2025-04-02 23:04:08
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The Crime System The Severed Maimed Mystery
Detective Luke Sullivan watched as the team scattered, heading back to their desks. Bella Lane grabbed his arm and pulled him aside, her expression concerned."Luke, what's gotten into you lately? Have you lost your mind? This is the notorious Maimed Case! What were you thinking about making a bet like that?" she demanded."The Maimed Case? What's the big deal?" he said with a shrug.Luke searched his memory and found the relevant information. His mind drifted back to around this time last year. He was just a rookie detective then, but instead of working the case, he'd been assigned to help the forensics department set up their new equipment."What's the big deal?" Bella Lane threw up her hands in frustration. "Several officers lost their badges because of this case. If it was that simple to solve, we wouldn't still be talking about it!"Then it clicked for Luke. Last year, around late May, their city had been rocked by two incidents in what became known as the Maimed Case, causing wi
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
The Crime System The Relentless Pursuit
Luke Sullivan's life had a way of throwing shocks at him. Now he stood staring at Angela, the victim of the purse-snatching case he was working. Seeing her made his heart skip a beat, even though he knew it couldn't be the same person. She wore a pink sundress, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. More sophisticated now, but still carrying that same grace that turned heads. Even in distress, she maintained a composure that commanded respect."Stop! Thief!" Angela yelled, her eyes meeting Luke's briefly, doubt flickering across her face.That snapped him into action. "Angela's bag was stolen? Not on my watch!" Luke took off after the thief, but the culprit had a good head start. The crowded downtown streets were packed with cars, bikes, and pedestrians. He needed an edge.Then he saw it. A police horse!"What the—?" Luke muttered.Without thinking twice, he grabbed the reins from the horse and swung himself up. "Hyah!" he urged the horse forward. But the stubborn animal wouldn't b
The Crime System Angela’s Strangeness
"Thought you could outrun me?" Luke Sullivan growled, adding a firm slap before collapsing beside the thief, his muscles screaming from the wild ride. The horse, finally calm, stood watching them with what looked like amusement.With the thief subdued and the chaos settling, Luke sat there catching his breath, wondering how he'd ended up in this crazy situation—all because of a woman named Angela Grant.The precinct was absolute bedlam. Street vendors from the alley packed the place, demanding compensation for their destroyed merchandise. The horse stood proudly outside, while inside, Luke found himself surrounded by the thief, Bella Lane, Angela—the purse owner—and a growing crowd of angry citizens. The desk sergeants were struggling to maintain order as complaints filled the air like a swarm of angry hornets.Luke's mind kept drifting between worry about the impending disciplinary action and thoughts of Angela. The moment he entered the station, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Wh
The Crime System The Invisible Culprit
Around 5 PM that evening, the completion message suddenly activated in Luke's mind, informing him that today's adventure had concluded. The completion rate was eighty-seven percent, earning him another invisibility device.Upon accessing the item and obtaining it, he saw it was yet another invisible tracking device, the same as the last one."What's this? Why couldn't it have been something new or exciting?" he thought to himself.Despite feeling somewhat disappointed, Luke finally had time to ponder the Crime System. Up until now, he had used it three times. While he didn't fully understand the rules, he had learned certain things about it.He pulled out his notebook and began analyzing the information he had recorded.First, the Crime System could only be activated once a day, with the ending time unknown. He estimated the ending time was tied to the completion rate - the faster he finished the adventure, the sooner it ended.Secondly, the adventure was random and didn't align with
The Crime System My Suspicion
Luke sat on his balcony, contemplating the Maimed Case that had been troubling him. After a night of intense research, he had realized that using the current case as a launchpad might be the key to solving the previous two cases that the police had already thoroughly investigated. He planned to ask Team Leader Priscilla for additional information when he arrived at work, as she was in charge of the Maimed Case.Having woken up too early, Luke had plenty of time before work. Following one of his small habits, he took a bottle of iced tea onto his third-floor balcony to think. The space was about 600 square feet, and he sat in a patio chair, sipping his drink while enjoying the warm sunlight pouring in from the east. The golden glow on his face gave him a sense of satisfaction.A loud noise suddenly came from the neighboring balcony, which was separated from his by an anti-theft net. A tall, long-haired woman appeared, looking young—perhaps a little over twenty. She was holding the newe
