The Crime System

Getting into Investigation

Then it hit him. "That's it! Finally! Hahaha..." Luke Sullivan shouted, his mind racing with new insights into the case.

He was in an unusually good mood as he squeezed onto the packed city bus with Bella Lane. They'd been assigned to the same unit in Special Crimes, which was seriously short-handed due to the Maimed Case investigation. Though she was technically support staff, Bella Lane seemed thrilled to be partnered with him - her not-so-secret crush. Meanwhile, Luke was practically bouncing off the walls, humming and chattering away, momentarily forgetting about his bet with Vincent Parker.

That morning, he'd managed to restart his Crime System. Before even hitting the bathroom, he'd lit up a cigarette, only to start coughing violently on the first drag. That's when he heard it: "Crime System engaged. Welcome. Enhance your destiny."

He'd scrambled to write down what he could remember in his pocket notebook, managing only fragments like 'land' and 'water'. Though he couldn't fully grasp the system's rules, his past successes had made him confident.

"Just wait, Vincent Parker," Luke thought with a smirk. "You'll be writing that $1800 check before you know it!"

But his cockiness didn't last long. They were headed to interview Yara Voss, the second victim of the Maimed Case. A former music teacher at the City Music School, Yara Voss's life had fallen apart after losing her right hand. Her husband had even divorced her over it.

The moment they entered her luxury apartment in downtown New York, Yara Voss started laying into them. She ranted about police incompetence, threatened to go to the media again, and made their job as difficult as possible. If it weren't for her injury and Bella Lane's patient approach, Luke might have lost his professional demeanor.

As they left Yara Voss's building, the streets were gridlocked with cars and taxis. Bella Lane's excitement at spotting a police horse on the sidewalk briefly lifted Luke's spirits. It was unusual to see them in this part of the city, outside of parades.

"Sir, Ma'am, want a picture? Only fifty bucks!" the strange man called out.

Before Luke could answer, a woman's scream cut through the air. "Stop! Thief! My purse!"

A young guy in jeans sprinted past them, clutching a woman's handbag. Bella Lane urged Luke to pursue, but he hesitated. "We're Special Crimes detectives," he argued. "Street crime isn't our beat."

But when he turned to look at the victim, Luke's blood ran cold. "Jesus... why... why is it here?!"

Standing there in the chaos of New York's streets, he realized his Crime System had thrown him another shock. The familiar face of the purse-snatching victim sent chills down his spine, reminding him that in this game of fate, nothing was ever quite what it seemed.

Luke had been a hothead back then, getting into more trouble than he could handle. One fight went too far. Her parents were livid, and after giving him the beating of his lifetime, they packed up and moved her to another state. They never saw each other again. Even in his darkest moments, when he thought he'd hit rock bottom, her name was always on his lips. Angela—a name that haunted him through the years.