[Short Story] Assassinate

Have you ever wondered that the truth has been waiting in front of you all this time? Have you ever noticed that life is full of lies? have you noticed that lies blocked the pathway to truth?

The entire school was shocked with the death of Salza, the leader of Female Students Association. Her body founded at school’s front gate, with only a slash at her chest and her clothes intact, but with her blood from the chest, assumed to be murder’s weapon to kill her. The body was founded by Athros, her boyfriend, as well as Male Students Association vice-leader, who didn’t get her reply during their private chat last night.

Police quickly investigated the case, and the school’s front gate was closed. In turn, everyone used the side gate to get into school as the case went on. On the first break, the police called Athros as eye-witness, but Athros couldn’t tell them anything useful. He however, when asked by the police if he could recommend anyone with detective skill to help the search, he mentioned my name, Zakh.

I was asked by the police to come to the scene after school, and I fulfilled their request. I also brought Solaztras, my friend, also a detective to help the police. Both of us searched for anything useful at the scene, but only a S letter paper, aside of Salza’s body, that could be a useful proof. I showed the proof to the police but they said that it wouldn’t be enough to solve the case.

The murderer didn’t quit, the next day we found Rothan, leader of Male Students Association dead in front of the gate. Only a few meters from Salza’s death spot. This time however, the murderer left a R paper instead and a knife, used to murder Rothan. I tried to connect both cases and concluded that the Rothan’s murderer was the same as Salza’s, and that knife was the same knife used to kill them both. The slash formation was the same for both of them, which should prove my theory.

We however, still couldn’t figure the person, as the proof weren’t sufficient. Amazingly, when the police searched for any mark in the knife, there’s no mark in it. The criminal must be very good at hiding their marks.

Following both incidents, the school became weary about these assassinations. All the students, especially extra curricular and organization leaders to be very careful. This also resulted in the school prohibiting any form of activity after school, and the security severely tightened.

During the night, I received a call from Athros. I picked up the phone.

“Zakh, I need you to solve this matter quickly, I received a threat message just this evening,” Athros said.

“What!? Is the message a threat that you’ll die?” I replied in surprise.

“Yes, if the case isn’t solved by midnight, then I’m as good as dead, that message said, nothing else,” Athros replied in his panic.

“Calm down, where are you?” I replied, with panic in my heart.

“My home. I have an association meeting at Grand Cafe tonight and I’m going to depart now or I’ll be late,” He replied and closed the call.

Fearing that it was a crafted plan for another murder, I tried to call Athros again, but he didn’t respond. I tried to call Solaztras to help, but he didn’t respond either. I decided to prepare my motorcycle and departed to Athros’ meeting.

I arrived at the Cafe, but Athros was nowhere to be seen. I decided to go to Athros’ house. On the way, as I passed the school, I found Athros’ motorcycle parked near the front school gate. With mixed emotion, I decided to take a look. When I looked in front of the gate, I was shocked. Athros body laid there, lifeless.

The next day I saw Solaztras arrived early. I rushed to him. When I got next to him, I asked him angrily, “Why you don’t answer my call?” He didn’t reply, but rather showed his right hand, bleeding. “I got burned when cooking my meal for dinner,” he said, “that’s why I didn’t answer the call, my hand burns in a very painful way,” he continued his words. I nodded, understood that it must be very painful, and continued to my class.

After school, I approached Solaztras and told him that Athros was killed last night. Solaztras was surprised and infuriated, and both of us decided to take a look at the scene.

At the scene, both of us tried to investigate for any clues. The only clue found was letter A, and a stab around Athros’ chest. Both clues didn’t give any actual hint to both of us. However, I said, “These letters might hint on something, first was S, second was R and now A. It points to the first letter of each victim.” Solaztras nodded, understanding that these letters are oddly orderless, except the way I said.

We decided to take some further investigation and after some thinking, Solaztras said that the murderer should be bearing these letters in their name. I agreed with him and Solaztras opened a list of students in the school. The only one with S, R and A in their name was Kastrok, an old enemy of Solaztras during his junior high school days.

We decided to search for Kastrok, and found him at the association room, drugged. Solaztras grabbed him and said loudly, “Tell us, are you the murderer!?” Which only replied with a smile from Kastrok, followed by his words, “Yes, so what?” Solaztras, still in his rage threw him to the side of the room. He then told me to call the cops, which I did quickly and the cops came after 5 minutes. Solaztras told them that the murderer was Kastrok.

The police quickly arrested him. After the police left, I told Solaztras to go home and rest and looked at the scene and found a bottle of drug that Kastrok consumed. I examined it, and I found something very surprising, there’s a mark of blood in the bottle, as if it was held by someone who has their hand blooded heavily. I recalled that Kastrok hand was clean with no blood, which means there’s a possibility he was forced to be drugged like this.

I took the drug home to investigate it myself. I contacted everyone who was related with Kastrok and one of them said that Kastrok was missing last night as well and his hands are not wounded at all. I started to think for a good motive for Kastrok to kill the victims. After a while thinking however, there’s no logical reason for him to do that, he’s not member of any associations nor has relation with all the victim.

Sticking to my original theory about the murderer, I checked the name list again and noticed that Solaztras’ name has S, R, and A in it. I denied in my mind about him being possible for him to murder the victims. However, after a series of thinking and theorizing for his actions, I found that he’s the most possible murderer out of all. He lost in Leader election last month, then Salza rejects him when he asked her to be his girlfriend, and Athros stole Salza from him. I concluded that he must be the murderer, he has every single motive to kill all the victims. He used Kastrok as scape goat to cover his action, but he forgot to cover the blood in the bottle.

I called Solaztras to meet me at the police office. Solaztras, unaware I found the truth, complied to my request. 

After both of us arrived there, I quickly jumped to the case and pointed at him being the murderer, Solaztras denied but I gave my theories, as well as that bottle which proved my theory. Solaztras denied these proofs as well, and tried to reason and explain what he did last night on Athros murder, saying the same reason that his hand was burnt. I replied that if his hand was burnt, it wouldn’t be possible to have such wounds, there’s no black spot in his hand, which should be impossible if it was burnt. 

Solaztras, silenced for a moment, and finally gave in that he was, in fact the murderer. I asked him as the police caught him for further investigation, “Why Solaztras?” Solaztras asked the police to stop for a moment and replied, “Because denial hurts much, too much for me to handle,” Which I replied quickly as he finished his word, “Because you’re not prepared for such denials. It actually helps you become stronger, old friend.”

The police brought Solaztras to the investigation room. I watched from outside the room as the investigation was being done. After a few minutes, I walked out of the police office and looked at the skies, “I’m sorry, Salza, Rothan, Athros. If only I have solved it sooner, then you all don’t have to die.”