Red Alarm [A Detective/Thriller Story] DISCONTINUED

Chapter 12

The light above the ceiling showed the face of the crying young man. He clenched his fists and banged his hands that were tied together on the table."I didn't kill my own mother!"

"Felix Min Guk. You're a member of the Hounds right?" the detective in charge flipped his free fingers into the papers he was holding. The Hounds is one of the most notorious gangs in NYC. Most of their members were related to drug dealings, fights in the neighborhood and even homicide cases.

"Look I am a messenger okay," he raised his cuffed hands up in the air." I run the upperdogs errands, clean up their business and that's it! I never do those dirty stuff and do I look like I can kill my mother?!"

At the other side of the room, the SSO were studying the man with their eyes. Officer Millard stared at him through the transparent glass. He's become close to him before deciding to live on his own. He might be arrogant, and demanding to his parents but he would never do such a thing. Well, at least that's what he believed in.

It was true though, judging from his build. He was a wimp and his physique was a thin young man who despite of all his tattoos and gangster hair, would easily tumble vs the flick of a body builder.

Felix gazed at the black colored glass behind the questioning detective. He knew his hyung followed him to the station. Although the opacity of the frame blocked his sight from seeing what was on the other side, he hoped that Khen was there checking on him. If he was, hed be the only one whod prove his innocence.

"We found your finger print on the murder weapon,"he showed him the bagged knife. "Is this knife yours?"

"T-thats mine. I used it to open packages and..."

"See!" he smacked his right palm on the desk, frustrated on how the suspect was still in denial when all the evidence pointed on him. "Just spill the beans already son."

"D-detective you gotta listen to me! I've been framed!"he reached out to the man's brown vest.

He shrugged the clinging fellow off him before leaving the room to face his confederates outside. It wasn't like he was gonna believe him spewing nonsense.

"Don't you have red alarm cases to go through? I don't wanna waste your time on this type of cases."

"It's okay detective," Officer Millard reassured. "This is worth my time."

"If that's what you want. I'm not stopping you," he grunted. "He'll be in prison anyways."

The policeman left the three of them outside the interrogation room.

"They probably didn't check the alibi considering the proof," Khen turned around to face his superiors. "But the detective is right. I'll handle this on my own. They'll need both of you in the station when a red alarm shows up."

"No, officer. We'll help you," she insisted.

"Team captain is right. There is some possibility that that man's statement earlier is true," Officer Carter agreed.

Lieutenant Camembert nodded. If the suspect was really guilty he wouldve denied that knife in the first place. Plus, all the evidence directly pointed at him and it was too obvious.

"Then let's check it," she said. "To find out what we should really believe in."

Checking if that one out of 99% was worth it, they headed over to headquarters. This was the very reason Atarah requested her father of putting her in the SSO - the Intel. Nothing beats the equipment provided for them inside. It was like the same level as the FBI. It had cameras, profiles of every civilians and an internet connection as fast as lightning - things she needed to solve her own case.

"He wasnt lying."

The time frame from when the crime was committed was the same as when he was seen picking his nose outside 24/7 Convenience Store while eating a fresh bought hotdog sandwich.

"This can definitely be a counter to their acquired evidence in court," Officer Gonzales viewed Atarah who was looking at the screen. "Do we have another case in our hands, lieutenant?"

Meanwhile at 78th precinct, Felix had been staring at the ceiling. The guys inside his cell wasn't much fun to talk to. He could already feel his legs getting woobly as they glare at him.

"Hey orange head," a cop called out.

"Yeah," he replied absently.

The cell door creaked open. "You're free to go," said the detective who felt embarrassed after the SSO explained the whole situation. He just humiliated himself by setting up wrong accusations.

"Hyung!" the boy clung onto the officer who'd been waiting on the couch.

"You're not finish yet young man," he said. "I need to ask you a few more questions."

"I already told you I'm innocent!"

"That's why I want to ask to know who is framing you!" Khen exclaimed. He pointed at the table in front of the information desk. "Sit there and let's talk."

As the officer continued interrogating the boy, Atarah and Cole headed back to the apartment.

There weren't anyone left in the crime scene except for the both of them.

"She's not here," said the lieutenant who was scanning the room.

"It's probably because the body was moved for autopsy," he explained.

There were still traces of blood on the wooden floor beside the chalked outline of the corpse. She bent down to take a closer look at the red pigment when Cole grabbed her by the shoulder. If she'll use too much she might not handle it.

"Are you sure you're gonna be fine?"

"If the investigators missed anything or would probably be this," she brushed his hands off her.

He watched her as she gently closed her eyes. Two minutes of silence, the girl flinched back. She opened her sight once again and gasped for air.

"I think I might have a hint as to what the motive was," she turned to her right to face the detective.
"And to who might've done it."