"Oh, indeed…" Sergeant Bowo murmured suddenly, his gaze unwavering from the screen. "It transpires that the gang consisted of more than just the initial two."
He proceeded to bring up another segment of footage, captured by a CCTV camera positioned close to the scene of the crime.
"The pair did not act in isolation. After their departure from the shop, they summoned three more accomplices," he elucidated.
The recording displayed the same two men previously observed forcing their way into Felzein's provisions store.
This time, they halted at a desolate playground.
There, they rendezvoused with three others.
Though the audio was inaudible, the footage showed them passing cartons of cigarettes and boxes of cooking oil to their companions, their demeanours grave and intent.
What they discussed remained a mystery, but their seriousness was palpable.
Shortly thereafter, the duo beckoned the trio to follow them back to the premises.
The projector shifted to a fresh recording.
It revealed that their return was necessitated by the difficulty in transporting two hefty sacks of rice, each weighing fifty kilograms, and the remaining boxes of cooking oil.
The footage captured all five men re-entering the shop, busily gathering the items left behind, their movements swift and purposeful.
In the midst of their illicit endeavour, one of the men abruptly ceased his movements.
His eyes flickered upwards to the corner where the CCTV camera was mounted, as though a sudden realisation had dawned upon him.
A shadow of apprehension clouded his features. He pointed sharply towards the lens.
A palpable wave of panic surged through the quintet. Nervous whispers fluttered between them, their expressions taut with unease.
Seizing the moment, one of the group stepped forward, advancing to the CCTV and deftly interfering with its workings.
In an instant, the glowing screen flickered and then faded into complete darkness, plunging the room into shadow.
"Good heavens…" Felzein breathed, barely above a whisper.
"They've truly crossed every line," Rosa retorted sharply, her voice laced with simmering outrage.
Sergeant Bowo exhaled a long, measured sigh before fixing them with a grave expression, "Crime," he said thoughtfully, "does not merely spring from intent alone, but is born equally from opportunity."
His words echoed a maxim he once heard from Mr. Prisoner on a late-night television programme.
Felzein and Rosa exchanged solemn nods, acknowledging the uncomfortable truth.
Yet Melati's mind churned uneasily. Something was amiss, a subtle disquiet gnawing at her senses.
Gently, and with a hint of hesitation, she ventured, "Forgive me, Sir, but could you rewind and pause the moment when one of the culprits is tampering with the CCTV?"
Startled, Sergeant Bowo, Felzein, and Rosa all turned towards her.
"Of course, Miss," Sergeant Bowo replied promptly, rewinding the footage until it froze on the figure of a masked man with a close-cropped haircut, caught in the act of sabotaging the camera.
"Would you mind enlarging the image, Sir?" Melati requested, her voice quivering ever so slightly.
With a nod, Sergeant Bowo manipulated the controls, magnifying the picture.
Though the man's mask still veiled much of his face, the shape of his eyes, the faint contours of his features, and the neatness of his haircut sharpened into view.
Melati's gaze held fast upon the screen.
Her eyes widened, breath catching in her throat, a tremor coursed through her limbs.
Suddenly, a familiar spark ignited within her mind, a flicker of memory, as if a long-forgotten fragment had surfaced from the depths of her consciousness.
Abruptly, she startled herself and cried out, "Welly!," her voice ringing sharp and filled with disbelief.
Her hand instinctively shot up, trembling as it pointed straight at the figure frozen upon the screen.
Felzein, Rosa, and Sergeant Bowo turned towards her simultaneously, their expressions mirroring a mixture of surprise and curiosity at her sudden outburst.
Sergeant Bowo arched an eyebrow, "Welly?" he repeated, his tone laced with measured intrigue.
Felzein and Rosa, both visibly startled by Melati's sudden outcry, turned their gaze towards the frozen frame on the screen, studying the figure with renewed focus.
After a brief silence, dawning realisation swept across Rosa's face, "Yes! Yes! It's him! That's Welly!" she declared, her voice laced with both disbelief and certainty.
Felzein, who had encountered Welly only hours earlier at the Koba Baru Pharmacy, inclined his head gravely.
"There's no mistake. That is Welly," he said, his voice steady with conviction.
Sergeant Bowo regarded the three of them with a probing gaze, "So, all of you are familiar with this individual?" he asked, his curiosity now sharpened by professional interest.
Melati nodded slowly, her voice composed yet touched by something deeper, "Not merely acquainted, sir. He… he was once my beloved."
Rosa leaned forward, "It's true, sir. I'm quite certain that man is Welly."
Felzein added with quiet assurance, "Today was the first time I laid eyes on him, but even so, I'm absolutely sure that's the same man."
Sergeant Bowo let out a slow breath, as though a weight had shifted from his shoulders.
He rose, switched on the overhead lights, and extinguished the projector's pale glow.
With deliberate steps, he returned to his chair, his expression now composed and earnest.
"Thank you," he said, his voice tinged with sincerity. "Your assistance has been invaluable."
"This string of thefts has plagued us for the past week. Three break-ins, and not a trace of the perpetrators until now."
He paused, allowing the weight of the moment to settle, "But this changes everything. Thanks to the three of you, we finally have a name. A face. A lead."
Turning his attention to Melati, he asked gently, "You are Miss Melati, I take it?"
She inclined her head, "Yes, sir."
Sergeant Bowo inclined his head with a measured grace, then resumed his account, "I would be grateful if you could provide us with a formal statement regarding this man, your former beloved. Would that be agreeable to you?"
Melati straightened in her chair, her features calm and resolute, "Of course, sir. I'm ready to help in any way I can."
She paused briefly, then resumed in a more solemn tone, "In truth, I had intended to report Welly myself."
Sergeant Bowo arched an inquisitive brow, "Report him? Has he been involved in further wrongdoing?" he inquired, his voice laced with concern.
Melati bowed her head momentarily before raising it once more.
"Yes, sir. I have frequently endured violence at Welly's hands," she admitted, her voice quivering faintly.