Despite a report about something found in a bedroom's surveillance blind spot, the detail seemed trivial to everyone now.
Rodson was desperately hoping to hear the tech team declare, "Hey, pal, this video's a fake!"
Sadly, the tech experts were right there with him, silently observing the screen after the footage had ended.
Rodson adjusted his uniform's zipper, let out a sigh, and requested, "Show me what you've uncovered."
A screenshot from an alternative surveillance angle appeared on Rodson's monitor, revealing a camera hidden at the staircase's second-floor turn.
This camera's lower vantage point offered a view into a bedroom corner, otherwise missed by both the room's and the hallway's surveillance.
Through this strategically placed lens, Rodson saw with clarity a ghost-faced doll, eerily silent in a corner of victim Steve's bedroom.
Rodson was transfixed by the sight of the doll on the monitor for a few moments before a colleague retrieved the doll, now evidence, from among other collected items.
Yet, Rodson barely glanced at it, dismissively instructing, "Put it back. Isn't this whole scenario ludicrous?"
Indeed, the situation bordered on the absurd.
A heavy silence fell, enveloping all present with a palpable tension.
In the midst of the silence, Nathan, who had been typically reserved, suddenly spoke up: "Um, I think I noticed something strange about that video."
When asked by a technician, "Which scene?" Nathan's expression conveyed discomfort as he replied, "The climax of the event, the part where the victim commits suicide."
The officers were silent.
The footage was swiftly rewound by the technician to the moment Steve frenziedly turned the chainsaw on himself.
Nathan, despite his unease, pinpointed the scene, instructing, "There! Hold it! Zoom in!"
"Focusing there, yes, that's the spot, please enlarge!"
Nathan's focus was on a wardrobe Steve had previously obscured; its door cracked open slightly, revealing a sliver of white.
Earlier, as everyone's attention was captivated by Steve's actions with the chainsaw, the wardrobe went unnoticed. Nathan's direction now unveiled a clue previously overlooked.
A white object was indeed concealed within the wardrobe!
Under Rodson's direction, the technician magnified the image of the wardrobe's crack, gradually bringing the white object into clearer view until finally...
A small, deathly pale face with a bluish tinge and bloodshot eyes was revealed to all.
This hauntingly pale face, with its lifeless, dark eyes, gazed blankly as Steve continued his harrowing ordeal with the chainsaw.
Then, as though alerted to something, the small, lifeless face subtly shifted its gaze towards the bedroom camera.
The dead stare met with the onlookers', sending a shiver down everyone's spine.
A sudden drop in the room's temperature seemed to accompany the collective chill.
"Ah!!"
A female officer's scream broke the silence, startling her colleagues.
Rodson quickly made his way upstairs to the bedroom, opening the wardrobe to reveal not just clothes but a segmented, humanoid doll.
Curiously, the doll was dissected into sections, barely held together, with a name inscribed on its back: Joseph.
Joseph, the true identity of Steve.
After a brief pause, Rodson could no longer ignore the significance of the two dolls found on the premises.
Then, a mysterious voice emerged from behind Rodson, "Perhaps this case warrants the expertise of exorcists."
Nathan, having quietly approached, added, "This is beyond eerie."
Rodson, with a touch of scorn, countered, "Gentlemen, should we still believe in such beliefs today? You ought to put your faith in science."
Nathan, gesturing towards the video, queried, "How then do you rationalize the deceased child in the wardrobe?"
"Perhaps God could provide us with an explanation."
Rodson, poking Nathan's chest, speculated, "What if it was a girl in disguise, hidden in the wardrobe?"
Nathan considered, "Given the brief span from Steve's distress call to our arrival, merely ten minutes, where could the girl have vanished?"
"This showcases the criminal's ingenuity!"
Rodson confidently concluded, "He cleverly left no trace, instead crafting a distraction."
Nathan remained silent.
"Buddy, perhaps it's you who's bewildered."
Rodson was puzzled.
"Nathan, as officers of the law, shouldn't we anchor our faith in science?"
Before Nathan could retort, an officer, cautious despite the removed body, alerted, "There's a development!"
Rodson pressed for details, "What's the matter?"
"The deciphered dialogue from the video reveals the victim invoked the nicknames of abducted children with each self-inflicted chainsaw wound."
Rodson's demeanor stayed calm, having anticipated as much from the victim's mouth movements.
Then, the officer, visibly shaken, revealed, "Our recent inquiries into the victim's kin present... a peculiarly eerie scenario!"
Rodson was once again confronted with the unsettling term "eerie."
He signaled the officer to proceed.
Drawing a deep breath, the officer disclosed, "The victim, known as Steve, or rather Joseph, saw his father found hanged just an hour ago, with death estimated between 1 and 2 p.m. today."
"Joseph's ex-wife, their son, and daughter-in-law met their end in a tragic accident at 1:22 p.m. today."
"Joseph's mistress perished by drowning at 1:15 p.m. today."
"Joseph's brothers and their wives, a total of four, were victims of a fatal fire at 12:50 p.m. today. Only their families were affected, despite others in the vicinity remaining unharmed."
"Joseph's uncle and his family, four in total, died in a catastrophic cable car failure at 1:30 p.m. today. Their remains, found shortly after, were beyond recognition."
"And Joseph's sister, involved with an diagnosed with AIDS six months prior, passed away around 1 p.m. today."
"Investigations into their residences unearthed proof of involvement in human trafficking, indicating none were innocent."
"Far from innocent, they were actively expanding their illicit network. This suggests a web of collusion among Joseph's relatives."
With the briefing concluded, Rodson and Nathan were left in disbelief.
Rodson questioned, "Is this some sort of narrative you're spinning?"
Nathan, visibly upset, said, "This isn't a time for cruel jokes, given our feelings towards Steve."
The officer quietly handed over the internal report, its contents confirming the grim reality.
Then, Nathan, visibly shocked, showed Rodson two significant figures:
One represented the fourteen family members of Joseph who died under various circumstances within an hour.
The other was about the ten children who, after being abducted by Joseph, had died over different periods.
Nathan then gestured downwards, symbolizing five, a silent message to Rodson.
Together, these numbers suggested that a total of fifteen children taken by Joseph had perished.
Fourteen, fifteen?!
Rodson urgently inquired, "Are we certain all direct kin of Joseph have been accounted for as deceased?"
The officer confirmed, "To the best of our knowledge, yes. But we're still awaiting further details from our colleague Sandy, who is liaising with other precincts."
No sooner had he finished than a female officer, breathless from urgency, arrived with new information, "There's an update you need to hear!"
"There exists a child who is the daughter of the victim and his mistress, legally under the guardianship of a friend. Her name is Melissa!"
Instinctively, Rodson asked, "Where is this daughter currently?"
"In Florida," came the reply.
"Florida?!" Rodson echoed, a sense of déjà vu washing over him.
Nathan added softly, "Joseph had invested two million in purchasing a doll from a teenager, details unknown. But that teenager, having sold the doll, bought a ticket to Florida today."
...
In the vibrant streets of Florida...
A real estate agent, in professional attire, excitedly introduced a poised and elegantly dressed lady to Kate, "Mr. Kate, meet the proprietor of this establishment, Miss Melissa!"
"Miss Melissa, this gentleman is Mr. Kate, keen on leasing your property. Quite a young and handsome prospect, wouldn't you agree?"
Melissa, with a gracious smile, nodded in agreement, "Indeed, quite handsome and with a demeanor of refinement."
Offering her hand, she warmly greeted, "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kate."
Kate, returning the gesture with a gentle handshake, replied with a smile, "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Melissa."
.