I'm innocent, Chief Liu! Why are you saying I'm the killer?
I keep shouting. They've put a hood over my head and handcuffed me. Officers sit on both sides. I have no idea what's happening or how I've been identified as the murderer.
The car drives for a long while before stopping. I'm escorted out and taken into the police station.
"Ethan, don't worry. I'll think of something and get you out of here soon."
Suddenly, a voice sounds in my ear. It's Ken Wang. I cry out in surprise.
"Don't make a sound, Ethan. They can't see me. I'll stay with you. Once I find a way to help you escape, I'll explain everything."
Then I'm led into the interrogation room. Yvonne Liu sits across from me, a computer in front of her. She walks over and plays a video.
In the video, it's me, walking out toward my residence. Then the footage cuts off. The surveillance only goes up to that point, and the timestamp shows 9:11 PM.
"Impossible. I remember it was 9:30."
Suddenly, Yvonne Liu glares at me fiercely.
"Do you know why we chose you? There were many students at the police academy with better grades than you."
I shake my head, looking at Yvonne Liu in surprise.
"Just as Dexter Sun predicted, as soon as you arrived, there was a case. Ethan Zhang, you did it, didn't you? These five cases—and you even tried to pin them on Dexter Sun."
"No, it really isn't me."
"How did you know about the scene of the fifth case? Also, we found evidence in that big suitcase at your house—human skin, hair, and blood. In a few days, we'll know for sure. Just accept your fate."
"Wait, Chief Liu, your sister is in danger! I dreamed last night that the killer was after her!"
Yvonne Liu glares at me fiercely, her look as if she were seeing something disgusting, full of anger.
"Ethan Zhang, why did you kill Dexter Sun? What did he tell you in private?"
Afterwards, they lock me up. What I care about most is why Yvonne Liu said they chose me.
Thinking carefully, it's true—the police academy I attended is in the eastern part of the city, only twenty kilometers from the station. But thinking about it, the role I'm playing in this story, my experiences, are all very ordinary.