James
This city is vile.
Sometimes, it feels as though I'm trudging through a marsh of lowlifes, only out for their own personal gain.
But can I really say I'm any different?
I too am seeking to improve my life, to atone for my sins in a selfish journey to redeem myself.
No, I'm different.
With this power, Lacerta, and my will I make a promise to everyone here, I will save us all from the evils lurking just beneath the surface.
No, I must save them all.
James enters into the diner from chapter 1 holding some files with him
John
Good morning James
James
G'morning John
I didn't know you came to this diner too.
John
I figured I'd change it up a little today, you know?
I wanted to add an extra element of excitement to my morning
James
Well, you couldn't have chosen a finer place for the morning.
This is one of my favourite diners.
Delicious and affordable food and coffee.
What could be better?
John
James, if you don't mind me asking, what's in those files?
Do you have a new case?
James
Quite the contrary actually, these are some old cold cases of mine.
John
Cold cases?
As in crooks you couldn't catch?
James
Some of them were events that I couldn't explain, others were unidentified bodies, and some of them are criminals I just couldn't capture.
John
Could you share one of them?
Uh, if that isn't too much of a hassle that is.
James
No, don't worry about it, again, they're old cold cases, it's not like I'm suddenly gonna solve them again.
Let's see, what kind of case would you be interested in?
John
Ideally one of the less gory ones, if you could…
I don't want to lose my appetite this early in the day…
James
Don't worry, I understand where you're coming from
(Not gory, that eliminates most of them, wait, there is an interesting one that didn't have a lot of blood involved…)
James presents one folder to John
James
His name is, or should I say was, Chuck Berry.
Chuck started as a dirty cop before I caught him and he's been jumping between prisons since.
Each time they put him into a more isolated cell, the sooner he got out.
He was sentenced to death last year via electric chair.
John
What did this Clyde guy do?
James
Chuck started murdering young children when he was fifteen.
After he was almost caught, he began burning his victims alive, he seemed to get some sick satisfaction from their screams of pain.
John
W-what happened to him?
James sits there and thinks for a moment
James
After a two month long manhunt across the state, I was finally able to corner him…
…the being before me didn't resemble anything like the monster I was expecting.
I had pictured a lion, but all I found was a filthy rat.
Creepy, disgusting, but nowhere close to what someone would describe as scary.
John
So what makes this a cold case?
It seems pretty open and shut
James
Once he arrived at prison, Chuck stabbed a guard with a homemade shank…
…he managed to escape again…
He hasn't been found yet, it seems like he might've learned from his past mistakes and attempted to resist the urge to murder…
Some people think maybe he was killed by a guard who wanted revenge for a killed loved one.
Others say when in jail, while reflecting on what he had done, he might've decided to end it all there and then. I've also heard some people who think he might've killed himself to ensure no one will ever receive closure for what happened.
…but those explanations just don't sit right with me..
None of those would match up with his personality.
I think he did escape, but instead of retiring to a nice quiet life, I think he's still out there right now, murdering people in cold blood. The only thing I believe is different is he's gotten better at hiding it.
But I can guarantee that he will slip up…
…and when he does, I'll be there to end it once and for all…
John
…
Wow, that was…a lot…
James
O-oh, I'm sorry to have forced all that on you…
I'm very sorry you had to listen to that…
It's just the idea that this rat is still scurrying around somewhere completely untouched and undiscovered, left to merely do as he pleases, it bothers me to no end.
John
You don't have to apologise!
I was the one who asked!
If I know anything, you'll find him!
I'm certain!
James
Thanks John, I appreciate that.
It's almost nine, you should get going soon
John
Oh shoot!
You're right!
I'm so sorry, I have to get going now!
James
Get to work, don't be late.
Give Presley my regards when you get there.
John
Will do!
Um, excuse me, here's the money…
Bye James!
John dashes out of the door
Diner owner
Your friend sure is…interesting to say the least.
James
Yeah, he's an odd one, but he's a good person.
I'm gonna get going now, all that talk of cold cases has my blood boiling.
Hm?
What's this?
As James exits, he sees a fire truck driving by
James
A fire, that's unfortunate.
It's such a beautiful day as well…
Across town at the scene of the fire
A man stands in front of a room armed with a notepad and a pencil
Will
Deep breaths Will…deep breaths…
Haaa…hooo…haaa…hooo
Ok, you got this Will!
This is gonna be your big break!
I've got this~!
Will enters into the room
Officer 1
What's the situation looking like?
Officer 2
Well, the victim has been charred to a crisp, however the rest of the room seems fine.
Officer 1
So the victim was killed then dragged into the room?
Officer 2
Not quite, it looks like the victim was in fact killed in this very room.
We'd need to check dental records, but from the key characteristics of the body, it looks like this room belonged to Dr. Capgras, a psychiatrist who would frequently aid in diagnosing patients alongside police.
This is his office, it is possible the victim was killed elsewhere, yet why would the killer then drag the body back into the room?
And there appears to be no burn marks anywhere else other than on the body itself.
Officer 1
Can you lift the blanket?
Officer 2 does as ordered, giving Will a clear glimpse of it
Will
Ahh…ahhh…ahhh!!!
Blurgh!
Will chokes back vomit
Officer 1
Hm?
Are you a reporter?
You must be new to this business.
If you think this is bad, you should've seen the trenches during the Great War. Not a pretty sight to say the least.
This is tame in comparison.
Y'know what?
I don't think any of you could handle what we had to do during the war.
You weren't touched by the war, instead, you got to live a nice and comfortable life.
But unfortunately for you, comfortable lives don't create strong men, instead, it creates compliant men.
Those are the kinds of people that are plaguing this country right now!
Officer 2
Sir, give him a break.
Look at him, he's a mess right now.
Officer 1
You're right, I'm sorry kid.
My bad.
Why don't you show the kid out.
Oh, and reporter, maybe next time, come here with someone else.
Will
(No!)
(I don't feel sick because of the body!)
(But it was something I saw!)
(How do you even describe it?!)
(It's like I wasn't even here!)
(I mean, I was in the room, but just not with the cops!)
(That body was still here, but it was still alive!)
(It's almost like I wasn't seeing what was in front of me, but what happened before!)
(But how is that possible?)
(How could I see what was happening before the person died?)
(And who was that man that was walking out of the room?)
Officer 2
Hey kid, I'm sorry about that.
Why don't you go home and get some rest?
Will
Oh, uh, thanks.
Officer 2
Don't mention it, feel better.
Will
(Who was in the room with me?)
(I couldn't get a good look, I mean, should I even be trusting some random vision I saw?)
(It could've just been my brain hallucinating from a gas leak or something in the building.)
(No, it felt too real.)
(I don't have any other way to describe it…)
(This wasn't the result of just some gas leak, no, I know for the fact that I saw what happened in that room!)
(But what triggered it?)
(And how could I have possibly seen what was happening there when I wasn't there at the time?)
(What could this be?)
(I guess I'll leave these questions on the back burner for now…)
(I must find my way back into the room!)
(I need to know what happened to that burned man!)