Duskwood: under cover of dusk (English)

#1. The circle of the conspirators

All... Like this? Is this how it ends?
And from the very beginning, we weren't even dealing with a desperate father taking revenge for a child, or a cruel, evil villain, but... who? A confused boy who wanted to do the 'right thing' and did all sorts of things along the way...

Damn it... How it even possible?!
I can't take it anymore. I give up. Hands drop, literally. Silence. Almost. I hear only Jessy's cry from the phone. Poor girl... Now she knows, too. Richy had told her a few things while sitting in the mine, but the details were carefully thrown out to me. 'Ana will explain everything to you.' Thank you, honey! I love such stories, and even more so to stay on the edge of them. My eyes sting. I rub my eyes, red from staring at the screen, and finally realize that tears are running down my cheeks.

I don't know how I feel. All this time, it seemed that if I found out the identity of 'the man without a face', I would tear him to feathers with my own hands. And now I'm sitting here crying over Richy's confession. My Richy, the boy I'd come to think of as my best friend during this stupid days.

Jake called me the key to solving this case. Well, I kinda solved... I can't do anything now. I can't finish the investigation by punishing the criminal myself, and I can't tell Alan or anyone else in the police department. Jake had once asked me if I could think coolly, without emotion. Turns out I can't. Emotions are stronger than me - that's the answer. I know how to do the right thing, but instead I grab the phone and almost growl into it:

"Whatever you're up to, don't you dare!"

And in response a tired weak voice:

"I'm so sorry... It's already late."

Idiot! Just a freaking fool!

"Turn on the camera."

I want to see him again. Look into those eyes again, just look at the criminal who was hunted so hard, giving all of himself. A criminal, huh...

It's strange that he listens. It's strange what he turns on it. It's strange that in the end he just looks at me and doesn't say anything, almost crying.

"Why did you come to that house? Jessy was scared to death."

Silent. 'One day Ana will figure it out for herself,' of course. They always treat me that way. And I don't want to figure out any more, I'm tired. But as if anyone cares. I sigh and look at my silent, broken friend. Richy, Richy... You're stupid boy. You chose radical methods.

"I'm sorry about what happened."

"I know... Is that your lighter? What for?.."
Smiling... He's smiling! Oh, I don't like that smile. Absolutely, completely don't like it. Considering that there are some cans in the background.

"I already told you. The man without a face must disappear. For Jennifer's sake, and for Hannah's sake."

"Then let the man without a face disappear! And you put the stuff down and get out of there! Do you know how worried Hannah is?! Do you think she'd be happy to make such a sacrifice? If it's for her..."

Again, not a single word. Just that smile with tears in his eyes, the click of a lighter, and the phone goes dead. And I'm just left in a dark room, alone with the knowledge of what this fool is going to do and the inability to help. None of them. Oh, shit. Heck! What's the big deal?..

So what do we do now? Just forget about everything like a dream, live a normal life, huh... Hahahaha... Why does a stupid impossible thought seems so funny? I roll around on the floor, laughing and smearing tears on my cheeks.

Why.
Everything.
Like this.

No wonder I was afraid to find out the truth. This is more than I can take in my freaking right mind! Richy, Richy... What the hell? What kind of idiotic self-sacrifice is this? We would have found a way. The four of us, Richy, Hannah, and Jessy and me, would come up with something. But instead... Fool.
"I can't do anything right now." Probably even contact someone to find out what's going on. No one in the group is anywhere near Grimrock, Alan barely has time for calling, Hannah... There are two 'but': she doesn't have a phone, and I don't have her number.