1960: My uncle is the FBI Director

Chapter 53 Are you going to kneel down and beg for mercy? (Please continue reading)

night.

Helen Bennett's home.

It's very lively here tonight.

James Carter, Anthony Howard II, Emily Grant, and Paul Miller were all there, along with his cronies like John Davis, all gathered together.

Helen Bennett was grounded and unable to leave, so she simply invited all her friends over for a party.

The theme of the gathering was to commemorate Teddy Santos.

James Carter felt that if he didn't get stuck in the bathroom, he might be able to save Teddy Santos.

Howard Jr. admitted that Teddy was better than him and more deserving of Emily's affections, and felt that he should have withdrawn, otherwise he might not have died.

Helen Bennett accuses Emily Grant of causing Teddy Santos's death.

Emily Grant sarcastically remarked that she was like a lowly, horny bitch chasing after other people's boyfriends at a party.

Paul Miller reminisced about his past with Teddy, concluding that Teddy still owed him $50.

Paul Miller's remarks eased the tension that had been building between Emily and Helen accusing each other.

The friends chuckled and gradually quieted down.

They gazed silently at the candlelight, thinking of Teddy Santos who had left, and some of the unpleasantness between them seemed less important.

…………

the next day.

The detective briefed Ricky on the party at Helen Bennett's house last night.

Upon learning this, Theodore immediately offered to meet Helen Bennett.

Last night's memorial did not lessen her guilt; she dreamed of Teddy again that night.

That was last summer. The six of them made a pact to sneak out in the middle of the night and meet up in the park for drinks.

They sat on the grass, comparing who had done what others hadn't done or dared not do.

Teddy said he had killed someone, and everyone said he was bragging. They all joked that they had killed someone too, and then asked each other what it felt like to kill someone.

Teddy then said he had been murdered, and everyone laughed again.

Teddy panicked, pulled her close, and demanded that she prove it to everyone. He even ripped open his coat, revealing the knife stuck in his chest.

Tell them I'm telling the truth!

"Say it!"

“I really was killed! You know that! Tell me!”

Teddy yelled and suddenly pulled out a knife, spraying blood all over her face and body.

Helen Bennett screamed and sat up in bed, flailing her arms wildly and sobbing while clutching the blanket.

When Theodore and his team arrived, she was in a daze after her emotional breakdown and followed them back to the police station with almost no effort.

Once she was placed in the interrogation room, her emotions had just calmed down when she was confronted with a large amount of Teddy Santos, which Theodore had described.

Soon, she began to dry heave uncontrollably, her nose and snot running down her face, and she spilled everything.

Since last year, Paul Miller has been asking her for advice on anatomy.

He showed an extraordinary interest in anatomy, to the point that he even reduced the frequency of his 'stimulation-seeking' activities.

He quickly surpassed her.

The two began to study together, writing down anything they didn't understand and having Helen Bennett take it to the school to consult with the professors.

While studying, the two of them accidentally stumbled upon Emily and James on a secret date.

Paul instructed Helen to openly pursue James, and both of them found it amusing to see James so distressed.

Before Emily Grant's birthday, Paul Miller asked her for a small favor.

He instructed her to keep James occupied, and upon receiving his signal, to slip a pre-written note to Howard Jr., making James believe Emily was in the attic. They already knew Howard Jr. was going to confess his feelings at the party; she thought it was just a prank, like when she pursued James.

“What signal?” Bernie asked.

“Stuck on You,” Helen Bennett said. “He would play Stuck on You, and then start two songs after that.”

The songs at this point are all short, with the three songs totaling less than ten minutes, which is just the right amount of time.

Halfway through the interrogation, Helen Bennett was taken to the bathroom.

Only four people remained silent in the interrogation room.

"Is what she said true?" Ricky broke the silence.

Keller also looked at Theodore.

"In what way?" Theodore asked. "Is she innocent, or is Paul Miller the murderer?"

Keller and Ricky were speechless.

Bernie scoffed, "Every criminal claims to be innocent after being caught."

Theodore offered another perspective: "Many criminals enjoy the thrill of sharing crimes. Bonnie and Clyde are prime examples."

After another silence, Ricky said in a hoarse voice, "Congressman Miller has announced his candidacy for mayor. Congressman Howard and others have also publicly expressed their support."

“He was just about to kill Anthony Howard II yesterday!” Bernie retorted.

Ricky felt he couldn't discuss political issues with Bernie; the guy thought politics was all about recklessness and reason.

Theodore shook his head; his interest in politics was now less than a tenth of what it was in Paul Miller.

The problem now is that, apart from Helen Bennett's testimony, they have no direct evidence pointing to Paul Miller.

He handled this case too cleanly.

“I want to use her to lure Paul Miller,” Theodore said, steer the conversation back on track.

Ricky also temporarily set aside his concerns about political interference and pondered, "You're going to use Helen Bennett to lure him into making a move? How can we guarantee her safety?"

Theodore thought about it for a moment, pondered it carefully, and finally said, "No."

"We cannot guarantee her absolute safety."

"Paul Miller's criminal record and the preparations he made to kill Teddy Santos show a contradictory nature of impulsiveness and composure."

"He could be unable to suppress his destructive impulses and commit crimes frequently, but he could also remain calm and composed for a meticulously planned large-scale opera."

"His actions against Howard Jr. were impulsive. I think he would most likely act impulsively towards Helen Bennett as well."

Theodore concluded, "Such killers usually have little patience, especially after he learned that Helen Bennett had cooperated with the police."

"He wanted nothing more than to rush over and beat her to death right then and there."

Ricky objected, saying, "Congressman Bennett will not agree."

His first reaction was to object.

Did Helen Bennett lure Paul Miller into a trap?

Do you want to listen to what you are saying?
He's just a lowly branch manager, he really can't handle this!
“Helen Bennett is an adult; she can make her own decisions,” Theodore said.

Ricky hesitated for a moment, then simply said, "I won't agree!"

He stood up and said, "Leave this matter to me; you all don't need to worry about it. The case is closed here."

Theodore frowned and asked, "What do you plan to do?"

"Should we beg Paul Miller for mercy?"

"Tell him you don't intend to pursue the matter of him killing Teddy Santos, and just let it go?"

He put down everything he was holding, looked at Ricky with a puzzled expression, and asked him, "Does your East Side's case closure rate come from begging criminals for mercy?"

(End of this chapter)