💡 Murder in the Moonlight

chapter five - two birds, one knife

Guilt. Sorrow. Anger.

Marley's conclusion brings out a range of responses. Quinn and Omar get up and start to yell at Marley for her unfair accusations. Some are crying and others remain silent. An overwhelming sense of guilt rushes through my blood; I contributed to Thiago being kicked out. And it's extremely likely he wasn't the killer.

"Get over yourselves! Sooner or later, we'll all be voted out. Or even worse, killed! I simply proposed a fair accusation, don't blame me for being wrong!" Marley screams. She makes a fair claim but I still can't help but feel sorry for Thiago.

"Moving on! We still have some investigation to do. Melodie, Indah and Alab, you're coming with me to inspect the body. Everyone else, do whatever you want. I couldn't care less," she trails off. I get up from the bench and slowly approach Marley, Alab following behind. We gather as a group before walking to the place we found Mila's body.

"You alright there?" Melodie asks to my right. I must've tuned out.

"Sorry. I guess so, I just feel somewhat bad for Thiago. If he wasn't the killer, we just voted out someone innocent for no reason," I respond. My thoughts are overwhelming me; I can feel a headache coming.

"For once, I'd have to disagree with you, detective brain. Like Marley said, he had a pretty good reason to want Mila dead and he had the perfect chance to do it," Alab cuts in to my left. "Besides, his display of grief back there was purely for show. Thiago's not the sentimental type, as far as I'm aware. I don't think he even knows the meaning of grief." I give it some time for Alab's words to sink in. How could he say that about Thiago so easily and lifelessly?

"Cut the crap Alab. You're only saying that because you've hated him since you were 10!" Melodie remarks. Their banter continues until Marley intervenes.

"Enough!" she yells. "We're here."

Mila's body is just as torn up as it was when we first found it. However, the true brutality of her death can now be seen in the afternoon sunlight. As much as I'd like to avoid it, I take a step closer to her dangling body to look at the incisions. There's 3 or 4 that I didn't notice earlier and clear signs of struggle are visible from the redness of her neck. Just the thought of someone amongst us having the capability to commit such a cruel murder makes me feel so indescribably sick. And the thought of betrayal spins in my head, almost to a point where I'll pass out.

"Did you really need him here?" Melodie's voice, which reeks of entitlement, brings me back to reality. Marley ignores her and Alab gives her a menacing glare.

"Well, it looks like whoever did this sure had it out for Mila," Marley mutters. Clearly. She runs her finger down Mila's blood-stained clothes, inspecting her unmarked finger afterwards.

"There's clear signs of resistance from her yet there's also a clear indication that the killer wasn't bothered by it," she continues, her tone mimicking a detective's. I begin to consider the possibilities of last night but stop myself, feeling the remnants of Omar's cooking ready to come back out.

"I mean, I didn't know Mila that well but I doubt anyone would've have a legit reason to want her dead?" Alab chimes in.

Wait.

He knew her?

It was at that exact moment when it hit me like a brick.

We all know each other.

The overwhelming rush of familiarity when meeting Alab, the strong connection to Mateo especially after watching him die, the strange connection between us all? It makes sense.

I don't remember much more from that moment except feeling so painfully overwhelmed that I crash to the ground. After finally coming to my senses again, it's significantly darker than earlier. Alab, Quinn and Omar are standing above me and watching as I wake up.