That night was not one of the best for the men involved in that episode.
Adam suffered from constant nightmares because he had fallen asleep while watching a program about wild animals, so everything he dreamed about involved a rabbit being chased by an enraged beast—and before he knew it, he found himself in the role of the rabbit.
Mayor Carl didn't sleep; he only dozed off and would suddenly wake up, sitting in the armchair of his office while his wife and his daughter Penelope—who had only just come back from the dead—were upstairs.
Jack did not dream, or if he did, he couldn't quite recall what it was about; he only knew it was something bad.
Kowalski took a long time to fall asleep. He could have even taken a shift at the clinic—there were several bodies waiting for autopsy—but he knew that if he did, he wouldn't have the energy the next day to follow up on what was coming. Contrary to what he had told his colleagues, he actually believed something was wrong with Penelope—not with her health, but during the examination, something wasn't where it was supposed to be.
Steven also dreamt. In his dream, he and his little sister, still very young, were waiting for a pie to finish baking while their mother hummed a tune and washed the dishes.
It wasn't a nightmare—Steven's mother had been dead for several years—but the feeling of sadness in the dream caused discomfort and anguish in the young police officer, so much so that he woke up and went to get a glass of water in the kitchen.
Reflecting on the dream, he concluded it was absurd that the power of a memory, reproduced in the subconscious and brought to the surface in a dream, could cause so much pain.
The next day, the men followed through on their plan. They went to the mayor's house, took photos, and conducted further investigations.
The footprints ended about five meters into the woods.
No one in the house had woken up yet, except for the mayor, who allowed the men to enter.
The First Lady and Penelope were still asleep.
Kowalski collected the dried blood from the footprints, but he was almost certain that it couldn't have been from the girl—unlike the footprints, which were undoubtedly hers.
At the station, the four of them talked; they needed to understand what had happened:
"Adam, you didn't suggest the possibility of a runaway, did you?" Jack asked.
"Runaway? No, not at all. The girl didn't take any clothes or documents with her—and if that were the case, her boyfriend would have come along," Adam replied.
"What if—say she lied to her parents, spent the night out, met the wrong people, stole her sister Mary's car, and ended up abandoned in that condition? Young people do foolish things like that. Maybe she did something, blacked out, and whoever was with her ran off and left her there," Steven offered.
"Okay, so your theory is that Penelope did all that because she has a daring personality and decided to steal a car with someone we don't even know, got sick from using drugs, and then blacked out? Abandoned naked in a square? And who called to let us know?" Adam countered.
"The person who was with her, obviously. Maybe they felt remorse and made the call," Steven replied.
"And why would they say it like that? Claiming with certainty that she was already dead?" Adam asked.
"Teenagers are idiots, Adam. You and I were once teenagers too, you know—that would also explain the punctures on her neck," Steven said.
"Man, no—that hypothesis doesn't fit. Jack, what do you think about this?" Adam asked.
Jack and Kowalski, who had been listening to the two in silence, exchanged looks, and then Jack said:
"I think you two are still just teenagers—that's what I think."
"We're being serious. Steven's hypothesis is foolish and flawed. Every detail indicated that she was abducted from the corner store—the shattered lottery scratch card on the floor, the undergarment you found, and…" Adam stopped speaking as Steven began laughing at his words.
"Eh? What evidence do we have? She could have done that herself, and it makes sense because we didn't find her clothes. And why, of all things, the car belonging to sister Mary? It's the car of someone she knew—therefore, easy to get hold of. That is, if her own sister Mary wasn't involved; perhaps she provided cover and later regretted what she did when she saw where things were heading," Steven insisted firmly on his hypothesis.
"A nun? Covering for a teenager who, on top of everything, is the mayor's daughter? No, Steven, that's too much. Kowalski, you ran the toxicology tests, didn't you?" Adam asked.
Kowalski adjusted his glasses and looked at Adam:
"Yes, I did."
"Okay, and what's the result? I want to see if there's at least a minimal possibility that Steven hasn't said the worst thing in the world," Abrax interjected.
"The result? How long do you think it takes for a toxicology test to be ready? I haven't received the results yet. I only did the tests because I thought maybe she had been drugged—hence the lack of signs of resistance in her body. It's not standard practice to perform this type of test on a fifteen-year-old with no history of drug involvement," Kowalski explained.
"See? What did I tell you? She has no history of illicit drug use. Even Kowalski followed the basic, simple line of reasoning we had before—because yes, it was a kidnapping, a kidnapping that went wrong, but still a kidnapping and attempted homicide."
"Adam, how can you be so sure of that? My hypothesis is even more plausible than a kidnapping—it may be that her background isn't bad at all. We don't really know who she is. The information we have comes from the people who were around her—in other words, she could be one person in front of them and a completely different one elsewhere," Kowalski argued.
"Okay, so you're saying she was a bad girl and that her parents didn't know—and that she used drugs intravenously? Is that the new way of using drugs? Come on, Steven, even for you that's too much," Adam retorted.
"For me? What do you mean, for me? Are you saying you don't think I'm good enough to come up with a hypothesis? Look, I didn't say she was a bad girl, but maybe she was reckless. We should at least consider that, because so far we don't have a single suspect to investigate."
