Chapter 19: 19. Investigative Prodigy

Liliana Tamera

When Chief Lynden and Rise came to the task force and told everyone that a fourteen year old would be joining their chase for the most brutal serial murderer in recent memory, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

She thought it was impossible for anyone under eighteen to become part of the task force, let alone a child.

Common sense made her believe that such a situation wasn't allowed, or even legal.

Liliana prided herself in following the rules, no matter how ridiculous they may seem. She'd often be ridiculed for being far too uptight, and doing everything by the book.

But this time, common sense went out the window.

There was apparently a loophole that allowed under aged minors to join the task force as an unofficial intern. They weren't officially recognized by the government, but they could still carry out investigations alongside the task force. They were essentially volunteers who did not receive pay, and had limited access to resources.

In exchange, they gained experience and knowledge of real police work. So regardless of her feelings, the rules dictated that Fate Reylin could join the task force.

Despite having reservations, she accepted his presence. She didn't have anything against him personally, she just wanted to follow the rules.

Having already worked alongside him for a few days, she learned to accept him as another colleague. He had an almost unbelievable talent for investigation—as well as a sharp wit. Compared to her fellow task force members—he's a very kind young man, and easy to get along with.

When he first joined, she thought that he'd be nothing more than a pretty boy with a big ego. But she was wrong.

Even though he's only a teenager, he acts mature beyond his age. He has a great deal of self control, and he understands the importance of following procedures. Most importantly, he respects others' opinions and values, unlike some of her fellow investigators.

Despite knowing that he was only here because of a loophole in the rules, she found herself liking him quite a bit.

His continued success did bruise her pride somewhat. In fact, she felt embarrassed whenever she heard people refer to him as a genius. She tried to convince herself that he's merely lucky, rather than actually talented. However, she also knew that luck doesn't exist, and that Fate Reylin's skill set was entirely legitimate.

Liliana had been praised as a genius from a very young age, so she understood the pressure Fate must feel when constantly receiving praise from adults. While she empathized with him, she couldn't help but secretly admire his abilities.

She's faced the solitude that accompanies the label of prodigy all her life, and because of that, she always kept to herself. She didn't seek the spotlight, nor did she desire recognition. Her ability forced her to grow up fast, which meant that she had little interest in childish things. As such, she lacked social skills, and struggled to relate to people outside of her field of expertise.

This lack of interpersonal relationships left her feeling lonely, and made her constantly feel worried about her image. When watching Fate, she could tell that he faced the same solitude—the same loneliness, but she saw how different he was from her. Unlike her, he never seemed nervous or uncomfortable around strangers. Instead, he appeared confident, and composed. He possesses a natural charisma that draws people in.

The two of them are similar in many ways, yet they're also complete opposites. Liliana often wonders if she would ever be able to get close to him.

The reason she admires him is quite simple—she never had his type of confidence when she younger.

Even though she lacked confidence in herself, she still continually forced herself to pursue her dream. She wanted to use her intelligence to help others, while also challenging herself. Solving crimes was exactly what she'd been searching for. With a goal in mind, she quickly gained her criminal justice degree, and with that, the praise she received only increased.

Her seniors may poke fun at her for being a stickler for the rules, but they respect, and praise her skills nonetheless.

They still call her a prodigy, and they frequently request her advice.

This was especially true after she solved several cases within her first few months. That was why she understood the value of hard work and dedication. But now that fate had brought in this young man—she saw first hand how easy he made everything seem.

She'd been going in circles for months, trying to gain information on Painter, but she gained nothing useful. Then out of nowhere, he manages to find surveillance video of the killer on his first day, and then just a few days later, he finds a set of coordinates hidden within the killer's victims.

How? How could he possibly discover so much about this case so quickly?

The answer is incredibly simple, but also quite disheartening. He's a genius.

Deep inside, she knows that's what he is—she'd always been given the same label, after all. But sharing that title with Fate made her feel embarrassed. If he's a real genius, then what is she? Why doesn't she possess the same capabilities?

When she first joined this investigation, she was desperate to solve an otherwise unsolvable case. Liliana forced herself to look at the crime scene photos—searching for the exact thing Fate managed to find. Even though she'd vomit while looking at some of them, she still continued her search. And after months of searching through evidence, she couldn't find anything.

All she saw was the same shit she'd seen before.

But then, Fate does the same thing, and he finds something after only a few days.

When he came to her suggesting that he'd try the same thing she'd already attempted, she thought he was being foolish.

Why did he feel the need to put himself through such mental torture?

He's not even an adult yet—much less an investigator. Why would he do something like that? He doesn't need to prove anything.

Yet, despite her misgivings, she reluctantly encouraged him. He was probably going to do it regardless, so she thought she should be there for him if it was too much for his young mind to bear. At least that way, he wouldn't be alone.

And now because of his determination, the task force is out searching for the coordinates he found, while she's stuck at HQ.

She wishes she could be there helping search for clues too. But unfortunately, she can't leave the station. She has a job to do—and she needs to keep her head on straight.

Still, she keeps checking on the progress of the task force, hoping that they will eventually catch the bastard.

