1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 252 is tonight!

Bernie looked towards the house and asked Theodore:

"Is it because of Mrs. Doyle?"

Billy Hawke also shared his opinion:
"The moment I saw her, I was reminded of 'cherry'."

"Her figure, height, age, and short hair are all similar to 'Cherry'."

He felt that what he said seemed a bit off, so he corrected himself:

"It's not that she looks exactly like 'Cherry,' it's just that 'Cherry' looks a lot like her."

Theodore nodded.

Bernie glanced at the house again. The house was brightly lit, and he could vaguely see the Doe couple still sitting in the living room, seemingly talking about something.

He confirmed with Theodore:
"So Maggie is the person John Doe wants to kill?"

"Are 'Cherry' and the others all substitutes for Maggie?"

Theodore nodded again.

Bernie's expression subtly changed as he recalled the Riverside Hotel suicide case, in which Charles Anderson went to see his mother, Mrs. Anderson, after killing Barbie Joe Carter.

"Would he lay a hand on his wife?"

Theodore nodded:

"This is inevitable. Although serial killers rarely vent their anger on their target, if their crimes go undetected or unchecked, they will eventually target their target."

"The difference lies in the time it takes to go from committing crimes against substitutes to targeting key individuals."

"It depends on the perpetrator's perception of their own criminal skills and their level of self-psychological development."

"When they feel ready and believe they have enough courage to face the key figures, they will take action against them."

Bernie explains for Billy Hawke:
"The key figure is the ultimate target in the minds of the series of killers we mentioned earlier."

“Maggie Doe is the focal point of John Doe.”

He then asked Theodore:

"What should we do now?"

"Is John Doe ready?"

Theodore shook his head:

"No."

"The emotional connection between the murderer and the key figures is complex; it is not simply a matter of anger and hatred."

"There is also dependence and special feelings involved."

He reminded the two of:
"Throughout his more than 20-year career, the murderer always went home on time and never went out for fun with his colleagues."

"During our previous conversations, the murderer also tried to play the role of a normal, harmonious, and well-mannered male head of a family in front of us, showing us a happy and harmonious marital relationship."

“They won’t lay a hand on Maggie Doy until she can no longer play the role.”

“Maggie Doy is an important prop for him to make this character work.”

"However, Maggie Doe has been provoking the killer, and I think the killer's role-playing game is probably about to come to an end."

"The killer won't target Maggie Doe this time, but soon, or perhaps next time."

Bernie grasped the key words:
"this time?"

Theodore pointed in the direction of the house:

"The questions I asked during the conversation put a lot of psychological pressure on the killer, and coupled with Maggie Doe's provocation of his status and dignity, tonight's conversation is likely to become a new source of tension for the killer."

"If the killer had discussed with Maggie Doe the questions I raised after we left, especially the issue of fertility, the killer's cooling-off period would likely have been drastically shortened."

"There is even a high probability that he will commit the crime tonight."

He looked at Bernie:
"Therefore, it is best to monitor the murderer. If we can be there when the murderer commits the crime, we can avoid a lot of trouble."

Theodore pointed to his wrist:
"The day after tomorrow will be June."

Bernie and Billy Hawke were completely baffled.

The two exchanged a glance and asked Theodore:

"What June? What's wrong with June?"

Theodore stared at them for a while, and, confirming that they really didn't know, he was somewhat disappointed.
"The June issue of the Law Enforcement Gazette should be published soon. I wrote an article for it, and soon cases from all over the country will come in like snowflakes."

He consulted the two of them:

"It's fairly convenient for nearby places, you can drive there. But for places that are too far away, like in Texas, taking public transportation would take a lot of time."

"Moreover, in the event of special cases such as kidnapping or hostage-taking, we may need to be able to get to the scene quickly."

"Perhaps we should request a private jet from the bureau to provide services specifically for us?"

Bernie and Billy Hawke exchanged glances again, wondering if Theodore was asleep and dreaming.

Bernie gently persuaded Theodore:
"There's no rush now. We can apply when we need it."

