"The Riddle Club."
That's the name of a club that investigating real crime. Either it's old or new. According to Delilah there's no cases that they didn't solve and even the cold cases a many years ago, they already solve it.
"They reminded me of someone."
I immediately shook my head when my mind starting to remember my past and I don't like that because if possible I just want to forget him. Shortly, another woman came, her black curly hair is a messy, her dress is crinkle and the way she panting, she seems to run towards here and the worry written in her face tells me she knows the victim.
"M-Monica?"- the girl called out the girl whose crying in Gina's arms.
The woman that called Monica turn to the woman who just arrived and instantly she wail.
"Celina!"
My eyes widened when Monica called the girl "Celina" because it's the name that ghost repeatedly mumbling in a shakey voice. Is that mean it's Celina who murder the girl? I automatically glance at the ghost outside and I saw her glaring at the two girls hugging.
"Oh my Gosh! Carolyn!"- Celina blurted out as the tears fall down in her eyes and cover her mouth to not let any wail escape from her mouth.
Later on, the police arrived at the scene and tell us to leave the crime scene but when I passed the desk where the victim is, I notice something on top of the desk and when I look closely, I saw watermark on the desk.
"Zoey, let's leave."- Mirabelle called me, so I have no choice but to follow.
When we're finally outside, I saw the two of the boys from Riddle Club is still inside and observing the crime scene. At first, I thought the investigator will kick them out but instead he just consult them about the case.
"They really just let them be inside."- I thought to myself but Mirabelle still hear me.
Mirabelle giggle. "Right! Well~first of all that guy is inspector Gregory's son."- she said as she pointed at the man with black hair and toned muscles, he is busy talking with the police.
"Ah~now, that's make sense."
Well~it really is possible if you have connection in higher rank.
"But don't misunderstand. Riddle Club is really live up in their reputation as Genius Detective of Ephemeral Academy. In fact, they solved the murder that covered up as suicide just last week."
"I see...they really are amazing huh?"
Our conversation get cut off when one of the police walk toward us.
"The victim name is Carolyn Wright and she died two days ago."- the police inform us. "I will ask each one of you here a question, so we appreciate if you cooperate."
Then the police starts to interrogate Monica and Celina first since they are the roommate of the victim and highly likely to be a murderer. I noticed one of the member of the riddle club is standing behind the Interigator like he is listening to the alibi of two people. The boy has a neck-length black hair, his eyes sharp and he always wear a frown in his face. He also wearing a EA (Ephemeral Academy) uniform but his necktie is loose and the two button on his polo is not attach which makes him a typical bad boy in romance novel.
"I took a vacation to my hometown and I left three days ago and that time Carolyn is still alive and when I came back today that's when...I saw Carolyn dead on her desk."- Celina said as she cry again.
"What time did you discover the corpse?"
"7:00 in the morning when I arrived in our dorm."
"Do you have any proof of your alibi?"
"Yes, I have pictures and videos of my vacation with my family and also ticket of my arrival."- Celina show her phone to the police and her ticket.
The police nodded his head as she write the testimony of Celina.
"Last question, are you two only Carolyn's roommate."
"Yes. Our other roommate already move out because she already graduate."
Monica's alibi is strong and the way she answer without a crack in her word makes her innocent but we can't be sure about that because there's a possibility she prepare all possible question. Next, he turn his attention to Celina.
"And you, where are you two days after the victim die."
I noticed Celina turn pale when the police starts questioning her which is suspicious even for the police.
"I-I'm with my boyfriend's house and I also just arrive today."
"And when did you go to your boyfriend's house?"
"A-around 6:00 in the evening."- she admit.
"Then where are you before 6:30"
I saw Celina contemplating whether she will tell the truth or not but she choose the former "I'm in our dorm."
All of us who hear gasp because she just literally admit to the crime.
"So are you saying you kill the victim?"
Celina profusely shake her head. "No. I don't kill Carolyn. I swear she still alive when I left that night. Please believe me."
"But the time of death says otherwise."
"It's not Celina."
I felt shiver down my spine and feel my hair on my nape stand when someone whisper on my ear and when I turn around I saw the ghost of Carolyn. She is crying while also looking at me.
"Please...save me."- she plead, pain and helplessness written in her face.
I just stare at Carolyn's pleading eyes but I immediately avert my eyes because I don't know how to save her and even I said it's not Carolyn, I don't any proof and worst it just backfire to me.
