Chapter 44

Zoey saw that Lawrence had fallen silent, and her gaze turned cold.

Zoey thought, "Someone like Lawrence, who disregards human life, is a danger to society if allowed to live!'

Charles also let out a sigh of relief, then followed Zoey out of the interrogation room.

Afterwards, Dennis and Charles immediately went to Lawrence's supermarket and quickly found the USB drive with evidence of Brian's crimes at the location Lawrence provided.

Although the video had obvious editing marks, it was enough to sentence Brian to death.

The footage recorded every cruel moment of how he tortured the victims.

Then the serial disappearance and murder case was declared closed.

The entire first criminal investigation team's tense nerves finally relaxed.

Zoey finished writing the case report, stretched, and planned to get a late-night snack.

Alexander happened to stand up at the same time as her, so they went to the cafeteria together.

Zoey took everything she liked, even more than usual.

Alexander looked at the food she took, then at her, and kindly reminded, "Eating so much at night won't be good for your digestion."

Zoey didn't even look at him, focusing on her food.

Alexander wasn't actually hungry, but for some unknown reason, he felt compelled to follow when he saw Zoey going out.

To avoid appearing too deliberate, he casually grabbed some snacks as a cover.

Seeing Zoey eat so heartily, Alexander couldn't help but ask, "So, during the interrogation, you said Lawrence liked Brian. Is that true?"

Zoey paused her eating and looked at him strangely, "Why are you so curious about the story between two men?"

Alexander was silent. He was just asking out of curiosity. Why did he sense something else in Zoey's words? Was she suspecting he was gay? Nonsense!

Just as Alexander was about to prove his sexual orientation to Zoey, she deliberately looked away and continued eating. She said, "I don't know, anyway, getting the evidence was my ultimate goal."

Alexander said, "Oh, I thought Lawrence might have Stockholm syndrome with Brian. After all, this kind of case isn't rare. Many victims participate in crimes after being victimized. I thought his involvement might be related to that."

Zoey glanced at him. "I can't say it has no relation, but it's not significant. Do you remember what I once said? The possibility of someone committing a crime always exists; all the evil factors are just waiting for an opportunity. When the opportunity comes, the evil reveals itself."

She continued, "Lawrence was a pervert to begin with. He liked wearing women's clothes because he was a pervert, not just a fetish."

"Why do you say that?" Alexander was curious.

"When Brian secretly filmed him in short skirts, crop tops, and blonde wigs, he was very open about showing his body. But later, when harassing victims, he dressed very conservatively. If it weren't for the long hair and the color of the clothes, it would be hard to tell his gender."

"He started dressing scantily, looking very confident. But later, he dressed more and more conservatively to reduce his presence. His dressing style reflected his inner state. Lawrence probably started liking women's clothes, found it thrilling, and then rejected it."

"Because he was raped by Brian?" Alexander asked, puzzled.

Zoey said, "Well, to be more precise, after being assaulted by Brian, the significance of women's clothing changed for him. Previously, those pretty dresses could bring him perverse sexual fantasies, which was understandable since he didn't have a girlfriend. When he masturbated while wearing a dress, it was as if he was freely touching any woman on the street."

Listening to Zoey, Alexander couldn't stand it and cursed, "He's really a pervert!"

Zoey nonchalantly glanced at him. "Don't all men masturbate? Lawrence is just a bit more perverted."

Alexander was silent. Why did he feel like Zoey was attacking him?

Seeing Alexander's face fall, Zoey cleverly changed the topic. "What Lawrence wanted from women's clothes was like that. Although it's gross to say it so bluntly, it's the truth. The truth is always unpleasant."

Zoey continued, "Brian's appearance gave Lawrence other kinds of pleasure. A kind only women can experience."

After saying that, she stopped talking and continued eating.

Alexander, unwilling to give up, asked, "Do you mean Lawrence had sex with all the victims too?"

"Sex? It's called the male gaze, like an invisible snake's tongue, attacking women with a toxic and malicious invisible gaze. This snake's tongue has an invincible shield called, 'I'm just looking, what's wrong?' and a sharp attack knife usually saying, 'You're overthinking it.'"

It was Alexander's first time hearing the term "male gaze."

After Zoey's detailed explanation, he seemed to understand a bit. He said, "You mean, although Lawrence liked women's clothes, he initially had a completely male mindset. So even in a dress, he could only enjoy his perverted thoughts. But after being harassed and violated by Brian, experiencing a woman's crisis firsthand, he began to feel the male gaze, so he dressed more conservatively and lost confidence?"

Zoey praised Alexander, "Not bad, you've learned."

Alexander was silent.

"But," Zoey burped and continued, "since Lawrence isn't really a woman, he can't empathize like a real woman. In a dress, he's Brian's first victim, which is a nightmare he can't escape. But when he takes off the dress, he turns into a perverted murderer, making other women take his place in being repeatedly raped, precisely because he knows how excruciating it is."

"Bastard!" Alexander cursed.

Zoey remained calm. "People can't empathize with each other. For example, Lawrence, after experiencing such a disgraceful past, didn't want to save himself but pushed more people into the abyss. Later, he became Brian's accomplice because he wanted to recover from the humiliation of being raped by Brian and regain his male dignity!"