"Lili, do you think Fate's okay?" Aria asks sheepishly, pulling her from her thoughts.

Aria's one of Liliana's closest friends, and she always gives her honest opinion. She looks disheveled, exhausted from days of scanning through surveillance footage. Usually she'd respond immediately to her questions, this time however, she hesitates before answering.

It's clear that Aria's worried about him.

"I don't know." She shifts in her seat, anxious about the well being of her junior member.

"It couldn't have been easy—looking at those awful scenes for so long... Do you think we should talk to him?" Aria replies, unsure of herself. It's unlike her usual boldness. Normally she'd give a spirited response without hesitation.

"Maybe..." Liliana sighs.

If they talked to him, it might make him feel better. It might help ease some of his pain. Maybe he needed someone else to share his burden with. He says he's completely fine, but he doesn't have his usual upbeat demeanor either. If they spoke with him, maybe they could cheer him up.

After all, they are his colleagues—they may not have worked together for long, but they do care about him.

But then again, he's probably self conscious about showing weakness. All teenage boys are like that.

Would he understand?

Would he really want to see us right now?

"That's not a bad idea y'know. Liliana—you're probably closest to him, why don'tcha go check on him?" Kris suddenly interjects.

Kris is a tall man, with very short hair—and he's currently in charge of their team. He's also clearly worried about Fate's mental health.

"Alright, I'll talk to him. Please cover for me while I'm gone." Liliana agrees, deciding to give Fate a quick visit. Both of her colleagues nod, indicating they'll be fine without her.

***

Liliana has been walking around for a few minutes, and she still hasn't found Fate. He's not in his usual room, nor is he anywhere nearby. There isn't a single trace of him.

"Where is he?" She mutters to herself, confused by the situation.

Suddenly, she hears footsteps approaching from down the hall. She sees Fate walking around the corner.

Hmm. That's weird. The hallway he came from is a dead end, the only door down there is the entrance to the police's server room. What could he be doing down there?

Fate notices her standing there, waiting for him.

"Oh, hello Miss Liliana." He greets her politely.

"Hey, Fate."

"Were you looking for me?" He shows a kind smile.

"Yeah. Where were you coming from? You're usually hanging out near your room, so I figured you'd be there." She asks inquisitively, curious about why he'd be here of all places.

"Ahh... yes, I was mistaken—I'd been looking for the restroom, I thought it was over here." He laughs awkwardly, appearing to be embarrassed.

So he was looking for the restroom? Did he get lost?

Liliana begins preparing to ask him a few more questions, but she stops. She remembers how much he's been working.

He's probably incredibly overtired, considering how many hours he spent working.

He's only been here a few days, he probably came her due to being overtired. But that thought only makes her worry more.

It's not good, he's too young to be pulling all nighters already.

"Well, good thing I found you. Are you okay?" Liliana says. "Not getting enough sleep is bad for your health." She's relieved that he's okay, but she's also concerned about his well being. She tries to hide her concern behind a friendly smile, but Fate notices her expression change.

"Yes... I'm sorry, I've been so busy lately. My brain seems to be running on empty."

"Well, please don't push yourself too hard. We're all here to support you."

Fate smiles awkwardly.

"Sorry that you had to search for me, did you need something in particular?" He's politely smiling, but for some reason, she feels that he's agitated.

"No, I guess not, not really—" Her words slowly fade out.

She wants to know if he's struggling with having seen so many of Painter's victims... Is he depressed? Does he regret seeing the images of death and violence?

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Does he wish that he never joined the task force?

Is he angry?

Or is he scared?

She can't tell by looking at him. He clearly has something on his mind, but she can't tell what.

All she can do is watch him carefully.

His handsome face continues to adorn a kind expression. Although his blue eyes are focused on her, it's like his mind is somewhere far away.

Perhaps he's thinking of the victims.

She hopes that he won't become consumed by guilt or shame.

Instead of asking him more questions, she tries to comfort him.

"You're a wonderful person, Fate. We appreciate everything you've done." She takes a few seconds to observe him closely—he seems surprised by her words. "We know you're putting in extra effort for us. So please take a break whenever you need one."

He looks at her blankly for a moment, before finally breaking into a beautiful smile.

"Thank you. I will."

He seems happy enough to hear her say that.

She wants to speak with him more, but he interrupts her.

"Now, let's get back to our duties shall we? There's something I need to discuss with you, and Kris—it's about the case." He sounds happy from hearing her words—but he suddenly turns serious.

It sounds important.

"Huh? O-okay, sure!" She nods, confused about what could be so important.

He starts to walk at a rushed pace towards the other team members, Liliana quickly follows behind him.

***

"I apologize to everyone, but there's something important I discovered—I don't believe it can wait for the Chief to return." Fate apologizes as soon as they reach the group, but he instantly begins speaking with a deadly serious tone.

By now, all three investigators have gathered around him, listening intently to what he has to say. Liliana and her colleagues all trust in his judgement, and analytical ability.

They can't afford to ignore any new information that he brings forward.

"What's up lad?" Kris starts asking, noticing how serious Fate looks, he immediately continues "Go ahead—say whatever you need." Even though he's the most senior officer present, he steps aside to allow Fate room to speak.

