The Crime System

The Crazy Guardian

For the first time in this case, he felt like he was one step ahead. Whatever the killer's motive, it had something to do with the piano. Now, it was up to him—Luke Sullivan—to prove it.

He took a deep breath, staring into the horizon as the pieces of the puzzle started to align.

"Vincent, Priscillia, open your eyes wide and watch how I c***k this case," he muttered with a smirk.

Luke couldn't help but chuckle to himself, feeling a mix of confidence and amusement. "Hmph! It's their fault for underestimating me," he thought. "This time, don't expect me to share the wealth, either!"

The eavesdropped information revealed that Priscillia's team had shifted focus to the older cases, even sending someone to Yara Voss's former residence to dig deeper. Priscillia seemed to be out of ideas, a fact that only fueled his determination.

He sat down with his notepad, jotting down the latest details as the gears in his mind began to turn. One thing he was certain of: the Maimed Case had a connection to pianos. But how exactly? That was still a puzzle. The three victims had something tying them to the instrument, and that meant the killer must be a piano expert, someone with significant interaction with them.

Bella Lane had already provided crucial details—the victims came from different piano schools with different teachers. Each of them was a level-ten pianist, but they'd taken their certification tests at different times. They were piano experts, but they hadn't known each other.

"Could it be," he mused, "that the three of them knew the culprit separately?"

Grabbing his phone, Luke quickly called Bella Lane again. "Can you investigate their piano histories? Is there any chance they studied during the same period?"

Her groan over the line wasn't surprising. "Luke, that means calling all the piano schools! Some of them have closed down, and this happened nearly two decades ago! It's nearly impossible!"

"Please," he pleaded, softening his tone. Bella Lane was his only ally right now, and he needed her on his side. "This is critical! Once the case is solved, I'll treat you to something special!"

She snorted, clearly amused by his desperation. "Fine. I'll do my best."

"But remember," he warned her. "Don't let anyone else know about this. Especially Priscillia and Team B."

"Got it, got it," she replied, her impatience evident as she hung up.

With nothing else to do but wait, Luke returned to the lobby where the parents' Q&A session with the school teacher was in full swing. He barely noticed the discussion as his thoughts whirred. The link between the Maimed Case and piano consumed him. Evidence, details, and possibilities spun in his mind like a relentless carousel.

The connection struck him when he thought about Jenna Dalton's school and the parents playing piano in the music room. Was that part of his crime system adventure? Had he missed some critical clue in the prompts that day?

He remembered how Shaun's mother had said she hadn't played piano in years. People who didn't know her well wouldn't even know she could play. That reminded him of the victims, Mary Nelson and Lisa Mendes, who hadn't disclosed their piano skills despite being level ten. Could the culprit have known their secret for years? Someone who had been close to them, biding their time to exact revenge?

Then it hit him like a lightning bolt. The victims were from different schools and didn't know each other personally, but there was one time and place they could have crossed paths.

A piano competition.

Shaun's mother had mentioned it. "I still remember twenty years ago, attending a piano tournament here. Almost got accepted into the Central Music School!"

"Right?!" The realization sent goosebumps racing across his skin. "Holy crap!" That was it—the competition was the common thread.

All three victims were piano experts from the same city and around the same age. They could have all attended the same competition! And if the killer had been there, failing to perform well, they might have developed a bitter grudge. Years later, the resentment could have fueled this horrifying crime spree.

Luke imagined the culprit sneering at their victims, saying, "Without your hand, how will you ever play the piano again?"

Excited and certain of his theory, he called Bella Lane again. She answered, her voice buzzing with excitement. "Luke, I found it! Twenty years ago, the three of them were finalists in Riverside Heights Tenth Annual High School Piano Competition!"

"Are you serious?!" he nearly shouted, slapping his thigh in triumph. The parents around him jumped in surprise, the lobby falling silent. He didn't care. This was too big.

"Where was the competition? Who else attended?" he asked, ignoring the startled looks.

Bella Lane sighed. "It's been so long that it's hard to track down everyone who participated. But I know the location—it was held at Riverside Heights Middle School."

Her words hit him like a thunderclap. Riverside Heights Middle School. The same school he was in right now.

"No way," he muttered, feeling as though the universe itself was playing tricks on him.

"Luke, this can't be a coincidence!" Bella Lane exclaimed. "You're already there—go look for evidence!"

He stood up, his mind racing. If the answers were here, then he wouldn't leave until he found them. The Maimed Case was finally starting to reveal its dark harmony.