Onpaper,justicehadbeenserved.
ButLucouldstillfeelit—theitchbetweenhisshoulderbdes,thewhisperinthebackofhismind:Thisisn''''''''tover.
Itwasn''''''''tthathelikedtooverplicatethings,orthatheingfh-profileserialkillercasetoboosthiscareer.Aftersomanyyearsasadetective,Lusimplytrustedhisinstincts—andtheywerescreamingthatsomethingwasn''''''''tright.
Butpoliceworkdemandedevidehoutanythingsolidtochalleheofficialclusions,allhecoulddotthem.
Junhadhisdoubts,too.
Thecaseswerestrangeenoughontheirown:privilegedyoungmensexuallyassaultingunderagegirls,amanagerpreyingonfemaleemployeesanddotingitinphotographs—sosimir,surfagsoclosetogetherintime.
paredtoLu,Jun''''''''ssuspisfurther.Hehadavaguefeelingtherewasaninvisiblethreadtyingalltheseretiogether.
HethoughtofMadelihefemalestudentwho''''''''darguedwithReya—thevictimintheSilverRingandCocases.
HethoughtofJulian,Reya''''''''scoworker,whohadtallysuicided.
AndReya''''''''smahemonsterwhopreyedonemployeesuntilsomeonepreyedonhim.
Allofit—howevertenuously—circledbacktooneperson:
Reya.
Notasevideevenasatheory.
Justahunch.
Onehewouldnevervoicealoud.
Becauseifhewasright...theimplicationswereunthinkable.