Just like before.
"Detective Santos, let's not jump to conclusion and wait for the police who retrieve the CCTV footage."- said by the guy with bad boy look.
As if on cue, the police who retrieve the CCTV footage finally came and hand the tablet to the detective.
"Detective, these is the footage two days ago and no other person who capture the camera except Ms. Celina Diaz, leaving at 6:00 PM."
"Then our prime suspect is you, Ms. Celina Diaz."
"It's not me! Please believe me!"- Celina plead as she kneeled on the floor while profusely denying all the accusation.
However, everyone already convinced that she is the murde and while I'm watching her trying to prove her innocence, it force me to remember the time I beg from him to trust and like everyone....
He doesn't believe me.
"it's not Celina. It's not Celina." I tightly close my eyes when my conscience prick my chest as I listen to Carolyn and Celina crying helplessly.
What the hell those members of Riddle Club is doing? I thought they are the best detective but why it seems they agreeing easily to what that incompetent detective is saying?
When I open my eyes, the first thing I saw is how the real murderer secretly grin as she watch Celina getting drag by the police and I think that's the reason why I blurted those word.
"It's not Celina."- I blurted or more like I shouted because all the eyes finally in my direction. Even the ghost beside me suddenly stop crying and just stare at me with shockm
"Shit! What the hell are you doing?!"- I thought as I mentally pulling my hair because of my stupidity.
"What is your name, Miss?"- the Detective asked.
"Z-Zoey...Zoey Lopez, sir."
"And why did you say she's not the killer?"
Ok. What now? I could lie and say I just blurted out some nonsense because I'm still tired from moving yesterday but if I do that my damn conscience will never let me sleep and probably the ghost of Carolyn will strangle me on my sleep.
"Well~"- I said, trying to find some answer in my brain.
Anything please.
"Someone manipulate the time of death."- I blurted out again. "Maybe."
I feel that my surrounding suddenly become void of sound and everyone is just watching me with bewilderment. Actually, I just said the first thing that came in my brain and I have no way to know if what I said is possible but I pray that someone from Riddle Club agree what I said.
Fortunately, my prayer granted.
"Actually, it's possible."- this time, everyone turn to the boy with bad boy look. Sorry, I still don't know his name. "For example, turning the heater on blast to quicken the decomposition of a corpse."
"That's it! That's the answer."- I said excitedly which everyone turn to me again. Seriously, I'm afraid get a stiff neck for doing that.
"What do you mean, Miss Lopez?"
"Yesterday night, our wall is strangely hot and I think it's suspicious, so I told it to my roommate."- I answered and turn to Gina.
"Now that you said that, our wall is hot but I don't give it any thought because I thought the tenant in these room is just have hypothyroidism."
"How about two days ago? Is your wall hot?"- the detective asked again.
"Hmmm~no. Because I remember leaning in the wall while my boyfriend f—"
"Gina, gross."- Lenalyn cut her off because she was about to say something not good for our ears.
"Anyway, if the wall was that hot like yesterday, I would immediately retracted."
The detective nodded in agreement. "Thank you for your testimony."
"So if the culprit really did manipulate the time of death. It means—"
"The victim died yesterday."- the red hair guy said after he just appear from nowhere and finished what the detective going to say.
The new-comer oozing an enrgetic aura that makes the heavy tension llight, to put it in metaphor, he is a person full of life.
"And coincidentally, we already know who is the real murderer."
Everyone in the corridor has different reaction to what the red hair said. The people who doesn't involve starts whispering and excited to know the real murderer, while the person who get accuse sigh a relief and the true murderer is getting nervous.
"Who? Who is the murderer?"
Instead of answering the detective's question, the red hair grin and shake his head before he put his arm around the raven boy's neck.
"Before that, why don't we listen to the interesting deduction of our leader."- the red hair boy said enthusiastically.
After the redhead said that, the said leader yank his arm, before he step forward.
"Just like my member said, we already have a suspect after we listen to your alibis and it just become more clear now thanks to that giirl."- the guy said and smile towards me.
I feel my face heat up when he gave me credit to my contribution because who wouldn't be flustered when a good looking guy compliment you?
"So these is my deduction, the murderer killed the victim yesterday and turn the heater into maximum to quicken the decomposition of the corpse and today, she return to the dorm to turn off the heater and turn on the AC again."
