We learned that last night a theft occurred at the farm, and the farm owner reported that a thief attempted to break into the farm to steal.

"Based on the description provided by farm owner Jefferson, I personally feel that there is a certain connection between the theft at the farm and the murder of Darcy," I said.

Then, Luke shared his conjecture with everyone.

Touching his chin, the deputy chief said, "The farm owner saw the thief was Black?"

"Yes."

The deputy chief shook his head, "I'm afraid that will disappoint you, this thief is probably not the murderer of Angela."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I've found some characteristics of the suspect who killed Angela through that blood-colored pattern." The deputy chief stroked his hair with a comb and explained,

"I mentioned earlier that pendant with the blood-colored pattern, Angela gave out a total of 10 to lucky fans. Through further investigation, these ten lucky fans are spread across the country.

There are only two lucky fans in Los Angeles.

It's not impossible for other fans to come to Los Angeles to commit the crime, but probabilistically, these two fans are the most suspicious.

I've conducted a focused investigation on these two fans.

One of them died accidentally in a car accident last year, and the whereabouts of that pendant are unknown, so we can temporarily dismiss his suspicion.

The other fan is named Tom, and I have already contacted him; he's also a die-hard fan of Angela.

He's quite busy lately and missed Angela's new album party, which he says he regrets.

After making contact with Tom, I took a statement from him. According to him, the pendant that belonged to him has been sold."

"The buyer of the pendant is someone he met at a vampire club, and the two aren't well-acquainted, having not met before. He only knows that the other is also a fan of Angela, and is very obsessed with her."

We'll temporarily call this fan 'Fan A.'

Upon learning the origin of the silver pendant, Fan A desperately wanted it and kept asking Tom to sell it to him.

Tom originally didn't want to sell it. Being a fan of Angela himself, he wanted to keep the pendant as a memento, but Fan A was earnest, wanting to purchase the pendant for 500 US Dollars.

That was an irresistible price, and Tom agreed," he said.

Laughing, Luke said, "It seems that Tom is also a 'fake fan.'

Can his words be trusted?"

"On the night that Angela was killed, Tom has an alibi, and I've also taken an impression of his teeth, which has been sent to forensics for analysis. We can almost rule Tom out as a suspect.

Therefore, the suspicion on the fan A who bought the pendant increases.

According to Tom's description, Fan A is a young white guy, not very tall, with a somewhat slender build. As for the specific features, he can't remember clearly anymore.

From this, it seems that the killer of Angela and the suspect in the farm theft case are likely not the same person."

The deputy chief finished speaking and specifically looked at Luke.

Without further argument, Luke knew that nothing he said now would be useful; everything still depended on the results of the bloodstain analysis.

During the wait for the analysis results, Luke didn't sit idle; he prepared to take down August's case in one fell swoop.

...

The next morning, in the Third Interrogation Room.

August was handcuffed to the interrogation chair, this time not seeking the assistance of attorney Port.

Honestly, Luke had a fairly good impression of Port. Sometimes, lawyers can play a positive role in case proceedings.

For example, when suspects hope to get lucky and not confess, but the lawyer knows confessing is in the best interest of the suspect at that moment, sometimes they would persuade the suspect to confess.

Of course, most of the time, they are still at odds with the police.

This is also why many police officers dislike lawyers, not concerning justice or malice, but simply because of the different positions they hold.

Setting aside the documents, Luke got right to the point, "How are you considering things, August?"

"Detective Chief Luke, I still want to go through a mental evaluation and hope you can arrange it as soon as possible," August replied.

Looking at him, Luke inquired, "Is this your own idea, or attorney Port's suggestion?"

"It's my own idea."

Frowning slightly, Luke asked, "Are you really sure about this, August?"

August answered, "There definitely was something wrong with my state that day; otherwise, I wouldn't have bitten someone."

"I really doubted my sanity at that time."

"I'm not claiming to have a mental illness just to evade legal punishment."

"Now it's not just about going to prison, I feel very wronged and innocent."

"I don't know why I did what I did that day... It was like I became a different person."

Luke followed up on his words, "August, you're right, you are indeed very aggrieved.

You unknowingly took Solo, which caused you to lose your reason and have hallucinations, thinking yourself a vampire and resulting in the attack on the victim.

But that doesn't mean you have a mental problem."

Seeing that August remained silent, Luke continued to ask, "Do you think that once you're diagnosed with a mental problem, you won't have to go to prison?

It's not as simple as you think. Even if you are diagnosed with a mental problem and don't go to jail,

it doesn't mean everything is over. You still have to undergo the relevant treatment.

You may even be sent to a mental institution, which is not much better than prison.

Telling one lie requires a pile of lies to cover it up, which can complicate the situation even more.

Moreover, you might never be able to shake off the label of a mentally ill person."

Luke took a sip of coffee and continued, "This is still the best scenario for you. The way you killed was unique and suggests mental issues.

However, according to toxicological identification, hallucinogenic drugs were detected in your system, so both the police and the prosecution believe it's more likely you experienced hallucinations and acted out due to Solo.

The chances of you being diagnosed with a mental disorder are not high."

"You may think, isn't it just a matter of getting an assessment?

If the assessment is successful, I might be acquitted; if not, I have no loss.

It's not as simple as you think."

"If you claim to have a mental illness, but the assessment shows you do not, then your credibility will be questioned by the police, the prosecutors, the judge, and even the jury.

Don't think this is a minor issue. Once your credibility is questioned, a series of problems will arise."

"You previously said that you did not know the plasma contained hallucinogenic components of Solo.

The police were inclined to accept your testimony, but once your credibility is questioned, we may have to reinvestigate and confirm whether you truly drank the plasma unknowingly.

If it is proven you knew about the hallucinogenic components in the plasma and still willingly drank it, it will be very disadvantageous for you and carry a much heavier charge."

August said, "I really didn't know, I just thought it was regular plasma."

Luke tapped his fingers on the documents on the table, "But according to our research, the plasma sold by the poisoner is much more expensive than regular plasma, and buyers are explicitly told that it is 'Holy Blood' mixed with 'material,' supposed to give you magical powers.

To some extent, it's already hinting at the presence of substances other than plasma.

You should have been somewhat prepared, or else you wouldn't be willing to pay more for it, right?"

August shook his head, "No, I really wasn't aware of that point.

He said it was plasma blended with the blood of a real 'vampire,' and I bought it out of curiosity."

Luke said earnestly, "August, you must understand that I'm not debating the truth with you, but instead trying to tell you.

Once you tell a lie, your credibility will be questioned just like earlier.

This can be very detrimental to the later stages of the Trial, and I think Port, your attorney, should have told you these things.

If I can question you, the prosecutors, the judge, and the jury can all raise the same doubts."

"If you haven't falsely claimed to have a mental illness, you can refute them confidently as a victim.

If you falsely claim to have a mental illness, but are found to be sane, you'll lose this advantageous position."

"I've said enough; think about it yourself."

After speaking, Luke stood up and made to leave.

"Wait..."

August's lips quivered, "If... If I plead guilty now... what kind of plea deal can I expect?"

Luke stopped in his tracks, "Manslaughter. Considering you consumed hallucinogens unknowingly, your sentence won't be too heavy."

August nodded slowly, speaking with some difficulty, "I... I... am willing to plead guilty."

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