The Crime System The Lone Detective's Problem
Luke stood there, facing Detective Priscillia in the precinct's Special Crimes Unit office. Her arms were crossed, and she looked mildly annoyed. He could feel the eyes of many detectives from the unit on them, clearly interested in the commotion."I didn't mean it like that," Luke tried to explain. "I just felt that since the criminal cut off Lisa's hand without leaving any evidence, he must have planned this ahead of time! So he must've stalked Lisa for a long time. I feel like we shouldn't just focus on surveillance near the time the crime was committed, but also..."Priscillia cut him off immediately. "Alright, alright," she said, not letting him finish. "Luke! I already know that you and Vincent have that bet! You're rushing the case since you don't want to lose! But... I hope you can understand, solving a case isn't about winning a bet or even justice - it's about responsibility! Responsibility, do you understand?"She pointed at the few officers in front of their computer scree
The Crime System The Bug in the Bureau
Luke Sullivan smirked as he observed the fierce competition playing out in the Special Crimes Unit. While it might have looked peaceful on the surface, he knew better – underneath was a battleground of ambition and pride.The unit's structure was simple: two teams handling separate cases unless something big came along that required joint effort. Team A and Team B, always trying to outdo each other. The higher case-solving rate meant not just bragging rights, but a significantly fatter annual bonus.Luke watched as everyone pushed themselves to the limit, desperate to surpass the other team. The competition had been neck-and-neck for years until Priscillia took over as Team B's leader. She turned everything upside down with her experience and leadership skills, leaving Team A eating dust.Last year, Team B investigators had walked away with an extra $700 bonus. Their smug faces had been unbearable to Luke. This year, they'd been even more relentless, widening the gap further.Poor Ray
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Related to the Competition
At the vice principal's office, he showed his badge. The man was cooperative, calling in the file administrators immediately. They searched the records room top to bottom, but nothing. No participant lists. No rules. Not even a mention of the competition.One administrator explained apologetically, "It's been too long. The competition records weren't prioritized for archiving. The school's been relocated several times since then, so they might have been lost."Luke's frustration boiled over, but he bit it back. "This is a matter of life and death," he insisted. "Keep looking, and call me the moment you find anything."They promised to do their best. Feeling defeated, he left the building, brainstorming other solutions.As he stepped out of the main entrance, his phone rang."Senior!" Bella's voice crackled on the line, excitement bubbling in her tone. "How's it going on your end? I've got great news: I found the list of participants from Riverside Heights's tenth Grand Piano Competiti
Not the Person
Luke didn't bother answering Bella's question. As soon as the call ended, he plunged into the crowd. His eyes darted frantically, searching for the woman playing the piano—Shaun's mother."Hey, it's you!" he called out as he spotted her. Without missing a beat, he asked, "Ma'am! Quickly, tell me, when you participated in that Grand Piano Competition years ago, did you know Mary Nelson, Yara Voss, or Lisa Mendes? Any of these three people?"Her expression froze, and she backed away, looking at him as though he were the plague itself."No? After so many years, how could you be so sure right away?" he pressed. "Think carefully—did you know any of them? Were they in that competition with you?""I… I really can't remember!" she stammered, clearly rattled by his intensity. She turned away, trying to escape.Luke grabbed her by the arms. "Ma'am, what are you so afraid of? I'm investigating a case!""Hey, you there! Parent, I've been watching you!" a white-haired teacher barked from behind a
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 crack 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
The Pianist's Edge
Fifty-three days. That's all they had until the mid-year exams. To be honest, Luke couldn't care less about the exams, but it seemed like a big deal to these kids and their parents. So there he was, sitting in a packed school auditorium, pretending to listen to Jenna Dalton's class teacher ramble on about strategies for exam preparation."Parents," the teacher declared, knocking the table for emphasis, "these fifty-three days are crucial for your children. Today, we're here to discuss how you can support your kids effectively and help dispel their tension." He paused, scanning the room as if his speech was life-changing.Luke glanced at the teacher on the stage—a white-haired, middle-aged man who was all too serious about his job. His mind wasn't on the lecture. It was elsewhere, consumed by the case that had been plaguing him. The Maimed Case.And then, like the universe was in sync with his restlessness, a cell phone rang loudly from somewhere in the audience."Ah, Hero, please chas
