Possible Witness Interview: Maya, Rebecca, and Runo vs. Caius

Maya: How did you know the victim? Any relation with the deceased?

Caius: I did not know her.

Rebecca: Well, you are here for her case, so there must be some connection.

Runo: Don’t feel intimidated. We just want to know the truth. Give us all the details without leaving anything out. Everything can help, no matter how trivial.

Caius: Certainly. She was researching something. Always cocooning. Locking herself in her office and at home. She seemed like a proper nerd most of the time. But she is genuine. Not much of a glam girl.

Maya: Okay.

Caius: Yes. And my relationship with her… none. I met her during an interview she conducted once for her research. We met… just once. Maybe twice. Not sure.

Rebecca: Oh, okay. And what was the interview about?

Caius: Ancient Demonology.

Everyone is nodding but with a big expression of question on their faces.

Runo: Ancient… what? 

Then she whispers to Maya, “The horror movie stuff? Is that a real thing?”

Maya: Research of demons. Seven deadly sins, etc.

Caius: Yes. That would be ‘Lucifer: pride. Mammon: greed. Asmodeus: lust. Leviathan: envy. Beelzebub: gluttony. Satan: wrath. Belphegor: sloth.’

Rebecca: Oh, thank you for the details. That seems quite a lot. So, are you an expert on this kind of research?

Caius: Yes. I am a parapsychologist.

Again, a nod, with everyone staring at each other.

Maya: Would you like to elaborate on your role? In simple language, if possible.

Caius: Yes. Parapsychologists are essentially another type of psychologist and neuroscientist. The difference lies in their field of study. We investigate mental phenomena that are excluded from traditional psychological philosophies. We encounter patients who are experiencing psychological anomalies. We then conduct interviews and physical examinations, perform tests, and analyze the case to determine its existence and cause.

Rebecca: What kind of tests might that include?

Caius: It varies from case to case. It can be the tests of hypnosis, telepathy, psychic abilities, telekinesis, out-of-body experiences, etc.

Runo whispers to himself, “It gets better and better, doesn’t it?” Getting a slight smile from everyone in response. 

Maya: Okay, thanks. So, were you and the victim on good terms? Just met once or twice? That’s it?

Caius: Yes, we were on friendly terms. We met twice, but it was a pleasant meeting. She was a fine lady.

Maya: Guessing she was a fine lady, indeed. That is a big praise for someone who met her once or twice. Tell me a bit more about her personality and her traits; anything will do.

Caius: She was, as I mentioned earlier, a fine lady. Her first impression was that of a well-dressed and well-mannered person. She was very intelligent, and her research was progressing well. She contacted me to verify some details, and the interview lasted for almost half a day. We discussed many things; the topics mostly revolved around various areas of Ancient Demonology. I do not know her beyond that. It is all I knew, but I can say that she was not a person who collected enemies and would be capable of doing such deeds. That cannot be the case.

Rebecca whispers to Runo, “Did we know about her researching self? I thought she was a lawyer. Wasn’t she?”

Runo replies, “Well, that’s what we thought, too. Looks like there’s more to it.”

Rebecca ends her conversation with, “Very well, then. Let’s see where it goes.”

Runo: Great start. Then can we know the time and date of this interview? When was the last time you saw her?

Caius: A week ago.

Everyone looked shocked. They obviously weren’t hoping that the meeting was this recent.

Rebecca: As in the day before the murder?

Caius: Yes.

Rebecca: Did you see any signs of trouble or discomfort during the meeting?

Caius: None that I remember.

Maya: Okay. So, where were you at the time of the murder? Any idea who might have been part of it? Or did she talk about anyone? Any threat? Anything?

Everyone is hoping for something, but again, maybe they are being too hopeful.

Caius: None that I remember. I was at my flat, in the last building of the same complex.

Rebecca: So, you live in the same complex but never met her? Just met her once or twice?

The interview and answers are not helping this man at all. Everyone is becoming more and more suspicious of him.

Caius: Yes. I am mostly busy traveling for lectures, and she was most at home or in her office.

Runo: Okay. So where is her office?

Caius: In the left part of her flat.

Everyone is left speechless. They almost got annoyed but calmed themselves.

Rebecca: So, she doesn’t have an official office? She doesn’t move from the location at all?

Caius: She does have an office. It is in her flat.

Maya: Okay. Moving on. Can anyone verify the details that you just shared with us? Any alibi?

Caius: She is dead, so she cannot be the one. You can check the CCTV if you wish.

A time-stopper annoyance could be seen in everyone’s eyes, but they didn’t react to it at all. Maya looked at Runo and asked: So, how is the CCTV investigation going?

