The girl quickly divided the photos into three piles, pointing to each pile from left to right and said, "Toy Number 1, Toy Number 2, and the Impersonator."
"What do you mean?" Gordon's expression turned serious.
"The real Eden Killer isn't one of these three people." Nemocine's speech remained fast, "Number 1 is a male about 183 cm tall, right-handed. Considering the distance from the first crime scene to the body and the weather on that day, he might have had military training and served in tropical regions. His left leg was injured and he might suffer from some sort of psoriasis. He's married… has one, two, three children. Three children to support."
"Number 2 is a female no taller than 170 cm, with light blonde hair, experiencing significant hair loss. She might have recently run into some trouble… mob debt. She has a nerve issue with her right hand and a history of substance abuse. Worked in the kitchen of a place that required lots of frying, still cooking when she killed."
"As for the impersonator… I'm not sure." Nemocine said, "One possibility is that the other party is a very skilled killer, leaving no traces; another could be that he's the Eden Killer you're looking for, just disguised as his own impersonator."
From the moment Nemocine started talking, Gordon's mouth had been agape. He looked at the photos he brought again but found no evidence to support the claims.
"If Batman were here, he would agree with me." Nemocine said, "Show him these, he'll reach the same conclusion."
"Are you saying you're as capable as Batman? Wait, how do you know Batman?"
Nemocine showed that impatient look again. She started swaying her body without realizing it.
Gordon had to look at Shiller. Shiller nodded and said, "She has talent. Perhaps Batman would be willing to have her as an assistant."
"Oh, goodness. I don't hope for a day when my adopted daughter flits about like a ghost in my office. Let's just talk about these cases, shall we? What's your take, Professor?"
"You know my perspective is different from yours." Shiller said, "I can't offer you such specific clues like the brilliant detective lady here, but I can try to analyze the killer's thoughts."
Nemocine suddenly turned to stare at him.
"What do you see?" Gordon asked.
"Loneliness, learning…"
"And?"
"Some kind of disguise."
"What disguise?"
"Absence."
"Absence?"
Gordon looked puzzled, completely unable to understand. The words were too fragmented, and together they didn't form sentences. He had to ask Shiller to clarify.
"He's lonely." Shiller said, "But he's proud of his loneliness. This loneliness doesn't include jealousy towards happy lovers and a perfect family but rather disdain. He considers all kinds of social interactions in the secular sense as a sin. It's bothersome to him."
"Is he socially inept?"
"He may appear socially inept, but it's not because he's incapable of socializing; he despises it. He doesn't want to socialize with anyone. He relishes his loneliness. That's why he targets clients and prostitutes."
"What's the connection?"
"It's a purely monetary and physical relationship, not a way of forming social connections that the public accepts. He extols them, considering this process more noble than making friends, finding a lover, or starting a family."
"Is he also a client?"
"He's not. He's merely learning."
"Learning?"
"He's exploring human physical relationships." Shiller paused for a moment, "Considering the presence of minors, I won't delve into certain unhealthy sexual psychology concepts. In short, he views the emotional-detached physical relationship between clients and prostitutes as excellent learning material."
"But he killed them."
"Experimentally." Shiller said, "His aim isn't to kill but to preserve something. It's a bit like photography."
"Photography?"
"Yes. Killing them in this state is a form of photography for him; it's a method of preserving something permanently."
"Is it some kind of art?"
"No. He's still in the apprentice stage. He hopes to understand more, far from expressing his own thoughts. He seems very raw and pure."
Gordon couldn't help but glance at Nemocine.
Nemocine, however, seemed to not even see him. Her eyes were fixed on Shiller. She looked at Shiller and said, "Are you talking in your sleep?"
"I'm not, Miss. Just like you can't understand those in foster care, when it comes to murder cases, I can't communicate with you in the way you're accustomed to."
Nemocine stared at him unblinkingly. But Gordon had no time to care about any discord between them. He leaned forward and looked at Shiller, asking, "So who is he?"
"What Miss Nemocine said makes sense. The Eden Killer didn't act directly; he just controlled two people, a man and a woman, and perhaps there was an active imitator. I suggest you first apprehend those who acted—the targets are already quite clear."
Gordon hesitated slightly but then took out his phone to start assigning tasks. He walked toward the back garden. While he was gone, Nemocine looked at Shiller with glowing eyes and said, "How was that done? Do you have empathy abilities?"
