"So, how will it be?" Tobey asked while frowning hard.
"H-Hey, Tobey! What are you doing, man? Are you going crazy?" Roger said, grabbing Tobey's arm and trying to lower it. The detective didn't allow him to do so, though. He held his arm firmly in the same position with a strength that Roger couldn't match.
The man cast a confused look toward Tobey. He was shocked by both, his resolution to threaten that woman and the strength he had. After all, Roger always was stronger than Tobey.
"S-Sir... you are in a place filled with kids and other employees that work only for their sake. If you have anything against me, we can solve it in private, but don't hurt them, please," she pleaded in a teary voice.
"If you don't want to have your head blown by one or two shots, you better shut up and just open your damn mouth when I ask you something!" he shouted.
The woman shrugged her shoulders, placing her hands in front of her face. It was a useless reaction, but it was natural of her body.
"Tobey, what happened to you at all!? You better lower your gun or else I-"
"Shut up and get out of here if you don't have the guts to do what needs to be done, Roger. I am doing my freaking part here!"
Roger's face turned grim as he looked at Tobey. For a moment, he was uneasy about what to do.
The woman glanced at him with a desperate but meaningful look. Somehow, it made the man give a step back and cease his frenzy. He didn't seem willing to stop Tobey anymore.
"First question: who is the owner of this place and the person who runs everything?"
The woman nodded her head as if bowing to him.
"It's me, sir. I am the daughter of the man who built this place."
Tobey seemed satisfied, so the tension in his index finger lessened. He seemed less eager to pull the trigger.
"Okay, second question: tell me your name," he coarsely asked.
"My name is Sa-"
Tobey pressed the trigger, shooting her mercilessly. The sound of the gunshot echoed across the orphanage. Tobey heard the screams and sobs of many kids and employees starting as they heard that sound, but he didn't care.
The woman stood there with a shocked expression. There was a scratch on her left ear.
"I am afraid that this is the wrong letter, ma'am."
"TOBEY!" Roger roared, giving a step forward, but getting interrupted as the woman glared at him and shook her head discreetly.
Suddenly, her expression changed completely. The kind and cozy expression in her face and eyes disappeared, getting replaced by one of disdain and hatred.
"I must admit that you are very bold, demon. Who would think that a rat like you would show up so suddenly and start this fuss... I think you are more courageous than we thought," she said as she raised one brow.
"I clearly said some seconds ago for you not to say a single word unless I ask you something. You better ask my question already with honesty and shut up right after," he narrowed his eyes, threatening to pull the trigger again.
"My name is Melissa Paige. I would like to say that it is a pleasure to see you, Tobey Foster. However, our situation is quite... delicate."
Tobey nodded his head.
"I want to see the registers of all the kids."
"But, Tobey, we already saw it many times. We even took them to our department. The kids are clean, their origins are legitimate!" Roger said somewhat wary.
"I am not talking about the kids who are here currently, Roger. I want the registers of the first to the last kid to step into this place. Also, the year when this thing got built."
Quickly, the three of them hurried to Melissa Paige's room. Once they got there, she silently and calmly searched for all the data that Tobey demanded, finding a file folder stuffed with papers.
Tobey took that file folder and delivered it to Roger.
"I don't even need to read this thing. Just see from the older registered kid to the newest. I bet that the first ones came more than a decade ago, which was also around the time this place was built. All these kids came from the suburbs, and mostly a specific area. Also, most of them were grown-up kids, not babies, which is even more worth noting."
As Roger browsed that file folder, his eyes widened as he found out that everything that Tobey said was quite precise.
"What is even more interesting is that these kids had bright futures ahead, I bet."
"Yes, from doctor to successful businessman. I see some interesting names here, people who stood out as they grew up. Like Matthew Gray, Yuri Yaeger..."
"And, of course, Tobey Foster," the detective completed.
Just as he said so, Roger widened his eyes as he got to a certain page.
"Y-Yes... Tobey Foster. Are you saying that..."
"That's not important anymore. But, here is the thing: there is an entire market behind this orphanage. The reason why they take grown-up kids is that they can only see their true talent after a certain age. These kids are taken from their families and stay here until someone comes to buy them. It's a more sophisticated kind of slave market as the kids certainly will bring a lot in reputation and money for their families, also as empowering the name of the orphanage as the House of Angels.
"Prodigious, genius kids; that's where the money is at."
[Hmm... false accusation. Bold movement.]
'But of course! If I don't be creative, what will I say? That there is an orphanage of paladins delivering demon kids to other paladins? I would go to a hospice right away. Also, the disappearances of adults would also be justified since they need to get rid of the families.'
Roger looked at him with a complicated expression, then at Melissa Paige.
"All I needed to do was to connect some dots here and there, also as use common sense. I needed to get myself into some crazy things, but everything paid off as I have enough evidence.
"I am more than glad to announce that you are under arrest, Melissa Paige. I don't even need to bother to say the rest, do I?"
Melissa Paige just stood there, not moving a single inch. She clearly had the urge to use her powers, but couldn't do so in front of Roger and inside the orphanage.
She was caught completely off-guard by that man. Any bolder movement she did would only result in more problems in human society. She couldn't let her selfish actions reflex in the paladin society, otherwise, the demons would get benefited from that.
"You will regret this, demon. You will surely regret this. You are fighting against powerful people. People that know how to make you bleed, directly and indirectly. May your wits save you when the time comes, because you clearly aren't strong enough right now to protect yourself nor those whom you love."
"Too bad for you. My wits will be more than enough. I have all of you dancing in the palm of my hand."
She gritted her teeth and glared at Tobey, still with her hands raised in a signal of submission.
"Let's take her to the police, Roger," Tobey said while taking a step forward.
"Don't worry, Tobey," Roger put a hand in front of him. His eyes showed that he truly trusted what Tobey was doing now, as crazy as it was. "I know that a lot is going on in your mind. Leave her with me. I will take her to the police station."
"B-But... it may be dangerous..." Tobey tried to argue.
"What? I will handcuff her, you know? A weak and handcuffed woman can possibly do anything to me?" he mocked.
[Wow... you are in a tight spot right now. After all, if you say something about her suddenly having the strength to break handcuffs, you will mess with everything. Now, that's a situation where they would send you to the hospice!]
'Yes, but she is in a tight spot as well. Even if she does something to him, I am still alive and will accuse her of everything. Her life will be worst than hell either way.'
[Fair enough...]
Trusting in his partner, Tobey nodded his head and left as Roger handcuffed Melissa Paige.
'Anyhow, it was good that I got the chance to go ahead instead of wasting my time with Melissa Paige. There are two more that I can take at the same time if I do things right. I will need to be quite bold, but things will surely work out.'
[You are quite confident, huh?]
'Of course. That's the final act. The part where the hunted becomes the hunter. If I hesitate or back away now, I will be that useless person you saw some days ago forever. I can't let that happen at all!'