Murder in the City of Marylane

18. Addicts

Breath hunting. I clenched my hand. So, this was what he had in mind at the time? I don't know why I feel angry.

“Why?” Dean's voice entered my sense of hearing.

“We must be fast.” I said a little harshly. I was about to open the door, but from when Dean was near me and held my hand.

“I drive,” he said with a flat gaze.

I dodged. “I'm it.”

“Your atmosphere even looks unstable. You want to drive a car with that kind of emotion? I doubt you'll take us safely.”

We looked at each other. I let out a rough breath. “Good.”

With a nervous feeling, I sat in the passenger seat. Dean was driving while Harry sat down next to Dean.

Dean started running the car.

“What's up, Juan?” Harry, who was sitting next to the driver's seat, turned towards me, asking.

“Ashley. The caretaker of the orphanage, said that he was going to lure the culprit. Worst chance he's been caught. We have to hurry, Dean.”

Dean looked at me from the rearview mirror. “I understand,” said. Then he took out a siren and put it on the roof of our car through the windowpanes. I know, he's good at driving. I don't know what it would be like if I were driving. Bad chances are it might happen.

I called Archer, captain of the other team.

“What?”  tanyanya direct.

“You're in the office?”

“I'm going home. What's up?” 

“There is a package on top of my desk?”

“There. You're still investigating the case?” 

“Please open that package.” I didn't answer the question.

“Eh?”

“Quick!” I'm impatient.

“Iya, yes. Jeez,” said. I heard a thin breath there. “Sebentar.”

“What's in it?”

“Old output phone.”

“What's in that phone?”

“Shortly,” said. “There is only one application. The other is a built-in app. This app is connected with tracking tool.” 

“Can you go to the indicated location? We are on our way and we will follow. We might need your help there. Ah, yes, also send the location on the phone to us just in case.”

“Alright. Need I call my team?”

“Suach to you. Thank you, Archer!”

We arrived at the address that the old man had given us. Sean we told him about what we got. We have also received some information. That was Sches Martinez. He once made some criminal records such as stealing and making a fuss.

The location that the grandfather gave was in a simple house. We've turned off our sirens. After informing Sean, he ordered us to arrest him secretly. We parked our cars at a distance not too far from the perpetrator's house.

We sneak. This house is dark. It looks like it is uninhabited. There's me, Dean, Harry, Archer—and two guys from his team, and of course Sean, and three detectives from the city of Raven—including Rosemary. Then some police officers hid behind cars.

We crouched down, trying to hide near the doorstop. Sean was already preparing at the door to knock on him, pretending to be a guest.

The door was violently broken. Sean exclaims.

“He escaped!” sean exclaimed as he looked at a silhouette that went from his sight.

“Six people, come with me!” Sean exclaimed again. Two detectives from Raven City, Archer and two members of his team and Dean joined our captain. We understand that he told the remaining three men to look for Ashley.  Several other policemen on guard also split up.

Sean and the others leave this house to catch the perpetrator. Me, Harry, and Rosemary enter this house and search for Ashley. We split.

A few minutes later, we gathered in the living room. They shook their heads, a sign that they found no sign of Ashley's existence.

“Where is he?” mummified worried.

“How about the basement?”

“I didn't find it. I don't think there's a basement here.”

“There may be a hidden room or a clue that he has another room,” Rosemary said.

We split back to look for clues.

“Hidden room, yes?” I walked by dragging my fingers against a wall in a room. This room might be his room. Just like the rooms in general, there was nothing suspicious. I try to knock it every time I step.

Until I found a different voice at some point.

I tried to knock on the wall which was about two feet away from the wall which had a different sound.

Then I repeated—knocking on the previous wall.

His louder voice made me think that there was indeed a room behind it. I think this one's just a door that looks like a wall. This one wall is made of wood, different from the wall that I had previously carved. I pushed.

He installed a door that was exactly against his wall, but there was no safety there. Maybe he thought that no one would find him. After all, this wall is not the same as all the walls in the room.

Surrounded by curiosity, I went inside without calling Harry and Rosemary. I spontaneously closed my nose with the back of my hand because this room smelled rather musty. There is no ventilation. This room is very dark. I don't know where the switch is.

I opened my phone, turned on the flashlight. He pointed the flashlight all over the room, and a woman caught my sense of sight.

“Ashley!” I said. I approached him. He was lying on the floor, his legs and hands were chained, his face somewhat battered. He's totally nuts.

“Ashley! Ashley!” call me repeatedly. I woke him up— made him sit down. I put my phone on the floor— with the flashlight still on— in reverse position. Lighting this room.

“AHHHH! GO AWAYL! GO!” She was hysterically screaming, as if to think of me as that vile perpetrator,

“It's me! I'm Detective Scott! Relax!” I held both of his shoulders, trying to resuscitate him. Soon, his consciousness returned. She looked at me, then her tears broke into this room.

I hugged him—trying to calm him down.

“I'm here. I'm here.”

I am still sitting in this dark room. Ashley who was crying hysterically fell unconscious. Rosemary and Harry came upon hearing Ashley's scream. They called an ambulance, and Ashley was taken to a safe place, accompanied by Rosemary. I was still down, but I knew Harry had found a light switch once this room turned bright.

“Juan.” Harry called.

I'm looking. Harry was standing against the wall.

I stood up, approached him. My eyes looked at something in front of me.

Poster that almost filled the wall without paint, a television and a single sofa, DVD tapes were scattered.

I think this is the reason why Sches Martinez did this.

He is a pornography addict.