Chapter 52: Hidden Histories
Theodore withdrew his gaze and, instead of answering the question, asked Ricky for Paul Miller's file.
There were some questions he hadn't figured out either, but that didn't affect his confidence in his profile. He was simply too familiar with killers who had antisocial personality disorder.
Ricky thought Theodore didn't have the answer himself and felt a little disappointed as he went out to retrieve the file.
He didn't just bring back Paul Miller's file, he returned with the files of Helen Bennett and other suspects who partially fit the profile as well.
Theodore didn't understand what he was doing and only took Paul Miller's file to study. The other three, however, opened the additional files and examined them one by one.
Almost every one of these young people had a criminal record. Alcohol abuse, fighting, theft, possession of contraband, and assaulting police officers were the most frequent offenses. But that was all, petty crimes, nothing more.
Theodore threw Paul Miller's file on the table and asked Ricky if he could unseal the juvenile records.
Ricky gestured to the large pile of files scattered across the table. "Are you referring to one, or all of these?"
Theodore gave him a strange look, handing him Paul Miller's file. "I just need this one. You can include the others if you want to look at them."
Unsealing juvenile records was somewhat difficult. For someone with Paul Miller's family background, the difficulty was even greater.
Theodore didn't receive the file he wanted until it was time to get off work.
The atmosphere at the West District Branch was exceptionally tense today. The 72-hour deadline for solving the case seemed no longer applicable, yet the Homicide Team remained in 'special task force' status.
When Theodore and Bernie returned, they found Wenner being reprimanded. Deputy Inspector Burton's roar echoed through the entire corridor.
"Why is there no progress!"
"What am I supposed to report to headquarters!"
"The killer is right there! He's mocking all of us!"
"I have the entire police department cooperating with you! Is this how you repay that trust?"
"You've let everyone down!"
Theodore and Bernie wanted to help the Homicide Team, at least to understand the case and assist with the analysis. But before the two could enter the main office, Deputy Inspector Burton's assistant intercepted them.
They waited for Burton to finish scolding Wenner before being ushered into his office. The Deputy Inspector seemed tired, the strain of the unsolved case showing in the lines around his eyes.
He first expressed his optimism about the two of them, then kindly inquired about the progress of the East District case. He asked about various other matters before finally telling them it was getting late and they should go home and rest early.
Bernie, with his back to the Deputy Inspector's office, muttered curses under his breath as they walked away.
Theodore was also frowning deeply. Can we still solve cases properly?
The next day brought little relief.
Little Howard was grounded at home, and Keller the babysitter was finally liberated from his duties. But he wasn't happy about the circumstances.
Bernie and Ricky offered him limited comfort before getting back to their own busy work.
Near noon, Ricky, somehow pulling the right strings, delivered Paul Miller's juvenile file to Theodore. Everyone was stunned by the thickness of the folder, it was easily three times the size of a normal file.
Opening it, they found a comprehensive catalog of delinquency. Starting from the initial assault on a classmate, it detailed truancy, disrupting class, assaulting teachers, bullying classmates, animal abuse, and even arson, resisting arrest, assaulting police officers...
It was practically an encyclopedia of juvenile crime. He had committed almost every offense a teenager could commit, repeatedly, multiple times, frequently.
This record left several people dumbfounded. Ricky and Keller flipped through the name repeatedly to confirm they hadn't gotten the wrong file. They had absolutely no idea that the shy, seemingly timid young man had such a dark side.
After reading through the thick record, the three of them sat in confused silence.
Theodore felt the timing of this criminal record seemed familiar and took out Helen Bennett's record for comparison. He listed Paul Miller's criminal record chronologically on the whiteboard, then compared it with Helen Bennett's.
They quickly discovered that these two were practically partners in crime. Their criminal records overlapped almost perfectly.
Facing such a result, silence fell over the room again. For a moment, they had trouble accepting that the introverted young man was actually the killer.
Theodore pointed out that Paul Miller had been almost invisible at Emily's birthday party. Not only was he invisible at the party, but he was also barely mentioned in the descriptions given by his friends. He was like a ghost, present but unnoticed.
At the birthday party, everyone had been busy with something. Only he had been completely aimless, drifting through the crowd without purpose.
Bernie, remembering that Miller had entered and exited the crime scene repeatedly after the incident, loitering in front of so many police officers, immediately suggested arresting him.
This was opposed by Ricky. "No evidence! We need solid evidence!"
Bernie felt this exchange sounded familiar and looked Ricky up and down strangely, feeling that the fat man was becoming increasingly predictable.
Ricky raised the persistent question again: "He doesn't have a medical background. How could he stab so accurately?"
Bernie, still frustrated from feeling deceived, sneered. "He learned from someone else! Or he practiced himself, specifically practicing how to stab the heart."
"Who knows what he does behind closed doors!"
Ricky felt Bernie was being extreme and advised him to stick to the evidence.
Bernie slapped the criminal record loudly on the desk. "The evidence you want! This is the evidence!"
Theodore, thinking of Helen Bennett's disappearance after the incident, interrupted their argument and reminded Ricky to strengthen surveillance on her.
The others looked puzzled.
Theodore said in a deep voice, "Not everyone is indifferent to death. Most people feel guilt."
"Some people will feel that if they had done better, perhaps the death wouldn't have happened."
"Another portion will even think, 'Why wasn't it me who died?'"
Bernie, who had just been arguing fiercely with Ricky, caught his breath.
"But another portion of people with problems here", Theodore pointed to his head, "they will only feel angry at the guilt shown by their companions."
"They consider this a betrayal."
To help them understand, Theodore chose a recent case as an example. He asked Bernie, "Do you still remember Carlos Mendoza?"
Bernie certainly wouldn't forget that bastard. Gritting his teeth, he told Keller and Ricky the details of Sam's disappearance case.
Actually, he didn't need to explain, Theodore had become well-known within the system based on that case, and Ricky had even studied all the cases Theodore had been involved in.
Theodore pointed to his head again. "Some people are sick here. They can't control themselves and must do certain things."
"Just like Carlos Mendoza had to wear a police uniform and patrol the district."
"I call this an identifier."
"By finding the stable identifier that distinguishes the criminal from their usual methods and expresses their special personality, you can know what the criminal is thinking and what they will do next."
Bernie didn't quite understand. "Have you found Paul Miller's... what was it... identifier?"
"I think so."
"What is it?"
"Control," Theodore said, his voice taking on a darker tone. "Helen Bennett's disappearance after the incident isn't her fleeing, nor is it running away from home after arguing with her family."
"She is avoiding guilt."
"And if the killer finds out about this, he won't let her off."
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