Fourty Seven

CHAPTER 47

Golden High School CEO's office.

"Are the results out yet?"

Mr. Wilson, a man around fifty years old, was forced to sit with several people in his room. The chaos that occurred in the dormitory made him unable to help solve the problem. Because the case at hand involved the lives of students and the reputation of the dormitory.

"The forensic doctor said that the victim died about an hour ago, caused by head injuries from a violent impact and bleeding in the brain," Nicholas explained. He could no longer show his confident face in front of the man named Mr. Wilson at that time. He had broken his promise to catch the perpetrator as soon as possible.

"Who do you think did this, detective?" asked Mr. Wilson, his tone low but urgent. "The reputation of my dorm is at stake now."

"The victim's death occurred when we sent a team of investigators to search every corner of the dormitory," said Nicholas. The dusky brown eyes then looked straight at the famous CEO sitting in his oversized chair. "I think the perpetrator has committed another murder on purpose, to confuse and distract the investigating team, sir."

Mr. Wilson frowned and rubbed his chin, gently stroking the thin beard that had started to turn white under his lips. "So you think the culprit is a student inside the dormitory?"

Nicholas nodded. "We initially suspected Jake to be the culprit, since Noel managed to find some pretty strong evidence in his room." He turned to Noel and the policeman just nodded his head in agreement. "But then, as we moved to question him further, he was found dead."

Mr. Wilson looked into the men's eyes for a moment before finally muttering under his breath and asking, "So what are your plans now? You know, I can't wait any longer. This is a serial killer, detective. It's a serious case."

Nicholas and Noel exchanged glances. So did Alicia and Ace who had been sitting silently between them. "We will first find out the murderer's background, purpose and find the next target. That way, we'll be able to catch up with the perpetrator's next move," Nicholas said.

"Alright, well, you better think this plan through and tell me what you need," Mr. Wilson offered. He then got up from his chair and straightened his dark gray suit as he said, "I have to attend a press conference with the officials to calm down this tense atmosphere. It will also be attended by the guardians and I will be accompanied by the police and lawyers. I have to improve the image of this dormitory before everything crumbles into nothing. You all understand what I want, right?"

Compactly, the four people in the room nodded in understanding. Making the aging CEO not hesitate to leave the room. To him, the dormitory was a major asset that he had to keep a good name for. That's why he did so many things just for the sake of image.

Now there were only four of them left in the CEO's room. Nicholas, Noel, Alicia and Ace. "So, where do we start?" Nicholas opened his voice.

"Well, detective, I don't know what the perpetrator's intentions were, but it seems like he wanted to frame these people and cover his tracks in every murder," Noel said. He looked at Alicia and Ace in turn. "Have you two been having problems with anyone lately?"

Ace folded his arms across his chest and shook his head quickly. "I don't think so. Well, other than with James. And even then it's just a matter of me not lending him money." He chuckled amusedly. "There's no way, is there, that guy would rise from the grave and do all this to us?"

Ace's expression of trying to get the men to laugh was met with a cold look that seemed to explain-it's-not-funny-at-all-Ace. And Acepun added, "Come on, relax a bit. This atmosphere is already tense enough for me, can't you guys relax now?"

Noel replied. "We can't relax anymore. There have already been three murders and this could be called a gruesome serial killer."

Ace reacted again, this time he raised his eyebrows in horror and pulled his body back. Leaning his back against the top of the sofa. "Wow, well, maybe we'll relax next time," he said.

"What do you think, Alicia? Isn't your cell phone with Jake, does that indicate that he's related to the culprit?" Nicholas looked at Alicia who was sitting across the lanes from him and waited patiently for her to respond.

Because for a while, all she did was pensively stare at the glass table in front of her with a flat expression. "I think Jake was considered a threat by the perpetrator. He just confessed that he was the one who strangled me on the third floor." Alicia looked at Nicholas, Noel and then at Ace in turn. "You guys remember that Brittany said someone was trying to impersonate me? That woman must be the mastermind behind all this, the culprit must be a girl. One of our girls," Alicia guessed.

But suddenly Noel snorted in amusement. "How do we know that you're not involved with them?"

"What?!" Alicia wasn't the only one who was shocked. But Nicholas and Ace were too, and they were incredulous and glaring at Noel at the same time.

"For every murder that happens, you're always involved, aren't you?" Noel raised one eyebrow. "From all the cases I've read about, you're always at the crime scene and closest to the victim. It's as if you already knew that these people would become victims. Can you explain that, Miss Alicia?"

Nicholas interrupted. "Noel, what are you talking about! Watch what you say."

"I'm speaking the facts, detective," Noel said as he took his eyes off Alicia and turned to Nicholas. "Didn't all the murders happen and start on the day she moved here? Do you know this girl's background? Who her parents are, where she lives and why she moved to New York? I heard she was born in Brooklyn."

"I didn't do anything. I told you that someone set me up," Alicia snapped. She seemed to be trying to contain her frustration for the umpteenth time, every time someone else accused her of the same thing.

"Who framed you, Alicia? Who?! Can you prove it to us?" Noel raised his tone of voice. "Are you in trouble with someone? You just moved here, didn't you?"

"I think that's too much, man," Ace said, trying to mediate between the two.

So did Nicholas. The handsome detective immediately held Noel's arm and said, "That's enough, Noel. Think about it carefully."

But Noel laughed in place. A forced bitter laugh. "Why are you two defending her so much? Do you think, that this girl isn't involved? She even has a silver hairpin in her room. This girl was the last person to talk to Jake." Noel suddenly got up from the sofa and looked at Alicia sharply. She said,

.

.

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"Look lady, I'm not going to trust you like those two, because usually criminals hide among ordinary people, as if they don't feel any guilt at all!" []