INM 4 Part 2

“A sensitive and hysterical pastor-like figure… that’s the person you described.” 

I remembered. I had said something like that during their visit that morning. 

“Of the four people you met, was there anyone who fit that description?” 

I was a little confused by the question. The faces of Kasim, Chloe, Victor and Ethan flashed through my mind. Were they asking if one of them was the person Alan currently liked? 

This carefree thought was quickly replaced by a more realistic one. No, they were indirectly asking if any of the four could be the culprit. 

Suppressing the sudden surge of resistance, I carefully examined the actions and expressions of the four. 

“No.” 

“Whose face just popped into your head?” 

“I think my opinion has about a billionth of the credibility of Sam’s.” 

“Don’t be so modest, Lucas. It’s more like a hundred millionth.” 

“Wow, that really boosts my confidence.” 

Ignoring my sarcastic dry cheer, the policeman remained silent, prompting me to answer reluctantly.

“Alan’s current crush or someone who might have harmed him? If I had to say, Kasim fits that image a bit. Though Alan himself seemed unaware of that side of Kasim.” 

“I see… Thank you, Luke.” 

“Finally, tell me the name of this person.”

I raised my eyebrows slightly at the person Sam pointed to.

“Ethan…? Didn’t you hear about him from Chloe and the others?”

“There was some confusion about his name.”

“Well, it’s true that Ethan isn’t always with Alan like the other two.”

“Do you know his full name? His contact information?”

“I don’t know either. Kasim probably does, so ask him.”

“Understood.”

“Just so you know, he’s a quiet and reserved kid. He deviates from “quiet and reserved” a bit, though.”

At my words, Oliver looked at me with his sharp black eyes.

“I see, thank you for your interesting opinion.”

“Please don’t take it too seriously.”

“Understood.”

I sighed slightly and bit into the shrimp tempura. I didn’t mind the unique texture of this strange creature. After taking my time to swallow the shrimp, I spoke again.

“So how did you know I went to the university? You’re not spying on me, are you?”

Sam replied curtly.

“I can’t answer that question.”

“Again! I answered all your questions!”

“Sorry. It’s related to the investigation.”

“I hate detectives…”

At my words, Sam lifted the corners of his thin, large mouth into a grin. He looked down at Oliver’s tempura set with his sinister round eyes. It was already empty, while I hadn’t even finished half of mine.

The inspector spoke to me while I was thinking about how fast Brian used to eat when he was a cop.

“We’re done with our questions.”

“Alright… Honestly, you should pray that my day gets better. I have a big meeting coming up.”

Grumbling, I saw Sam lean over and look me in the eyes. He stared for a while, then twisted his face into a smile.

“Maria in Carina, huh. You really are interesting.”

He murmured quietly and stood up.

“Have a good day, Lucas. We’ll be in touch.”

“Don’t joke about it, don’t come back!”

My retort hit the door.

In the suddenly silent room, I thought for a moment. While I ate the rest of my tempura set with my right hand, I started my laptop with my left.

[Hey, Kasim. How are you doing? The cops want to talk to you about Alan. Could you meet with them? Here’s his contact info…]

I sent the text to the young man and started the car. The next thing I knew, my phone started ringing loudly.

“That was fast…”

Murmuring, I accelerated. Even with sunglasses blocking 99% of UV, the Brisbane sky was blinding.

After enjoying the ride for a while, the persistent ringing finally got to me and I pulled over.

[Currently driving.]

After sending the text again, the sound of incoming messages immediately echoed repeatedly.

[What do you mean cops, Luke?]

[It’s not commendable to send just the details unilaterally.]

[Pick up the phone, idiot!]

I couldn’t help but laugh at the young man’s straightforward responses that kept popping up on the screen. His honesty made me want to tease him a bit by leaving him hanging, but I quickly changed my mind and tapped the message that appeared on the lock screen. I wasn’t ready to join the ranks of adults who enjoy tormenting naive teenagers. At least not yet. I could understand the feeling, though.

However, I didn’t have time to make a phone call, so I sent a voice message.

[I’m about to go to work, so I’ll call you later. Sorry.]

[The cops will probably want to know about Alan’s social circle.]

[The contact person is Inspector Samuel Robinson. Call him Inspector Robinson.]

[He’s a jerk, but not all bad. You can trust him.]

After a brief pause, I received messages saying [Got it.] and [Thank you.]. Confirmed, I finally started driving to my destination.

Carina is a suburb about twenty minutes south of Brisbane’s CBD. It is mostly residential and seems to be a pleasant area to live in, except for some traffic jams at certain times. The population started to grow in the 1950s and 1960s, so overall it still had a relatively new feel.

Following the app’s directions, I arrived at a corner of the residential area. I parked at the address and took another look at the outside of the house. It caught my eye. I’d never seen a house like that before. A house decorated just to let people know its high price. 

