Adam entered John's building, his umbrella swaying in the fierce wind, eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of danger, before hearing John whisper from inside.
He found John sitting on the chair, tearful, hands trembling.
"Adam… thank you for coming…", John said in a broken voice, as if each word was about to collapse from his lips.
Adam, with a calm, confident smile, replied:
"John, focus with me. Relax a little. I'm here now, and I'll stay with you all the time. Nothing will happen to you."
He sat across from John, eyes sharp, full of years of investigative experience.
"I was the best detective in the crime department. No case went unsolved under my watch. I may have left the job a while ago, but I can still see the truth behind every lie, every deception."
John took a deep breath and told everything, voice trembling between words: the crimes, the news, the mud on his shoes, the mirror, the strange smile, and the voice whispering:
"You are not only defending them… you are judging them."
Adam listened intently, never interrupting, occasionally nodding, eyes never leaving John's face.
"Everything we examine, every clue we use, John. I promise, we'll leave nothing to chance."
John breathed more steadily, for the first time in days feeling the presence of someone who could truly see the truth.
"I understand, Adam… I'll try to calm down."
Adam smiled lightly:
"That's all I need from you now. Just stay calm. I'll stay with you, and nothing will let you slip up."
They sat silently for a while, the street sounds outside filling the apartment, while inside the tension and faint hope mingled: hope that the truth would soon be revealed, and that they might find a way to stop this chain of mysterious crimes threatening John's mind and life.