"Of course!"
Zach, who had just stood up, was pushed back by Coulson. "Lance already told me that you came here on your own initiative." Coulson winked at James, "You are the witness who provided evidence. We Of course I know you are innocent!"
Take it for granted, looking at James' gloomy face, you can tell what he is thinking.
"This is not the place to talk." Coulson was already trying his best to change his expression, but he looked weird and pointed at a room in a certain direction, "How about we go to a more private place to talk..."
This place is an interrogation room.
However, since Detective Coulson used such an expression, Zach naturally would not refuse and followed the two of them.
Before entering, James glanced at Zach extremely covertly. Zach smiled back with an unknown meaning.
Then, when he stepped into the closed interrogation room with only one table and three chairs, Zach turned sideways, looked at the mirror that occupied half of the wall, tilted his head, straightened his appearance, and smiled, "That's enough. hidden."
James lowered his head, staring at the image of the vampire in the mirror, unable to see his expression.
Coulson also looked at Zack's image in the mirror. Wait a minute, this is not what Coulson wants to see, but he is so embarrassed that he is too embarrassed to look at Zach! Detective Coulson looked a little evasive and pointed to the chair in front of the interrogation table, "Sit down, it's just a procedure, just go through it."
The image in the mirror, a bust that had been missing for four centuries, began to distort and blur as Coulson sat with his back to the mirror, and finally disappeared and became blank. Remember what Thomas Gangro said, this new skill given by Saint Sissi is very difficult. Even if the user is Toledo.
But of course, Zach didn't react. When James finally turned his gaze from the mirror, he sat down An Ran and raised his eyebrows slightly at James, meaning-'I can only last so long, you can do whatever you want. '
The current situation is equivalent to a mutual compromise between the two police detectives.
Teach James a lesson directly. Detective Coulson, who unlocked Zach's handcuffs, initially wanted to let Zach go. A no-brainer case in the southeast, and Grande's master, a powerful informant, it's easy to decide which side to choose.
But Zach is still here and sitting in the interrogation room, which means that at least Detective Coulson approved of James' action of "capturing" Zach back. He put it nicely, 'witnesses who provide evidence' and 'go through the process'. But Zach is self-aware that he is now the biggest suspect.
Zach actually 'eavesdropped' on this transformation process clearly.
When Zach casually judged the photos on James' table while the two detectives were in the bathroom, James was indignantly lectured by his partner and senior Coulson and resisted such a sentence-
"Do you have a better way to deal with it?! Are you ignoring the pressure from 'General'?! Let him go and the case will be gone! No matter what, I have ruined the informant relationship with Grande. You too Want to give away your relationship with the 'General'?!"
There is a key point here, the pressure given by the 'general'. Please recall. How did the two detectives from the homicide team know about this southeastern case that did not follow formal procedures and was deliberately ignored by the police? James told Zach that it was time for 'The General' to ask Coulson about the situation.
Regarding the "General", we know what he said and what he did, but we also need to be aware of one thing - after the incident in which Chapman took advantage of the inherent prejudice in the southeast to seek death for profit. What did the 'general' do? He erected a neon sign in front of his bar that lasted all night! In the southeast that is shrouded in darkness, create a bright place! I mean, please think about it carefully.
Therefore, in all aspects, do not underestimate the 'general'!
This was the pressure the 'General' put on Coulson. If the police cannot protect the southeast, why should the 'general' bear the name of an informant and work for the police. Why don't you care if people die here? !
James' compromise is obvious, Zach's hands are free now.
The two letters were placed on the metal interrogation table, and Coulson was frowning carefully.
While in the bathroom, James had already told the origins of the two letters, including Zach's denial of knowing the letter and the writer.
This interrogation, which is merely stated as a 'procedure', is very difficult to navigate.
Coulson fell silent after reading the letter. He didn't want to offend Grande more, so he wasn't going to speak. James didn't speak either. He would always secretly look sideways at the mirror behind him, and his body posture was strangely close to Coulson, as if he was ready to do something at any time... As you all know, for example, if Coulson suddenly turned around, the only person who could stop him was It could be James.
There was some awkwardness in the interrogation room.
Zach's relaxed expression of waiting suddenly changed, and he looked past the two police detectives opposite and looked at the mirror.
