The Girl Next Door's

Presumptions

Deril sits on a small bench located in the first floor hallway of Doctor Stephen's house. Mika was silent next to him. His bright face that was yesterday had disappeared. Deril didn't ask. He knows what's going on. Doctor Stephen did give her permission to meet Mika, even spending time together. However, with the tense atmosphere around them, it made Deril nauseous.

"Is this like this right?" Sonya put the canvas in front of Mika.

Mika just nodded.

"I'm sorry to go back to the kitchen, okay?" Sonya's mother who seemed to have memorized Mika's stiffness, just passed by leaving the two of them.

"Mica..." Deril hesitated for a moment. "Are you okay?"

"Why?" Mika asked back.

Deril squeezed his knee. She didn't want Mika to say what happened last night with her sweet mouth.

"It's normal" Mika said suddenly. "Papa would. If you're happy."

Deril almost fainted after hearing Mika's confession. "That means.. yesterday wasn't the first time?"

Mika looked surprised. "Yesterday?"

"Yesterday, I saw. from the window..."

Mika's eyes widened. His face is getting pale. "Me and Dad at the window. Yesterday's. See?"

Deril nodded in confirming. "I know your father's intentions so do that at the window. He purposely made me see him. He provokes, wants me to lose my mind so get in here without permission."

Suddenly tears began to pool in Mika's eyes. Lips vibrate. But he just stayed in his place.

"Eh? Eh? Mica?" Deril. "I'm sorry! I'm really sorry if it offended you! That was unintentional! I heard a scream, then-" Deril stopped. Mika's hand smothered her mouth.

"You're right. Papa wants you to see. Papa said to get you here again."

Deril can barely breathe. Allegedly right. Moreover, he heard directly from Mika's mouth. Mika's small hand that was stuck to her lips, felt cold. Deril was eager to hold that hand, making Mika feel safe and comfortable. Of course it was impossible, because Mika didn't like it. If Deril did that, the distance between them would widen even further.

"It's okay. That's been a lot. I'm just embarrassed. You're not wrong." Mika hurriedly wiped her tears. "We started painting?"

Deril nodded. He was also not interested in continuing such a sensitive discussion. Deril could feel the warm air on his back. The window behind them was wide open. The curtain was waving slowly. His hands began to mix the watercolors on the board. The white canvas in front of him was already waiting to be decorated.

Two minutes passed. Deril shifted his canvas so Mika could see the results. "Mika, look!" deril pinta.

Mika. For a moment, he was stunned. But quickly he controlled himself. Mika captures Deril's intention to paint together there. He read the message written under the scratches of the expanse of greenery quickly.

WHEN IS YOUR DAD NOT HOME ANYMORE?

"You can show your painting" Deril said, returning his canvas to its original position. Quickly, Deril piled up his message with a brown scratch.

"Look!" replace Mika who shifted her canvas.

2 MORE DAYS. WORK UNTIL MORNING

"Good! You are very good at painting. Don't you want to go to a painting contest?" ask Deril.

"No. I like it at home" Mika refused.

Five minutes passed. Deril re-shifted his canvas. "Is this good?" tanyakanya.

I'M GONNA GET IN HERE. CAN YOU TURN OFF THE CCTV?

Mika was silent for a moment. He stared at Deril's painting for a long time. His eyes were fixed at the end of the sentence that Deril had written. Mika clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Good."

Deril smile. Mika's answer means her consent to infiltrate the house in two days. Deril will just look around quickly. Try to get evidence big or small in the house. If the police don't find any evidence outside, Doctor Stephen must have kept it all inside the house.

***

Deril returned to the police station. As usual, Mia was there. With a more blunt appearance than usual, Mia approached Deril who was sitting on the sidewalk opposite the police station.

"How are you?" greet Mia.

"Not good."

"Is your weekend that heavy?"

Mia looked around. When she felt safe, she replied. "Then?"

"His father too."

"What is that too?"

Deril grunting. "His father also 'wears it'."

Mia gawked, not believing. "What possible? Doctor Stephen is crazy! But, if it's up to 'wearing' his own son, isn't that outrageous?"

"I saw her," Deril turned to Mia and looked at her straight, "with my own eyes."

"Crazy!"

"I really want to punch him with my own hands" Deril clenched his fists in front of his face. "Mika who is so fragile, must experience something like this."

"I understand how you feel" Mia replied. "Such things done by parents themselves, are rare cases. There have been several cases of rape committed by family members. However, it is motivated by social and psychological status. But, what underlies Doctor Stephen to do just that?"

"Maybe he was devastated by the loss of his wife?" Deril said his conjecture.

Mia shook her head instead, disagreeing with Deril's reply. "He's too stable. When his wife disappeared, Doctor Stephen did show the form of her loss. But he works well. He is not on hiatus from his operating schedule. It shows that Doctor Stephen has good self-control, so that he can separate personal and work affairs."

"Too complicated for me," Deril brushed his hair back. He realized that his hair was too long at this time. He needs to cut it. "But, in my opinion, Doctor Stephen is an actual psychopath. He can smile widely, even after injuring his son. As if, Mika was not her flesh blood. Though, it was only Mika that she had in this world."

"Wait!" Mia stopped Deril's words. "I didn't think of that possibility!"

"What possibilities?"

"That Mika is not her flesh and blood!"

Deril's eyebrows are wrinkled. "That's impossible!"

"There's no evidence that they're father and son."

"Haha! It's too far-fetched!"

"Let's get rid of that made-up conjecture!" mia Proposal. His eyes flashed with excitement. "Can you get a strand of Mika's hair and Doctor Stephen's?"

"How can you?"

"Or something they wear everyday?"

Deril was silent with his mouth open. "Did Miss Mia really want me to take their stuff?"

"I can do a DNA test" whispered Mia.

"Is that legal?"

Mia smiled slanted. "No, if it's done like this."

"Jadiiiii, why do you ask meaaa to do this?" Deril is upset himself.

"We're just eliminating all possibilities. Even if Doctor Stephen finds out, only two things will happen."

"What's that?"

"First, we'll know if Mika's her son or not. Second, I will be dismissed as a police officer," Mia replied lightly.

Deril looked at Mia's relaxed looking face. He expressed his opinion as if he was not afraid of what happened tomorrow. Deril admits to the bravery of the policewoman next to him. "I've talked to complex mothers before."

"Yes, you've told me."

"They didn't say that Mika's face was different than before. Only his nature has changed. It was also because of shock after his mother disappeared."

"Do you believe that?"

Mia's question seemed to slap Deril and make him realize. A father who is said to love his daughter so much, could do such an unworthy thing. Unless Doctor Stephen has a sexual perversion, a father will not become a demon in front of his daughter.

***