All Chapters of The Crime System: Chapter 31
- Chapter 40
80 chapters
The Relentless Case
The sound echoed like thunder, and Vincent Parker stumbled forward, knocking over a stack of documents. His face went pale, and he turned to glare at Luke with murder in his eyes."You…" he stammered, but Luke was already doubled over in laughter."Relax, Captain!" Luke chuckled. "It's not a crime to scare you, is it?"Bella Lane tried to stifle her own laughter, but the moment felt like a small victory. Sure, Vincent Parker might have been a thorn in Luke's side, but he wasn't about to let him ruin his day—or his case.The clock was ticking. Somewhere out there, a woman's life was in danger, and the culprit was waiting to strike again. As they gathered their notes and headed out, Luke could feel it in his gut: this case was far from over.That night at 12:30, Luke finally crawled into bed, completely spent. Running around all day, from dawn till late at night, had drained every ounce of his energy. He never imagined that investigating cases could be this grueling. Back in his old lif
The Past Chaos
Early in the morning, someone was banging furiously on Luke's door.Groggily, he stirred. He had been chasing shadows in his dreams, but now, thanks to the racket, he was half-awake, rolling over with a groan. "Who's that? So annoying…" he muttered, still unwilling to fully surface from sleep."Luke Sullivan! You! I know you're in there, open the door now!" a young girl's sharp voice hollered from outside, accompanied by relentless pounding.Through the haze of sleep, the voice registered. Jenna Dalton? Why on earth is she here this early? he thought groggily, glancing at his watch. Only 5:30 in the morning? Seriously?Suddenly, his mind raced back to yesterday's events. The parent-teacher conference. He'd crashed it while trying to sniff out a clue, stirring up chaos. He'd nearly gotten someone's mom to call 911. And poor Jenna Dalton? She was probably mortified after his antics had disrupted her school's carefully planned event.He meant to explain things to her afterward, but, as a
You Play the Piano
The sound of running water from the bathroom had led him to believe someone had been using the toilet. But standing in front of him now, wrapped in nothing but a towel, her hair still dripping wet, was a woman. Was she showering or just finishing in the bathroom?For a split second, he stood there, stunned. Then her expression changed, and the room turned upside down. She froze, looking at him as though struck by lightning, her mouth opening into a scream that pierced the air.Her scream was enough to make his heart leap out of his chest. But what happened next was even worse—her grip on the towel failed. The thing fell to the floor.Everything. Every inch of her perfect figure was bared to his eyes."Woah?!" That was the only thing his brain could muster. Her body was... flawless. Even the likes of Miss Jessica couldn't compare to this. But then it hit him like a freight train—this woman wasn't Miss Jessica. Crap!If it had been Jessica, he could have come up with an explanation—thou
The Lost Notes
"Don't joke!" Luke snapped, shaking off his initial shock. It wasn't every day someone dropped a bizarre claim about a piano competition like Emily Harper just did. "You can't lie to an officer of the law," he told her, his voice firm. "The largest piano competition for high school students in New York, the tenth annual? Are you kidding me?""Why would I lie about this?" Emily replied, clearly annoyed. "This is the only thing I've ever been proud of in my entire life. How could I get it wrong? It was definitely the tenth year!""Alright then," Luke countered, still skeptical. "Where was this grand competition held?"She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled with sudden confidence. "Riverside Heights High School. That's right! It was at Riverside Heights High School!"Luke squinted at her, his disbelief still intact. "Oh?" he said, his tone oozing doubt. "The Tenth Grand Piano Competition was fifteen years ago. Participants were sixteen and fifteen-year-old high school
Who is Lila Davis?