"Moreover, hostage situations are rare. When they do occur, local law enforcement agencies usually handle them themselves and rarely seek help from the FBI."

Theodore disagrees with Bernie's statement:

“We may not receive many cases in the short term, but from a long-term perspective, this is very necessary.”

"We should apply first, instead of waiting until we need it, otherwise it will be too late."

"There is indeed no precedent for hostage situations where the FBI is called upon, but it will happen sooner or later."

Bernie quickly changed the subject:
"We can talk about that later. Should we be monitoring John Doe now?"

He started the car, and the Chevrolet slowly moved out from behind the red Ford pickup truck and stopped at the gate of the yard.

He also deliberately honked the horn and waved to John Doe, who was inside the house, as he looked out, before quickly leaving.

Surveillance is an essential part of traditional case investigations, and Bernie is very good at it.

He drove his Chevrolet at a leisurely pace through the neighborhood and soon found an excellent hiding place.

He drove the Chevrolet out of the neighborhood, circled around it, and parked it under a tree on a corner a hundred yards from John Doe's house.

From here, you can only vaguely see the house with its lights on, and a dark patch of shadow on the roadside in front of it; that must be John Doe's beloved Pikachu.

Bernie parked the car and turned off the engine. He rolled down the window, stuck half his head out to look over there, and then pulled it back in.
"Alright, let's wait here."

Billy Hawke checked the time:
It's already 8:10.

"If he really intends to act tonight, he should be setting off soon."

Bernie looked at Theodore:
"Shouldn't we contact the DC 7th Precinct and the Alexandria Police Department first?"

Theodore hesitated for a moment, then shook his head:

"Need not."

"Mr. Doherty may need us to provide a letter of invitation for collaboration."

"The killer will likely commit the crime near Fifth Street in southwest DC, which is not within the jurisdiction of the Alexandria Police Department."

Billy Hawke and Bernie's lips twitched violently as they struggled to hold back their laughter.

Theodore looked at the two of them, puzzled.

What's so funny? Bernie steered the conversation back to the case:
"Should we contact the shipyard and investigate the accident he mentioned?"

Theodore turned his head, stared at Bernie for a moment, and shook his head:
"Need not."

"The murderer knows we can access union files and get help from the shipyard, so he won't lie about this."

Bernie couldn't help but ask him:
"Then why were you so interested in this accident before?"

Theodore scratched his arm before offering his explanation:

"I suspect that's not the whole story; the perpetrator may bear primary responsibility for the accident."

"When the perpetrator talked about the accident, he showed obvious guilt and remorse, which was far more intense than the role he played in the accident."

"If the perpetrator did everything he could in the accident, he should show regret, not guilt."

"People only feel guilty and regret their actions when they do something wrong."

Bernie disagrees with this explanation:
"He may be regretting not stopping Danny Brown from doing the repairs alone, and not being able to provide safety when Danny Brown was doing the repairs alone."

Theodore shook his head, denying his statement:

“If the accident itself is as the perpetrator claims, the perpetrator should feel remorse, and his main regret should be that he failed to protect Danny Brown, not that he should have been ‘more patient and more careful’.”

"This is not the perspective of a bystander providing security."

He asked the two of them:

"If you were John Doe, what would you say when recalling the accident?"

Bernie thought for a moment, then asked uncertainly:
"'If only I had discovered it sooner,' or 'If only I had checked it first,'"

Billy Hawke stated directly:
“When I was a child, there was an accident at the steel plant. My neighbor’s eldest son was crushed to death. It was caused by the negligence of the master craftsman who was training him.”

“He said something similar to the deceased’s family at the funeral.”

Bernie turned to look at Billy Hawke:

"you sure?"

Billy Hawke swatted a mosquito dead and nodded.

"I remember that after he finished speaking, he was beaten by the deceased's father, and then the two of them sat on the ground and silently shed tears."

Bernie's gaze shifted to Theodore:
"So this accident was caused by John Doe?"

"But both the shipyard and the union investigated the accident, and the results were the same as what he said."

He asked Theodore again:
"How about we get a copy of the survey results?"

Theodore refused again:
"Need not."

