The evening commenced like any other. The city was tranquil, illuminated by the gentle amber glow of the streetlights. Individuals engaged in their evening activities – a man walked his dog, a lady transported groceries, and two friends conversed at a corner store.
A grey police SUV traversed the sidewalk at a leisurely pace, its blue stripe glinting in the light. Inside were Officers Kowalev and Melnikova. “Rather tranquil this evening,” Kowalev remarked with a yawn, his gaze surveying the street. “Excessively silent,” Melnikova remarked with a chuckle. “Such tranquilly is typically ephemeral.” She just completed her statement when the building door in front swung open. A young girl, around five years old, with dishevelled blonde hair, clad in bunny pyjamas and barefoot, sprinted directly at them. 
Her visage was ashen with terror. Kowalev executed a sudden stop, prompting both cops to exit the vehicle. “Greetings, dear,” Are you well? Melnikova crouched to her height. “You are the police, correct?” The girl faltered, panting heavily. “Indeed.” What transpired? “There is a man beneath my bed,” she murmured. He is donning a mask. I observed him. Kowalev scowled. “What is the location of your parents?” Mother is on the loo. I summoned her, but she instructed me to cease fabricating stories… The officers shared a glance. It resembled a child’s fantasy, yet her eyes — expansive, glistening, quivering — conveyed an alternate narrative. “What was the man’s appearance?” Melnikova enquired softly. He was attired entirely in black. A mask resembling that of a ninja. I awoke and observed him slithering beneath my bed. He believed I was unconscious… 
“Did you come out here?” Kowalev exerted pressure. I initially concealed myself in the closet. I observed your car from the window and proceeded to run. Melnikova acquiesced. “Understood.” Let us examine it. It is preferable to exercise caution than to regret later. The flat was located on the third floor. The girl’s mother, a fatigued woman in a robe, appeared at the door, displaying signs of embarrassment and concern. “I heard nothing,” she asserted. “She has been experiencing nightmares recently. She frequently claims that something is concealed in the corner. The cops conducted a search of the bedroom using flashlights. None. Vacant area beneath the bed. “Perhaps he has already escaped…” the girl murmured from the threshold. “I assure you, I witnessed him.” Kowalev was on the verge of dismissing it with laughter, when Melnikova gestured with her hand. “Pause.” Let us examine the street surveillance cameras. Her terror appears exceedingly authentic. 
Shortly thereafter, they examined the footage – and abruptly, everything became clear. Approximately fifteen minutes before to the girl’s exit, a nearby building had been burgled. Two masked individuals in black absconded from the location with suitcases in their possession. While escaping, one of the males, upon noticing the patrol SUV through another camera, panicked and vanished around the corner. Moments later, he was recorded ascending a drainpipe and entering through a third-floor window. The window of the girl’s flat. “There he stands…” Melnikova murmured.
“That occurred immediately prior to her arrival.” In the last clip, the individual was shown jumping from an alternate window on the opposite side of the building and disappearing into the night. The cops apprehended him the following day.
His accomplice, apprehended the same evening, promptly implicated him in return for a reduced sentence.
