"...So the boy called his half-sister 'Mum' in public because she told him to. Pretending to be mother and son made it easier to blend in, and she reckoned it would prevent his flighty mother from coming to take him back, eh? Still, is that child truly five years old? His composure, his calmness, his articulate responses… I can’t believe he’s a child who grew up in the squalor of the slums, in a dysfunctional family with a violent father. I wonder if that boy will become some sort of titan in the future...?"
"Somethin' up, Doctor?" Alexander asked, forcing a weary smile. She offered a cup of foul-tasting instant coffee to Dr Carlo Santos, who was muttering to himself before a stack of papers.
Cheers, always appreciate it. Dr Carlo Santos said, taking a small sip of the coffee. After swallowing, he abruptly asked for her opinion. "Alexander. What did you reckon after hearing that boy's story yesterday?"
"What do you mean, 'what did I reckon'?"
Alexander had no idea what he was asking her opinion on, and she gave a strained smile, unsure how to answer.
...Is he on about that business with electricity coming out of a human body?
As Alexander was puzzling over this, Dr Carlo Santos cleared his throat. "Sorry , I left out the subject."
With that, he began to elaborate. "Patrick is fixated on this Pellmond Varlozzi bloke. He's pegged him as pure evil, dead set on chucking him in prison... but I just can't bring myself to reckon Pellmond Varlozzi is a villain, you know."
"...Right, so, you mean?"
—Ah, so that's what this is about.
"Pellmond Varlozzi. He's like a hero straight out of a comic book. A dirty hero, at that. The 'Punisher', a merciless vigilante, perhaps? In a shadow world untouched by sunlight, he purges the villains who run rampant, unknown to anyone, and saves the weak on a whim. Then he transforms into a wolf and returns to the darkness... If a comic like that actually existed, it'd sell like hotcakes, I bet."
"More than a comic about a top-notch intelligence bloke who never kills anyone, but has a baby face, a foul mouth, and fights dirty as all hell?"
"You've got a sharp wit about you too, don't you."
Punisher vs. Intelligence, a comic like that might not be half bad. Dr Carlo Santos said with a laugh. Alexander pictured a scene, drawn in a stylish, comic-book fashion, of two men pointing guns at each other.
If it came down to a quick-draw, who would win? The Punisher or the Intelligence? The answer was obvious. The Punisher, who wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a person—meaning Pellmond Varlozzi—would win.
"He's a textbook case of dissociative identity disorder. If what I've heard is correct, his condition is likely quite severe. There's a strong possibility, just as Patrick suspects, that he's being exploited and manipulated. He's merely playing the part of a senior technocrat, with no will of his own. That's entirely possible..."
"..."
"But this is just my guess, mind you, but I think he's a good bloke. I hear a lot from Patrick, but it seems to me that he's protecting him. I can't help but think he's trying to keep that reckless, fearless idiot away from true danger."
Dr Carlo Santos looked Alexander straight in the eye. But Alexander had no opinion to offer in response. Sensing her thoughts, Dr Carlo Santos said:
"It's alright, you don't have to answer. I wasn't looking for an answer to begin with... Besides, unlike Patrick, I've never spoken directly to the patient, so there's a limit to what I can say. I've been meaning to thank him for that time, one of these days..."
"...?"
"The philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer once said that a question only becomes a true question, only finds its complete meaning, when its answer is unfixed and it hangs unresolved in the air. You should give Gadamer's 'Truth and Method' a read. His philosophical hermeneutics are bloody useful when dealing with dissociative patients, where dialogue is key."
The conversation had leapt from Pellmond Varlozzi to a book on philosophy. Alexander tilted her head slightly, unable to grasp the intent behind Dr Carlo Santos's words. He gave a small smile. Then he offered her a thick book, placing it in her hands as he spoke.
"You'll have a chance to interact with him in the future. I'm sure of it. I've got a feeling. That's why I want you to have read that book."
The Next Day. The following day, at school. On her way to physics class, Alexander stopped abruptly in the corridor, clutching her textbooks. A voice had called to her from behind.
"Alex, why are you avoiding me?"
The voice was Yuni's. But Alexander could not turn around. She resumed walking. Then she heard the sound of footsteps running up behind her.
A few seconds later, Yuni stood in her path, blocking her way. Alexander had no choice but to stop again. "...Yuni, can you move, please?"
"No. At least tell me why. Why are you avoiding me? Did I do something to you?"
Alexander lowered her gaze and sealed her lips, refusing to answer the question. Yuni pressed her fiercely, trying to wrench even a single word from her, but Alexander merely averted her eyes.
In her line of sight was the female computer technology teacher—the woman Patrick Lerner had called 'Lucan'. 'Lucan', wearing a pair of garish green Wellington glasses, was approaching them with a bouncy, skipping run.
Has a rescue party arrived? A faint hope flickered within Alexander. But that hope was instantly dashed by Yuni. She shot a harsh glare at the approaching 'Lucan' and screamed hysterically, "Don't you come over here!"
"Wh-wha?! Uh, no, but, what's goin' on?"
"Stay away from me! I know who you really are!!"
"B-but, look, I'm a teacher at this school, so telling me to stay away from a student is a bit..."
'Lucan', looking openly flustered, adjusted her slightly askew glasses and sent a silent pressure towards Alexander. Hurry up and get out of here! Sensing the message, Alexander tried to erase her presence and stealthily slip away.
...But it was not to be.
"Alex, I still haven't heard your answer. Where do you think you're going?"
Yuni stopped her.
"..."
For better or for worse, there was no one else nearby besides Alexander, Yuni, and 'Lucan'. Perhaps for that reason, Yuni continued to rail at her in a loud voice, both as a threat and a warning.
"I know that man has been snooping around you lately, Alex. What did he tell you!?"
"..."
"Don't just stand there in silence, say something!"
"He hasn't told me anything. And which man are you on about?"
"Don't play dumb. Lerner. I know Lerner's been dropping by your part-time job all the time. And he was at uni with that head psychiatrist, Carlo Santos, and together the two of them are doing something to my twin sister!"
"...Yeah, alright. I've definitely been seeing him a lot lately. So what?"
The moment she heard those words, anger flared on Yuni's face. But Alexander's expression did not change a bit, and without making eye contact, she continued to speak. A lie, not an answer, came from her lips.
"It's no big deal between him and me. He just asks how Neil's doing every time. That, or I have to listen to his boring stories about the old days."
"Then why are you avoiding us?"
"What's the point in asking why? When people start avoiding each other, it's the result of little grievances piling up. Do you have to hear every single reason to be satisfied? You know it's going to hurt, so why are you so desperate to know?"
"That's not an answer."
"There is no answer. It's better that way. Then we can both part ways while the wounds are still shallow."
"Part ways? What's that supposed to mean? You sound like you're never going to speak to me again."
"Yeah. That's right."
Oh, I hate this. I don't want to do this at all.
"I chose Neil. And I'm sure you're not happy about that. 'Cause of what Neil did, even if it's in the past. But if I get greedy and try to keep my ties with both of you, he'll get hurt. So I have to say goodbye to one of you. That's how it is. It's over between me and you sisters."
But this is for the best... Yes, this is for the best.
"...Why does it have to be this way? Why did you choose him over me?"
"A long-standing friendship, or one that's not so old. It's not a hard choice to make, is it?"
This is the best way. Right, Patrick Lerner?
"...I really believed you were the one person who would never betray me."
Yuni spat out those final words, turned her back on Alexander, and ran down the corridor. Alexander looked down, staring at her own reflection in the gleaming tile floor.
I had no choice. It was the only way. Alexander told herself. She repeated it silently, trying to convince herself it was true. But why, then, did her chest feel so tight? Her throat constricted, making it hard to breathe.
Alexander placed a hand over her left breast, trying to calm herself, to quell the frantic beating of her heart. But with every pulse of blood, her reflection on the floor seemed to warp. It was supposed to be her, but it did not feel like her at all. She was overcome by the sensation of looking at a nameless shadow from a nameless perspective.
