Ch.157Favorite Crime! (4)

#157

“…….”

“What are you looking at?”

Dexter was moving with Dan from Medium Security Facility Block 2 to Block 4.

Senior correctional officer Dan had spoken to Chief Officer Raymond, who directly requested the warden to transfer the problematic inmate Turner to a different block.

Between the two officers stood inmate Turner with his head shaved clean, glaring fiercely at Dexter, who returned the look with an indifferent expression.

“I asked what you’re looking at.”

“…….”

“What’s wrong with this guy?”

“How would he know?”

Turner had spoken to tell Dexter to stop staring, but ironically, he was glaring even more intensely, which confused Dexter the most.

Dan, who knew Dexter’s personality well, shrugged his shoulders.

“How would a new inmate properly understand you?”

“That’s true.”

After their brief exchange, Turner muttered under his breath.

“Gym rat bastard.”

After looking Turner up and down, Dexter concluded he was just an ordinary inmate who appeared somewhat stocky but otherwise unremarkable.

He didn’t seem particularly athletic, lacked personal charm, and even his ideology wasn’t appealing. Dexter couldn’t understand why the inmates in Block 2 had trembled in fear of this man.

Soon, as the three entered Block 4 of the medium security facility, they were greeted by security measures incomparably stricter than Block 2.

“Seems like all the shotguns in our prison are being carried by the folks here.”

“First time in Block 4?”

“I’ve never had a reason to come here.”

Turner’s eyes darted around nervously, having only been familiar with the relatively free atmosphere of Block 2.

It was understandable, as the place was filled with muscular guards who, though smaller than Dexter, had bulging muscles, and inmates covered in scars on their arms and faces with fierce, alive eyes.

Watching Turner’s eyes spinning around, Dan smiled lightly and headed toward the staff area of Block 4.

When transferring an inmate from one block to another, paperwork and the signature of the day shift officer were required.

“Oh, what’s this? Dan? What brings you to Block 4?”

A sturdy guard in the staff area greeted Dan, who responded with a smile and a light handshake.

“Got an inmate transferring from Block 2 to Block 4. Hasn’t the handover been done?”

“Ah, we did have one scheduled for today.”

The guard flipped through some papers, running his finger down the page before tapping on a specific section.

“Ah, yes. Cell 37 is empty. Send him there. If you have the paperwork, give it to me.”

“Here you go. How’s Block 4 these days?”

“Same as always. Stab wounds in bellies, knife slashes on faces.”

“So it takes Block 4 to get a hole in your stomach?”

“Of course. It’s incomparable to other blocks. I hear they barely even throw punches in Block 2.”

As the three guards expounded on the terrors of Block 4, Turner audibly gulped.

Dexter caught the sound immediately and continued the conversation with a smirk. After finishing a story about a twenty-time offender who was permanently blinded after a group beating a few weeks ago, Dan and Dexter left Block 4.

Turner’s expression throughout the entire conversation had been quite a sight.

Though he tried to appear calm, the thought of his life being threatened had made him visibly anxious.

“Did you see Turner’s face?”

Both men’s faces bloomed with smiles as they headed back to Block 2.

“I did. That’s why I mixed in some exaggerations. But he doesn’t look particularly tough, so why were our inmates so afraid of him?”

“Who knows? How could we understand the minds of criminals? Oh, by the way, what was Turner in for?”

“Serial arson.”

“Huh, where did he set fires?”

“Places with lots of men.”

“What?”

Dexter, who had seen arsonists targeting national forests before but never one specifically targeting places with many men, asked again. Dan replied with a serious face.

“It’s true. He apparently focused on buildings with high male populations. Engineering colleges, sports bars, comic book stores—places like that.”

“Wow, isn’t she crazy?”

“Exactly. How could we understand the mind of a criminal?”

In fact, Turner was the criminal who could cause the most harm to random people compared to other offenders.

One of the reasons for Turner’s transfer to Block 4 was reports that he kept loitering around the staff area without any clear purpose.

They sent him to Block 4, where surveillance was stricter, fearing he might set fire to the staff area.

“Block 4 should be better than Block 2 at least.”

“But I’m really curious why the Block 2 inmates listened to that crazy person.”

“Couldn’t you just ask an inmate you know well?”

“What, is my friend the genie from Aladdin’s lamp? Just magically telling me whatever I wish to know.”

Emily answered firmly.

“She did it all with words.”

