Case - 1 : Cornering

As we were flying above the civilian traffic, which I was grateful for, I spoke to Larkin over the rushing wind that was slamming into our faces, "Can you search for Revanche's medical records?"

"You don't have proof yet Sergeant?" Larkin asked surprised.

"No. Not yet. When you have eliminated whatever is most likely, whatever else remains is true."

"Haha! Sir, you're quoting Holmes wrong!"

"Send me the records, you fool."

'How is he so good at being a fan and so bad at it at the same time!'

I watched the traffic below us fly by, their exteriors tinted with a reddish pink hue, painted in the same light as the sky was from the dispersed rays of the setting sun.

Shop signs all around skyscrapers had begun lighting up, with multiple ad boards being projected out onto transparent walls as traffic weaved around them.

On the lower rungs of the commute highways, multiple public transport vehicles, PTV's floated about. Carriages that glowed red along their indication stripes had tinted glasses and held passengers while the ones that were green were still empty and looking for riders, slowing down at public landing decks.

Larkin soon sent over a file to my AR glasses, as I began to look through them for confirmation of what I predicted was happening.

'Would you look at that.' I thought as I slapped my thighs in excitement at the discovery in front of me.

'I'll need to send the department an order to bring the two fools here and do a few basic checks so that my presentation goes smoothly. Need to get all the evidence together. Hopefully no rookie mistakes.'

I was drawn out of my stupor as soon as the Hoversteeds landed by the curb, with Larkin looking at me a little tense as he hovered his hand on the waver attached to his belt.

I shook my head to indicate that it was not needed and began walking toward the door that had been opened for me just a few hours earlier.

"You should stay behind her." I told the lady who had accompanied me as a partial witness and pointed behind Gracewell with a short nod of my head, while she gave me back an accompanying nod as positive acknowledment.

Lieutenant Gracewell still had the same ugly frown on her face that had formed at the casino doors, which I enjoyed thoroughly, since it gave me the satisfaction of seeing her pulled down from her high horse that she enjoyed standing on.

"Lieutenant Gracewell, please stand by while I do the talking." I spoke in a slightly commanding tone just in case she decided to ruin everything I had planned, and her frown deepened.

Larkin followed beside me as I raised my hand to knock on the door, but before I could even begin to make an attempt, it opened on its own from inside as the head of a young man that I recognized peeked out of it.

"Greetings Mr. Sterling. How are you doing?" I asked in the most polite tone I could, while keeping up the same nice cop facade I had on my face when I'd met him a few hours ago.

"Oh? Mr. Dave? Is that you?" He asked with confusion apparent on his face as he spotted me and then Larkin beside me dressed in a green uniform and then Lieutenant Gracewell who he was probably already familiar with from their last encounter when I'd escaped by a few minutes.

I nodded politely as I came in closer and blocked his vision from any of the remaining people on the team and spoke, "May we come in Mr. Sterling?"

"Is there a reason for it, Mr. Dave?"

I didn't respond as any other police officer would but kept on my polite smile and spoke in a kind tone, "I'd just like to chat with you as a friend today Mr. Sterling, it is related to Mrs. Morrigan. I'm sure you're free?"

I watched his face turn into a frown as he looked at me and then spoke with slight anger, "I'm sure you're lying."

"Oh? And?" I asked him to continue with my eyes, wanting to see what he wanted to do.

"I know because Vera is right here." He said opening the door a little more until Vera came into view sitting on a chair and sipping what I guessed was some freshly brewed tea based on the smell that wafted up my nose. "So unless you have a warrant, I'm afraid I'd have to report you for harassment. Especially since you already entered my house after you were fired earlier in the morning."

'I see.'

"That's not nice Mr. Sterling. I had not been fired. I assure you that was nothing but a 'strategical' error. So why don't you let us in for now?"

A stare off for a few seconds ensued, but he refused to back down and responded with the same old lines people had been using to deny the state their secrets, "I know my rights Sergeant Dave and I beseech you to not pressure me any further since anything else will require me to contact my lawyer."

I sighed mentally and then looked beyond him at Mrs. Mórrígan, and shouted out loud so that my voice made sure it reached her ears, "Mrs. Morrigan, you are under arrest for the murder of Neuinio Waltinger!"

I saw Vera's eyes widen for a second and then Revanche pushed back against me by coming in between us, blocking our line of sight as he spoke, "You do not have a warrant Sergeant Dave." but I ignored him and continued shouting, "Vera! You sure you want me to arrest Revanche instead of you!?" I provoked her.

*SLAM*

Revanche tried to shut the door in my face, but I placed my shoe in between the door and tanked the hit using my solid boots.

"You know I will be back with a warrant, Vera! And when I'm back, the evidence will point at Revanche, not you!"

Revanche tried slamming the door once again but in the short time he pulled the door back and tried to shut it I spotted Vera with slightly widened eyes sitting almost listlessly on her chair with the tea cup that was supposed to be in her hand looking like it was on the verge of collapsing.

And when Revanche shut the door finally after managing to push my boot outside by kicking it out, it did with a loud *crash*.

"Detective Larkin, did you hear that crash?" I asked while looking at Larkin who looked back at me positively puzzled, so I sighed mentally while explaining in as professional a way as I could.