It Should Be the Piano
Luke handed her the cola, capped and untouched, and watched as she turned and started to leave, disappointed but understanding. The case still weighed heavily on his mind, but part of him wondered what else this morning had in store.Looking up at the solemn, towering gate of Riverside Heights Middle School, Luke felt an odd heaviness in his legs, as if they were rooting him to the spot. The school loomed before him, intimidating and massive. Known as one of the most prestigious middle schools in the entire district, it was the place people would move mountains to get their kids into. And yet, here he was, about to enter.Jenna Dalton—who would've guessed she was a student here? She was in the eighth grade, no less, with the High School Entrance Examination only a month and a half away. Even more surprising was the reason she didn't want her real father to attend this parent conference. It wasn't because her grades were poor but because they were almost too good. As it turned out, Jen
The Missing Mystery
All three victims were missing their hands. It was horrifying, and Luke could hardly believe his own notes, but it was true—their hands had been cut off and taken by the culprit. Standing in the dim light of the crime scene, his mind raced. What was the killer's purpose? To keep them as trophies?The thought crossed his mind that maybe this was a twisted form of revenge, something he'd seen before. In his line of work, revenge-driven killings always had a pattern, a motive. The people chosen were targeted intentionally, and somehow, it felt like these victims—though seemingly unconnected—had been chosen for a reason. Perhaps they had wronged the killer in some way. But what kind of hatred would lead someone to such a brutal punishment?Yet, for all his theories, Luke kept hitting dead ends. The investigations hadn't turned up a single red flag about these people. They were described as respectable by their families, friends, even neighbors. There was no sign of any enemies or feuds in
A Case of Revenge
Luke stood there for a long moment, watching their backs fade down the hall. He didn't want that future. He had to see this through—prove to himself and everyone else that he was capable of more than cold case limbo. No way would he end up like Aaron and Adam, grumbling and giving up.He had made up his mind: he would go toe-to-toe with Priscillia and Team B, holding nothing back. Seated at his desk, Luke focused intently, listening in on every move they made, so absorbed that he'd forget even the most basic necessities, like bathroom breaks.Just as he suspected, Priscillia and her team zeroed in on Aaron Dawson and Adam Mercer's latest piece of evidence. They quickly honed in on the source of the one-sided film, a type of specialty material rarely imported. Within a matter of hours, they had already traced it to every recent buyer in the area. The entire team seemed to mobilize for the task under Priscillia's lead, investigating each buyer with impressive speed.But when the results
The Glimpse for Evidence
After an entire afternoon of digging through leads, dead ends, and desperate hunches, Aaron Dawson and Adam Mercer finally figured out why the cameras had failed to capture the BMW's driver. The forensic department, after reexamining the footage, had found a small but crucial clue—a thin layer of glue residue on the BMW's windshield. Something had definitely been stuck on the inside, likely some kind of one-way glass sticker.Apparently, this special type of one-way film had been imported, usually reserved for magicians in their grand illusion acts. It allowed the driver to see out while concealing the inside to any outside observer—much more opaque than any standard tint. The whole setup had been flawlessly planned out by the culprit. But as Luke knew too well, the more a criminal tried to execute the perfect crime, the more evidence they left behind."If you ask me…" Adam Mercer muttered, lowering his voice, glancing around to make sure no one was in earshot. He lit a cigarette, the
The Bug in the Bureau
Luke Sullivan smirked as he observed the fierce competition playing out in the Special Crimes Unit. While it might have looked peaceful on the surface, he knew better – underneath was a battleground of ambition and pride.The unit's structure was simple: two teams handling separate cases unless something big came along that required joint effort. Team A and Team B, always trying to outdo each other. The higher case-solving rate meant not just bragging rights, but a significantly fatter annual bonus.Luke watched as everyone pushed themselves to the limit, desperate to surpass the other team. The competition had been neck-and-neck for years until Priscillia took over as Team B's leader. She turned everything upside down with her experience and leadership skills, leaving Team A eating dust.Last year, Team B investigators had walked away with an extra $700 bonus. Their smug faces had been unbearable to Luke. This year, they'd been even more relentless, widening the gap further.Poor Ray
