Chapter 9: The Police's Interrogation
"Ow..." Kaiyu a.k.a. the Mandalorian shook his head as he gained his consciousness back. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at the surrounding environment. It was very dark and dim. He could see nothing but a reflection of himself. As he took a careful look in the mirror, he could see his face without the helmet. He has a red-colored crew cut hair that matches well with his skin color. You might mistake him for a Native American, but he is not. He just happened to have the same skin color tone as the Indigenous people who live in the Indian reservation where they maintain their ethnic culture and history.
Speaking of the Indian reservations, the Mandalorians have their sanctuary in every corner of each system. Like the Indian reservation, they want to preserve the war-like culture and the code of Mandalore's honor to the next generations. The Earthling's native people's culture and the Mandalorian culture both have the same similarities despite not interacting with each other for many centuries. Maybe it's just a big coincidence that both societies hold a unique nomadic culture and lifestyle.
"W-where am I...?" he asked. His voice echoed in this prison-like room. It gives him the chill as he could feel the icy air coming from every corner of the room. This icy air makes him feel unpleasant, being here all alone.
"What is this place?" he asked once more. He tried to get up to explore the room. But he can't. He felt his body being chained to the chair. He looked down on his four limbs and notice that his wrist and ankles are securely bound to the chair.
"W-why am I being tied to the chair?" he asked himself. Then suddenly, the room's door opened itself. The Mandalorian saw the figure standing in the doorway and it was the lieutenant who has been investigating a serial murder case.
"Because you are in our police department, criminal," he replied with a serious tone as he shut the door behind him. He turned on the room's light to make it bright.
The Mandalorian can see clearer right now. He looked at the surroundings once more and notice that he is in the interrogation room.
The inspector then walked close to the killer as he placed the criminal files down on the table right in front of him. He brought the chair with him and had a seat while facing the killer's face.
"So...we finally got you..." the inspector said. "You are one sneaky bastard, you know. It's been one month to finally track you down."
"..." the Mandalorian remained silent as he looked into the inspector's eyes. He could feel the person's hatred towards himself. Well, there is nothing new since all police officer hates criminals.
"I don't know how you covered your foot tracks, but with the Titans' help and their achievement of apprehending you...now we know how you hunt down the victims and cover your track."
"...that is?" the killer asked.
"There were three assumptions." He pointed out his three theories as he opened up the criminal files.
"The first assumption was the location. You knew that the people whom you are going to kill lived around the abandoned working site. The abandoned working site is one of the biggest hot spots for criminal activities. The authorities like us are not allowed to go there due to the past incident between the police forces and the working classes. There was a massive revolt from the laborers, 30 years ago. They went on a strike to demand their superiors for higher wages and better hospitality. Because they have been working on the construction site for 18 hours a day with no breaks. However, their superiors didn't answer their demands as they directly requested the Jump City's storm troopers to seize the riot. It had lasted for a few months, with a cost of casualties...
So, to recover from this...tragic incident by the stormtroopers, the city government made a regulation to provide them: The Rights of The Minimum Standard of Living. It ensures that the laborers have humans rights in their working life and their private life. This also forced laborer's superiors to abandon their future construction plans.
However, that doesn't mean it solved the problem. When the regulation was put into action, many illegal sentiments came to live around the area to start new lives. The city government does not allow the police to take any aggressive investigation due to the consequences of sending stormtroopers. Instead, we could only give them a warning and a request to leave the abandoned working site."
He explained his theory about the crime scene's locations by giving the killer a quick lecture about the history of the abandoned working site. "Which means, you somehow know that the police can not approach your criminal activity over that area. That gives you the benefits of killing people with no worries of getting caught."
He looked at the killer coincidentally as he theorized the choice of doing the killing. He hopped his theory will surprise the killer but for some reason, it made the killer have a smug smile.
"Hmmm...not bad...then what's the next theory?" the killer asked as he leaned his back on the chair.
Hmmm...he thinks he can get away from this interrogation, the inspector thought. Perhaps the next two theories will surprise him.
"Well, the next theory is that the location you did the killings are near the Underground City. Like the abandoned working site, you also knew that we are not allowed to enter that place. Not only it provides you a hideout to lay a low profile, but it also provides you the necessity of killing the Jump City's wanted criminals. From the Titan's analysis of the missing dead bodies, we have learned most victims are B-list criminals: Street gangs, Mafias, Yakuza, Cartels, and Poachers. Considering the qualities of weapons and armors that those deceased criminals can provide, it will take more than two police squads to take them down. But for you, you have your way to buy the weapons that kill them quickly and quietly. We tried to search for gun shells and bombshells which you used in the homicide scene, but should I have known you killed those criminals around the abandoned working site sooner, we could have operated an undercover investigation to patrol around the area."
After he explained his second theory, he then explained his third theory.
"And the third assumption...yes, yes the third assumption...we learned that you are a bounty hunter or a mercenary. When the Titans brought you here, they told us you are a hired-gun. I don't know which is which: a bounty hunter or a mercenary. But the only thing that matters to me is that you are being hired by someone. To do the dirty jobs. Now, since we know that you are a gun for hire, I want to ask you a question..."
He learned forward to the killer by giving him a serious look. "Who hired you...?"
The killer just looked into his eyes as he kept silent. "..."
