Chapter 56: Deadly Hands
One week.
Even with his rapid learning speed, Jake still spent a week in the world of [Equilibrium] to fully master this skill.
During this time, he diligently studied gun-kata with John, but the time was still too short; he hadn't perfectly mastered it.
Now, according to John, his combat strength was roughly equivalent to an ordinary Cleric. If he could combine gun-kata with another formula he had calculated in his brain, even a high-ranking Cleric wouldn't dare challenge him!
This was enough for him.
When he returned to the real world, it was still summer, only the temperature had risen slightly.
He hadn't forgotten the bizarre murder case before his departure. Of course, whether the murder method was truly supernatural or genuinely involved invisibility, Jake hadn't witnessed it firsthand and couldn't comment.
Even the most skilled murderer couldn't compare to him now; legally, the number of people Jake had killed was enough to warrant multiple life sentences.
He was just a little worried about Emily.
He picked up his phone and dialed her number.
After the call connected, Emily's voice came through, "Jake! You're back from your trip?" Her voice sounded somewhat surprised.
"Yes." Although he felt a little guilty about deceiving a friend, his ability to time travel was Jake's biggest secret. Unlike people like Cobb or Mia, whose personalities he knew completely from movies, Jake didn't dare to tell others easily.
"How's that case?" He was asking about the murder investigation.
"...I haven't found out yet." After a pause, Emily's voice came through the phone.
It's probably going cold, Jake thought to himself.
Every year, countless people die mysteriously or disappear across the country. Even law enforcement can't solve every case.
At this point, solving it seemed unlikely.
"Jake, you've just gotten back. How about I treat you to a welcome-back dinner?" Emily suggested on the other end of the phone.
"Okay."
"Hehe, you're loaded, so I'll suggest the place, but you're paying!" Her voice sounded cheerful, and Jake automatically pictured a energetic figure with her ponytail swaying as she shook her head.
"Of course, whatever you want, I'm buying!"
"Let's make the rich guy pay! I want to eat lobster..."
On the other side,
Detective Amanda Rivera, dressed in a fitted police uniform, sat upright in a cafe.
She held a case file in her hand, looking nothing like someone who was there to enjoy afternoon tea, which made everyone else in the cafe uncomfortable.
She glanced at her watch; it was almost one o'clock in the afternoon.
Just then, the coffee shop door was pushed open, and a young man walked in.
Could it be that the detective was on a date with her boyfriend at the coffee shop? Many people who saw this couldn't help but wonder.
"Sorry, Detective, I'm late." The person who arrived was not Amanda's boyfriend.
"I should be the one apologizing," Amanda said, her face slightly tense but not blaming the other person. "I'm so sorry to have troubled you all this time, we..."
"Hannah and I were really just an ordinary couple," the young man interrupted Amanda with a bitter expression. "You've been asking me this question for a week, Detective, but I really didn't kill Hannah. How could I kill her when I loved her so much?" His voice was low.
"Besides, I was traveling out of state at the time, there was no way I could have gone to her dorm and killed her."
"All the photos you took while traveling were deliberately taken with the location and time in the background. This could easily be an alibi you fabricated."
"Then what's the evidence?" the young man countered.
"I haven't found any evidence yet," Amanda said, her head bowed. She truly only had suspicions and no proof.
"Detective, it's not that I don't appreciate your attention," the young man's tone, initially annoyed at being accused of murder, softened. He took a deep breath and said, "It's just that you've been relentlessly pursuing me lately. I have a solid alibi. Why don't you ask Hannah's roommates? They witnessed Hannah's death!"
"I have something to do. Sorry, I'll be going now." With that, he stood up, turned, and left the coffee shop.
Amanda watched Mark Thompson turn and leave. She knew he was right; she shouldn't be fixated on a guy with such solid evidence. But all the circumstantial evidence pointed to the deceased's boyfriend.
Amanda hadn't been idle for a week. She had been gathering information everywhere. For example, the deceased had argued with her boyfriend before her death, which was why he had gone on a trip to cool off.
The argument was typical; many young couples in modern cities argue for the same reason. Hannah Hayes, from a wealthy family, liked playing online games, as did Mark. The two had met through an MMORPG.
However, Hannah liked to use voice chat to flirt while playing online games, and this wasn't limited to Mark. Mark had said he disliked this behavior, but Hannah didn't care.
This led to arguments, which escalated to the point where they almost broke up. Only after persuasion from their roommates did they decide to separate and cool off.
According to Mark's recollection, he happened to see a couple outside that day and felt he shouldn't argue with his girlfriend over such a trivial matter. He called to apologize, but before he could even speak, a scream came through the phone!
Amanda's investigation revealed that the other roommates had good relationships with Hannah, especially a girl named Emily. The two had become best friends since entering college and had never argued.
There was absolutely no motive for murder; the only possible suspect was Mark.
Of course, the possibility of a stranger committing the crime couldn't be ruled out, given the involvement of an invisible assailant. Therefore, this case might be considered more than a simple homicide.
Watching Mark slowly push open the coffee shop door, Amanda stood up, ready to leave. This investigation had been fruitless again, and her investigation time was ending today...
The Uber stopped, and Jake and Emily got out.
"Huh? Isn't that Hannah's boyfriend, Mark?" Emily pointed at Mark, who had just come out of the coffee shop, and said in surprise, "Was he out dating another girl right after Hannah died?!"
"I want to confront him," Emily frowned, wanting to run over and confront him, but Jake quickly grabbed her wrist. "That's his personal business. Since his ex-girlfriend is dead, we have no right to interfere with him finding someone new." He disdained people who found new love right after their girlfriend's death, but it seemed he, Jake, already had two girlfriends himself.
"Alright, this is the cafe you said had great food. Let's go in." Patting Emily's shoulder, Jake gently pulled the somewhat stubborn girl into the coffee shop.
Perhaps because of Mark, Emily was walking a little too fast and bumped into a detective walking towards them.
The two quickly lowered their heads and apologized to each other, but upon hearing each other's voices, they realized they seemed to know each other.
"Detective Rivera?"
"Oh? It's Emily," the detective said, glancing at Jake. "Is he your boyfriend? He's quite handsome."
"No, not at all," Emily said, looking up at Jake somewhat shyly, as if afraid he'd be offended. "This is my boss. He just got back from his trip, and I'm here to welcome him back."
Amanda knew that Emily worked as an assistant manager at a coffee shop, but the two had no real connection and nodded cordially to each other.
Amanda said goodbye to the two and looked at Mark again, only to find him suddenly taking out his phone, seemingly checking a text message, before quickly hailing a cab and leaving.
Something was off!
If there really was an invisible person, Amanda believed it was undoubtedly Mark. If she could become invisible and wanted to kill someone, she would first create an alibi; photos taken during a trip would be the best evidence.
Taking photos at specific landmarks and adding the timestamp makes it seem flawless.
Then, he becomes invisible, arrives at his destination, kills the victim, and leaves calmly.
Of course, all of this was based on one premise: that Mark could actually become invisible. But the question was, could he really become invisible?
To find out, she had to follow him!
Amanda hailed a cab, got in, and pointed to the car Mark was in, saying, "Follow that cab."
The driver, seeing an attractive detective get in, didn't hesitate; his adrenaline surged, and he instantly stepped on the gas!
In the coffee shop, Jake and Emily chatted casually.
Jake didn't really like coffee; he preferred sweet flavors to slightly bitter ones, and some people had even said his taste was like a kid's.
That's why, when he had money, the first thing he wanted to do was open a coffee shop with specialty drinks.
"Before we go to that fancy restaurant, I have something to do," Emily said, looking at Jake. "Why don't you come with me? He's a friend; we can invite him to dinner too."
"I thought it would be just the two of us," Jake joked, then nodded in agreement.
In this world, Jake didn't own a car, so they'd have to rely on rideshares.
After Emily told the driver the address, they arrived in less than ten minutes.
It was a slightly run-down apartment building, with elderly people sitting outside—a senior living community.
"He's on the third floor," Emily said. "Why don't you wait downstairs for a bit, and I'll go up and get him?"
"No, I'll go up with you," Jake said, glancing at the elderly people around him, immediately rejecting the suggestion.
The two climbed the stairs. The aging building had cracked concrete steps, making it potentially unsafe. This place reminded Jake of where he used to live.
Upon reaching the third floor, Jake watched as Emily pushed open the door and entered. He hesitated for a moment at the doorway; it wasn't appropriate for him to barge into someone else's apartment.
Suddenly, he heard a heavy thud, and a sense of unease washed over him. He kicked open the door and saw a body lying in a pool of blood!
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