Alonso seemed to think about the question Markus had asked him for a moment. "Late last year, on a snowy Friday afternoon, there weren't many patients in the hospital."
"She came to me and asked if I could give her a private diagnosis. She said there were daggers of guilt that constantly haunted her, disturbing her everyday life."
After saying that, Alonso continued explaining Alicia's case. "I conducted a thorough diagnosis and discovered that she had multiple personalities. When she found out about her condition, she became very depressed—although, for some reason, I sensed that she already knew."
"Moreover, she asked me to keep it a secret. After all, in her normal work life, no matter which personality appeared, she was able to function. But in the eyes of the world, she's abnormal, fickle, promiscuous—someone who quickly grows bored of the old and easily dislikes the new."
"From then on, we began the appropriate treatments. Since being treated in the hospital would draw attention, she came to my house every Saturday and Sunday for hypnosis therapy."
"Did the sessions work?" Markus kept taking notes, absorbing every new detail he learned about Alicia.
Alonso didn't react much to the question and said, "At first, they had some effect. She was able to occasionally suppress the two sub-personalities when they forcibly emerged. Then I shifted the treatment focus. Through catharsis, the goal was to 're-induce' the dominant personality."
"This approach, in most patients, is meant to help them take responsibility for their anger, dissatisfaction, impulses, etc.—things previously deemed unacceptable—and deal with them more constructively. However, when the primary and secondary personalities began to communicate, treatment was interrupted due to a misunderstanding my girlfriend had about my sudden closeness with Alicia," Alonso said with some frustration.
Markus was beginning to understand where the conversation was going and asked: "So you're stating that there was never a romantic relationship between you and Alicia? Keep in mind that this conversation is being recorded, so your statements will be taken seriously in court if needed."
"That's exactly what I mean. I became obsessed with Alicia's case because her condition worried me. For a long time, she was in a state where she couldn't control herself. But things got worse when the sessions stopped. I advised her to register as an official patient, but she refused."
After saying that, Alonso sighed. "She completely lost herself… Do you understand what I'm saying? Her dominant personality didn't gain control over the two sub-personalities—she gave up and ran away!"
"It wasn't until mid-August that she suddenly came to me and said she was getting married and wanted to suppress the two sub-personalities. She hoped I could help her."
"Now that she's in the hospital as a patient, we resumed treatment and continued last weekend." After Alonso finished speaking, he let out a long sigh and looked at the one-way mirror behind Markus.
He seemed to sense that there were people there—professionals. Only they knew whether what he had just said was true.
Jack glanced sideways at Larry and squinted. "He's lying."
"Oh, of course he's lying. He knows what we want to hear and is defending himself by using Alicia's medical records. Very clever. I'm impressed," Larry said. Those words were perfect—someplace else, they might have fooled detectives.
However, this was the FBI. A story like that couldn't be accepted so easily.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed."
"He could be the real killer. That scares me… He looks so normal, average, and composed." Max shuddered at the analysis from the two men beside him.
Larry raised his hand to stop Max from speaking. "Keep listening."
Then, Markus, having heard Larry's comment, continued with the questioning. "Did anyone else know about your doctor-patient relationship with Alicia before it became official?"
Alonso thought for a moment and shrugged. "As I said, my girlfriend misunderstood it, but I didn't explain anything to her. So let others see it however they want! This is a crucial part of my job and also my core principle: patient confidentiality."
"I see… So you left your girlfriend over a patient. Isn't that a violation of your own principles?"
Such a quick rebuttal made Alonso pause, but then he looked up and laughed. "Ha! I'm afraid you won't get an answer to that. I'm not obligated to tell you. Instead, tell me—what's going on? Taking my blood and interrogating me individually—even a fool would figure out what you're doing, agents."
"I can assume Alicia is in danger without being told. Of course, we need to be clear about that now, so I'll try harder to help you!"
It was a flawless response. Alonso leaned forward, resting his arms on the table, a slight smile on his face. He spoke as eloquently as if Markus were his patient.
Then, Markus began asking Alonso where he was at the time of the crime.
"Yesterday? Probably at home—I don't remember! I went out to dinner with some colleagues and had a bit too much to drink. I don't recall exactly when I got home. Can I ask my colleagues?"
Alonso seemed very cooperative. "If you give us names, we'll contact the relevant personnel and check your community's surveillance cameras."
"No problem." Alonso adjusted his shirt and the tie under his white coat and looked at both of them with a soft smile on his lips.
Markus asked a police officer to escort Alonso back.
Alonso stood up and nodded to Markus, his smile fading slightly.
However, his eyes momentarily lingered on the two-way mirror on the other side of the room.
Before anyone could say a word, Larry's phone rang.
It was the analysis department.
"Dr. Luk, the DNA comparison results are in. The DNA obtained from the bite on Alicia's ear is a perfect match with one of the suspects who was tested today."
Larry frowned and asked, "Alonso or the other doctor?"
"It's Dr. Williams."