to smooth things over. Then both Zoey and Joseph looked at Mark.

Zoey just wanted to know what Mark thought of her idea.

Mark shook his head. "This is just speculation, not evidence. No matter how much theory you have, it's useless."

Zoey lowered her eyes, feeling disappointed. She stopped talking and stared out the window.

Suddenly, something landed in her lap from the back. She looked down and saw it was a white towel in a dust-free bag.

Mark said, "When you get to the station, go to the forensics department and find Henry Phillips. Tell him I'll treat him to drink tomorrow."

Mark's message was clear.

Zoey held the evidence, stunned for a moment. Joseph was also moved by the gesture, saying, "Officer Jones, you're amazing, you're my idol!"

Mark looked at the two of them seriously. "Alright, act normal."

"Okay!" Joseph was overly excited.

Zoey, sitting in the front passenger seat, took a moment to gather herself and then said softly, "I'll pay for the drinks."

Mark replied, "That's more like it."

Zoey suddenly thought of something and turned to ask, "But are you sure you're in a condition to drink now?"

Mark retorted, "Why not?"

Zoey said, "Alright then."

The three of them chatted about similar past cases, and by the time they got back to the station, it was already 3 AM.

Zoey decided to have some instant noodles to fill her empty stomach and spend the night at her desk in the office. She slept until work hours the next day. The desk was so hard, but she didn't wake up all night.

The next day, Emma woke her up by patting her arm. "You're taking up our chairs, how are we supposed to work?"

Zoey groggily got up, and the chairs were taken away one by one.

One of Zoey's colleagues brought her some long breadsticks and soy milk.

She picked up the bread and was about to take a bite when she saw Emma opening her own delicious-looking breakfast.

The aroma of Emma's breakfast quickly spread throughout the station.

Zoey couldn't be bothered to look at her and continued eating her soy milk and bread, because she found it quite satisfying in its own way.

Emma, seeing that Zoey wasn't paying attention to her, smacked her lips on purpose and then spoke to Zoey, "Girls shouldn't stay up late every day. Our skin needs to regenerate. If you keep this up, your skin will sag."

It was obvious to everyone that she was getting back at Zoey for the last time.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter