Mala was very worried that the police and the friendly captain would get on their trail, and the captain would stop being so friendly. All this did not give her rest, did not give her sleep at night.
Once Thunder returned home confused, muffled, and did not want to talk about anything. Mala could barely find out from him that during the next "elimination" something went wrong. Thunder was supposed to remove one director of the bank, who carried out machinations not against the state, which would be excusable, but against ordinary people. He robbed his depositors. The stalker was already pointing the barrel of his pistol at this swindler, when suddenly a desperate "Daddy!" Was heard from a car nearby.
The damn fool brought his child with him to the meeting. A boy of about five years old got out of the car and looked with all his eyes at his father and the man who pointed a gun at him. How did Thunder lure victims? He had his own simple, effective way. Since they all had skeletons in the closet, he offered to meet and discuss the reward for his silence. Under the guise of ordinary blackmail, he lured them out of the house, into a deserted place and then killed them. Thunder usually never regretted anything in passing his judgment.
But here !! This child – he changed the whole situation. Thunder could not kill a person in front of a child. So he just turned around and moved away in space and time.
Mala listened to all this with bated breath, knowing that her beloved was really going through. For the first time, there was a note of regret in his voice. Notes of remorse and pain.
That night they both slept badly, tossed and turned, hugging each other along the way, or getting up to drink water. Everything somehow began to fly to hell in an instant.
Captain Ulysses listened attentively to a banker named Ivan Zhizhov. Now the picture was a little clearer, but his theory of a conscientious killer was one hundred percent confirmed. Hearing that the killer, who had already pointed the pistol, ready to pull the trigger, let him go when he saw the child, the captain for some reason subconsciously felt sympathy for him. Now it was up to the portrait – police specialists had to restore the composite from the memory of the victim. Now they will have a face, a theory. Even the captain was not at all embarrassed by the fact that the killer offered to pray to his God to the one he was going to kill. After all, if he is capable of compassion and has a conscience, then he is able to respect someone else's faith.
The injured banker was promised that they would definitely catch the killer of all these people and the one who threatened him. The police also tried to check the number from which the sms came to the victims' numbers, but it turned out that it did not belong to anyone. And has long been listed as unattended.
In general, there were clues, but there was still no complete picture.
When the composite was ready, the captain, to his surprise, recognized his recent acquaintance in the image. Scars, tattoos, everything indicated that this was the same person whom he was so glad to see every time he happened to meet him on the street. The captain was upset. “If this guy is a murderer, I will have to arrest him. And if he really killed all these people, then he shines for life. Damn it, guy, what have you done ?? ".
The captain was determined, but did not share what he recognized this man with his colleagues. He decided to visit him himself and talk to him. After all, the guy had a life-long light – and he had to give him the opportunity to prepare.
*******************
The captain easily found out where he lived, he compared the areas where they met with the areas of murder. I found some surveillance footage and went out to the cottages at Ozzy House, on the Seven Mountains.
The next day, in the evening, he decided to visit his friend. Now he knew his name. Thunder.
As luck would have it, it was already autumn, the weather was the most disgusting, chilly wind, low gray sky. There was no time for walks on the continent at this time of year.
The captain did not take the car on purpose, as he did not want to report to him in a police car.
He guessed that this girl with beautiful eyes would also be there. But he could not help it, he might have to separate them.
He walked past the concierge, asked to check everyone who entered, and not to tell anyone that there was a policeman here.
He went up to the third floor and knocked on the door.
– Who's there? – There was a bass rolling voice of Thunder.
“This is Captain Ulysses, friends. Please let me in. While on a friendly visit. – the captain's voice was from somewhere far away, but Mala and Grom looked at each other doom. It occurred to them that now, according to the recollections of that hipster-banker, they could make his composite sketch, but they hoped that he would not remember the face of his potential killer from how hard he had done it in his pants.
Thunder stood up to open the door. Mala held his hand. – We don't have to do this. He does not have permission to inspect our apartment. In the meantime, he will receive it, we may already be in the orbit of the moon.
– And then what, Mala? – Grom sighed sadly. He went to the door and opened it.
– Captain Ulysses? What are the fates? – the silent captain stood before him. His jacket was covered in raindrops, a cap on his head, and a hood on top of it.
– Mr. Thunder? – the captain's face was calm. But the decisive intonation in his voice betrayed his intentions.
– You can just Vermouth.
– May I come in?
– Yes of course. Welcome to our humble home.
The captain entered and looked around. On the floor lay a map of the Earth's solar system, and next to it there was another – which showed several suns. There were so many suns that it dazzled in the eyes – the captain counted ten, but I'm not sure if they were all.
– In general – let's get straight to the point, – began the captain, – you are going "home", right?
– It's not so captain….
“And you needed that damn death ring for that …
– Captain …
– Damn it, Vermouth! Was there no other way to get out of here?
Mala followed the dialogue of these two with all eyes. In her gaze, if someone now paid attention to her, sorrow and a sense of guilt were read. She felt like a hunted animal, which the hunter does not allow to go outside.
“Apparently it wasn't, Captain.” Thunder sighed and sat down on the arm of the sofa.
– Do you understand that I have to arrest you? – the captain was clearly upset. It was obvious that he was worried, but why? Why did he care about the fate of this man? Perhaps because he saw that despite the fact that he was a murderer, he was much better than many who roamed the city, country, planet freely?
– For this, you first have to catch me. – Thunder looked with his clear sad eyes, straight into the eyes of the captain. There was no challenge or audacity in them, only sadness.
“Do you think I’ll have a problem with this?” – the captain was beginning to get angry. But not against Thunder, but against himself, because he did not want to arrest him at all.
“It's not that easy captain.
– In general, Vermouth, you can come to the police with a confession and I can plead for a commutation of the sentence.