Once the press conference officially began at the headquarters of the Backlund Police Department, Lorne handled the reporters' barrage of questions flawlessly.
He first briefly explained his "original intention": a factory employee's child had gone missing, prompting him to investigate personally. Then he deftly steered the discussion toward the police.
"-I must admit that after I found those poor girls and clashed with the vicious criminals, it was the timely arrival of Backlund's police that finally brought the situation under control."
"Otherwise, there was no way I could have brought those poor girls back safely on my own. Their response was swift, and their actions were highly professional. I am sincerely proud that Backlund has such a well-trained police force."
These words, which strayed wildly from the truth, brought deeply satisfied smiles to the faces of the senior government officials seated in the front row. Their dignity had finally been salvaged.
The reporters, however, clearly had no intention of letting him off so easily.
"Mr. Scott!" a male reporter wearing gold-rimmed glasses called out, his voice sharp and piercing. "There are reports that the police actually treated you as a criminal suspect that night and took you back to the station, where you were detained for several days. Is that true?"
The entire press hall fell silent at the question. All eyes turned to Lorne's face, awaiting his answer.
The smile on Lorne's face stiffened slightly. Sigh- He sighed inwardly, then displayed just the right touch of surprise and helplessness.
"Where did you hear that? That-that is a completely unfounded rumor."
He paused, seemingly gathering his words, before continuing, "The truth is that I fought fiercely with the criminals to protect those girls that night and sustained serious injuries. The police officers who arrived in time saved me and took