Sam couldn't believe what he just heard. His partner had created some chaos from his bold moves. Claire could hear the news as well which was making her uncomfortable. What if they really catch the serial killer in a week's time before she could get to meet him?
"Idiot John…" Sam mumbled when he heard the news.
"Aren't you and him partners?" Claire asked when Sam was thinking about John.
"Yes, and I have got an idiot one. It's not like we actually had more than a week's time to catch the killer but saying irresponsible stuff like this has gone too far," He mentioned, ignoring the fact that the ice cream in his hand had started melting. He had to go and catch up with his partner. "I think we should go."
He paid the stall owner and called a taxi to reach the latest crime scene. Before that, he dropped Claire at her home.
"I hope you liked my company," He mentioned when she was about to enter her house. "To be honest, I do am serious from normal people."
She stopped and answered, "Knowing someone in mere moments is quite impossible." Her eyes got lost somewhere suddenly. "Sometimes, you don't seem to know even about the people closest to you."
Sam had nothing to say, only, "Take care. I will send someone to guard your house. Keep the doors and windows shut. And most important, don't go anywhere without telling me." He went away when she entered her house after nodding.
As soon the taxi went away, she sneaked out quietly and checked if he really went away or not.
Detective John, on the other hand, was thinking over his statement he gave in the presence of media personnel. It was too late to even regret now. He was already under stress over the case. He added more to it himself after saying such things.
While he was thinking outside Dr. Felter's house, a police officer arrived in a hurry.
"Sir, please come inside. We have found something, or, rather someone," He mentioned, making John raise his eyebrow in curiosity.
"Someone?" He uttered and hurried inside. When he entered the house, he could see a policeman lifting an unconscious girl in his arms.
"Who is she? Where did you find her?" John asked when the policeman made her lie down on the bed.
"Sir, she was tied with ropes in the basement with her mouth tied with a cloth," The policeman who brought the girl said.
"Bring Jessica here and ask her if she recognizes this girl," John ordered. A police officer nodded and walked out of the room and returned with Jessica.
She entered and saw the girl lying on the bed.
"Do you know this girl?" John asked. "We have found her in your basement."
"Basement?" She uttered when her eyes expanded in shock. "What was she doing in the basement? Sir, what happened to her? Is she… Is she… dead?"
She was already in trauma after her father's death, so it was natural for her to panic. "She is just unconscious. Tell me, have you seen her somewhere?" John asked again. "You would tell us that what she was doing in your basement?"
"Sir, I don't know what she was doing here," She replied.
"Do you recognize her?"
She took a good look at the girl's face and remembered that she had seen her in our college. "Sir, she studies in our college. I have seen her with my da…" She suddenly paused while speaking as if she realized something out of the blue.
John and the police officers were looking at each other.
"Have you seen her with your father?" John asked while squinting. It was getting complicated now, for him at least. He didn't know that things were slowly coming to light.
Jessica nodded to say yes in reply.
While they were talking, Sam arrived at the scene. He walked out of the taxi and headed straight inside in a hurry.
"What was she doing in your basement?" John asked Jessica who seemed as puzzled as everyone in the room.
"I don't know, sir," She replied. "I don't know what she was doing in the basement."
John nodded slowly and ordered the police officer to take her back. When Jessica went out of the room, Sam entered and walked straight to John.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Sam questioned with a frown.
"Where were you, Sam?" John asked without answering his question.
"I was working on our case, but tell me, who told you to give reckless statements in the media?" Sam asked.
John sighed and made a regretful face. "Nothing can be done now. We have to find the serial killer in a week's time," He replied.
"It's not like we had more than a week before your statement."
John raised his eyebrow after hearing it and asked, "What do you mean?"
"Boss had called earlier and told us to catch him in a week or he would take our jobs," Sam replied.
It was everywhere in the news that the detective had openly challenged the masked serial killer. He had asked for a week's time to catch him.
"Would the serial killer run away or would he start preying on more people?"
"Was this a bold move from Detective Jonathan to challenge the masked serial killer or it was an idiotic move?"
These were the topics running on local news channels, national news channels, and social media. Everybody was giving their reactions to this.
Some were saying that it was a bold move while some were bashing the police for their incompetence.
The opposition political party started raising questions already from the ruling political party about the incompetence of the police. They started doing politics over it.
However, the news reached the person whom John wanted it to reach. Alex pulled out a tied polythene bag from a trash bin in a dark alley. There were clothes inside it which he hid there earlier.
He changed his clothes and walked out of the alley. He was wearing a black full-sleeved t-shirt with light blue jeans. He was passing by an electronics shop when he heard the news.
"One week… Give me just one week. I will catch that killer and bring him to you. If I won't keep my promise, do whatever you want to do with me."
"If you are watching this, know that you won't be able to run from me for long."
Alex smirked after hearing it and walked away.