John was gathering all the information he had before leaving the police station and heading to Kreves' apartment when Captain Brown entered his office. He could see the exhaustion and frustration etched into the captain’s face from the relentless days of investigation. Without saying a word, the captain walked to the window, stared outside for a few minutes, then returned to John’s desk, took a seat, lifted his gaze, and said:
“I know that, just like me, you feel guilty about Kreves being taken off the case, but you need to understand that it’s for his own good. That’s why I’m here—to ask you not to look for him. Let him be alone until we finish this case. It’s the only way he can truly be safe, not just from that murderer but from himself as well.”
Guilt gnawed at John’s conscience, but
