Chapter 85: So the Murderer Is White?
Bernie felt genuinely moved to receive such trust at this critical moment.
Theodore went straight to the heart of the matter: "They trust the 'us' the media talks about, not the real you and me."
Bernie's emotional moment came to an abrupt halt.
After a beat of silence, Bernie abandoned his philosophical musings and turned to discussing the case.
His evaluation of quarterback Leroy and the deceased coach Amos greatly surprised Theodore.
Bernie attributed the Free Fighters' victory to pure luck, believing their tactical plan had been perfect but its execution chaotic. He thought Leroy, the man being hailed as a hero, had turned a guaranteed win into a narrow escape.
He believed the deceased's core strategy was to use public expectations against the Conquerors themselves.
Public opinion demanded that the Conquerors not only win, but win decisively and beautifully.
According to Amos's plan, the Free Fighters were supposed to keep the score close for the first three quarters, making the Conquerors increasingly impatient. Then, in the fourth quarter, they would shift their offensive rhythm completely, and the Conquerors would likely be overwhelmed before they could adapt.
By the time they reacted, the game would be over.
However, Leroy had failed to keep the score close early on, allowing the Conquerors to play comfortably. He'd also changed the rhythm prematurely in the third quarter, giving the Conquerors ample time to adjust. In the end, they could only rely on a desperate Hail Mary to turn things around.
His analysis was logical, and Theodore found it convincing, but he didn't understand why Bernie was so certain.
Bernie said with satisfaction, "I'm the coach of our precinct's football team. This is the exact tactic I used to beat headquarters last year."
The Felton Police Department held annual football games every November, six teams from the five districts plus headquarters. One game per week, finishing just before Christmas.
Theodore was genuinely surprised. He'd always assumed Bernie was just a casual enthusiast.
Bernie was pleased with Theodore's reaction and began regaling him with stories of their precinct's various athletic achievements.
Theodore listened, then suddenly interrupted: "So the entire Free Fighters team knew Amos's tactical intentions and understood that he wanted to win, not throw the game."
"But Leroy called Amos a 'traitor, a liar, who betrayed their trust.' This can't be about the game strategy."
"He and Amos have other secrets."
Bernie slapped the steering wheel. "See! I told you! He definitely has a problem!"
Theodore glanced at him. "The deceased left the field in the latter half of the third quarter and entered the locker room to treat his injury. That was the last time he appeared in public."
"At that point, there was less than thirty minutes left in the game."
"Those thirty minutes were when the deceased was alone, and when the murderer struck."
"At a normal pace, players would return to the locker room after the game ended, and the killer would lose the opportunity."
"The murderer couldn't have known in advance that Leroy would incite a riot afterward."
"Leroy was on the field during this entire period. He couldn't be the killer."
When discussing the case, Bernie became equally serious. "So anyone who might have entered the locker room within those thirty minutes is a suspect?"
Theodore shook his head, providing a more precise timeframe. "If the deceased hadn't been killed, he should have returned to the field immediately after treating his injury."
"The murderer must have struck between when the deceased entered the locker room and when he finished treating the nosebleed."
"How long does it take to stop a nosebleed?" he asked Bernie.
Bernie considered. "Three to five minutes?"
Theodore nodded. "Given that the visitors' locker room is in such an isolated location, the murderer likely had been targeting the deceased for some time. Seeing him alone, they immediately followed him in to commit the crime."
"The killer used football equipment from the locker room to strangle the deceased, dragged the body into the restroom, stuffed it in a stall, and quietly left."
Bernie's tone turned grim. "That day, Oak Grove Manor High School expelled all black people from campus."
Theodore nodded. "The only black people on campus were the team members, but they were all on the field when the crime occurred."
This meant the murderer who killed the deceased was white.
Given last night's explosive atmosphere, Bernie could already imagine the uproar this revelation would cause once announced.
Theodore seemed oblivious to the implications and continued his analysis. "Because of the game, Oak Grove Manor High School's campus security was relatively strict yesterday."
"Only ticket holders, a few council members and their entourages, school security guards, teachers and students, board members, and various media reporters were allowed on campus. Black people and non-ticket holders were all stopped at the gates."
Bernie glanced at Theodore, who was once again writing and sketching in his notebook, and fell silent.
Narrowing the scope from hundreds of thousands to a few thousand was progress... right?
The silence was broken by the radio crackling to life. News came from the crime scene: the electrician had finished the wiring, and the medical examiner's team had arrived at the school, ready to collect evidence.
Bernie quickly told them to wait.
Setting down the radio, Bernie asked a question Theodore hadn't considered: what exactly were they now?
They'd refused the East District theft case, refused vacation, and insisted on participating in this investigation, but no one had agreed, and no one had objected.
Wenner hadn't assigned them specific tasks, and they had no idea what progress the rest of the Homicide Team was making.
When they requested cooperation at the scene, everyone complied without question.
Theodore put down his notebook, thought seriously for a moment, and offered his assessment.
He believed this was intentional on Wenner's part and others'. Whether they would be considered the primary investigators of this case depended entirely on who the murderer turned out to be.
Silence fell in the car again, lasting until they reached Oak Grove Manor High School.
When they arrived, several vehicles with "Southern Star Catering Services" printed on their sides were parked at the school entrance. Over a dozen workers wearing uniforms bearing the same company name were loading ingredients and equipment into the trucks.
Bernie learned from a security guard that according to the school's arrangements, a celebratory banquet was supposed to be held in the stadium building adjacent to the sports field after last night's game.
The banquet was being catered by Southern Star Catering Services.
The company had arrived at the school around 2 PM yesterday and begun setting up. Southern Star wasn't only responsible for the banquet setup, but also provided serving staff and cleanup services afterward.
This meant Oak Grove Manor High School hadn't been as strictly controlled yesterday as they'd initially thought.
Theodore suggested requesting the company's employee list from last night, but Bernie shook his head.
Bernie pointed at the busy workers moving in and out and explained to Theodore that more than half these people were temporary hires. The names on the ID badges they wore belonged to actual company employees, but even the people who hired them didn't know who was actually wearing those badges.
They didn't need names, just people who could work. Payment would be made with the ID badge after the job was completed.
To prove his point, Bernie casually stopped a worker whose badge read "Anthony Tabbert."
The ID showed a bald, middle-aged man. The person wearing it, however, was a black-haired woman.
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