"Hmm? Not gonna tell me, huh? Well, we have an entire day to do this you know. It's good for you to confess now if you don't want to spend in jail for 50 years~." The inspector stressed out the number of years, so he can make the killer obedient in fear.
But that didn't happen as the killer just shrugged it off with a smug face. This was the most unexpected thing for a culprit who can keep his cool in the interrogation room.
The inspector asked him with a threatening voice to know why he is so cool."What's so funny...? Have you lost your mind that we got all the clues you killed them...?"
"Well...not exactly. Your theories do have some convincing points about the homicide scene. But there are two fatal flaws you have made, officer."
"Which are...?"
"The first fatal flaw is that how can you know I can get access to the Underground City. Even if I could go to that place, there must be an entrance to enter the city. But so far the Underground City's main entrance is heavily sealed, which is the only entrance to go in. Plus, how can you tell I got the weapons from that place? Because it is rumored that the place is infested with people who are very hostile to outsiders. And an outsider like me couldn't possibly survive there, can I?"
Hearing the killer's feedback, the inspector tried to rebut the fact that there is a secret entrance to go in the place. But the killer didn't allow him to say it as he soon pointed out the second fatal flaw.
"And the second fatal flaw is that I know nothing about the past incident at the abandoned working site. Those people whom I killed just happened to be around that area. And if my memories serve right, those people were mostly on the move. You should check that in your file."
So the inspector checked the file to look at the victim's profile. And truth be told, the killer was right. Most victims didn't have any criminal base at the abandoned working site. They have been moving to one place and another to continue their criminal activity. They chose the nomadic lifestyle so they can get away from every different authority.
How could he possibly look over such an important fact?! He felt ashamed of it for not looking at this case properly. "Oh well umm..."
"'Sighed' For a veteran officer like you to miss such an important thing, I want to see how the other officers look up to you right now. A disappointment? Or something wor-"
The killer was about to say "worse" but the inspector banged on the table very hard with both of his fists. He soon grabbed the killer's collar (more like an armored collar)and brought his face close to him.
"THINK YOU CAN INSULT ME FOR NOT INVESTIGATING THIS CASE, HUH?! THINK YOU ARE SMARTER THAN ME, CRIMINAL?!" the inspector said in rage.
But the killer just kept remaining cool. "I was just pointing out the flaws, officers. There is no need to use violence in this room."
"V-VIOLENCE?!" he let go off the killer and went to shut the door with a lock. He then brought his police baton to show him he has a higher ground. "SEE THIS?! THIS WILL BE YOUR NIGHTMARE! If you don't want to get hit by this batton~YOU BETTER TELL ME WHO HIRED YOU!"
He swings his button in the air to tell him he is ready to hurt him. This could frighten up the suspects to be obedient but again, the killer just shrugged it off with a smug face.
"Ohh~you gonna use your baby sword to hit me? Huh, you are not a man. If you are a man, you should get things done with words. Not with tools."
This made the inspector very furious. He threw the table away as he gets ready to hit him in the face. But the police chief was just in time to stop the abusing scene.
"Lieutenant! Stop it right there!" the police chief ordered him to stand down as he took away the inspector's police baton.
"C-chief?! What are you doing here, sir?!" he asked.
"What I am doing here? I'm here to stop this unnecessary violence! You should be ashamed of yourself! I entrusted you to handle this case carefully, but since you are out of control and about to hit the suspect to get more information, I'm ordering you to leave this room at once!"
"B-but..!"
"No, but! Now get out!" the inspector glared back at me and left the room. Once he is gone, the police chief looked at the killer and apologized for the inspector's aggressive behavior. "I am sorry for my subordinate's behavior. He tends to be aggressive when things are not going well. I hope he didn't hurt you badly."
"I can handle some bruises or cut on my face, chief. I have been many worst situations than this." the killer replied.
"Still, it violates the common law of dealing with the suspects: Never force the suspect to confess by using the power of violence."
"True. But where I came from, laws are usually being ignored."
"I see." the chief went to have a seat and looked into the killer's face. The killer can sense a warm feeling from the middle-ages officer; a kindness to ease the tension between the police and the criminal. "Anyway, umm...you will be locked up in this department's detention cell for a few weeks. We need to get enough information from the Titans to send you to court. So, in the meantime, you are under our custody."
"...' Sighed'." the killer let out a big sigh as he leaned back to his seat.
The police chief then stood up and was about to open the door. But the suspect asked him something unusual for a criminal.
"Also...who are the Titans? Are they the local vigilantes...?"
The chief looked back at him and answered. "Yes. Yes, they are. They have been a great help to Jump City, ever since they arrive here."
"I see..." the killer said. "Also...the female with a red long hair...is she okay...?"
The police chief was a little surprised to hear his question. He wanted to reply "why do you ask her about her?" But, he replied to him about Starfire's current condition.
"She is okay. She is in Jump City's union hospital. The blow to her lower stomach wasn't that deep. But the poison coming from your poison dart had already affected her inner organs. Surgical doctors are doing their best to remove the poison..."
"...I see."
When the police chief looked at the suspect's face, he could almost see a sense of relief mixed with a regretful expression on his face.
This suspect...seemed to care about that girl...I wonder why. The police wondered quietly as he left the suspect alone in the interrogation room.