“...I will cooperate but only on one condition,” said Haru.

Kensuke lifted his eyebrow. The audacity of this man to actually put forward a condition. At this point, Kensuke didn’t think things were going to go his way.

Kensuke nodded. “Very well then. Put forward your conditions if it’s something we can do, there are no reason to reject your…um…proposals.”

Haru gave a small smile and said, “I want to work on this case.”

Kensuke frowned, not really getting what Haru meant. “Sorry?”

“Oh, you want me to repeat? I said I wanted to work on this case as well. With you.”

Now the actual meaning of Haru’s words dawned on Kensuke. “Are you nuts? Why would I do that? I hope you didn’t forget that you’re our prime suspect. I should be an utter fool to put you on this case with me.”

Haru leaned back on his chair, his calculating eyes were devoid of any emotion. “I presume this means you’re rejecting my offer?”

“Of course.”

Haru let out a deep sigh. “Very well.”

Kensuke shook his head. What an absurd guy. “Shall we continue with the investigation?”

Haru shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, if you want to. But I can’t guarantee satisfactory results.”

Kensuke frowned. “So, you mean, you’re not going to cooperate until we agree to your said condition.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying from the start, babe.”

“I think I’ve mentioned this before but I hope you mind your language.”

Haru merely shrugged.

Kensuke looked at the papers in front of him. No useful information from Haru whatsoever. All he got was that Haru had eaten Carbonara the night of the murder. Clearly, such useful information.

Kensuke sighed. “You may go for now. But you’re not allowed to leave the town until the case is solved.”

Haru got up from his seat and made his way to the door. However, he paused right at the door and turned.

“What if you never solve the case?” asked Haru, the emotion in his eyes indescribable.

Kensuke also got up from his seat and looking straight into Haru’s eyes, he said, “That will never happen.”

-----------------------------------------

“Sir, are you sure that’s okay?” asked his assistant officer as he watched Haru walk out of the police station.

“Then what else was I supposed to do?” snapped Kensuke. “He refuses to answer. Now, I can’t force him to answer right? If I could, boy, I would.”

“So, what are we going to do now?”

“Well, let’s start off with the post-mortem reports. I want to know whether this was a random killing or there was some sort of intent behind these murders. And I want to know the connection between all the three women. If there is no connection, I think we can safely conclude that it’s random killing…”

“But sir, how can we conclude it’s a random killing if the killer left the only man in the building alive?”

Kensuke bit the corner of his nail. “That’s exactly my concern. If only that stupid pea-head cooperates, our job would be much easier.”

“Should I dig upon him, sir?”

“Yes, please do. While I try to find the connections of these women.”

------------------------------

“Sir, here you go. The phones of Kimura Eri and Satou Nagisa.” said one of the officers, handing the unlocked phones to Kensuke.

“Any news on where Hiromi’s phone is?” asked Kensuke.

The officer shook his head. “None, sir. Our team is still searching but there is very little chance that we would find it.”

Kensuke nodded and let the officer go. He looked at the phones in his hand. Well, he could find out Hiromi’s number from their phones. There’s no way they wouldn’t have their neighbor's number right?

Kensuke opened the youngest of the three women, Nagisa’s phone. Aged 24, she was bound to have some information or the other on her. Whether or not related to the case, Kensuke was certain that he could get some information on her life from her phone.

However, Kensuke was shocked when he opened the phone.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing was there on the phone. Only the built-in apps. Nothing else. No pictures in her gallery. Her call log was completely empty. Her search history as well was empty.

Kensuke immediately put down Nagisa’s phone and opened Eri’s phone. However, he was met with the same results. Nothing. No trace of personal life whatsoever.

“Haruto!” yelled Kensuke, calling out to his junior officer. Within a second, Haruto walked into the room and said, “Yes sir?”

“Give me the call record details of both Nagisa and Eri. As soon as possible.”

Haruto nodded and immediately dashed out of the room.

Kensuke rested his head on his palms. What was up with these three women? They were, by far, the strangest women Kensuke had ever come across.

No social life, no friends, no boyfriend, husbands, girlfriends, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

It was almost as if….

Almost as if….

These women were scared of something.

--------------------------------------------------

Haruto walked into the room and said, “Here, sir. The call-record details. I’m afraid you won’t find anything useful. These women seemed to not use their phones at all. And these numbers are very new.”

“Is there any way we can find their old numbers?” asked Kensuke.

Haruto shook his head. “I’m afraid not, sir…however, we could get the old number from Nakamura Haru.”

Kensuke blinked. Haru. The one and only survivor.

“Oh right, did you get any information on him?” asked Kensuke, hoping, that maybe this time he’d get a proper answer.

“Uh, so we asked around about Haru and checked in our records as well. His criminal records are clean. However, I did find one odd thing. When I asked people who lived in that vicinity. None of them claimed to have known a ‘Nakamura Haru’. They knew about the three women who lived in the building. But nobody was even aware there was a fourth floor, let alone a person living there.” 

Kensuke’s eyes widened. That’s why. That’s why nobody bothers even going beyond the third floor. But why…?

So many questions, so many unanswered questions…yet only one man could answer it.

Nakamura Haru.

However, Kensuke was not willing to give in so easily. Forming an alliance with Haru was going to be his last option.

“Haruto…do me a favour. And call the owner of the building here.”

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Twt : @/flrtycandy