Behind the standard two-way mirror in the interrogation room, a middle-aged man and a capable short woman stood in the back holding coffee cups with serious faces.
It was Coulson and James's boss, the head of the homicide team, and the boss of the police department, Chief Cologne. The two looked through the two-way mirror at the three silent people in the interrogation room, their expressions getting darker and darker. gloomy.
Zach didn't have the ability to see through, but he could still hear the two extra gradients of heartbeats. Zach turned away and thought for a while. At the last moment, he thought of a decision that might be beneficial to everyone.
Zach, a vampire with dual identities of witness and suspect, was actually the first person to speak in this interrogation room.
"There is no one else here." Zach raised his eyebrows and knocked on the metal interrogation table. "It's very private and no one will disturb you. How about we talk about something real?"
The heartbeats of the two people behind the two-way mirror changed, as did the two police detectives in the room.
"Detective Coulson." Zach looked at Coulson, "Officer Lance..." Zach waved his hand in front of his face, smiled apologetically and shook his head, "I told you to tell the truth." After looking at James, he changed his title. It was not a big deal at all. It was just a formal last name plus position, and it became a first name. "Did James tell you about the situation when I received the first letter?"
Coulson glanced at James. It seemed that the situation was not too bad. The relationship between his partner and his informant had not completely broken down. Shaking his head, "No."
"I know, this sounds bad." Zach said with a helpless smile, "I don't think anyone would write to me and ignore the letter in front of James." Zach looked at it James, "James, who came to Grande to confront me again today. Created the impression that I deliberately concealed the letter."
"Aren't you?!" James looked sullenly, and then was glared at by his partner.
"No." Zach pursed his lips, shook his head, and then looked at Coulson, "But I don't regret this impression. No matter what James thinks, the fact is that I read the first letter yesterday. After the letter. I spent the night pondering whether to inform James of this letter in order for the case to continue."
"The truth is you didn't!" James pursued, and naturally, he continued to be glared at by his partner.
Zach waved to James, "Have you given me a chance?" Zach shook his head helplessly, and suddenly said something that did not need to appear in this interrogation room, "The Bishops came to Grande to arrange the funeral. I am accompanying Mrs. Bishop to arrange the necessary matters. Do you want me to leave them alone and go and chat with you?"
Zach listened to the changes in the heartbeats of different people and knew that his goal was achieved.
Well, when a serious meeting was held, the male director and female secretary suddenly mentioned that they heard strange noises late last night and were awakened. That’s pretty much the meaning and the feeling. Feel it.
James's face became more gloomy, because Coulson no longer glared at him, but glanced at James with a strange look.
"And. I'm even a little sad." Zach decided to push this feeling a little further, "You snatched the letter from Benjamin's hand before I thought clearly about whether to tell you." Zach shook his head, "I don't want to say that you crossed the line and violated Grand**. Our relationship is higher than such trivial matters..."
James's face became more and more gloomy.
Zach continued. "The reason I'm sad is that you didn't even give me a chance to explain." Zach said with helplessness on his face, "So before you had already convicted me and were about to make me even more sad and wanted to arrest me, I took the initiative. , it can be regarded as my decision."
After a moment of silence, Coulson frowned and said, "What decision?"
"Explain to the detective who is more rational." Zach looked at Coulson and nodded slightly.
James stood up in a hurry and was about to rush out of this ridiculous interrogation room and get rid of this weird conversation! However, as soon as he turned around, he saw only himself and Coulson's back in the mirror. He clenched his fists and his jaw was pulled hard due to the force. He could only punch the air and sat down again. go back.
Coulson frowned and glanced at James who moved too much with a disgusted tone, "Control it!" Then he looked at Zach, "Please tell me."
Zach smiled sincerely at Coulson, "First of all, we need to recognize a basic bottom line." Zach tapped his fingers on the table, "I don't want anything bad to happen in the southeast, Detective Coulson, you You should understand that I am the same as the 'General'."
Remember what happened when Seth was imprisoned? Coulson knew that Grande had been helping.
Coulson frowned and nodded. This kind of thing shouldn't be said in a police interrogation room, but it was a fact and a reminder to him.
"But things have happened. As a friend of 'The General', I believe you can understand that the idea of hoping to get to the bottom of the matter is the same as that of 'The General'."
