East District Police Station.
A detective stared intently at the monitor, where various scenes were playing in rotation. In the upper right corner, a green caption indicated the location: Second Avenue, Hualier Street.
"What's the status, George? Any leads?" A slightly chubby, haggard-looking senior detective approached, his tone grave.
"Nothing yet. This guy perfectly avoids the surrounding cameras, and his speed is beyond normal. Many cameras only catch a fleeting shadow," George replied.
"Never thought we'd have someone like this in our district! Batman in the central area has started beating people again. These guys think they're above the law, killing at will!"
"Batman? At least Batman hasn't gone completely off the rails. But this guy—he's shown up twice, and each time there's been a death, with a 100% fatality rate," George said, his expression stern as he paused the video showing a man in a black cloak and mask, holding two tall men by their throats.
"Hey, boss, did you notice another detail?" A officer interjected, drawing George's attention to another screen. The footage showed a person pushing a cart, seemingly headed somewhere.
"What's this?"
George stared at the screen. The officer quickly zoomed in on the image, revealing a blurry face.
"Damn it! I've been saying we need to upgrade all the cameras. Look at this—what kind of image is this?" George cursed loudly, attracting the attention of other officers.
"What's wrong, George?"
"Nothing, we found someone who might be the 'Judge' at the scene, but we can't see his face clearly."
The senior detective turned to the black officer. "Have you checked other cameras to see where he came from and where he went?"
"Yes, starting from Second Avenue and ending at Third Street. The suspicious locations are Hualier Street and Horst Street, with possible destinations being the garbage disposal plant and the waste processing plant, based on what he was transporting."
"Here she comes!"
"She's beautiful!"
As George was about to ask more questions, the officers around him exclaimed. Annoyed, George looked towards the commotion and saw a graceful figure approaching.
Momentarily stunned by her beauty, George quickly composed himself as the woman was led to him by another officer.
"Hello, I'm Patricia," she introduced herself.
Shaking her hand, George maintained a serious demeanor. "Please recount the events of that night in detail."
Patricia glanced at the gathered officers, a slight smile playing on her lips before she began. "That night, I was pushed from a building. I want the person responsible to be punished."
"Yes, rest assured, the police have already filed for his arrest. He will be brought to justice soon."
"Soon? Officers, you're not letting him off just because he's a high-ranking executive at the Allen Group, are you?"
"Miss Patricia, trust us. Right now, we're hoping you can provide more information about the person who saved you from the criminals."
"Can I ask who he is?"
Suppressing her frustration, Patricia looked at the eager middle-aged detective.
"You don't know? He's the newly famous 'Judge.' He's appeared twice, each time resulting in criminal deaths. I hope you realize how dangerous he is."
"Dangerous! At the time, I was terrified of those three men. They were the real danger!"
George's face darkened. In the earlier incident with the biker gang, they had interviewed several witnesses, but none had been cooperative. It seemed people were protective of this "hero" who had killed so many.
Patricia seemed to be the same.
"He's young and smelled faintly of alcohol," she said, observing the surprised looks on the officers' faces.
"Any other clues?" George asked, his hope renewed.
Patricia's large eyes scanned the officers' computers. "I'd like to review the surveillance footage. It might help me remember some overlooked details."
With George and the black officer's assistance, Patricia reviewed the footage, her eyes quickly passing over the suspect.
"What do you think? Is this the guy?" the black officer asked excitedly, pointing to the blurry image.
Shaking her head, Patricia responded firmly, "That person seemed to notice me before the incident but didn't come to help. Do you think he could be the 'Judge'?"
The officers looked embarrassed by their oversight, realizing the simple logic they had missed in their haste.
Sighing, George personally escorted Patricia out of the station.
"Officer, I've cooperated as much as possible. Please arrest the man who tried to kill me."
"We will."
Watching her leave, George pondered aloud.
"What's the matter, can't let the beauty go?" a young officer teased.
"It's just strange. Falling from such a height and looking fine just two days later?"
"Maybe she didn't fall that hard?"
Smack! George's hand came down on the young officer's head. "Get back to work!"
(End of Chapter!)