Runo: We have contacted the person in charge; we are working on it. There are some documents, so it might take a day.

Maya nods and then proceeds with another question from the witness interview. She opens the files of murder evidence and shows them to Caius.

Maya: Okay. Do you have anything to add? Or do you have any other details that might help us with the investigation?

Caius: As I mentioned earlier, I did not know her well enough to comment on her personal items. However, I can say that her research notebook is not present in the evidence photographs.

Maya: And it should be with her? Maybe she did not take it with her?

Caius: That cannot be the case. Every person has a habit that comes with their profession, and every profession has a habit that is hard to shake off. She always kept the research notebook with her, to keep her ideas organized and managed for the theories. I do that too. 

He pulls an ancient-looking small notebook from his coat pocket as proof of the concept.

This sentence gives a sign of direction to the case. The discussion continues but now there is a bit more hope than annoyance in the atmosphere.

Rebecca: Is there any specific reason it cannot or should not be absent?

Caius: As a person who writes theories, develops ideas, and researches concepts, I can say that ideas cannot rely on memory. Sometimes memory distorts ideas, and at times, the meaning changes with every passing minute. Therefore, we jot down every glimpse of the canvas as it appears in our minds; the scenery of that moment is captured in the notes. Its absence is akin to leaving your flat unlocked. That simply does not occur. At least not for those who are so invested in the details of everything.

Maya: I understand. Okay, so tell me, what is the reason for showing up right away? How did you know about this murder? And it seems like you are always traveling; how come you were present on the day of the murder?

Caius: I do not believe in coincidences, but I do believe in the fact that some things are bound to happen in a certain way. This is one of them. I do not have any appointments for the rest of this month. This rarely happens, and it has happened, which is why I agreed to the interview with Martha. She was always busy with her research. She invited me, and I accepted. Just as simple as that.

Maya nods and continues: As you describe, she was researching Ancient Demonology. But do you know what she does for a living, other than that?

Caius: I think she does not do anything else at the moment. If she did, I am not sure about that.

Maya: Did you know anything about her being an attorney for many infamous serial killing cases?

Caius: Really? I did not know that.

Again, he is circling around the waves of hope and suspicion. The discussion continues.

Rebecca: Don’t you find it weird that you talked for almost a day but never discussed a second profession? She didn’t mention it, not even once?

Caius: Well, it might be an uncommon thing for most people, but this doesn’t seem that unusual to me. Usually, when our minds are engrossed in the research details, we skip the standard questions and unimportant topics from the conversation. It happens to me quite often that I don’t even remember the name of a person until the last moment of realization.

Rebecca: Right, thanks for sharing the information with us.

Everyone looks at each other, and then it seems like nothing more could be fished out of this conversation. So, they all hint at each other to close the interview for now.

So, Runo sighs, composing himself, and then phrases his sentence, “Great. Thanks for cooperating and sharing the details. I will suggest you avoid long-distance travel for the time being. We might call you for another meeting; I hope that is alright for you.”

Caius nods in agreement and replies, “Most definitely. I will be available; contact me when you need me.”

And then he bids his farewell.

Transcripts of the interview are added to the case file and sent to the analyst for further investigation with the investigator’s notes. The day ends after a bit of paperwork and she finally returns to her apartment. She takes a warm shower and sits on her recliner, still thinking about the interview. 

The interview was… a bit out of the place, went too smoothly but didn’t help much. Well, it at least sheds light on the fact that Martha had two aspects to her life. On one front, she was a researcher, a dedicated professional researcher, and on the other, she was a lawyer, a passionate one at that. And it seemed like she kept both aspects separate, very efficiently. At least it seemed like this from the new information that resurfaced from this interview. However, it also left everyone with some unanswered questions about her true intentions and motivations. What kind of person was she? Nothing substantial has been found yet.

But from the interview, Maya couldn’t help but wonder if there is more to his story than what he is willing to reveal. He is in a positive light at the moment, but for some reason, it seems a bit of a disguise. His words are way too simple, way too easy, and way too… logical. Most importantly, his narration of the events was in the Chronological Order, which is mostly not the case with most people. Almost like he was narrating a series of events that he remembered from paper, not from experience. 

She saves this idea in her mind for now that this person might be more involved in the case than he is showing. Maya doesn’t want to miss any aspect of this case. But of course, she is overly doubtful in certain situations these days, so she does consider the possibility that this could be a hint of her doubtful nature as well.

With the current information, her mind is in a brainstorming state. She keeps thinking until her heavy eyes decide to close for now and she falls into a deep slumber, waiting for the hopeful tomorrow. This might not be any evidence or a lead, but this information did bring new hope to this case. A hope that there is much more hidden under the sheets of darkness, waiting to be uncovered.

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