Murder in the City of Marylane

09. Second Target

***Dr. Oriel ***

You've been stopping by so rarely lately. 

You all right? 

You

Yes, Doctor. Thank ye. 

Dr. Oriel

Don't forget to take your medicine. 

I just took a slow breath after reading the message. Like I said at the time, Milly Oriel was my psychiatrist. I decided to go to a psychiatrist two months ago. But the suffering has not diminished from my life. Indeed, lately I rarely consult again because of my work. The drugs helped me for a while.

Soon, another message came to my phone.

Stop connecting with my mom.  

A murderer like you should just die. 

I took another breath. Without his name I know who this is.

Kenneth Albern's. Yeah, he's my cousin. She's the same age as my sister. Son of my uncle and aunt—aibi Amy, of course. His family is different from ours because of his father. He is working abroad. Aunt Amy probably told Kenneth about me and him. He already said that I would rather die a few times.

Maybe .. I'd rather die. But, no matter how much effort I put into killing myself, I can't. Someone unknown always saves me. He used to make me faint when I was on a suicide attempt. It's been going on for the last three years. Looks like the same person also saved me from the incident with Barbara back then.

What if I told you about what happened nine years ago?

That year in 2012.

As usual, my mom and dad were not home. I am 21 years old now. We were rarely left to our aunt again. He only visits at times.

I glanced at the wall clock. It's getting dark and dinner's soon. Jane's upstairs—her room. He might be hungry by now.

I took out my bag and wanted to cook. My mom told me not to order fast food because it wasn't good. That's why I've been learning to cook since the beginning of high school.

I started the stove and boiled water. I'm looking for the main ingredients to cook tonight in those grocery bags.

But, there's no.

“What is that thing left behind? Gosh.”

I grumbled slowly and left the house to go back to the supermarket. I grabbed the car keys and left.

It was stuck on the street for a few minutes. I came back, but a strange sight caught my sense of sight. A lot of people there. I saw my house that was engulfed in flames.

“Jane,” muttered I was surprised. I opened the car door and jumped from there.

“Jane!” my yelling. I looked around, there was no sister there. Is he still inside? I was about to enter, but one of my neighbors held me back.

“There is dangerous, Juan!”

“A-my sister is still inside.” I put away his hand that was blocking me and entered my burning house. I quickly climbed the stairs with great difficulty. I narrowed my eyes and covered my mouth with my arms. This very hot air came into contact with my skin. I coughed a few times. The burnt and scorched wood began to fall. I almost overcame him.

“Jane!” yell again. I saw the door of his room open. Jane was there. His back was hit by wood. He looked at me, his hands outstretched towards me even though he knew he couldn't reach me in his position. His eyes seemed to be asking me for help.

“Oh, no.” My heart beats fast.

Nope, no. I ran to him.

I almost got to him, but the other wood closed the entrance and blocked right at the door. Before long, the wood above me fell down, hitting me.

I woke up a few hours later after the incident. My mom and dad are right next to me.

“Dad, Mom,” call me in a raucous voice. I saw my body exposed to black stains and burns that had been treated.

“Juan, dear, you have come to your senses.” My mother looked at me with her gaze. She hugged me. Dad did the same.

“Where is Jane?” my many.

They didn't answer until I urged them. They took me to a room. There was something lying on the cold table, covered in white cloth. One of the officers opened it.

My heart beats fast. I can barely even breathe.

“This ... Jane?” I asked, almost squeaking.

His face I can't even recognize. His body was 95 percent charred.

“T-no ...”

My mom hugged me. I still see Jane's charred body. My tears fell when I saw a bracelet with a familiar shape on his wrist. The bracelet was charred along with the owner. The bracelet ... my gift.

Because of my stupidity, he left. Because of my negligence, he tragically died. Killed him. Killed him.

On the day of Jane's funeral, Kenneth asked me to meet in a quiet place. He beat me to the ground. I didn't fight, because that's what I deserve.

It's hard to think it was an accident.

I'm killer.

“Juan?”

“What?” my response was quick. I'm a little stunned..

“You daydream. I called you a few times,” Sean said.

“Oh, sorry.”

We spent about two hours at the restaurant. I glanced at the circular watch on my wrist, the time showing at eleven o'clock in the evening. We got out of the restaurant and waited for Sean to pay at the cashier. He paid for our order, by the way.

I saw Harry staring at a black car about ten steps away from where we were standing.

“What's up, Harry?” my many. Harry immediately turned his gaze towards me.

“Nothing. I just feel ... weird.”

“Any?”

“The car. He's been sitting there for a long time. There's someone in it, but I feel something's not right.”

I followed his direction. I could also see someone in the car. Harry was about to walk to check on the driver of the car if he was okay.