"...Alex."
'Lucan' stood before the stunned Alexander. She patted Alexander's head gently, then hugged her and said:
"You handled that well. Patrick's praising you over the speaker, says 'good on ya'."
"..."
"...I'm sorry, I know this is hard on you. But this is the right thing to do."
Alexander was now being held by 'Lucan'. It should have been a tight, firm embrace. But Alexander was not aware of the pressure, of the sensation of being held.
She realised that the tightness in her chest, which had been there just moments before, had completely vanished. But its disappearance was far from a clean, bright relief. It came with an awareness of something missing, as if she had lost a piece of her heart somewhere.
A heavy, sentimental mood she could do nothing about settled on her shoulders and head. But even that emotion felt distant, as if it were happening to someone else.
It was a strange, new sensation. Though she had never experienced it before, Alexander knew the name for this feeling, for this situation.
So. This is—
"..."
"Alex?"
What washed over her with this realisation was a wave of emptiness and exhaustion. Her heart was consumed by emptiness, and her sense of reality faded. Her body was swallowed by fatigue, and her strength left her.
Alexander slumped, leaning her body against 'Lucan'. The smaller woman somehow managed to catch Alexander, who was slightly taller than her, and let out a shriek.
"Aah, Mrs Jane! Just in time! Help me, please!!"
At that moment, the bell signalling the start of class rang. Alexander's consciousness cut out with the sound of the chime.
"Honestly, you're one of a kind. Passing out at school... you haven't done that since you were six. The day after your boxing match, you fell asleep at school and wouldn't move a muscle—"
"...Sorry."
The car rattled and shook. Alexander awoke to the sound of her father's one-sided conversation. You awake, Alexander? Her father said, then turned on the previously silent car radio, blasting hard rock music with a heavy bass drum.
The deep, booming bass drum resembled a heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump, thump. Her own heart began to match its steady, unwavering beat.
"Alexander, you've been working yourself to the bone. How about you quit your job? You're still a student, your main job is to learn. You can work after you finish high school. So—"
Her father spoke, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. Alexander replied while vaguely watching the scenery pass by the passenger-side window. "...Were you watchin' me again?"
"Absolutely not."
"...Then what?"
"Patrick Lerner. That bloke came all the way to the agency to give me his usual snide remarks, and was kind enough to tell me about you. 'Alexander, she's trying too hard. If someone doesn't stop her, she's going to collapse soon, you know?' he said. That bastard knew I couldn't get near you because your mother threw a fit, and he said it anyway. Bloody infuriating."
Alexander half-listened to her father's story, which included a poor imitation of Patrick Lerner, giving noncommittal grunts in response. She was confirming the sensation that her body existed here, that she could move it of her own will.
"And another thing, Alexander. It looks like your luck has struck again, and you've hooked a real big one."
"...No idea what you're on about."
"Dr Santos. Carlo Santos, the specialist in criminal psychology, the top student of the legendary profiler Helen Gardner."
"...So what?"
"So what?... Do you have any idea what a big-shot profiler has taken an interest in you? And he's planning on dragging you down the same path as him. Do you get it, Alexander? You've been noticed by someone incredible!! Isn't that amazing! As your father, I'm bloody proud!"
"...He's friends with Mr Lerner, he said."
"I know that. But I hear Dr Santos isn't a crook like that bloke. Though apparently, his history with women is pretty wild."
"...So, it's not luck, Lerner's got to be pulling the strings behind the scenes."
"That's what you call good luck, isn't it? For better or for worse, you attracted Lerner and seized an opportunity."
Alexander leaned back in her seat, letting her full weight rest against the backrest. Her limp body would not move as she wanted, and her heavy head, as if paralysed, could not give her body proper commands. But with her right hand, which she managed to move, she made a fist.
The nail of her middle finger dug into the palm of her clenched right hand. The dull pain she felt was a comfort to her now.
It reminded her that she was alive, that her soul, or whatever it was, was properly anchored to her body, that she was clinging to reality.
"...So, why do you hate Mr Lerner so much, anyway?"
