As Evil As Murder

19 | Let's Talk to the Dead

I reached out my palm and knocked softly. There was no response for approximately three minutes but I heard shuffling from inside so I knew she was home.

"Mrs. Karim, I know you are there," I said, trying to sound firm, not creepy. If she decides to call the cops, Hawkins and Rex would skin me alive and leave me out to dry.

"Who are you?" A timid voice called from the other side of the door.

"We are friends of Heath," I yelled back.

After fighting a few minutes of indecision, the door finally opened and there stood a woman who made me remember Elise. It wasn't the messy hair or even the flour-stained cotton jacket around her, which suggested that she was cooking something.

It was the wild look in her eyes, tragic and hopeless, just like Elise's. And like her, she too lost her nephew. It must be a coincidence but why do I feel like the same character keeps appearing everywhere?

"May we come in?" Lucas asked brightly.

"What business did you have with Heath?" She stuttered out. "He had friends I'm sure. But all of them came to his funeral, I don't remember either of you there. You are lying."

"I'm - not his friend." My heart started beating against the ribcage, as if trying to break out. "But I was the last person who talked to him before he died."

Shock flashed across her face. Her left hand slightly trembled by her side and her eyes turned vicious, glaring into mine with suspicion.

"I think you know cops are getting nowhere with his murder," I said firmer, hardly blinking.

"And how would you help me?"

"We'll have a little chat." I smiled. She closed her eyes and stepped aside, letting me and Lucas walk through the small door, which led to a surprisingly big hall, something I might not have guessed from outside.

Everything was a fair shade of green. Climbers and other short plants sat on the windowsills, making the air around us fresher. It looked like a cabin in the woods. It even had a brown rug that looked similar to real fur. Maybe it was.

"Sit down wherever." She waved her hands around the room and I sat on the couch in front of a small table. Lucas sat beside me, looking around slowly, and gulped when his eyes fell on the stuffed deer head straight ahead on the wall.

"Tea?" The lady asked, but I shook my head. She shrugged and got a chair from the corner. She reluctantly pulled it up in front of the desk and sat down opposite us.

"What's this about?" She asked seriously. "What did he say to you before he went missing?"

"Before that, Mrs. Karim, we need you to be honest with us. Can you do that?"

Her motherly instincts took over and she was quick to answer. "Whatever to help the case!"

I observed her closely, trying to notice anything out of ordinary. Maybe a sign of lie or hesitance? But what I did find was just concern. I coughed and looked away before she'd be weirded out.

"How did Heath know everything?" I asked calmly.

Lucas shot me a confused glance. Nowadays, he does that every few minutes so I let it pass.

"Heath knew what?" She looked to Lucas, but seeing that he was more clueless than her, her gaze fell on me again.

"Everything." I snorted. "Heath knew everything about me and now that I'm thinking about it, he said he knew things he didn't want to know, which means there's more to the story."