"When I'm analyzing these, do you think I'm a killer?"
"That's exactly what I'm puzzled about. If you're empathizing with a killer, I could definitely tell. I would see the Eden Killer sitting right in front of me, but I don't see a trace of imitation on you. This shows that you didn't use empathy with the killer to get these conclusions."
"Correct. It's not merely empathy abilities, but spiritual analysis."
"Spiritual analysis?"
"Yes. Empathy abilities, the application of spiritual analysis, and the theory of spiritual analysis are three different things, although they are interrelated, the gaps between them are stronger than most people imagine."
"Do you have empathy talent?"
"I do. But it's a talent that requires you to shatter your own rationality, let yourself fully plunge into the whirlpool of broken emotions to exert strength. It's a very dangerous state; the killer might not be caught before you have a mental breakdown yourself."
"But you're not using that; you're not breaking down at all. You are more stable than anyone can imagine." Nemocine stared at him and said.
"Indeed, I'm not using empathy abilities but spiritual analysis talents. This talent is very unique, usually based on hallucinations caused by my spectrum performance and mental symptoms."
"Are you a spectrum patient too?"
"Yes, but my situation is complex and cannot be simply defined as a disease. You can understand it as sand blown up by the wind falling to form a castle, or monkeys from around the world pressing a random letter, creating a whole Shakespeare."
"You're a miracle." Nemocine said.
"Considering who turned me this way, yes, I'm an irreplicable miracle." Although Shiller said so, his tone did not carry any pride; he still seemed calm.
"It's truly incredible." Nemocine said, "Can't you adopt me? I feel like we'd have a lot to talk about."
"The issue is, as someone with a history of mental illness, I can't meet the adoption criteria." Shiller said.
"That's just an excuse." Nemocine said, "Someone like you can easily get whatever you want, and you don't care about legal terms or such. You simply don't want to do this."
"I just don't want to be too blunt, Miss. It would be a bit too hurtful."
"Alright. I think you really shouldn't want it. You're the type who finds deduction based on facts boring. I'm interested in you, but you're not interested in me."
"I've met someone who excels in this aspect." Shiller said, "Compared to him, others indeed lack appeal."
Nemocine carefully watched his expression and then said, "Batman? You think that person who excels is Batman?"
Shiller nodded and said, "So if you're talking about common topics, you should look for Batman. Even if he doesn't adopt you, he might get Gordon to ease some of his control over you."
"But as far as I know, he's a control freak. How could he be willing to let me handle more cases?"
"He has many assistants like you. He doesn't keep them sheltered in a greenhouse but trains them as much as possible. His educational philosophy won't disappoint you."
Nemocine looked down and said nothing, but clearly, she was thinking about something. At this moment, Gordon also returned, but his expression wasn't good. He looked at Shiller and said, "Two more bodies have appeared in the Red Light District. Want to go take a look?"
Shiller glanced at the rain outside the window, sighed resignedly, and moved to the door to pick up the umbrella. He looked at Nemocine and said, "We can't leave a child without full behavioral ability here alone. Let her come with us; at worst, she stays in the car."
Gordon didn't hesitate; he nodded, evidently having realized Nemocine's talents through previous communication with subordinates. She must have hit many marks.
Shiller picked up an umbrella for Nemocine. He himself also opened his umbrella, while Gordon put on a raincoat. The group got into the police car.
The closer they got to Gotham's Red Light District, the bustling the streets became. The store signs' neon lights blurred their edges in the rain curtain, various light strip lines reflecting on the water surface appeared more chaotic. This was Shiller's only opportunity to see scenes like those in his illusion world in real life.
The car drove through, splashing the rainwater. Shiller thought of the letter sent to him by the Primary Universe Batman:
"... I just returned from the Magic Academy. I have new ideas for the planning and development of my universe's energy system. Unfortunately, although I've already made ample preparations in Gotham, a case still caught me off guard. Gordon is busy and overwhelmed, and a little girl named Nemocine who recently returned elsewhere shows typical spectrum symptoms. But Gordon, being overly busy, probably can't spend more effort on her.
Hence, I hope you can return to Kazisova 125 and look after that poor little girl for a while. If you can provide help for the case Gordon is busy with, nothing could be better.
Many thanks. PhD—Batman."