When Dexter visited Emily’s cell to ask about Turner’s transfer to Block 4 and how Turner had managed to create such a mess in Block 2, Emily replied with a slight curl at the corner of her lips.

“With words?”

“When you listen to Turner, somehow it all seems to make sense. She talks about statistics, academic papers, news articles—things that supposedly actually exist.”

“But you can’t verify them?”

“Apparently those papers and news articles do exist. The problem is that most inmates can’t refute her. Even inmates who were convicted of fraud get stumped. An inmate who used to be a lawyer called it… dog? No, gwe…”

“Ah, sophistry?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

As soon as he heard the word “sophistry,” Dexter could imagine how things had unfolded.

“I bet she spewed racist remarks, then when she was about to get hit, she’d seduce with all kinds of sweet talk, pushing nonsensical logic and asking ‘Isn’t what I’m saying right?’ while manipulating people this way and that.”

The universe is vast, and con artists are plentiful.

For Dexter, who had often provided free tooth extraction services via his fists to scammers trying to approach Eliyah for a quick score, this was entirely predictable.

“Exactly. She kept doing that to me too.”

“She was probably trying to recruit you. Redheads often face discrimination, and since you usually keep to yourself, she probably thought she could fool at least you.”

Emily listened carefully to Dexter’s words, then tilted her head as if sensing something odd.

“Do I really seem that naive to you?”

“It would be a lie to say no. Emily, you’re… probably Forbes’ number one pick for ‘Talent Most Likely to Be Chosen First by Scammers.'”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means be careful.”

Dexter pinched Emily’s cheek.

“Oww.”

“How did someone like you ever become a thief?”

Dexter couldn’t understand it.

“Still, they should be careful with her in Block 4.”

“Why?”

“Everyone has weaknesses, you know.”

“The Block 4 guards will handle it well.”

The Block 4 guards would do much better than Dexter, who had only been working there for a few months.

“Miss Bell, you should focus on preparing for your release.”

“I’ve been reading a lot of car magazines lately.”

“Magazines? Why?”

“Well, to scout for prey… Ow ow ow! Owwwie!”

In response to Emily’s fearless admission that she planned to steal again, Dexter grabbed both her cheeks and pulled.

“Don’t steal without my permission.”

“That’s mean.”

Emily rubbed her cheeks where Dexter had pinched her.

“Well, see you later.”

“Make sure to warn the Block 4 guards.”

“Alright, I’ll pass along the message.”

‘Should I tell them that Turner is good at talking nonsense and inmates might fall for her incitement?’

Dexter wasn’t sure how to explain this to the Block 4 guards.

* * *

-Aisha sent me a gift as a token of gratitude. A very cute… space monster drawing, I believe.

“It’s not a space monster, it’s a chick.”

-Hmm, a chick? That yellow creature that lives on Earth? Well, it’s quite an avant-garde drawing, isn’t it?

Hologram Eliyah said, turning the bizarre chick drawing around in his hands.

Dexter was sitting in a bedroom chair with Jessie, communicating with Eliyah via video call.

-By the way, Miss Blueberg. The learning device you requested will be shipped in a few days, so please wait just a little longer.

As hologram Eliyah delivered this news with a pronounced wink, Jessie responded with a broad smile.

“Really? Oh, how can I thank you enough?”

Seeing this, Dexter expressed his irritation.

“Why is this bastard hitting on my woman?”

-My, would I seem like someone who would make advances toward a friend’s wife?

“Don’t you remember how I had to prevent an interstellar war when you were getting too cozy with the United Command Headquarters Commander’s wife on planet Leratone?”

-That wasn’t my initiative; the commander’s wife approached me. What can I do when my charm is so extraordinary?

“Bullshit. Do you know how furious the United Commander was when he heard about it? I nearly died trying to contain the situation. Anyway, if you go after my woman, you’re dead, seriously.”

Dexter showed his tightly clenched fist toward the hologram projector, to which Eliyah shook his head and addressed Jessie.

-What do you see in this muscle-bound friend of mine?

“Obviously because he saved my life. Men like him aren’t easy to find, you know.”

-I suppose that’s true.

In response to Jessie’s affectionate words, Eliyah replied with a somewhat disappointed tone, prompting Dexter to look at him with contempt.

“Since a man’s courtship is utterly useless, let’s get to the point. Did you definitely block the Gaijin Imperial family?”

At the mention of business, the playful look in Eliyah’s eyes turned serious.

-As you know, Coprus plague isn’t an easily transmitted disease. When I looked into recent Coprus plague infections, I found something strange.

“Something strange?”

-The last infected person was the wife of a veteran from the Gaijin Empire.

“Why a veteran’s wife?”

-Six months before Emperor Constantine contracted the Coprus disease, that veteran received the Medal of Diligent Service directly from the Emperor.

“That’s common, isn’t it? The Emperor personally awarding medals to veterans, also maintaining his image among the imperial citizens.”

-The problem is that the veteran and his wife visited planet Nerevarin a few days ago. A travel agency from the Gaijin Empire sent them there as a congratulatory gift for receiving the medal.

“Was there something about that travel agency?”

-It was operated by a noble from the Emperor’s faction. A minor noble who was a subordinate of the faction leader who had suggested changing the Emperor’s physician.

Dexter’s expression soured at Eliyah’s words.

This suggested that it might not be mere coincidence that the Commander General’s hand was involved.

“Are you saying the Commander General is not only deeply connected with nobles from the Gaijin Empire but also crazy enough to infect the Emperor with Coprus plague?”

-I don’t want to jump to conclusions either. Who in the world would commit such a reckless act? If this gets out to the Galactic Union, Earth could be devastated because of this Commander General woman.

Eliyah responded with a grave face, and Dexter replied with a similarly serious expression.

“Not just the Galactic Union—if the Gaijin Empire raises diplomatic issues, even OSA would have nothing to say.”

Due to the suddenly expanded scale of the situation, Dexter began pressing his temples with both hands.

Watching this quietly, Eliyah spoke in a low voice.

-Let’s cover it up moderately and fabricate appropriately.

“Cover up and fabricate?”

Dexter frowned at Eliyah’s suggestion to outright bury the truth.

-Isn’t it something only you, me, and your wives need to know? Let’s just attribute this to an issue with the Emperor faction nobles and treat the Coprus plague as a product of coincidence. The Gaijin Empire doesn’t know about the Commander General anyway.

“Um, Mr. Eliyah? What about Stefan and his wife who are hiding in the Gaijin Empire?”

-We’ll need to keep them quiet, Miss Blueberg. If this gets out, even the deposed Crown Prince Stefan would be labeled a traitor for associating with the Commander General.

Eliyah shook his head.

-Anyway… let’s end this here. I’ll organize the detailed information and send it to you, so please discuss it well with Miss Libero.

“Every time I get tangled up with that crazy Commander General, things never end properly. Tsk.”

As Dexter clicked his tongue, Eliyah nodded in agreement.

-I wish you could handle ordinary cases for once.

“Is that up to me?”

-Hmm, I suppose not. I’ll try to extract as much information as possible about the Commander General from the Emperor faction nobles, but keep in mind this is unofficial information.

“Is OSA in a position to distinguish between official and unofficial? Earth could be ruined otherwise.”

-I suppose that distinction matters little to people whose lifelines are hanging by a thread.

After taking a few more requests and orders for alien products needed by Dexter and Jessie, Eliyah gave a light farewell.

-Anyway, it was pleasant talking today. Goodbye to you too, Miss Blueberg.

As Eliyah winked at Jessie, Dexter burst out in anger.

“This guy, seriously.”

As Dexter looked ready to smash the hologram projector, Jessie chuckled and said:

“I don’t like greasy men like that, so don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried; I can see he’s deliberately trying to get under my skin.”

In reality, it wasn’t that Eliyah was genuinely interested in Jessie—he simply enjoyed seeing Dexter’s reactions whenever he flirted with her.

Dexter knew this but couldn’t help getting angry.

“Eliyah is similar to you, you know.”

“How am I similar to that bastard?”

“You both like to play pranks?”

“His pranks are malicious.”

Dexter got up from his chair and flopped onto his bed behind him.

“He’s such an insufferable bastard, really.”

“But I like that he seems close with you. It’s like you two already share answers with each other.”

With those words, Jessie lay down beside him and lightly kissed his cheek.

“Now that the work is somewhat resolved… how about relieving some stress intensely?”

Jessie said with a seductive smile, glancing at Dexter’s lower body.

“Feeling a bit heated today, are we?”

“For Dexter, I’m always preheated.”

As Jessie winked, Dexter immediately removed his top and said:

“Then I should return the favor.”

As Dexter and Jessie’s eyes met, they both flashed sly, mischievous smiles at each other.