As expected of an old police detective, Coulson quickly understood what Zach meant, nodded, and shook his head, "I can understand, and I also know that you Grande has a gray job..." Coulson paused, no. After all, he is still a policeman and has basic respect for this place. "But if you want to solve it yourself, this idea is wrong! This kind of vicious case with a dead body should be handed over to our police. Not trying to hide it.”
Zach nodded, and the 'tell the truth' conversation began, "I'm not hiding it, the case has arisen, and I even found out about it after James informed me. My real mistake was hesitation." Zach He spread his hands and said with a serious expression, "Grand's current position is very dangerous. Can you understand what I mean?"
"You said framed." Of course Coulson understood. He knew better than most people about the attack on Grande. His sources of information included the police, the 'General', and his partner James. A wild road that forks in.
Zach nodded and pointed at the title of the first letter, which was the altered 'Toledo'.
"The writer's goal is very clear." Zach's expression was still serious and he glanced at James, "I don't know if James has shared some of the, um, personal things about me that I told him. "
Pay attention, Zach is reminding, embedding another meaning in the words. Different objects will have different understandings.
"'Toledo' will no longer appear in my life now." Zach began, "I don't want to arouse sympathy, but my life experience and my current Grande surname did not come smoothly. As illegitimate children, Benjamin and I, two brothers, did not want to mention our past to anyone else.”
James frowned, he was reminded, 'Toledo'. A crack appeared in his reasoning that Zach was the mastermind - is it possible that Zach did not want humans to get involved because the letter writer named the vampire's former identity and it became an alien case
This is also Zach’s education! Grande will handle the alien part, and James will handle the human society part! Education is indeed clearly divided, but we also know that the two parties often interfere with each other, and there is no solution.
Coulson just pursed his lips. Everyone is conscious and cannot ask deeply, "You mean, the other party is very clearly targeting you."
"Yes." Zach nodded, "The only thing I can think of for my people is that there are people who can obtain this kind of information that only exists in old historical files."
James' eyebrows frowned even more tightly. The word "file" was ignored. What he heard was history. Who knew the history of Toledo? The Secret Alliance, the Sabbat, a certain alien race in Barton, or even worse, Papa, who couldn't wait, started taking action in Barton at midnight!
Coulson first frowned and thought, then raised his eyebrows with a gloomy expression, "Barton doesn't have many people like this."
"Yes, very few." Zach was very happy that Coulson followed his train of thought. Of course, Zach didn't show any signs of it and instead became more and more serious. "But at the same time, I don't think those few people will go." Look through the old files of an owner of a funeral home with whom we have never interacted."
Zach organized his words, "This is personal, personal, and clear. The only thing I can think of is that I touched someone, something he didn't want others to know, so he turned against me like this." ."
Coulson looked at Zack, thinking, and said in a longer voice, "I think you are talking about a specific object."
"I am." Zach admitted directly, "This is the reason for my initial hesitation." Zach also looked at Coulson and told a lie that would not leave a trace in the vampire's heart, "Grande After I was attacked and called the police, I told the officers of the Southern District Police and I told everything I could."
Zach sighed and waved his hand, "For some special reasons, I think you heard about the confidentiality agreement. So I can only apologize for the things I can't say. To you, the police, this is two corpses. The case, for Grande, may be just a continuation of something, and I can't go against something."
This means that if Zach gives the letter to James and is questioned, Zach will have to tell his speculation, and the incident will be connected to someone. Zach will break the confidentiality agreement and be besieged by someone's lawyer to hold him accountable. . On the contrary, if Zach had not given it and the confidentiality agreement had been intact, he would not have appeared at the police station as the current suspect.
Zach shook his head and glanced at James, "I'm sorry that I put Grande in such a situation. Even though I just wanted to arrange a funeral for my client properly, trouble still came to Grande's door."
Zach heard it, and after a brief exchange behind the double-sided mirror that occupied half of the wall, he left.
The content of this brief exchange was as follows. The man said to the woman, "Hermann's case will be exposed soon. The higher-ups want to maintain his image as Patton's 'hero' and don't let this case come out again and blur the focus. Let the two Guy, drop this case and stop pursuing it.”
Zach thought for a while, and this impromptu decision should be successful. (..)