"Why, you ask? That's a funny question. Does that bloke have a single likeable quality? The answer is no. He's got nothing but unlikeable traits."
"...I don't really think so. He seems like a pretty good bloke, Mr Lerner."
"What's got into you, Alexander? Don't tell me you hit your head when you collapsed at school?"
Her father tilted his head at Alexander's casual remark. Then he started talking about things she had not even asked about.
"Do you know about Patrick Lerner's career? He climbed the ladder by any means necessary. A shameless, rotten bastard."
"..."
"He was originally a special agent for the Alusthogrun Bureau of Investigation. Scored a massive win on his first case, then another, and another, arresting criminals in quick succession..."
"...A massive win?"
"It was a case from nearly twenty years ago. A serial kidnapping and murder of young girls, aged ten to twelve. The crime scenes were all over the place, and even veteran agents and the profiler Helen Gardner, who was assisting the investigation, were struggling. But two rookies found and arrested the culprit in an unorthodox way."
"...You mean the Eli Grissom case?"
"That's right. The Eli Grissom case."
"But in that case, didn't Helen Gardner locate the killer, and Agent Patricia Velasquez make the arrest?"
When Alexander asked this, her father gave a knowing grin. That's the public story, but the truth is different. He said, then began to proudly share the information he knew.
"That's what's written in Helen Gardner's memoirs. That she was the one who located the culprit. But the one who actually found the location was her prize student, Carlo Santos, who was still just an apprentice at the time."
"...?!"
"Carlo Santos found a pattern in the crimes that Helen Gardner had missed, and narrowed down the next crime scene to a single location from several candidates. And the agent who went undercover as a child, using his youthful appearance to get deliberately kidnapped by the culprit and make the arrest... the agent's name in the book is Patricia Velasquez, but no such agent exists."
"...What? No way."
"The agent who went undercover as a child, using his youthful appearance to get deliberately kidnapped by the culprit. That was none other than Patrick Lerner, who was still a rookie agent at the time. And the one who located Lerner and arrested the culprit was his partner and同期, Noemi Zedillo. It's said that the two of them, who made a bold and risky choice without hesitation, became known to the top brass after that. They continued to rack up successes, and their reputation eventually reached the director of the ASI. Lerner was then scouted by the ASI and switched over. Even at the ASI, Lerner climbed the hierarchy in no time, and he's now the Deputy Manager at forty. As for Noemi Zedillo, who remained at the ABoI, rumour has it she's about to be appointed as the head of the Sydney branch... Anyway. Lerner, that bloke is a truly terrifying demon."
From what she heard, it sounded like a capable person had been given the recognition he deserved and had been promoted faster than others.
Isn't that a natural result, rather than him being overly ambitious? Alexander thought, her brow furrowing slightly. Then her father grinned again.
"But it seems he's switched from the ASI to another agency again. A pitch-black suit, black tie, black leather shoes—the mark of the officially non-existent Special Service Agency WACE."
"W-WACE?"
"You've heard of it in urban legends, right? The men in black, WACE. I thought WACE was just a rumour myself, but... now I'm certain. The Special Service Agency WACE is real."
"...And Mr Lerner is one of them? That's pushing it, don't you think?"
"But Lerner himself hinted at it. And the fact that he calls that screechy woman 'Lucan' makes sense if we assume he and she are members of WACE. I suppose his codename would be 'Dinadan'?"
It made no sense. Alexander scoffed at her father's words. But he just kept chuckling to himself, a strange, sinister laugh.
As they neared home, her father stopped the car and let Alexander out. Before they parted, he asked her to give her mother a message.
"Alexander. Tell your mum for me. I get it, I'll sign the papers, so tell her to come to the office when she's free."
"...Why don't you tell her yourself? Give her a call or something."
"I've called her countless times. But she never picked up once. So there you have it, I'm counting on you."
"..."
"And another thing, Alexander. Rest when you can. It's true our finances were tight, but there's no need for you to worry about it. Like I said before, a student's main job is to study. Working a part-time job isn't your top priority."
"...Alright."
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