"That's the reason of the faint musty smell when we entered the room."- the red haired continue.
"And there's only one person who can pulled all those trick."- the leader turn his head to the suspect before he smirk. "Isn't that right, Monica Lapelle?"
Everyone gasp and turn their head to Monica whose now speechless when he call her out except me because after I saw how she smile while watching her roommate wrongly accuse, I know she is the murderer.
"Three days ago, you book a flight to your hometown and two days ago you left to your hometown to take some pictures and videos with your family to use for your alibi Then also that day, you drove back here using your father's car because that's the only transportation who don't track your travel if the police did check your travel history but because it's a 20 hours travel with car, you only arrived in your dorm yesterday and that's when you stab the victim on the back, put the heater on blast before you drove back to your hometown and stay there for half a day before you return today."
"We have your father's confirmation that you indeed use the car two days ago."- the investigator son's said as he wave his cellphone.
Monica seems to recover immediately from shock and manage to compose herself after she got accused of murder.
"That's a very interesting deduction, Rafael but did you forget that I discovered Carolyn at 7:00, so if I'm the one who turn off the heater and put the AC on, the smell of musty should be strong when the other people enter our dorm but you just said that you just smell the faint of it. "
"Except you didn't discover the corpse at 7:00."
Everyone shift their attention to me after I said that and I saw how her smile crooked after I said that.
"W-what do you mean? I did discover Carolyn at 7:00 if you want you could check the CCTV—"
"Oh~ I know you did discover the body of Carolyn at 7:00."- I said, didn't let her finish her sentence. "What I meant is the time you lead us to your dorm."
Monica gulped. "I-I don't know what you mean."
"You must thought that everyone would be too panic to check their clock when we heard your blood-curdling scream or even someone really did look at the clock they would too busy looking at the body to pay attention to your alibi but jokes on you because I did check my clock after you woke me up with your scream and it's says 7:15."
After I reveal the flaw in her alibi, Monica begun to tremble as she clenched her trembled fist, her eyes starts to become unfocused and sweat build up in her temple like she still seeking a way out after I expose her lies. I noticed the investigator's son staring at me and gave me a meaningful smile when our eyes met which confuses me.
"So it means within 15 minutes, our little murderer here turn off the heater, put the AC on before she open the window to remove the musty smell and when the stage is ready, she finally call her audience here."- the redhead explained. "Wow~ aren't you a clever perfomer."
"Y-you don't have a proof."- Monica stammer while saying those word, forcing to remain confident but it sound to me as a last hope that Rafael don't have an evidence to present, so she could escape the accusation
But life is really cruel.
"We have a footage of you entering your dorm at 7:00 but before 7:15 there is no sign of distress from you. Normally, people who discover a corpse would immediately scream for help or call someone but neither of it happened until 7:15 when you finally scream."- Rafael concluded
Monica grit her teethe before she glare at me however I didn't avert my eyes because I just do what my conscience says and that's giving Carolyn a true justice and save Celina from owning the she doesn't do.
Celina cautiously walk towards Monica but when she try to reach her, she hesitated until she just put down her hand.
"Why did you do that, Monica?"- Celina asked, her voice laced with bitter of betrayal as she let out every word and tears flow in her eyes. "I thought we're bestfriend."
Monica scoffed to what Celina said before she turn to look at her with condescending eyes. "Bestfriends? If Carolyn is really my friend, she wouldn't seduce Grey and stole him from me."
"Carolyn did not seduce Grey. It's Grey who confessed to Carolyn but she rejected him because of you."
"So? What do you want me to do? Thank her? Regret for killing her?"- Monica asked before she laughed like a crazy person. "never. I'll never regret killing her because she deserved it."
I look at Carolyn who also watching the scene in front of me to see her reaction to Monica's heartless confession but instead of anger, she actually pity her because of her obsession over a guy and that's I will never understand of why people could kill just because of jealousy when there's plenty of men and women in the world, it's not like they Will solve out any soon.
The police finally arrested Monica and because I am a nosy person, I follow them until they put her behind the police car and while I watching the police car drive away, someone whisper in my ears.
"Thank you, Zoey."
When I turn around to see who whisper in my ears but no one is behind me and the soul of Carolyn is never been found.
"Ms. Lopez. Can we talk to you?"
This time when I turn around, there's finally a people in front of me.
And they are the members of Riddle Club.