"I've gone over all of the information we have again." Fate starts talking

He still has a calm, focused disposition, but it's clear that he's agitated by something he discovered.

Could this be why he was looking for the restroom? Was he preparing himself for this conversation?

"I found a cabin terminal that Painter most likely uses to find his victims, it's in a central location to all of his...art."

Everyone is quiet.

"The terminal should have video cameras—but we haven't gathered any data from them yet. It's highly likely that their cameras recorded Painter on multiple occasions." Fate explains.

Liliana realizes what he's hinting at immediately.

He wants to gather the surveillance video from the terminal. Now.

If his idea is correct, it would mean they could find out new info on Painter. And if there really is a specific terminal he uses to hunt for victims—they could use it to track him down.

"You want to gather their data right away... Don't you?" Liliana asks, sounding skeptical. She fidgets with her glasses anxiously, understanding why Fate seems so agitated.

The Chief ordered them to stay at HQ, and continue their investigation.

With the majority of the task force gone—why does he want to risk leaving headquarters just to collect evidence?

"If that's true it's great news, but this isn't an ideal time to run around gathering evidence lad." Kris scoffs, "Chief ordered us to remain at HQ—not go off collecting evidence."

Fate doesn't even flinch when hearing Kris' response. His voice remains steady, he maintains eye contact with the others present.

"Technically, Chief Lynden never ordered us to remain at HQ. She said that our team should remain here, and continue our investigation into Painter. She never ordered us to specifically stay within the confines of HQ." Fate argues, "I think we should prioritize gathering the security footage from the terminal, which would help further the investigation—which she did order."

Kris furrows his brows in confusion.

This kid sure knows how to argue his point. He's not lying, but he's deliberately twisting things in his favor.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't cooperate with the Chief's orders," Fate clarifies. "However, I think that we should prioritize furthering the investigation. If we do this, it could improve our chances of finding the murderer."

Kris doesn't seem convinced, the scowl on his face shows his opinion clearly.

"I agree with Fate! The Chief wants him caught—and this could help!" Aria exclaims. Everyone looks at her curiously.

"Why do you say that?" Liliana asks.

Aria shrugs, "Because if we gain more video of Painter, we'd be able to use it to help track him down. And it's better than sitting here doing nothing."

Their logic makes sense, but Liliana remains unconvinced. Aria only wants to leave HQ, so gathering evidence is the perfect excuse for her. They've been cooped up inside for days, and she misses the fresh air.

"Look lassie, we've all heard what he's suggesting, but it's too risky." Kris says. His voice is stern, and he seems hesitant to accept Fate's proposal.

"Risky? Why?" Aria asks.

"First off—we're not supposed to leave until the Chief returns. Second of all, we'd have to bring Fate with—he can't be left here unsupervised. There's only three of us, and we've been ordered to remain in teams of two." Kris points out.

Fate and Kris continue going back and forth, but Liliana ignores them. She closes her eyes—debating their course of action in her mind.

Should they follow through with Fate's suggestion?

Could this actually lead to discovering who the real culprit is?

But if they do decide to act—what will happen next?

Would Chief Lynden reprimand them for disobeying her orders?

And would the rest of the task force side against them?

Liliana sighs heavily, deciding to take matters into her own hands.

"I'll go along with this plan of yours. We're only going to gather video data, so long as Fate sticks close—there shouldn't be much risk." Liliana states.

Her decision surprises both Kris and Aria. Neither expected her to join forces with Fate. In fact, neither one anticipated that she'd even humor the idea of going against Chief's order.

Normally, she'd never defy orders—even if they were unreasonable.

She's worried about Fate's safety, and following procedure—but she doesn't want to wait any longer. She's constantly watched the number of victims pile up, and if there's data that could end this sooner, she's willing to take a risk.

"Okay then..." Kris grunts, not completely satisfied.

Kris goes quiet, his expression constantly changing. He doesn't want to disobey Chief Lynden, but he also wants to end this case as soon as possible. He lets out a deep sigh, and rubs his eyebrows.

"Damn... I suppose it's worth a shot. I don't wanna see anymore bodies." Kris says quietly. Then he looks to Fate, "If you think this is something that could end this massacre sooner—I'll take the heat from Chief." Kris concedes.

"Thank you." Fate thanks Kris. He looks grateful for the man's support. He gives Kris a warm smile, showing appreciation for the older detective's kindness.

It appears that Kris trusts Fate's judgment.

"Thank you, Sir!" Aria says happily.

Liliana sighs, but her small smile shows her feelings. And although Aria looks happy, Kris looks uneasy.

"If we're doin this, we need to hurry." Kris stands up abruptly, turning to address Liliana directly.

"Since you're in agreement with these two—you're partnered with Fate. He's not an official investigator, but stay with each other at all times." He says seriously, while taking glances at both Fate and Liliana.

"Understood sir." Liliana answers.

"Yes sir." Fate responds respectfully.

Kris looks at all of them one last time, before starting walking.

"We'll all drive together—it's only the four of us." He says calmly.

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