Ignoring the looks on everyone else's faces, the officer from outside burst through the door and lunged toward the projection screen, his eyes fixed on the severed arm.
More specifically, he was staring at the ring on the severed arm.
Evan Keller looked at the officer who had just run in, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Officer Reed, what is it?"
"Trey, where did you get this photo?" Officer Reed's eyes remained glued to the image on the screen, his voice trembling slightly.
Before Evan Keller could even answer, Officer Reed pulled several photos from his pocket, swiftly selecting one and placing it in front of him.
It was a photo of a young woman. The ring on her finger was identical to the one on the severed arm.
A complicated look flashed in Evan Keller's eyes—he was relieved to finally have a lead on the victim's identity and advance the case, but also saddened by the loss of a life.
"Our informant sensed something was wrong and came to us with this. It's footage she managed to secretly record.
We're trying to pinpoint the exact location now." Evan Keller explained briefly, but he didn't specify how Zoe Sawyer had made the discovery.
Until they had a clearer understanding of how Zoe Sawyer's ability worked, the fewer people who knew, the better.
Officer Reed's expression was intense, his voice edged with emotion. "This girl is one of the missing persons reported a month ago. We checked all the street-level surveillance, but all we saw was her walking into a blind spot. She never reappeared."
They went down that street, asking in every single shop, but almost no one remembered the missing woman.
The few who did recall anything only remembered her walking down that path, with no one following her.
They couldn't recall any more than that.
After all, more than a month had passed. With so many people coming and going daily, it was impossible to remember an ordinary person one had only seen a handful of times.
Sean Hughes stroked his chin, rewound the video to the very beginning, and listened to the two killers' conversation.
Then, Sean Hughes paused the video at a certain point. "Judging by their accents and speech patterns, these two are probably locals. That narrows the search down considerably.
Now we just need to determine their usual haunts, and we can start ruling out potential locations for the crime."
Zoe Sawyer raised her hand. As everyone in the office turned to look at her, she spoke with certainty. "They're locals. The other man who was talking isn't tall, and he walks with a limp. Something's clearly wrong with his leg."
She'd been afraid of being discovered, so she had pulled her phone back too quickly to record the second person.
But before the door closed, Zoe Sawyer had gotten a perfectly clear look at his general build.
"Excellent! That makes things much easier!" Evan Keller slammed a hand on the table, his expression alight with excitement.
Both killers had distinctive physical characteristics, which would make them easier to identify.
So, without Evan Keller having to say another word, Sean Hughes understood what was needed. He volunteered to lead a team out and start canvassing.
Officer Reed couldn't sit still either, offering to send some of his own men along.
The sooner they found the location, the sooner they could catch the killers.
Evan Keller didn't refuse. They were already short-staffed, so having the extra help would make things much easier.
Besides, if they confirmed the severed arm belonged to the victim from Officer Reed's missing person case, the two cases would have to be merged anyway.
Zoe Sawyer glanced around at the officers springing into action. She saw Evan Keller, frowning as he scrubbed back and forth through the video, and the exhausted Officer Reed, who was still forcing himself to go out and continue the search.
'I have to do something,' she thought.
"What if… I try again?" Zoe Sawyer looked at Evan Keller and asked quietly.
'I need to try a few more times to figure out the pattern of these doors opening.'
'Otherwise, being on edge like this every time is bound to affect my normal life.'
Evan Keller was tempted, but something gave him pause, and he shook his head in refusal. "No. We have no idea what you'll run into this time. What if you come face-to-face with the killers?"
But this time, Zoe Sawyer was resolute. "I'll just open a small crack and stick my phone through to see what's on the other side. That's safer than a direct confrontation.
Besides, searching like this is a waste of time. They're working as a team, which means they must have more secrets. The sooner we catch them, the safer everyone else will be."
Zoe paused for a moment before adding, "And it's better to figure out the rules of this thing now, while I'm here at the station. It's much safer than trying to handle it by myself if it happens when I'm alone."
Evan Keller fell silent. He had to admit, Zoe Sawyer had a point.
She had hit on the very thing that was worrying him.
Officer Reed couldn't make heads or tails of the riddles they were speaking, but he gathered the gist of it: Zoe Sawyer had a way to help, but Evan Keller was refusing out of concern for her safety.
He thought of the parents of the other missing kids, of the hopeful looks in their eyes every time they came in to ask for an update.
"Young lady, you have a way, don't you? If it's a matter of safety, don't you worry. As long as you help me find these missing kids, I'll protect you with my life!" Officer Reed grabbed Zoe Sawyer's hand, his words earnest and pleading.
Evan Keller looked at Officer Reed's haggard face—the man had been his mentor since he first joined the force—and then at Zoe Sawyer's expectant expression. He finally let out a helpless sigh.
"Alright, I agree. But don't you move a muscle. Let me get some things ready first.
If you disobey orders and act on your own, don't blame me for revoking your future access and involvement in this case." Evan Keller's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Zoe Sawyer immediately nodded in agreement.
'I'm quite fond of my life, thank you very much!'
A few moments later, Evan Keller returned with several of his officers, each of them carrying equipment.
"This is a tracker. If the door opens to their location, throw this inside. We'll be able to get an immediate lock on the position and move in for the arrest." Evan Keller placed a small device in Zoe Sawyer's hand.
The device he'd given her was a new two-in-one tracker and listening bug, perfect for this situation.
If she managed to toss it inside, they could move in and arrest them on the spot!
Next, Evan Keller secured a safety tether around Zoe Sawyer's waist. If anything went wrong, he could pull her back in an instant.
Another officer stood behind Zoe Sawyer, gun drawn.
This was a precaution for the worst-case scenario—the possibility that the suspects were also armed and dangerous.
Officer Reed watched Evan Keller and his team's preparations with a baffled expression.
'Are all these preparations really necessary before we even head out?'
Zoe Sawyer stood before the glass door and took a deep breath. Just as she was about to reach for the handle, she paused.
'Could it have something to do with which hand I use to open the door?'
She pulled back her dominant hand and decided to try with the other.
Zoe Sawyer grabbed the handle and carefully pulled the door open just a crack.
The scene behind the door instantly filled her vision.