North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 38 Case Closed

"You know what, they'll listen to me. I passed the mental judgment of those experts last time, and this time will be different."

By this time, the disheveled Dr. Lecter had regained some strength, his head was no longer dizzy, and his body was more agile. He stood up from the floor and stood proudly.

"Well then, Officer Titus, you're a respectable opponent. Arrest me and claim your reward."

Titus stared coldly at Lecter, whose face was now horrifying. Martin's skin had been torn off, the stitches had broken, revealing half of his original face—a face covered in blood and a smile.

demon!

How can such a demon live among humans?

He recalled what Lecter had said:

Everyone has desires; what are you desiring?

Why are you so greedy?

In an instant, Titus found everything eerily quiet; the creaking of the train on the tracks, the swaying of the metal plates and carriages, and the noise of the tourists had all vanished completely.

He drew his sidearm from his waist, released the safety with a 'click,' the gears turned precisely, and then pointed the gun at Lecter.

"You asked me what I coveted, and now I'll tell you—"

"I will become the strongest, I will become the only god among men. You've reminded me why I should be bound by these rules and regulations. I can do whatever the fuck I want! Everything I do is to send all of you demons back to hell!"

"Hannibal Lecter, if the United States won't sentence you to death, I will!"

At the same time, Mike and Starling arrived. There was an empty metal plate connecting the two carriages. They looked at Titus in horror, afraid that he would act impulsively, so they did not rush up immediately.

Lecter threatened, "What, you want to kill me with vigilante justice? They've all seen it."

"Calm down, Detective Gallagher. Trust me, he'll get what he deserves, I promise!" Mike shouted.

Titus coldly replied, "He won't!"

"Trust us, at least trust me. Don't be foolish; it's not worth it for someone like that."

As Starling spoke, she cautiously approached, walking up to Titus and gently pressing down on his hand holding the gun.

"Believe me, we will make him receive the punishment he deserves."

Titus slowly lowered his hand, and Lecter breathed a sigh of relief. However, the next moment, Titus suddenly aimed at Lecter and pulled the trigger!

The sound of the pistol clicking echoed in the hearts of everyone present; the bullet had jammed.

Lecter broke his silence and abandoned his composure. He knew that Titus truly intended to use lynching to kill him, and he immediately said:

"Look! You've already fired a shot at me. It didn't go off, but it executed all my sins. This is God's will. Put down your gun and obey God's will!"

Titus couldn't help but chuckle:

"That's ridiculous. Would someone like you have any faith? Besides, an old friend of mine told me that if a bullet jams, you have to fire nine shots. If the next nine bullets jam, I'm leaving."

After speaking, Titus pushed Starling aside, and without further hesitation, cocked the gun and pulled the trigger.

"Click," it got stuck again.

Lecter stopped standing there dumbly. Since the handcuffs weren't binding his feet, he turned around and was about to run towards the crowd. He thought that as long as he escaped this killer and returned to prison, he might have a chance to make a comeback!

Titus fired again.

This time, a shot was fired!

"Bang!"

Lecter fell to the ground with a thud.

"You deserve to die."

Titus stepped forward, aimed at the struggling Lecter, and fired seven shots in quick succession, emptying his remaining ammunition. Blood gushed out like a fountain.

The cold, impersonal subtitles appeared:

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully hunted down Slaanesh warrior Hannibal Lecter. Mission complete.]

[Please go to an uninhabited area to collect your reward.]

The Emperor greatly admires your courage, but as the Emperor's chosen one, you seem to have noticed that the God of Courage and Strength, one of the Four Gods, pays close attention to you and has even interfered with your judgment on several occasions. As a result, you have fallen into deep self-doubt, and the Emperor has decided to temporarily suspend your use.

With this, Hannibal Lecter was dead, and the cannibal case was closed.

...

That morning, Titus and his two companions received news that after they left, the priest of Church A in the old town, unable to accept the reality, knelt before the statue of Jesus and shot himself…

That afternoon, Titus, Starling, and Mike agreed on a unified story: Titus was forced to act during the capture of Lecter and had accidentally killed the criminal Lecter. They then compiled and submitted their operation report, awaiting the outcome.

That evening, Titus and Starling walked the streets of Florence. Their mission was over, and this was their last night in the art capital. They decided to go out for a stroll to clear their heads.

One by one, the lights of midnight came on as they strolled through this ancient city, which dates back to the time of Caesar before Christ. Starling quietly moved closer to Titus and comforted him:

"Don't worry, Mike and I have talked to each other. You accidentally killed him during the arrest, which is common in homicide cases, as far as I know."

Titus laughed:

"As far as you know, how many cases have you handled to speak with such seasoned expertise?"

"But I've come to some realizations. Really, maybe I can do a lot of things even if I'm not in the FBI."

Starling said:

"Don't say that. Although I haven't handled many cases, I've read a lot of case files. I've seen all sorts of bizarre cases. Sometimes I read them like storybooks or mystery novels. Okay, let's not talk about that now. Let's try this—"

Starling walked to the foot of an old city wall. About a meter above the ground, there was a small cement window with a wooden plank inside. She tapped the plank lightly, placed the banknotes down, and said:

"A glass of champagne, please."

A moment later, the wooden board was lifted from the inside, and then a glass of champagne was pushed out, before the board fell down again.

Starling told Titus that this is a unique Florentine wine window culture that originated from the Black Death centuries ago, when people received their wine through small windows to avoid direct contact.

Titus thought, "He was tormented by the Black Death, yet he still thought about drinking. He was romantic to the death. Is art the same?"

Starling asked, "Shall we say something nice for the toast? Let's not go around calling him a god among men anymore!"

A gentle evening breeze blew, and Florence was ablaze with lights under the twilight. The ancient buildings designed by the Medici family shone with a golden brilliance, as if Hannibal Lecter had once graced this city with his presence. After the lockdown, an even more flamboyant revelry was about to begin.

Titus leaned lazily against the ancient city wall, lightly tapping on the wine window. When the wooden plank fell, a smile appeared on his face. He recalled something from long, long ago, and after a moment, he chuckled:

"To be promoted and to make a fortune."

...

The following evening, Titus returned to Chicago with Crawford, who had just landed less than a day earlier. Crawford told Titus that he was pleased that he had solved a major case, but the case was controversial, and the current attitude of the higher-ups was: suspension with pay.

Starling comforted him: This means you may not only not be held accountable, but you also won't be fired.

But Titus understood that whether or not he was held accountable was unclear, and this was clearly a sign that he was about to be dismissed.

That evening, after saying goodbye to Starling and the other woman, Titus hurriedly went to a bar on Chicago's South Side. He couldn't remember when he had last stepped into a bar; it had probably been several years.

He wasn't drowning his sorrows in alcohol; on the contrary, Lecter's death made him think about many things. His FBI identity might often become a constraint for him, and he wanted to go to a bar to celebrate.

As soon as I stepped into the bar, the rich aroma of alcohol wafted over me, and my neighbor Xiao Kai's cheers rang out:

"Wow! Look who's here! Isn't this our famous crime-fighting hero, star detective Gallagher Tetus!"

Tytus's expression twisted, but Xiao Kai continued to attack:

"I heard he recently traveled all the way to Florence to arrest the infamous cannibal Hannibal Lecter, and it seems he's returned victorious. He'll probably be promoted to a leadership position soon; those who want to lick his boots should line up!"