Nil: The Lost Brother

Goodbye to backyard

Nil sat on her bed, facing down, her eyes staring emptily at the rug in the middle of her room. It was as if she was watching the void. So many thoughts had crossed her mind during the journey that she needed a moment of stillness to gather herself. As soon as she got into the car, she had called Mustafa, but his phone was off. Then she called Mustafa's closest friend, Cenk, followed by Cenk's brother, Cihan. Unable to reach any of them, she wanted to go home as quickly as possible to calm down and think, as she felt she was acting impulsively. The three suspects, of course, wouldn't answer their phones and respond to her. Now she was home, but still struggling to collect herself. She brushed her hair away from her face with both hands and secured it with a hair tie, forming a ponytail. She opened the drawer of her desk and her hand reached deep inside, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. She used to smoke during her university years, but she had never become a heavy smoker. She saw it more as a form of entertainment. However, she had given up this habit over time. Since she spent most of her time alone, the thought of smoking never crossed her mind. She hadn't thrown away this pack, thinking maybe she would use it as a snack while chatting with a friend who visited her. She lit a match from the drawer and took a deep breath, hoping it would help her concentrate. The bitter taste of tar in her mouth didn't help at all; it only made her focus more on the cigarette. "What am I doing?" she whispered quietly but angrily. She pressed the cigarette against the pack to extinguish it and pushed it to the back of the table. Nil continued to receive messages and calls from her family and friends who knew Mustafa. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now; after all, she didn't know much more than anyone else. If she answered the phone, what could they talk about? It would be empty chatter that wouldn't lead to any answers, filled with speculations like "Mustafa and his friends are good people, why would they do such a thing?" But what did Mustafa have to do with this fire? Mustafa enjoyed camping by the seaside in Seferihisar. Like Nil, he preferred to be in nature to relax. Let's say the fire accidentally broke out, why would they run away? Mustafa would stay and try to put out the fire, even if it meant risking his own life. Besides, the information from the police indicated that it was arson. There had been recent arson attacks by terrorist organizations, but Mustafa had absolutely no connection to them. The terrorist organization hadn't claimed responsibility for the fire either. Headaches started to bother her again, and she said to herself, "Come on, think, find a solution. What could it be?" There was only one possibility: someone deliberately or accidentally started the fire and blamed Mustafa and his friends who were present there. But there were still too many missing pieces of information in the equation. She had to find the information one by one to reach Mustafa. She needed to figure out where to start. Not having seen Mustafa for a long time made it even more challenging. "You idiot, Nil. If you neglect someone like that, this is what happens. You'll just stand there looking dumbfounded when trouble strikes," she said to herself, but she also knew she shouldn't burden herself too much. She had to be strong because she was the one who could save Mustafa from this predicament. It was time for her to use all the investigative journalist skills she hadn't fully utilized until that day. "You can do it," she repeated to herself a few times. She was good at motivating herself in many aspects. Nil, being known as someone who goes after what she wants was directly related to her attitude. People who rely on the encouragement of others tend to exhaust their energy early, fail to achieve their goals, and come up with excuses along the way. But those who can maintain their internal motivation often shut their ears to their surroundings and calmly reach their targets. Nil was aware that from now on, she needed to shut her ears to everything. Although she didn't know what obstacles lay ahead, she was certain they would be tough. The next day, she would call the newspaper and ask for some time off. After all, she hadn't taken a vacation or used any of her leave this year due to the pandemic. Her boss would likely understand the situation. Pursuing a wanted person was a dangerous job, and no one should know about it, especially if the wanted person was a relative or close friend. Once she got the time off, her initial plan was to go to the crime scene in Seferihisar to investigate. Perhaps she could find a clue that the police had overlooked. Then she would reach out to the people Mustafa had been in contact with. She had to wait for the next day to take the first step, but how could she sleep tonight? It was difficult, but she had to make it through the night. Her eyes landed on her phone, which had dozens of missed calls and messages displayed on the screen. She picked up the phone and scrolled through the messages one by one. Her mother had expressed her concern and asked her to call regardless of the time. She selected her mother from the speed dial in her contacts and pressed the call button with her finger. "Hello, Mom."