North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 15 My Congresswoman Mother

The following morning, the FBI.

Sterling brought breakfast for Titus without even realizing it.

She couldn't quite explain why. Was it to please her partner? Perhaps, but it was definitely not the main reason.

She even wondered: Was he deliberately waiting for her breakfast? Because he had eaten all three meals she brought yesterday, which meant he obviously hadn't eaten breakfast, that must be it.

Titus took the lunchbox; it contained fried eggs, sausage, and raw tomatoes—it looked very healthy.

He had already eaten breakfast, but this amount (three servings for an adult male) was like dessert to him.

"Start your day with fresh protein," Starling says.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice:

"Try it, how does it taste?"

Titus was somewhat surprised, noticing that the lunchbox Starling had given him was a large, round porcelain bowl with a white plastic lid. The steam from the food had made the lid appear hazy white, clearly indicating that it was a family lunchbox, not food sold at a snack shop or roadside stall.

He took a bite and smiled:

"Very good! The eggs and sausage were fried in butter until very fragrant, and the tomatoes were a great way to cut through the richness!"

Starling's face flushed slightly, and she said:

"Thanks."

Titus ate heartily, while Starling sat beside him, lost in thought.

She didn't sleep well last night and almost had insomnia.

Crawford has been taking her on investigations lately, which is great, yes, it's exactly what she's been dreaming of.

But what about her exam? She's currently a trainee, and investigating cases will take up a lot of her study time. Her fate is closely tied to her exam.

What if Crawford, after using her to solve a case, patted her on the shoulder and gave her a compliment, saying, "Well done!" and then walked away? That's definitely not what she wants. She wants Crawford to point at her and say, "Don't worry about your xx exam, I'll take care of it for you." In fact, as her supervisor, he has the ability to do that, or rather, he could directly transfer her to work under him.

Crawford made no comment on this, as she found it difficult to balance her studies and investigations, and she couldn't bring herself to ask Crawford for any promises.

Titus noticed Starling's pupils were dilated and asked:

"What are you thinking about?"

"To be or not to be, that is the question."

Titus never expected that his casual question would touch upon such a profound philosophical issue. After a moment's thought, he replied:

"Realize that the past cannot be changed, know that the future can be pursued, recognize that the wrong path has not been too far taken, and realize that what is right today was wrong yesterday."

Starling looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"You are always anxious and insecure, too concerned about the past and too worried about the future. There is a saying that goes, 'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift from God.'"

Speak like a human.

"Don't think about these things, just focus on the case."

After the two finished breakfast, the morning news was played in the lobby. It was an emergency broadcast, and people flocked to the lobby.

On the screen is a tall woman in a dark suit, with her name below her: Senator Martin.

The senator said, "My daughter's name is Catherine Martin. She is very gentle and sensible. Please don't hurt her."

As she spoke, photos of Catherine began scrolling across the screen: a young Catherine sleeping in bed with a big dog, and an adult Catherine laughing at the camera, looking innocent and adorable in a T-shirt...

The senator's voice continues:

"You can show the world your magnanimity, you have the ability to protect her, her name is Catherine."

Titus was somewhat surprised that his high-ranking senator friend was trying to get the killer to protect the hostages.

The senator continued:

"I assure you, I will give you any help you need. I serve in the Army, Navy and Air Force Committee and am deeply involved in the strategic defense operation known as 'Star Wars.' If you have an enemy, I will strike it."

Titus couldn't help but laugh; even Star Wars had come up.

He knew that some of his people had a delusion of "extraterrestrial control," that is, remotely controlling another region from their local area across spatial distances. To put it bluntly, they were afraid that the Trisolarans would attack.

But Titus wasn't sure if the senator's statements were intended to guide criminals, or if they were genuine...

The senator was still saying, "Release Catherine, don't hurt her!"

Titus noted that the senator emphasized the name "Catherine" more than once, hoping that Buffalo Bill would see her as a person, not an object, but a complete living being, which might make Bill hesitate more.

He figured that Buffalo Bill, that madman, wouldn't read it, and even if he did, he wouldn't pay any attention.

Soon, Titus saw many agents and police officers going out on patrol. He heard that they were going to protect and monitor the entire jurisdiction where secret ransoms might be stored, because everyone believed that Bill would demand a ransom, and sooner or later he would point out a transaction location.

A large number of "eyeball cars" equipped with one-way glass and surveillance equipment were also deployed, near congressional apartments, public phone booths, the Senate building, and any other suspicious location that could be thought of.

There was also wiretapping; all the telephones in the Senate building were equipped with wiretapping devices, and Company A used data to monitor all incoming communications within its jurisdiction, immediately tracking anything related to ransom.

A patrol officer found a shirt that had been cut open on Winchester Street. The laundry label was in the name of Catherine Martin. The shirt had been cut open from the back, but the front buttons were untouched, a common modus operandi for Bill.

The appearance of the seventh victim, Catherine Martin, brought unprecedented attention to the Buffalo Bill case.

Meanwhile, Jack Crawford received a call from the FBI director.

"Jack, you know about Catherine Martin?"

"Yes, sir."

"I remember the industry called you the 'serial killer terminator.' You solved two cases like this before. How many victims were there when you started the Buffalo Bill case?"

"One, sir."

"And now?"

Crawford was covered in sweat.

"Jack, I know you've always done a great job, you're one of my most trusted advisors, but things are different now. That Congressman Martin... she came down with power."

"I think we can't even wait a week. The media even created a death countdown, speculating on when Catherine would die. Based on the cases of the previous victims, everyone agreed that it would be a week."

"But I can't wait a week, and the congressman can't stand it even more..."

"Three days. I'll only give you three days. I want to see Catherine completely intact within three days!"

The phone was disconnected with a "thump".

Crawford quietly made himself a cup of Alka-Seltzer (a stomach medicine), realizing he was under so much stress he was turning into Mad Faco.

After a moment of silence, he dialed the number again:

"Titus, come to my office and bring Starling with you."