Silent Jack

Quest

Sarah and Noah entered Emily Harris's apartment and looked around. It was, no doubt, a luxurious place to live and gave a clear idea of the Harris family's financial status.

"Please, come in," Emily said and took them to the living room.

"Have a seat," Emily said in a polite tone and then turned toward the open kitchen.

"She is so cute," Noah said in a suppressed tone, focusing his eyes on Emily, who was arranging cans of soft drink on a serving tray.

"Shut up, Noah," Sarah scolded him in a low voice, trying to warn him with her eyes, but he wasn't attentive.

"Why didn't I meet her before?" Noah said again.

"Because you were busy getting a warning letter from the chief, who is tired of your reckless behavior and inconsistent performance," Sarah said in a low voice.

"Don't talk like that... it can spoil my image in front of her," Noah said, giving an angry look to Sarah.

"By the way, you cannot afford her as a girlfriend... the price of her handbag is way more than your monthly salary," Sarah said sarcastically.

"How materialistic you are," Noah said. Before he could say anything else, Emily came back to the living room, placed the tray on the central table, and sat down on a single sofa.

"So, how did your meeting with the Dean of St. Senan Psychiatric Hospital go?" Emily asked in an excited tone. "And did you meet with Jack too?" she asked further.

Sarah nodded and continued, "Yes, we met with Dean Shawn White and had a detailed discussion with him."

"But it didn't prove to be quite fruitful," Sarah added.

"What did the Dean say?" Emily asked in a concerned tone.

Sarah sank into the sofa, rubbed her neck, and continued, "The meeting was... overwhelming. The Dean gave us a detailed account of Jack's condition. He told us that his mental health is still unfit and that Jack hasn't spoken a word for the past fifteen years."

"What are you saying?" Emily asked in amazement.

"Yes, while reading old case files of the murder of Harris family members, we found out that when police found Jack in a dug-up hole, he was silent and behaving as if he was immensely scared. The police tried to make him speak, but he didn't break his silence, and with every passing moment, his mental condition worsened. As per court orders, Jack was sent to a mental asylum where a team of doctors and psychiatrists tried their best to make him speak, but they failed terribly, and no one could get him to speak," Sarah said. She continued, "Jack is still non-responsive, and according to the Dean, Jack is suffering from split personality disorder. There's been no progress in his condition despite continuous treatment, and they're not very optimistic that he will show improvement in the near future."

Sarah knew that her words were raising Emily's disappointment, but she had to tell her the truth.

"Since when has Jack had this split personality disorder?" Emily asked in shock, as she wasn't aware of it.

"Since he was admitted to St. Senan," Sarah replied. "They mentioned that Jack's case is unusual. They're stumped by his emotional and psychological state. They've tried everything they can think of, but nothing has proven to be helpful." Sarah's words further heightened Emily's disappointment and tension.

"You told me that without Jack's statement, you don't have anything else to crack the case and find the killer. So, if he doesn't speak at all, how are you going to catch the killer?" Emily asked in a tense tone.