Looking up at the over-decorated, obviously unused balcony railings, I couldn’t help but sigh. Maria had mentioned that outdoor decorating was her husband’s hobby. Good news. Working with someone with such taste would undoubtedly be extremely easy and boring. Most of all, the sense was just terrible.

As I approached the front door, I glanced at the front yard. There were broken potted plants and dead vegetation piled up in a corner not visible from the outside. With a large living room window directly in front of it, this must be the view of the front yard from inside the house. 

With a renewed spirit, I picked up the phone and called the occupant of the house. There was no answer to the first call. As I was beginning to think that I should wait a little longer while I listened to the second call, I heard Maria’s voice from both the phone and the door at the same time.

“Hello, Luke.”

“Hey, Mari…”

I raised a hand with a big smile as the front door opened at a modest pace, but as soon as I saw her face through the screen door, I was stunned and my mouth fell open.

Maria looked even worse than when I first met her. What on earth had happened in just over a week? When she came into my office, she seemed unwell, but she hadn’t looked so pale. Her black eyes, which had once shown a strong will despite her frail appearance, had lost all semblance of “will”, and my back involuntarily shivered. 

“Oh my goodness, Maria… This may be rude to say, but, um, if you’re not feeling well, we can reschedule the meeting for another day.”

As she opened the screen door, Maria looked up at me blankly. Seeing her confused and helpless expression, I gave up trying to get an answer and just smiled.

“May I come in? Thank you for inviting me.”

We couldn’t stand there forever. At my words, Maria nodded with a smile that revealed no emotion and invited me into the house.

Upon entering, there was a foyer about three meters wide and two meters deep. To the right of this room, which was made of large beige tiles, was a door leading to a room, and at the back was a hallway leading to the dining area. Following Maria’s lead, I walked down the hallway, which was quite simple compared to the exterior. It looked as if she had cleaned it before my visit. But there was a thin layer of dust in the corners of the hallway, and my heart sank again. If this dust had been more seasoned, I wouldn’t be so worried about Maria.

Further down the hall, Maria led me to the dining room table. It was a world of auburn antiques, vibrant and unmistakably Maria’s. Though a bit more subdued than in the photographs, the furniture, all of the same type of wood, was beautifully coordinated. There was a large dining table disproportionate to the number of residents, a heavy china cabinet that seemed capable of denting the floorboards without even storing anything, and frames containing replicas of famous paintings. Upon closer inspection, the floorboards were also waxed in the same color, reflecting the strong will of whoever designed this place.

The scent of flowers wafted in through the window, mixing with the woody and slightly spicy aromas, bringing the house’s scent closer to that of a typical household. Despite the Australian sunlight, the floor and furniture didn’t seem to have faded much, suggesting that perhaps the curtains were usually kept closed, or that UV-blocking films had been applied to the windows.

As I observed, Maria, moving almost mechanically as if controlled by something, made tea for me. Wedgwood, my favorite Jasper. The tea was probably the vanilla flavor of Ahmad Tea. I also had some of the same flavor for myself. 

“How have you been lately?” 

“Hmm, my condition… well, let’s see.”

Maria suddenly smiled softly in response to my usual question. Then she began to move smoothly, like a well-oiled robot.

“Thank you. I’m not in perfect shape, but I lead the same kind of days without much change.”

“I see.” I gave a sure answer and quickly raised the cup to my lips. Looking around the living room, I continued, “This sure is your house, huh, Maria?”

“A little more elegant than it should be, right?”

“I said something really rude that time, and I’m really sorry. I really think you have great taste, honestly.”

When I got nervous, Maria raised her eyebrows a bit more and shook her head.

“It’s okay. I think so too.”

“I’m supposed to coordinate your bedroom, right? Just to confirm, are you the only one who basically enters that room?” 

Maria nodded with a slightly nervous expression. She might have thought I was going to comment on the fact that the couple’s beds were separated.

To allay her fears, I smiled broadly.

“Understood. I was thinking of inspecting the room first, but I might as well show you the design plans first. I made three of them. The basic idea is the same, but the colors and designs are different.”

As I explained, I placed the printed designs in front of Maria.

“I want to prioritize your feelings, Maria. Can you tell me how you feel when you look at these three?”

“You really are a professional. Every proposal is like a dream.”

“Thank you. Is there anything that catches your eye? It doesn’t have to be the whole picture, even if it’s just a color or a piece of furniture you like, I’d like to know.”

“Can I choose? They are all so wonderful.”

“I perceived you as having a sharp intelligence, so all the plans are leaning towards modern. But since your current furniture is quite traditional in color, we can adjust if that feels off.”

“Yes, they are so different from the rooms I’ve had before. It feels a bit strange.”

“You know, Maria…”

As Maria continued to nod meaninglessly, I carefully chose my words and spoke to her.