"Emily's face tightened as she rubbed her temples, trying to recall long-forgotten memories. "Officer Sullivan, it's been so long," she muttered. "The competition was stressful enough, and I was just a teenager. I don't remember much. I haven't even touched a piano in over fifteen years!"Luke nodded, hiding his disappointment. Still, her struggle to remember looked sincere. After a pause, she asked, "Anything and anyone linked to the competition is relevant, right?""Of course," he said, hoping for a breakthrough. "Sometimes the smallest details crack a case."She bit her lip, her brow furrowed in thought. Finally, she said, "Officer Sullivan, I think I vaguely remember... something strange."What was it? Hearing Emily mention strange things sparked Luke's curiosity, so he pressed for details."Um..." Emily began to recall. "I remember, during that year's preliminary competition, our Phoenicia had an amazing student. I can't recall her name clearly, but she was definitely a girl. Eve
The Piano Prodigy Investigation
As Luke drove along the winding country road toward Phoenicia, his partner Bella sat beside him in the passenger seat."Bribery!" Bella Lane exclaimed, as if struck by a revelation. "Someone might have bribed the piano prodigy, gave her a ton of money, and got her to withdraw from the competition! Without her as a competitor, whoever paid her could secure a top spot!""Interesting theory," Luke said, keeping his eyes on the road, though his mind raced with possibilities. "Or, maybe it's something more direct. What if someone didn't make it to the finals, ended up in eleventh place, and bribed Lila Davis to withdraw? That way, they could take her spot." He clenched the steering wheel, considering the angles. "You know, the pregnant woman who made it in tenth—could she have…""No, Luke!" Bella Lane interrupted. "The final placement wasn't determined by who entered first or last. Even the tenth qualifier could theoretically become the champion!""Good point," he conceded, though his gut
Will You Help or Not
Rules were rules in the Special Crimes Unit. Every investigator was required to have a tracking app on their phone, allowing leadership to monitor their location at all times. It was a necessary precaution, ensuring they could respond quickly if someone landed in danger during an investigation. And, of course, Aaron Dawson was no exception.That's why it didn't take long for Bella to find his location. But instead of being holed up at home working on the case like he'd promised, the tracker revealed Aaron lounging at a local pool hall. While Luke was busting his chops over the investigation, that sneaky, dishonest rat was playing pool!"Don't worry, leave this to me!" Luke told Bella. "You focus on the new evidence regarding Lily Xavier. If anything comes up, let me know.""Senior, what are you going to do to Aaron Dawson?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. "He's an official investigator—you can't just… do something rash! Please think this through."Luke laughed at her worry. "
Just Do What I Say
Luke dusted his hands off, still holding the jagged remnants of the broken cue stick. The billiards hall smelled of stale beer and frustration. Aaron Dawson was glaring at him like he'd just burned down his house instead of snapping a few sticks of wood."You're a madman, Luke Sullivan!" he spat, brushing off his clothes."Madman?!" Luke stepped closer, cue raised, his voice laced with a challenge. "You haven't seen me yet, buddy. Now, check on that person for me, or I swear I'll—""Fine! Fine! I'll check!" Aaron Dawson raised his hands in surrender, his voice laced with exasperation. "It's just a search; do you have to go this far?""You tell me," Luke shot back. "A simple request, and yet here we are!"Aaron sighed, defeated. "Alright, alright. Let's go."But Luke wasn't done yet. He gestured to the scattered, broken cues and balls on the table. "Not so fast. You think this is free? Four cues, fifty bucks apiece. Seven balls, twenty bucks each. You owe me three-forty in damages.""A
Who is Lisa?
Luke was scared that Priscilla might solve the case before him, and he never stopped monitoring her conversations while working on finding the girl. The invisible eavesdropper he planted had a forty-seven-hour effective period, giving him ample time before it wore off.From what he'd overheard, Priscilla was beginning to realize her investigation might be heading in the wrong direction and was now searching for a new lead. Team B, meanwhile, had already started considering revenge as a motive. Someone even mentioned the word "piano." If they continued at that pace, they'd catch up to him in no time."Holy shit!" Luke muttered under his breath. Hearing Team B's progress while staring at the address on the map Aaron Dawson had given him made him feel uneasy. He wasn't sure if the new evidence he'd uncovered would actually lead to the culprit.The address pointed to 55 Willow Creek Street, near an old chapel called Saint John's Temple. It seemed unremarkable at first glance, but for some
Tarnished Ambition
Seeing the old lady so agitated, Luke couldn't suppress his growing curiosity. Something monumental must have happened to the girl, Lila Davis, all those years ago. Sensing her hesitation, he told her how vital it was for him to understand the truth behind the incident. He even hinted, rather strongly, that if she didn't cooperate, he'd have no choice but to ask her daughter directly when she returned.Her reaction was immediate and intense. At the mere mention of the word "piano," the old lady seemed to shrink into herself, her worry clearly etched on her face. After what felt like an internal battle, she finally caved, weighing her options and deciding that sharing the truth with Luke was better than letting her daughter relive that painful memory.The story she revealed was far beyond anything Luke could have imagined. All his theories and guesses about why Lila Davis, the child piano prodigy, had abruptly withdrawn from the competition paled in comparison to reality."Yes," she be