Volume 1: First Arrival Chapter 018: Get off work together
Ms. Hermes couldn't believe her eyes. She was left there like this.
She stared at Kirk's back in disbelief, her head following Kirk's footsteps like an owl, and she was half a beat slow to react.
"You! Hey!"
“I’m talking to you!”
Seeing the lady about to catch up, Adrian sighed inwardly——
Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back.
Whether he was willing or not, and whether it was contradictory or not, he now needed to cooperate with Kirk's actions.
So, Adrian stepped across the road and stopped the lady. "Madam, please cooperate with us. Only in this way can you leave as soon as possible."
Neither humble nor arrogant, firm and tough, with clear thinking——
Adrian quickly took control of the situation. Ms. Hermes glared at Adrian fiercely and hesitated to speak.
Just then, Kirk's voice rang out.
"Ma'am, if you want to leave, you can leave at any time. We are not planning to detain anyone illegally."
Ms. Hermes was about to take a step forward, but Kirk had not yet finished speaking.
"But perhaps, we will suspect that you are guilty of something."
"Perhaps, we will suspect that you killed that man; perhaps, you committed the crime impulsively because he threatened to expose your affair and destroy your marriage."
Swish, swish, swish!
All eyes were instantly focused on Ms. Hermès.
Ms. Hermès: ???
"No, I didn't, I wasn't... I didn't... I wasn't with him... I didn't even know him... You..."
He stammered incoherently and furiously for a long time but couldn't make any sense. Looking at the lady's flushed cheeks, his breath was stuck in his throat, as if he might faint at any moment.
In the end, the lady was in a dilemma. She couldn't turn around and leave angrily, nor could she stay at the scene with her head down. Her feet were frozen in place, and for a moment she didn't know what to do.
Kirk had no time to pay attention to them. He smiled at the witnesses in the "bedroom", as if in the spring breeze. He did not have the dignity and solemnity of a law enforcement officer at all. Instead, he seemed like old classmates who had not seen each other for a long time, friendly and enthusiastic. A single encounter could ease the atmosphere.
One, two, three...six.
Including Ms. Hermes, there were six witnesses in total. No, it should be five, because the one on the far left was the floor manager.
He was middle-aged, bald, wearing a loose and ill-fitting suit, with a somewhat reserved look on his face, and his eyes tense and worried, but his body was straight and in position. It seemed that he was protecting the lady next to him. He was probably not an eyewitness, but came here specially for this lady.
This lady appears to be very low-key, wearing a close-fitting short skirt suit. There is no brand logo on it, but one can tell at a glance that it is a suit tailored for her by a professional tailor, and that it is modified every year based on her body shape. Her face is gentle and elegant, without any panic.
As if she noticed Kirk's gaze, the lady in the suit looked over with grace and grace. She did not show any disdain or neglect for Kirk's identity as a "mere policeman". She showed a proper smile and nodded slightly. Her every move revealed a restrained elegance and her manners were perfect.
It seems that Kirk was also blinded by prejudice——
The real glitterati occasionally showed up at Macy's.
Kirk returned the favor with a smile and a slight nod, then looked around and spoke loudly.
"Hello everyone, this is Detective Adrian Guzman from the NYPD Special Investigations Division."
Kirk did not introduce himself, but instead used chicken feathers as a token of authority.
Adrian looked a little embarrassed.
"I know that the patrolman has already taken your statements, and you have been waiting here for a long time, hoping to leave as soon as possible. So now, I need some help from you, because the murderer may be hiding among you."
"If I'm wrong, great, everyone can leave as soon as possible."
"If I'm correct..."
Having said that, Kirk paused for a moment, his eyes lingering on the six people in front of him for a moment, carefully observing each person's expression.
As the saying goes, eyes are the windows to the soul and they never lie.
In fact, eyes are only part of it. There are also facial expressions, subconscious movements, body language, etc., which often inadvertently reveal the true secrets of the heart.
This isn't some mysterious hearsay; just ask professional poker players and you'll find out; this ability to observe is the skill they rely on to make a living.
Imagine a criminal with a guilty conscience, who had just committed murder accidentally. Seeing Kirk's confident and solemn performance, is it possible that he would not reveal any flaws?
A smile rose slightly at the corner of Kirk's mouth.
"...That's great, because the truth will be revealed soon. Of course, everyone can leave immediately, and the detectives can get off work as soon as possible."
"Let's get off work together."
As he spoke, Kirk walked to his right, preparing to walk around in a counterclockwise direction and interview each person face to face.
The first one was the lady in the suit and the floor manager who was so nervous that he was sweating and almost fainted.
Seeing Kirk approaching, the floor manager stepped forward and protected the lady in the suit behind him. His voice was a little tense, "Detective, this matter..."
Kirk carefully observed the floor manager's expression. It was not out of guilt, but fear. It seemed that the lady in the suit was a very, very important guest and he could not afford to offend her.
"I can assure you, Ms. Jones..."
The floor manager tried to defend the lady in the suit, but she stopped him, "Walter, the detective is doing his job, and we should cooperate with him."
The lady in the suit is a black woman who looks to be over 50 years old. She is wearing a burgundy suit that perfectly brings out the radiance of her skin. She is also wearing a small hat with a veil that covers half of her face. She always has a faint smile on her lips, and you can tell at a glance that she has received higher education.
Imagine that racial segregation was not officially abolished until the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but social ills still persisted for a long time; the lady in front of you is over 50 years old, but she is still able to receive higher education, her etiquette is impeccable, and her noble status is evident.
Moreover, the lady in the suit did not ask questions hastily. She remained patient and waited for Kirk to ask questions. She did not mind at all that she did not have the initiative.
She doesn't mind because she is confident that she will not face any difficult situation; or, rather, any difficult situation can be solved.
A lot of information can be revealed from just one encounter. Kirk does not think that the lady in the suit has anything to do with the murder, but he still needs to go through the routine, and more importantly, pave the way for the follow-up.
"Ma'am, what is ?"
Everyone: ???
What!
What does this have to do with anything?
One could clearly feel that the air was slightly stagnant. Everyone, including Adrian, was stunned and was caught off guard by Kirk.
The lady in the suit was no exception, but she did not panic . She smiled slightly and said, "VIP butler service."
Kirk raised his chin slightly, revealing a meaningful expression, "Oh, I'm afraid I won't be able to confirm it."
This little joke made the lady in the suit chuckle.
Kirk didn't say anything more and continued to walk counterclockwise. The second person was a Macy's staff member, wearing a uniform and a name tag.
