DANGER ZONE | Kenzou Tenma

Chapter 3: The haunted Doctor

Two days later, when I appeared at work for my shift, there was a commotion at the station. Everyone was talking excitedly and alarmed.

"Yes, that's the doctor from nine years ago, right?"

"Yeah, the one who was accused of killing his superiors!"

"Is he gonna turn himself in?"

"No, he wanted to make a statement about another's crime, I think."

When they spotted me, they all stared at me.

"Detective H! Good thing you're here. Inspector Lunge is waiting for you upstairs." "Lunge?", I asked, "I didn't plan a meeting with him." "It's urgent", an officer said, "Doctor Tenma appeared at the station and wants to make a statement!"

Doctor Tenma? Perhaps I had heard that name before. But I didn't see a face in my mind.

"Alright, I'll head upstairs."

I left the crowd and increased my pace, hurrying to the interrogation room.

After knocking, I opened the door. The inspector and another detective stood in the room. "Am I late?", I asked quietly, closing the door behind me. "No", Lunge replied, looking out of the window. "I called you here spontaneously. Let's hear what he has to say."

I followed his gaze, looking at a man who was crouching on the chair. He was Asian, probably in his mid-thirties, his face pale and dark circles underneath his eyes. He looked tired and broken, as if he had seen the worst. I leaned my back against the wall, standing next to the other detective. And so, we listened to the man's story.

His words drew me in as I reconstructed the scene in my head, processing what he went through. How tragic, I thought. To think that he, as a doctor, had to watch his own former patient kill off one of his current patients - I understood that he felt responsible for his death, though he was not at fault - at least that's what I believed. For a long time, silence filled the room, as the four of us were each staring into nowhere, busy with our own thoughts. Then, drop by drop, it started raining. Lunge squinted through the pleats, watching the grey scenery.

"This rain is so annoying."

Silence.

"I hate rain. It washes away the evidence." He turned around, facing the Asian man.

"Wouldn't you agree, Dr. Tenma?"

Dr. Tenma just sat there in shock, staring at the table.

"Well, let's summarise what you've testified." He started typing with his hand again.

"The politician Liebert, who fled from East Germany in 1986, had twins. Shortly after their escape, he and his wife were shot in their own home. The son had a bullet wound. You performed surgery on the boy, saving his life. But surprisingly, the boy killed the director, the chief of surgery and the chief of neurosurgery with poisoned candy and escaped from the hospital. And yesterday, in the night, he reappeared after nine years, killed a policeman - again, with poisoned candy - and eventually killed Adolf Junkers right in front of your eyes. He hired Junkers and the two other men to kill the four middle-aged couples. His name is Johan Liebert." He stood upright, crossing his arms. "Is this correct?"

Tenma still sat there, not saying a word. His eyes screamed terror. Lunge glanced at the detective.

"He can leave for today."

And thus, Doctor Tenma was gone. 

The detective sighed.

"Do you think that someone like Dr. Tenma could commit such a terrible crime? He has an alibi for the policeman's murder, and there were no powder burns on his hands. We have no other hints to explain the murder of the couples." 

He left after saying that. It was only me and Lunge in the room. I walked towards him to the window, looking outside, just like him. There, down on the pavement, I spotted the doctor, falling to his knees as crying bitterly in the rain.

"I agree with the detective", I said. "We have no reason to suspect him. His amount of detail was incredible. Plus, when I look at him", we both observed the doctor, sobbing in misery, "I don't see a murderer." I tilted my head, about to turn around to Lunge. "Shall we look into that Johan Liebert, Inspector-"

I was cut off by myself when I saw him, the look in his eyes. He was glaring at the doctor, like a wolf at its prey. That moment, I understood he had already made up his mind.

He didn't believe a single word he said.