Middendorffi and Eli unified the calibre, but the "collector" still took a second review of the process; the unit's other two "inspiration" relatively strong colleagues called to look at the scene.
The result, as Bear, Jones said, was that this colleague from the Middendorffi and the Criminal Investigation Department did not see anything wrong.
In the face of this situation, the "collector" people are not entirely uncontroversial. The reason is also straightforward: Middendorffi and Eli are "contract workers"; now only they say there is something, "Collector" regular employees say there is not. So who's right? If we go by Bear and Jones' story, who will take the responsibility if it's wrong?
Usually, this topic doesn't come up much. But with so many lives at stake, it must be treated cautiously. To sum up this topic, is the opinion of Bear and Jones representative of the judgement of the "collectors" or not?
In the end, Henry and Lupin sign off on the mission and are the ones to assist and follow up on Middendorffi and Eli's mission. This sounds a bit cumbersome and heartless; the "collectors" do not pay much money for each task but are also tied up. However, this is not a solution; if the process is relaxed, there may be thousands of false cases.
Anyway, the "collector" came forward from the police side and coordinated Middendorffi and Creato again face to face opportunity. At the same time, because the "Collector" officially joined the investigation, the police side also released some of the progress of the inquiry in secrecy.
"The last person the girl saw before she died was Creato?"
Henry leaned against the back of the chair in the conference room, narrowing his eyes and frowning: "So, Creato is the biggest suspect on the board soon? That should be detained. Otherwise, that dad of his, always stopping in front of the investigators and pointing fingers, isn't that annoying?"
"Who says it isn't? The police force is arranging for an expert to assess him; he'll be detained if he can be discharged. But as you said, he's got a lot going on with his family, so I'm guessing he'll still do bail and get out." Lupin returned, "And there was another woman present at the time; Creato was said to have left earlier than she did, and that woman is the prime suspect."
"There was someone else?" Henry asked, "And has this female been found? How?"
Lupin gave him a look as if he was prepared for the question, "Found, dead."
"Dead?" Henry thought that was an unhelpful statement but quickly realised what was happening, "One of the villa fire cases?!"
"Bingo." Lupin nodded once, "It's the fact that this woman was also part of that little church group or whatever it was that caused the police to be alerted to the organisation again. They're mapping people's connections now, and they're saying that the department specialising in counter-cultism will also get involved."
Middendorffi, listening silently, suddenly asked, "The anti-cult department, isn't it 'The Collectors'?"
"How so? If there are strange and evil things, then they are our responsibility. If there isn't, then it's not our place to manage." Lupin explained, "In most cases, it's just people fooling around with it, so the default is to give it to the police to investigate first."
Henry mocks from the sidelines, "Sometimes people can be a lot scarier than ghosts ..."
Middendorffi inclined his head at him and didn't answer.
"Anyway, the police have promised to notify you guys immediately to meet the next time they come across that thing. So the time is uncertain right now, so you guys have a heads up." Lupin said, "The news from the police right now is that neither Creator nor the thing claims to remember the last encounter with the victim and what happened at the villa in the end. The doctors explain that with a split personality, memories may not be shared between the two personalities; they may be shared or partially shared, or they may be confused, resulting in neither having a complete memory. Plus, the human murder and the fire, both of which gave a great deal of stimulation, it's possible for psychological reasons to lead to memory loss."
"Possible, possible, possible." Henry snorted, "Then I'm still saying it's possible that thing commanded these people to commit suicide and set themselves on fire, okay?"
"The doctor and you just don't have the same perspective." Lupin finished returning to him and looked back to Middendorffi and Eli, who had been silent the entire time, "Anyway, we'll try to set up a meeting for you guys, but you shouldn't take this lightly. Twelve lives, whether it's Creato's doing or that thing's, is enough to classify a person, an unknown, as 'extremely dangerous' Mr Jones, Bear's well-being is on your mind."
A meeting had come to this point before Eli let out a "hmmm".
"Alright then, that's enough about work." Lupin turned to, "The rentals I talked to you two about earlier. Do you have time to check out the field tomorrow? And the psychiatrist, Bear, I've got you an appointment for the afternoon after tomorrow, nothing else pressing, no avoiding it."
Henry was a little amused, "It was only a few moments ago that the psychiatrist identified that thing as a second personality, and now you're telling Bear to go to the doctor; how do you expect him to trust the doctor?"
