Chapter 18 The Confession
When Leo entered the interrogation room, he didn't appear particularly nervous. Alison felt triggered, even as she observed only a thin layer of black lines surrounding him, misty and faint.
Now, however, those black lines had grown thick and powerful, intertwining like pythons constricting Leo's body.
Oliver could clearly sense Leo's psychological defenses crumbling, but he refrained from interrupting, afraid of disrupting Alison's rhythm. Unfortunately, they hadn't yet developed the intuitive partnership that would have told him exactly when to step in.
Alison opened a stack of files on the table. The top document was a dental treatment record, with Landon's file first in the pile.
She began with him.
"Landon came to your clinic about a year ago. His teeth were in terrible condition," she stated. "You probably asked, out of habit, why he'd waited so long to see a dentist. He told you he couldn't afford it. Your clinic is small, uses the cheapest materials, and charges minimal fees. The people who come to you are typically those struggling financially."
"Landon's teeth required multiple treatments. You gradually became acquainted. You learned he had a sister and that he gave most of his earnings to her." Alison glanced at the dates on the record. "After his third treatment, Landon didn't return for two months. When he finally came back, he didn't want treatment—just painkillers. You knew he had no money, so you invited him to join the Mutual Fellowship, didn't you?"
Leo remained silent, but Alison could see the emotions churning within him. She got it right.
She picked up the second file—Linda's records.
Her first appointment dated back more than four years. The files Allan had brought in weren't chronologically organized, which made Alison briefly furrow her brow before relaxing. She decided to address issues as they came to mind.
"Linda had only minor dental problems. She was kind-hearted, naturally emotional, and talkative. With people queuing at your clinic daily, she would listen to others' hardships and often cry. You were deeply impressed with her from your first meeting, right?"
Leo nodded unconsciously.
Oliver subtly signaled Taylor outside to ensure the recording equipment was capturing everything. They had tried directive questioning before, but none had been as effective as Alison's approach.
"You invited her to join the Mutual Fellowship, asked her to help, but worried she might recruit too many people indiscriminately. So you invented an excuse to make her keep the Fellowship secret. You've been to Linda's home, haven't you?"
Cold sweat broke out on Leo's forehead. Realizing he was losing control of the conversation, he immediately demanded. "I need to use the bathroom!"
Oliver looked to Alison. Out of basic decency, they couldn't deny Leo's request. Outside, Taylor and the others showed disappointment—Alison's interrogation had been building momentum, and this interruption would make regaining that flow difficult.
But Alison seemed unfazed, calmly nodding. "Go ahead."
Her confidence only increased the pressure on Leo.
After Leo was escorted out, Oliver quickly reorganized the files according to Alison's questioning pattern and asked about her next approach.
Alison answered concisely, "Accelerate the pace."
Oliver nodded in understanding.
Taylor brought in two glasses of water, hoping to help but finding himself unable to contribute as Alison and Oliver communicated in their own world.
The atmosphere between Alison and Oliver formed an invisible wall that excluded Taylor completely.
When Leo returned, Alison indeed changed her questioning style.
"Have you seen God?" she asked, observing his emotional response and marking an X on her notes.
"But you've felt God's presence." Alison stared at him for two seconds, then marked a check.
"'God' guides you, instructing you to find three people who meet specific criteria. You didn't know why you needed them, but among your patients were perfect candidates." Alison rapidly made check marks and X marks on her paper. Though Leo said nothing, his emotions betrayed the truth.
Leo could see the symbols Alison was drawing and felt completely exposed.
If the first half of the interrogation had been a gentle rain, the second half was a violent storm.
"Do you know this poem? 'When the divine seeks earthly form, only through proxies can it appear; Inverted shadows bring the message—'" Alison recited.
"One must heed God's admonition," Leo finished automatically.
He tilted his head slightly upward, his expression peaceful and devout as tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.
Sensing his defenses weakening, Alison quickly asked, "Who told you about the Divine Manifestation ritual?"
The poem had unlocked Leo's heart. "The Oracle told me. They know everyone's destiny and transmit God's instructions to us."
"The Oracle?" Alison exchanged a glance with Oliver.
The title carried an ominous sense of false prophecy. By claiming to know others' fates, this person could rationalize criminal actions. Victims who believed would develop a fatalistic attitude, thinking "everything was predetermined," which would diminish their resistance and satisfy the perpetrator's pathological need for control.
Leo continued, "For God to manifest on Earth requires a grand ceremony with widespread attention. I first approached Linda, Landon, and Quincy, asking if they would become the Sun Child, Moon Goddess, and Star Guardian. They didn't believe gods truly existed and refused to accept my words, so I made them believe."
"How did you make them believe?" Oliver asked.
"Landon wanted to sing at a bar but had problems with the manager and the original singer. God helped Landon resolve those issues. Linda became a loan guarantor and owed significant debt, but God helped her win a lottery ticket. Quincy believed he brought misfortune to those around him and kept his distance from others. He was lonely, so God granted him a lover—and they all came to believe in God's existence."
"Landon wished for his sister's eternal happiness, Linda wished for her mother to remain healthy until death, and Quincy wished for a happy family in his next life. They made their wishes and voluntarily became God's proxies to complete the manifestation ritual."
Both the crystal bracelets and the membership roster were only circumstantial evidence, insufficient to convict Leo. But his confession was an admission of guilt!
Yet Leo's demeanor seemed off. Alison studied him carefully. "You believe God did all this?"
"The Oracle can exercise God's power," Leo said. "But we can't just take from God without giving back. If we want our happiness to continue, we must pay the price!"
Oliver pressed sharply. "Who is the Oracle? How did they help Landon resolve the bar issues?"
Leo ignored him, mumbling with a smile that made him appear mentally unstable.
Oliver signaled for Alison to continue questioning. "Is the Oracle male or female? How old are they?"
"The Oracle has no gender and is eternally young," Leo replied.
Alison asked, "Who hung Landon, Linda, and Quincy upside down? You or the Oracle?"
Leo responded, "I did."
Alison added, "Who planned the livestream? You or the Oracle?"
Leo replied, "The Oracle did."
Oliver, now understanding the questioning technique. "When you went to Byron's house to make him burn the Fellowship's materials, was that your idea or the Oracle's?"
Leo said, "Everything is God's arrangement!"
Alison pressed harder. "Were you involved in Byron's death?"
Leo's eyes flickered momentarily. "I gave Hannah many hints. God wanted Byron dead, so I had to use her."
Alison took a deep breath and asked the question she most wanted answered. "Is Lucy still alive? Did the Oracle take her?"
Leo said he didn't know.
Alison couldn't accept this response.
"Lucy joined the Mutual Fellowship a year ago. What was her wish?"
Leo thought for a moment. "She wanted healing."
"What illness did she have?" Alison asked anxiously.
Leo shook his head. "My god couldn't help her. She went to another god."
Oliver's brow twitched. "Another god?"
Alison considered his words carefully before uncertainly asking, "Are you saying there are other Mutual Fellowships?"
Leo smiled with a hint of pride. "Of course. Heart Aid Society, Friendship Circle, Dating Fellowship, Widows Support Group... God is all-loving and omnipresent."