"Wouldn't that be probable cause for violence inside the house? Our suspect Revanche might be holding Mrs. Vera hostage, and she might be actively trying to fight ba-"

"Yes! Sergeant!" Larkin interrupted me with his eyes wide as he unbuckled his waver and pointed it at the hinges and shot it with the intent to vaporize the metal hinges off of it. He immediately kicked the door and entered the room shouting, pointing his waver at Revanche who looked positively stunned, "Inception Police Department here! Raise your hands up and do not resist! I repeat! Raise your hands up and do not resist!"

My eyes locked with Revanche first, and then with Vera, who was already in tears and looked at me with pleading eyes as she was a little shook because of my threat to her.

Revanche was the first to break the ensuing silence as he spoke in a slightly angry voice, "What are you doing Sergeant Dave?"

I gave one last look at Vera and then responded to him, "What else, I'm here to arrest you. Clearly you intended to harm Mrs. Morrigan here by taking her hostage."

"And why would I do that?" Revanche asked. "There is no valid reason for you to believe that I was harmful to anyone other than you."

"Oh, but I do." I said as I carefully watched his expression that remained stoic and unchanging. "Didn't you murder Vera's neighbor, Mr. Waltinger?"

"I'm sure Vera said in her statement that Mr. Waltinger was killed by the thugs that were going to be arrested."

"Yes. She did. I'm sure. Didn't you Vera." I asked, looking at her while she just wiped her tears away and nodded silently in agreement.

"Then there's no other question to be answered, since apart from the eyewitness, even their wavelength ID's were recorded at the scene." Revanche said with a smug expression on his face.

I shook my head with a soft sigh and then looked back at him, "But that is not true, is it?" I asked.

Larkin beside me looked at me with confusion, as did Gracewell and the lady by her side.

"There is no way for a clean person to fake the Wavelength ID of a person using prosthetics, Mr. Dave." Revanche tried to explain but, I countered back, "That is true, unless you also use prosthetics."

"But I don't. I never got any prosthetic surgery done!" Revanche exclaimed. "It wouldn't be hard to find that I did if I ever attempted to have such a surgery done on me!"

"Haha. I knew you'd say that." I laughed at their naivety but was simultaneously impressed by their clever little plan, and then promptly ignored them as I walked back toward the lady who had accompanied me from the casino.

"My lady, would you please tell me your name?" I asked her with a knightly bow as I held her fingers and looked up into her eyes.

"Anneliese, my name's Anneliese." she said with a soft smile and a giggle at my quite frankly, hilarious attempt at courting her.

"Thank you, my lady." And with that I turned around to both Revanche and Vera as I spoke in a blunt tone, "Anneliese here is quite the great witness to our crime."

"Witness?" Larkin questioned in a confused tone that was echoed in Revanche's and Vera's expression.

"Yes. Witness. For being witness to the only possible motive of a crime is as good as witnessing the crime itself." I stated as I looked back at Anneliese for her to continue, which she flawlessly did.

'I should hire her. Oh. Maybe I already did when she followed me out. I have great taste.'

"As Mr. Dave explained to you rightfully, I know why this murder might've been committed."

"And why would that be Ms. Anneliese?" Larkin questioned, his waver now pointing down since he'd let his guard down as no one was really any direct threat in the current situation.

Anneliese gave me a glance which I responded back with a soft nod urging her to share what she knew about from what I'd questioned her on.

"Mr. Waltinger was a regular client at the Quant's Anonymous Casino."

As soon as Anneliese mentioned the casino Revanche's eyes flinched, hence I took over once again, "You recognize the name don't you Mr. Sterling? Or do you want Anneliese to continue?" Seeing no one respond I nodded for Anneliese to continue.

"Anneliese here 

Giving me a sharp glare, Revanche spoke in a tone filled with anger, "That doesn't prove anything other than the fact that Waltinger was a piece of shit. And no one would care if Anneliese knew the truth, since she'd be killed as soon as anyone knew about it."

"Woah! Calm down there ranger. Don't go barking up threats at my witnesses." I said, patting Revanche's shoulder as he glared at me even further, but then I patted his chest and then dropped my hands at his right side, over his kidney. "You missing one?" I asked.

"None of your business." He said and then took a few steps back as he spoke, "Please don't enter my personal space."

"Oh, I can't guarantee that."

"That doesn't prove anything." Revanche spat back, but I just calmly looked him in the eyes for a few seconds before switching my target to Vera.

"Vera, in your call you told the police officers that you spotted two thugs right?"

"Yes." Vera nodded.

"And you saw one of them get down and walk into the house opposite to yours, didn't you?"

"...yes." Albeit reluctant, Vera nodded once again.

"Were those the lines Mr. Sterling asked you to speak, Vera?" I asked in a calm and polite tone, hinting at the trouble Revanche had created for himself.

Vera's eyes widened and then filled with tears, but she still kept quiet after sparing a glance at Revanche, and so she responded with a short, "No."

"I see. Alright then let's do it the hard way." I said as I paused to look at the clock on my AR interface and was happy since it had already been five minutes from when we'd entered.

"Oh, please pay attention to this live feed that we have coming up from a cadet of mine." I spoke as I shared a live feed with everyone in the vicinity.