"It's not like it's the same doctor or clinic." Lupin said, "If you're free, pick up and drop off."
"Fine, I'll go as long as I go ..."
The two men went back and forth, skipping right over Middendorffi speaking on her own.
***
Plans were unmet, and the next day at noon, Middendorffi and Eli were picked up to face off with Creato, oh no, Suzanne.
This happened rather suddenly. According to the police, they assisted with Creato's hospital discharge. As he was being discharged from the hospital, Creato went into a trance and came back as a "second personality".
Oh, and to avoid calling "the thing" by name, the police now refer to Suzanne as "the second personality", and the name has become one of the most confidential matters.
Bear and Jones returned to the same nursing home and ward.
No one else is allowed in except the three people involved to prevent the situation from escalating. Henry understands this, but the police, who are also locked out, are confused: "You're letting them in like this? Don't you have a camera or a recorder or something?"
This is standard procedure, and "collectors" have often brought such equipment in the past. But Suzanne's unique nature makes all kinds of records; the less people know, the better, so Henry could only vaguely say: "We do special things."
"There won't be a fight in there, right? When you deal with those things, will you hurt the parties involved?"
"It shouldn't, should it?"
"'Should'?" The cops looked at the ward doors, "So, do we still have to have backup at all times? No, it's rescue... Creato won't be sent straight to the emergency room, right?"
Henry also looked at Fukushima, "That depends on how far the talks go ..."
The atmosphere inside the room, separated by a door, wasn't quite as sabre-rattling as one might expect from the outside.
But it was weird.
After closing the door, Middendorffi looked at the youth whose appearance and demeanour were no different from Creato's, and the first thing that popped up was, "You, a female?"
"... That's funny, Mr Brown." The youth sitting on the sofa in the lounge area suddenly laughed a little, making his demeanour look very different from before, "You know I'm female? Did you hear that from the doctor? Or did you guess from the name?"
"You spoke to the doctor?" Middendorffi stepped closer to him, no, her to be exact, and asked blandly, "How far did you talk to the doctor?"
"I didn't say it myself, and the doctor guessed it himself after talking to me." Suzanne laughed softly, "I just talked to him, and he guessed I was female. Based on the more feminine name, I guess?"
Instead of discussing this with her, Middendorffi continued, "What else did the doctor know besides your gender and name?"
"That's a lot, my age, personality, hobbies ... and even my appearance." Suzanne returned, "The doctor even has a portrait of me there. I think he did a good job; he didn't show it to you?"
"Not yet." Middendorffi sat on the other couch beside her, "I haven't interacted with your doctor either."
At this statement, Suzanne looked surprised, "It wasn't the doctor who told you? Then who did? I didn't even tell the police in that much detail." She paused and seemed to laugh, or snort, softly, "But the police didn't seem to care who or what I was like. They asked me if I was there before Wenwen Deng died and if I knew about the villa fire."
Wenwen Deng was the dead woman who had been missing for days before and whose remains were finally found in the countryside. Initially, Suzanne said these topics, as Middendorffi, but he seems to not care about the extended trend of the eye, just continuing his previous rhythm: "Of course, I see it myself."
"See for yourself ...?" Suzanne drifted off, "Oh yes, you could see my presence in Creato before. Could you tell a split personality just by the naked eye?"
"'Split personality'?" Middendorffi tosses out lightly, "You're not a personality."
Suzanne: "... What?"
"Don't pretend." Middendorffi looks her in the eye, clearly without expression, but as if bringing on some oppression in silence.
He said, "You're not a personality; you draw energy from Creato's brain, and your likeness is recognisable."
His fingers lifted as if sketching the image of the woman who was not visible to the average person or as if he was merely tracing Creato's brow. He asked, "Suzanne, where on earth did you come from? What are you?"
Suzanne looked at him in a daze for a long time.
Then she lowered her eyes and smiled, and when she raised them again, there was more than a bit of confidence, or rather, pride, in her expression.
"I don't know if you've heard of the Society of the Underworld Revealed?"
She held out her hand, male - from Creato - and female - from Suzanne. She looks at her raised hand, then with a flick of her eyes, meets Middendorffi's gaze again.
"I am the veneration of the Underworld Revelation Society, the Common Knowledge, the ... god that all shall sense."