"Oh, really?" March's fingertips trembled slightly as he asked casually, "No offense, I have some interest in deductions, can you explain how you discovered it?"
"Of course. I could use someone to affirm my point of view." Shiller took a poetry collection from the 19th century off the bookshelf, resting his arm on the railing, he began to narrate while flipping through the pages:
"The most obvious evidence is that Mr. Errimu died in great pain. Unlike the previous cases where the victims were killed instantly, both Chief Gordon and Batman inferred that the killer bore a grudge against Errimu, which was why he tortured him like that."
"If you've seen the corpse, you would know. Mr. Errimu died in a very gruesome manner and his last moments were filled with immense pain."
March's breathing quickened, his chest heaved; he crossed his chest and said, "Really now? God bless him. Although I don't mean to question the conclusions of the world's greatest detective Batman, did he come to any other conclusions about the murderer?"
"Of course, he was about to, but I interrupted him."
Even standing on the second floor, Shiller could distinctly hear March taking a deep breath on the first floor. Shiller chuckled and continued, "I told Batman to hurry up and investigate the assassin organization instead of wasting time here."
March's grip on the armrest of the chair tightened, as if it took a lot of effort to let go. He covered his mouth with his hand and asked, "Why would you say that? Shouldn't Batman immediately arrest the brutal murderer?"
"There, you are mistaken." Shiller strolled around the second floor with the book. The muffled sound of his leather shoes stepping on the floor were in-sync with March's heartbeat.
"During my tenure at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I've experienced many cases. Frankly speaking, if we look at things objectively and rationally, personal crimes and passion killings are the least harmful forms of homicide. On the contrary, large-scale organized crimes, or what could be termed as terrorist attacks, are what truly deserve attention and human resources."
At this point, Shiller suddenly stopped, turned, and stared at March, saying, "Any person with a bit of common sense would know that compared to a simple revenge killing, an assassin organization poses a much greater danger and should be the priority. Only this way can we guarantee the safety of taxpayers' lives and property to the greatest extent."
March removed his feet from the coffee table; he wasn't as relaxed now. Still leaning back on the sofa, he carefully replied, "Yes, but doesn't the murderer's brutal method have a negative impact?"
"That's an overreaction." Shiller slightly tilted his head back, smiled, and said to March, "So-called brutality... Ah, excuse me, that's not a term Batman or I, or even Chief Gordon would use. It was a young policeman who led us to the morgue where the body was stored. He had recently transferred from Central City, and you know, the public security there is first-class. He's just not used to dealing with such cases."
"The murderer is far from being brutal." Shiller shook his head, "In the archives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there is a vast number of serial killers far more terrifying than him."
"Since he was to torment the victim, let's discuss this act of 'torment.' He stabbed the victim's lungs with a sharp instrument, but didn't let him die instantly. Instead, he made the victim choke on his own blood, and indeed, the victim died painfully. But that doesn't make it brutal."
The expression on March's face turned somewhat stiff. He was about to say something, but his rationality stopped him. March's thumbs began to rotate back and forth, and he asked in a low voice, "Isn't that brutal enough?"
"Of course, the distance from brutality is as far as Central City is from Gotham," reassured Shiller. Just as March was about to say something, Shiller didn't give him the chance to interrupt. Abandoning his previous casual tone, he began speaking faster and faster.
"Serial killers who operate individually primarily pose a threat not due to the number of murders they commit, but because their excessively brutal cases can incite public panic. They may also lead to copycat crimes, with numerous examples of these seen in many states, with various imitators of the butcher who skins victims, cannibals, and the Ripper."
"But allow me to be blunt, the murderer who killed Errimu cannot in any way be considered a bloodthirsty killer. He is nothing but an awkward coward. I advised Batman not to bat an eye at him. Batman accused me of being cold-hearted and hence our argument."
"However, the reality is that this murderer killed Errimu for the most simplistic and superficial reasons of resentment; it could even be personal resentment. Perhaps just because Errimu scratched his car or stepped on his lawn, he held a grudge against him. It wasn't a case of one class hating another class, or one group hating another group."
"There is no ideological substance to his crime. Even though the wounds are glaringly present before my eyes, I cannot read anything from them. I can't see the depth of his soul through his clumsy and amateurish work; it's so shallow, dry, and boring."
"I told Batman that this kind of murderer should not receive any attention because they are simply degrading life, squandering the precious one-time gift of human life."