The next morning, Ina and River left for the police station. She had a lot to think over the night. River has been so strong from the moment everything happened, and she can't even imagine what she would have done without him. And Jane, even with her condition, was being strong just for him. She can't afford to fall apart. Not right now. Not when everyone close to her was trying so hard. She was determined to find whoever was behind this.

——

Veronica looked every bit the overworked detective—papers scattered across her desk, a loose bun sliding from her head, glasses perched on top, and a coffee mug in hand with a pen tucked behind her ear. River and Ina approached her desk, making her look up. 

"Hello, Detective, this is Ina."

"Ah, hello, River and Ms.Lones. Thank you for coming all the way here."

"Hello, Detective. And just Ina is fine. I can't thank you enough for your hard work."

"Alright, Ina. I have yet to get an official statement from you; it would be of the utmost help. So shall we proceed?"

"Yes", replied Ina and followed Veronica to the room.

"I will wait here", River said as Ina nodded.

——

"Please get comfortable, Ina. And at any point, if you feel overwhelmed, please let me know. Can I get you anything?" Veronica stated after taking a seat opposite Ina.

"No, I think we can start," Ina replied.

"So this conversation will be recorded for documentation and reference purposes."

"Okay."

"Alright then. We shall get started. So, Sehuj was your boyfriend, and how long have you two been in a relationship?"

"Yes, we have -ahm, have been together for 6 years now."

"So, the two of you lived together?"

"Yes"

"Okay, and how would you describe Sehuj?"

"We met in college. Eight years ago. He was... everything to me." She couldn't help but pause at that moment. She cleared her throat and continued.

"We were close friends for a long time, and then it led to something more."

"Six years, but no talks of marriage. Why? Is this something mutually agreed on?"

"It wasn't because we were not interested in getting married, but rather focusing on our careers. What we had going was pretty good. However, he recently brought up the topic of marriage. I was obviously very happy about it."

"So I believe that you two were on board and had no conflicts because of this in recent times."

"No, nothing that I can think of."

"Okay, now let's get to the day of the murder. Where were you at that time?", Veronica continued.

This was not a day she wanted to recall. The guilt and grief hit her every time she thought about that day.

"I was having coffee with a friend of mine. We had just dropped my other friend off at the airport for a business trip."

"And what is her name? How do you two know each other?"

"Avy Whitlock, ma'am. We had recently become acquainted through my other friend Rui. We had to drop her off at the airport, and on the way back, we stopped at a cafe."

"Hm...okay. So when and how did you arrive at the crime scene?"

"Immediately after River called me, I left the café. It took me around 25-30 minutes to get there. So I arrived at around 5:30ish."

"So you were the last person to talk to him."

The question struck her like lightning. Until then, it hadn't crossed Ina's mind that she must be one of the major suspects of the case. Was that a statement? Or just a question? She couldn't tell.

"Yes", she replied, her voice low.

The questioning continued for a while. She hated how clinical her own words sounded, as if she were reciting a biography of a stranger and not the man she loved. Veronica continued noting points in her notebook, while the recorder recorded their conversation. Ina was trying her best to answer the questions without breaking down.

"So, last question, Ina, and we can wrap up after this. Do you know anyone who might have a grudge or a feud with Sehuj? Anyone that you can think of, who would do such a thing? Any enemies from work? Or any debts? And did he look disturbed in any way over the last few days?"

"No, I can't think of anyone. He never got into fights. Not that I know of, anyway. And he seemed like his usual self, and I didn't notice any changes in his behaviour."

"We'll also be reviewing financial records, just to be thorough." Ina nodded in acknowledgement.

"Alright, this has been of great help to me, Ina. I will keep you updated. I appreciate your cooperation," Veronica said as she closed the notebook.

"How is the investigation going, ma'am? Has there been progress?" Ina questions as she expectedly looks at her.

"The investigation is ongoing, but I can't share specifics yet. We'll keep you informed. So take your time and come out when you feel better."

"Thank you", Veronica nodded as she got her things and walked towards the door. But as she was about to open it, she turned back.

"I would like to talk with, um, what was her name, yeah, Jane, Jane Park. I have yet to collect her statement as well."

"Jane is very ill at the moment, and she can't really travel in her state."

"Well, that is no problem. I can send one of the officers to get the statement."

"That would be... yeah, that'd be good," Ina replied as Veronica gave a small smile and left the room.

Ina stayed there for a while. She felt a wave of emotions, and she needed some time to compose herself. As soon as she came out the door, River, who was sitting on the bench, immediately got up and rushed towards her. She caught him staring strangely at the door. This took her aback a bit. He looked very tense and worried.

"Are you done? Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes, and I'm okay", Ina replied.

"Alright then, let's get you home."

Ina had a lot on her mind that day.

 𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁𐄙𐄁