"Once the murderer is caught, he will tell us the truth about the accident himself."

Bernie chose to believe Theodore.

The three waited a while longer, and each of them got seven or eight mosquito bites.

Finally, there was some movement over there.

John Doe was wearing a gray overalls and carrying an old jacket as he walked out.

After getting dressed, he first checked the hemp rope and waterproof tarpaulin in the truck bed, making sure the knots were secure and the tarpaulin covered everything properly before jumping into the cab.

The engine noise drew a few barks from dogs as the pickup truck slowly drove into the darkness.

Theodore had previously worried that Bernie wouldn't be able to keep up, but now it seems he was overthinking it.

Bernie started the car and chased after the pickup truck after it had turned the corner.

Afraid of losing them, Bernie drove faster than usual and quickly caught up with the red Ford pickup truck.

The pickup truck headed north along the Potomac River, crossed the 14th Street Bridge, entered 14th Street, passed through East Potomac Park, and continued east, slowing down after entering 7th Street.

This is the busiest time of day in the red-light district, and 7th Street is a hive of activity.

Girls dressed in revealing clothes stood on both sides of the street, striking poses and soliciting business in a coquettish voice.

Vehicles on the road move at a snail's pace.

The drivers' eyes roamed brazenly over the girls' chests and crotches, searching for their favorite targets.

Theodore's Chevrolet was only six months old and he regularly maintained it, so it looked brand new. As soon as it appeared, it became the most stylish car on the street.

Four or five girls swarmed around, bringing with them a complex and pungent fragrance, chattering and soliciting business.

Bernie skillfully gripped the steering wheel with one hand, resting his other arm on the car window, chatting and laughing with the girls and asking about prices.

He was very generous, saying he was willing to pay ten dollars just for a fast food meal.

However, he also made many demanding requirements, eliminating all of these girls.

Seeing this, a girl nearby quickly moved closer, but Bernie rolled up his car window and refused to speak.

A short distance ahead of them, a red Ford pickup truck pulled up beside two acquaintances.

'Canary' and 'Ant' Marino.

"Ant" Marino, dressed in an old-fashioned suit, was smoking in the driver's seat of a dark purple car. Beside him, "Canary," wearing a sequined miniskirt and a faux fur coat, leaned against the car, enthusiastically soliciting business.

'Canary' must have been specially trained to identify vehicles, as she only targeted relatively expensive ones.

John Doe is not included.

He poked his head out and spoke to the 'canary'.

'Canary' turned around and pointed at 'Ant' Marino.

'Ant' Marino got out of the car, leaned against the pickup truck door, and chatted with John Doe with a smile.
John Doe was generous and the deal was quickly struck.

He took out two $10 bills and stuffed them into 'Ant's' hand, then took out a $5 bill and stuffed it into 'Canary's' hand. Finally, he shook the $10 bill in his hand and stuffed it back into his pocket.

'Ant' Marino snatched the money from 'Canary's' hand, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded.

'Canary' went around to the other side, opened the car door, and got in.

"Ant" Marino pointed into the driver's seat and said something.

Theodore guessed it was a threat plus a warning.

Based on the killer's habits, he would have suggested moving the transaction to a secluded and quiet place, and because he offered a large sum, "Ant" Marino agreed.

To avoid any further complications, Bernie turned early and drove towards the middle of the road, trying to avoid 'Ant' Marino.

But judging from Bernie's unwavering stare at the Chevrolet as he passed "Ant" Marino, and his follow-up head movements as the Chevrolet turned its head, Bernie's attempt to evade the car had clearly failed.

Billy Hawke peeked out from behind and asked Theodore:

“Boss, this doesn’t look like a ‘cherry’ at all.”

"She's not quite as good as Maggie Doy."

Theodore nodded:

"The killer's tension and stimulation came from himself, not from the previous focus figures. He did not want to kill the focus figures, but the symbol of law enforcement."

He pointed to the red Ford pickup truck to the south, with some admiration:
“'Canary' is young, healthy, strong, and energetic.”

"This is a very typical choice."

(End of this chapter)