"We do have one—we have the person who called. Judging by the calmness and coldness of that person, and more than obviously, they were certain that Penelope was dead, and even seemed satisfied about it," Adam began to speak louder.
"What?? You concluded all of that from a single phone call? I can't believe it—is that your basis? A voice on the other end of the line??" Steven grew nervous too.
Jack, who had remained silent the whole time, stood up before the two could start arguing:
"Guys, if you're going to start a duel, I suggest you schedule it for late afternoon—maybe then we can resolve this. I don't mind a fair fight, each with a weapon, in a deserted place. But for now, how about we let Kowalski speak? I've known him for years, and I've rarely seen him with that kind of expression on his face."
Kowalski emerged from his own trance of thoughts.
"Then, my friend Kowalski, what do you have to tell us? Which of the hypotheses do you think is most likely to be true?" Jack asked.
"Jack, I don't understand why you didn't interrogate the girl—especially since she is obviously responsible for those bloody footprints in the house, and how she forced open a door of that size? Without any help? Well, it doesn't matter; that's not within my jurisdiction. Now, if it makes any difference to you, Abrax and Steven—the marks on her neck, the punctures that I once assumed were from drains—they have disappeared." The medical examiner's voice sounded hopeless.
"Disappeared?? How??" Adam asked.
"Abrax, if I were absolutely sure, I'd tell you, but they're gone—and I checked twice, and both times they were no longer there. I don't know if you noticed, but the tests I performed—their reflex was fast, too fast. Her pupils weren't dilated, but there was something in her eyes—in her iris, to be more exact; they're different. It could be an anomaly due to trauma or a medical condition. Perhaps. What I think is that we're not very close to understanding what happened, and the mayor is cooperating for now, while you still treat his daughter as a victim. If he even for a second imagines that you have this other hypothesis—that of a rebellious and reckless teenager—he won't cooperate anymore. I'm sure Sheriff Jack agrees with me," Kowalski concluded.
"You took the words right out of my mouth, my friend. Mayor Carl would have kicked me out of the station the moment I suggested his daughter was a suspect," Jack said.
"Okay, so what's going to happen? Which line of investigation are we going to follow?" Adam asked.
"Both, of course. But the mayor can't even dream of that. Abrax, call Mary for a conversation—if the girl is reckless, Mary will know. Kowalski, you're a medical examiner, and I know you must be impartial, but find any possible excuse to reexamine the girl. Finding the truth will also save you from future problems. Steven, you're going to talk to Louis. Ask him about Penelope's friends, her girlfriends, and anything else you can—if she's living a double life, even if he doesn't know her well, he'll know something, and while you're at it, give him the good news. But before that, Steven and Adam, go into the interrogation room. I want the two of you to get along before starting these investigations. I don't care how, but you need to come to an understanding—I need both of you clear-headed for what we're about to do."
The two young men nodded and left shortly after.
Jack stayed with Kowalski; the two still needed to talk.
"I've seen this before, and so have you."
"Yes, Kowalski, we've seen this before—and it was a long time ago. But I can't believe it. I hope it isn't the same thing," Kowalski replied.
"Don't you think it's time to call a certain person? And to tell the guys? If what we're thinking is true, this town will see its end before the New Year."
"Kowalski, perhaps we've had different visions of what happened—after all, you were left alone with the bodies. It was VV and I who finished them off, and it was Carl who kept all of this very well hidden from the rest of the people," Jack said firmly.
"Okay, fine—it was you. It was you, and that's why I'm asking if it isn't time to call him before everything gets worse."
"You're pragmatic—not only as a medical examiner, Kowalski, but as a person. You know the exact right time to do things. Do you think we're facing that hell again? Because if you, as a medical examiner and as the man you are, tell me that this is the case, I'll go after VV myself—I won't even need to call."
Kowalski let out a long sigh:
"Do you think Carl thought the same?"
"A parent, for the most part, doesn't compare their children to others; they believe they're immune to the world's ills. So I don't think so, but if that's the case, it won't be long before he finds out. What strikes me is that you thought of it that way—with no trace left behind. Those things... you know what I mean," Jack remarked.
"Yes, I know. I used to open them up afterward, remember? I used to do two autopsies—one for the records and another personal one, the real one that you insisted I burn."
"And you didn't burn them, did you?" Jack asked with a half-smile.
"No, not all of them. But they're well preserved—they're only for scientific purposes and…" Jack interrupted Kowalski's explanation.
"Calm down, my friend. I wouldn't expect anything different from you, you crazy scientist. In fact, I counted on it," Jack replied.
Adam and Steven were feeling awkward with each other. Abrax started:
"Sorry, man—I was an idiot, okay?"
"I just thought there might be another possibility. I didn't want to see it only from one side, but you're the detective, not me," Steven said.
"All of this made me nervous. I think we're all on edge," Adam said apologetically.
"Man, you're my friend, but you're also the youngest detective I know—and the strongest guy too, after Jack, of course. You've even been decorated, and I don't even dream that something like that will ever happen to me one day. I shouldn't impose anything on you; if you believe the girl is innocent, then she is."
"Steven, I think I got mad at you because I wasn't able to think of this before. And what if all of this was a setup?" Adam said, sounding sad.