Murder In The Old Castle
XXXVS. The Attic
Ammar and Dr. Dwi climb the stairs to the dark attic to check things out. Stale and dusty, that was the first impression they got when they first set foot there. Piles of cardboard scattered everywhere. Ammar immediately focused on the glass window that had been hollow, because the glass was broken. Breezy breeze through the window, reducing the stupor that stifles the chest.
Doctor Dwi found something lying on the floor, then handed it to Ammar. A round shaped music box with ballet dancer accessories on it.
“Music box. I found it lying there ...,” said dr.Dwi.
“Do you think this has anything to do with Rania's death?” ask Ammar.
“Entaih! But it was rather strange that a music box was in this dark and stuffy yeng attic. Maybe someone has,” said dr.Dwi.
“Good. I'll bring it later. I'm more interested in the scattered glass windows. Rania was clearly pushed from the front. He fell on his back, not down. That means he turned around and saw the killer. Not pushed from behind. I also saw a glass shard on his back.” Ammar explained while demonstrating the movement by hand.
“Yes, I agree. This is terrible indeed. Which is my question, what attracted Rania to her attention so she was interested in entering this hidden attic?” ask dr.Dwi curiously.
“Fakta says that this attic is located above Rania's room. Maybe the killer deliberately drew attention with certain sounds. Or maybe with the music box you found.”
“This means that Rania has indeed been targeted. It's just that we don't yet know the ulterior motive of all these murders. As if random and unpatterned. The killer is free to determine who he will kill next.”
“I almost found the pattern, Doctor. Starting from the first death, namely Anggara Laksono, then Karina, Yoga followed by Rania. Try to look carefully! What patterns roughly appear!” lang Ammar's.
“Gosh! Yeah, I also found a pattern. They are killed by gender in turn. Anggara a man, then Karina a woman, Yoga a man, and Rania a woman.”
dr. Dwi seemed a little amazed at the pattern he had discovered just now. He frowned, predicting what would happen next.
“Then we should be on the lookout for the next murder, because the victim may be a man. We have to tell them about this. Don't fall victim again!” proposed dr.Dwi.
“I guess, as long as the killer is still wandering around this house, we can't do anything about it. Everyone just waits for time. Escape today, not necessarily escape tomorrow. So I thought I'd focus on subduing this unsettling killer.”
“Hmm. Good though. Oya, I forgot today there was an appointment with Maira in Anggara's study. I'll see him first.”
Dr. Dwi rushed down from the attic, towards Anggara's study, while Ammar continued his investigation.
He had previously made an appointment with Maira to check for wounds in the neck due to cable ties the other day. Some thought this snare was a fabrication that Maira made to corroborate the story that someone was trying to kill him.
Especially Adrianna. He believes that Maira spread lies to avoid accusations that she was a murderer. He asks Maira to prove his point that the story is not a fabrication.
Maira had been waiting for the presence of dr.Dwi by sitting on the sofa with uneasiness. As soon as Dr. Dwi entered the room, Maira immediately revealed the condition of the wound on her neck. The wound on Maira's neck seemed to have started to dry up. Dr. Dwi observed carefully, then his level turned serious.
“This friction wound between the material made of metal and leather, then cause irritation. Thankfully it dried up. Because if not, it will be painful and not pleasing to the eye. Even if not treated immediately can become ulcers and festering. I think this wound will soon heal.”
“I washes off with alcohol as soon as this wound occurs. It's painful. But it hurts more if everything I tell is considered a lie,” Maira said.
“I don't think of this wound as a lie.”
“So you think I lied or not?”
“No. Because if you look at the model of the wound you are processing, it cannot be done with your own hands. The wounds on your neck require a strong energy. With his own hands, it is impossible to do,” said dr.Dwi.
“Wah! This is the answer I've been waiting for. I'm tired of being accused of making up stories. I'll prove that what I'm telling you isn't a lie! You must support me, Doctor. Help me explain this truth. There's no way I'm this stupid, making a fake cut on the neck.”
Maira looks sparkling. The feeling of excitement exploded for a moment. He wants to immediately strike back at anyone who accuses him of being a liar.
“Quiet, Maira! They are not entirely guilty either. Their current state of depression is confined within this house. Imagine that! One-by-one the residents are dead horribly, while they can't get out of here. The killer is still wandering. What can they do?“
“Iya doctor, of course I understand that.”
The meeting with Maira was quite brief. Doctor Dwi felt quite tired today, because all day checking Rania's body, and also checking the attic with Ammar. It takes a while to drink tea or relax in the reading room.
Actually, he was also quite depressed with the circumstances that were happening. Only, he pretended to remain calm so as not to cause panic of the other residents. If only he could choose, he would return to the city and do the work in the hospital. Unfortunately, now his power is needed in this castle.
After making a cup of tea mixed with lemon, Dr. Dwi went to the reading room to look for some reference books on health. Before entering the reading room, he met Michael who had just come out of there.
“I was looking for some of my own novels, but unfortunately none. The killer actually collected my writing, to mimic the killing technique in the novel. It's crazy!” michael complained to dr. Dwi.
“I suggest to cooperate with Ammar, so that this investigation will be faster. If you walk alone, then the facts you get will also be different. It could be that you will suspect different people,” advice dr.Dwi.
“The problem is, Ammar does not trust me, instead tends to underestimate. I'm tired of arguing with him. He even said I was a suspect. I just let him dwell on his theory, while watching the victims continue to fall. Good afternoon, Doctor! Have a great day!”
Michael left dr.Dwi in a huff. Competition between the real police and the writer of the detective story is getting tapered. Each of them wanted to catch the killer first.
Doctor Dwi went down a special shelf of reference books. In a row of books on medical science and health, he found some interesting titles, so he was interested in picking them up and stacking them on a table to read later. He went back to finding another title that was interesting to read.
While searching for the title of the book, he is suddenly intrigued by a small painting reminiscent of a childhood atmosphere. A picture of a mountain and a rice field, painted in a slightly dull sweep of oil paint. The painting hangs somewhat hidden behind a special shelf of science and medicine books. He approached the painting with a smile, then took it and observed it carefully.
But something behind the painting caught his attention even more. A strange lever shaped human bone. He was confused, there was some kind of lever behind the painting? On a whim, he pulled the lever to the side, and something shocking happened!
***