Chapter 3

"So, just because you don't want to be criticized, you want me to admit to something I didn't do?" I uttered coldly.

However, my attitude seemed to anger Captain Jenkins.

"What sort of attitude is that? Who do you think you are? Let me tell it to you straight—anyone who comes in here has to adhere to our rules and obey us, no matter who they are! You absolutely refuse to come clean, right? That's alright! We have plenty of ways to loosen your lips!"

He stood up and gazed down at me imperiously.

"Lock him up and wait for the search warrant! Once we have it, we'll turn his house upside down! I refuse to believe we won't find any evidence!"

The door opened, and two police officers entered to grab me by the arms.

I didn't resist, for I knew that the moment Rebecca called the police, I had already fallen for an elaborate trap. Since they had the guts to do something like this, that meant that they would have done the necessary preparations.

I was certain that what would happen next was the police "finding" some "evidence" in my house, which would result in me being thoroughly branded with this shame.

…

The metal door swung shut behind me with a deep thud as I was locked into a temporary detainment cell.

The room was incredibly small, with only a hard slab for a bed and a toilet bowl. The cloying smell of disinfectant mixed with the despair that hung heavy in the air.

With my hands outstretched, I slowly fumbled my way over to the bed and sat down to quietly listen to the noises outside my cell.

The sound of footsteps echoed up and down the corridor as the police officers went about their business. I could hear a few of them talking to each other in low voices.

"That's the pervert who peeped on that woman showering?"

"He looks like such an ordinary man. Who would've thought he would do something so repulsive?"

"I heard that he claims to be blind. It must be an act, right?"

"Who knows? Either way, he's dead meat. Of all the people he could've offended, it had to be a female white-collar worker."

Their words stabbed into my ears like countless tiny needles.

I had long since grown used to the darkness, but this was the first time that darkness felt bone-chillingly cold.

Roughly two hours later, the metal door swung open once more.

It was Captain Jenkins, holding a transparent evidence bag. A smug smile painted his face as he waved it at me.

"Mr. Luson, look at what I've got here."

He seemed to have forgotten that I couldn't see.

Nonetheless, he was quick to reveal the answer to his question, his tone practically dripping with satisfaction.

"We found this beneath the window at your unit. It's a pair of military-grade binoculars! We also discovered this!"

He took out another evidence bag that contained a digital camera.

"Tons of humiliating photos of Ms. Zangler were found on this camera, with many taken from different angles! What do you have to say for yourself now?"

I remained silent, but deep inside, I was shocked.

They clearly hadn't wasted any time in planting the evidence.

Captain Jenkins took my silence as an admission of guilt.

Pulling a chair over, he sat down across from me and began lecturing me in the way an elder would talk to a younger person.

"Mr. Luson, you're still so young, and you have relatively decent looks. There are plenty of things you could've done to earn money, so why did you resort to something so disgusting?

"With all this concrete evidence, there's no point in you denying it any longer. Hurry up and sign this, and I might be able to help you plead for a lighter sentence from the judge."

He held out a form and a pen.

"Come on, sign it. The quicker we get this over with, the better it is for everyone."

I took note of the impatient and flippant tone in his voice.

He clearly didn't care about the truth; he just wanted to close the case as soon as possible.

Slowly raising my head, I gazed in his direction.

"Captain Jenkins, if I sign this, does that mean I'm admitting to all the charges?"

"But of course!"

"So, I'll be sentenced to prison for voyeurism and distribution of obscene materials?"

"That's right. These crimes will get you a combined sentence of at least three years."

"Then my name, my life, will forever be branded with the title of 'pervert'?"