“Maybe she is—”

Sean's words were cut off as the sound of an explosion not far from us was heard. The four of us reflexively lowered our heads. We haven't stepped in at all from our place.

That car!

The car Harry was looking at exploded in front of us.

The red man's flames devoured the car. Some people came in carrying fire extinguishers and spraying the flames. People came to see the events that took center stage.

Harry was about to get to the car, but Sean held his arm.

“If there's anyone, we're too late. Don't go near that car. We didn't know the car was going to explode again or not.”

Someone ... in it?

Flames.

My sister's on fire.

I reflexively held my head that felt dizzy. I can barely stand up straight. My steps slowly back.

“You okay?” ask Sean. I leaned against the restaurant wall. Breathing oxygen is difficult. It felt like a huge rock was pressing down on my chest. My tears even want to come out.

I tried to neutralize my breath before I answered Sean.

“I ... fine.”

Sean looked at me weirdly. I'm sure he had a question, but what I saw was that he chose not to ask.

Not long after the fire engines came. It took some time until the fire in the car was extinguished. That happened pretty quickly. I'm still shaking. My knees don't even feel like they can support my body.

After the fire from the car was extinguished and only smoke remained, the firefighters opened the door and took someone with them. This incident is clearly seen by many people. I saw the officers carrying the charred body and placing it on a stretcher.

The memory ... reappears.

I feel nauseous.

I held my head again, then both my hands moved to cover my ears. Like my sister. Almost the exact same event, the exact same death. Why is this happening in front of me?

“You sick?” Dean's got my shoulder. I spontaneously dismissed it.

“Ah, sorry,” I said. “I'm good, don't worry.”

A few days later, my phone rang. A call in.

The atmosphere was still rough there, I decided to stay away and answer the phone. I hinted to my friends that I was answering the phone.

After taking a few steps heavily and being quite far away from the place, I answered her phone.

“Halo?”

“Ey, yo! Juan Scott,” a familiar sweep from across there. Her voice was a little faint, like something was covering her up, I guess. He's wearing a mask, maybe?

“Who are you?”

“It's been thirty minutes more. It exploded, huh?”

My eyes are rounded. He planned this?

I looked at my phone screen and pressed the phone recorder feature. I put the phone screen back on my ear.

“You planned this?”

“Do you think?” He laughed from across the street.

It's not funny at all.

“Wait for me. There are still two left. I've already completed the other two.”

The other two? If the other victim is someone in the car, then the other one is ....

Mort's? Our captain?

“You ... who killed Mort?” ask me with a little vibrating sound.

“Bingo! You're smart.”

My heart felt like it was slipping from its place. I swallowed my saliva with great difficulty. This killer called me. Wh why?

“Why?”

The killer turned off his phone. I tried to call him back, but the phone didn't reconnect. Clearly, which assassin was going to explain it directly? Unless he has lost or given up. At least that's what happens in movies.

“Sial! Damnit damnit! Damnit damnit! Goddamnit!” swear repeatedly.

“Language, Juan.”

I looked back, not knowing when they were Sean behind me. Sean who was reprimanding me frowned.

“What's up?” tanyakanya.

“Chairman, you must hear this.”

Sean was silent for a moment after hearing the recording.

“He who killed them both?” muttered.

He ran back to the front of the restaurant. I followed. I saw that burnt car. My heart was racing back quickly. I tried to calm myself.

I saw the incident from afar, occasionally looking the other way.

Sean approached the firefighter.

“I detective. Can I check this car?” he said while showing his police identity card. The fireman allowed it.

I saw him checking the charred car. I then turned my eyes away, not wanting to linger looking at him. Then, he approached me.

“Everything's forfeited. It's hard to find anything,” he said.

“Where are Dean and Harry?” tanyaku later.

“They went home first, earlier. Don't call. We'll let them know tomorrow.”

Maybe Sean wants Harry and Dean to rest for a while today.

“Harry said there was someone parked here and hadn't been out for a long time. Why?” the murmur heard by me. “He wants to meet someone? But why park this car long enough?” mumbling again.

“There are two possibilities,” I said. “First, his car was modified so that he was locked inside. Second, he accidentally did not get out of the car.”

“But who was the victim?” tanyaku later.

Sean did not answer. When he got back to the car, he lowered his head and put his head back in the car. Looking for something else he might have missed. Before long, he took something from inside.

An identity card that almost charred everything, but there were a few words that could still be read. We read.

JOURE

GIVEN NAM

LEVON

THE DATE OF BEER

12.08.199

That's all it reads, even though the charred stain almost covered the whole thing.

“Levon ... Joure?”

“Some of the letters are forfeited,” my comment.

“We will find it.”