White’s head snapped up.
The question came out fast enough to make Andrea flinch.
“Andrea.
Does Steven have a black jacket he hasn’t worn in the past three months?”
Andrea stared at her like she had to run the sentence through three different filters before it made sense.
“Black jacket…?
Steven hasn’t worn one in forever… why?”
She frowned a little.
“I think there is one.
A black jacket.
I’m not sure exactly when he stopped wearing it.
Last year, a senior gave it to him, right before he went back homeland.
The next day, before he headed to the airport, Steven confessed to him.
Got turned down, but still…”
“That’s enough.”
White cut her off, voice flat as paper.
“I don’t need the rest.
Are there any pictures of Steven wearing that jacket on your FN?”
Andrea blinked hard.
“I… think so.”
White fixed Andrea with a calculating stare, her voice turning stern.
“If you don’t want to be sent to prison for murder, I suggest you pick up your smartphone, open FN, and find that jacket.
I’m serious.”
Andrea reached for the smartphone on the table, her fingers moving quickly as she unlocked it and opened FN.
Fifteen minutes passed.
Andrea’s face was tense as her eyes moved through the photo archive.
“Here.”
She turned the smartphone toward White and the rest of the police team.
But instead of stopping there, Andrea kept talking, as if her heart had forgotten when it was supposed to keep quiet.
“That senior… why didn’t he just cross that line and love for Steven?
They looked so good together.”
The entire team turned their eyes toward Andrea at the same time.
No one said anything, but their expressions made their irritation obvious.
Jay looked at Andrea.
A thought flashed through his mind, quick as the wind.
This girl really needs to see a psychologist.
White showed no reaction.
She simply straightened up, her voice dropping lower.
“Do you take part in any extracurricular activities at school?
And do you use a fountain pen and an ink bottle during those activities?”
“Yeah.” Andrea answered almost on reflex.
White gave a slight nod.
“Did Steven wear this black jacket at any of those extracurricular events?”
Andrea searched her memory.
“Last summer… I think so.”
White tilted her head slightly, the corner of her mouth lifting into a thin curve, like the faint trace of an idea that had just flashed through her mind.
Her fingers rested lightly on Mariana’s shoulder, gentle enough to feel like nothing more than a passing breeze, yet enough to make Mariana start and turn around.
White leaned close, her breath brushing Mariana’s ear.
Her voice dropped to a deliberate whisper, leaving just enough ambiguity between the words.
“Tell everyone to go outside.
When I come out, follow procedure as usual… take her back to the station for questioning.”
A flicker of hesitation crossed Mariana’s eyes.
It was only the slightest pause, but White caught it.
Mariana straightened and adjusted her expression, as though trying to cover up every doubt that had surfaced.
“All right,” she said, calm enough that no one could see the thin layer of tension underneath.
“Everyone, step outside for a moment.
Let White talk to the suspect.”
Footsteps faded, followed by the sound of the door closing behind them, leaving a suspended silence in the room.