Shadows of Death

Chapter 3 (Charlie section 9)

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Charlie raised his eyebrows with surprise and said: "Funny?! You don't believe me?!"

Mr. Rasoli sat smoothly and asked: "I should believe this story?!"

It was what Charlie was afraid of. So with consternation he pleaded: "I swear, I'm telling you the truth. Daevas and Peris are real. I saw them. Those three Daevas thought I had perfume like Peris'. They wanted to kill me. I'm telling...."

Mr. Rasoli cut him off: "Five years ago I believed you were a member of a professional band of thieves. The attorney general believed me with reservations and the judge didn't believe me completely. But I think if they were here now, without any doubt they would accept my claim five years ago! That was a beautiful story, Charlie. I was entertained for half an hour. You story was almost without any defects, Mr. Arman!"

Charlie said with disbelief: "Entertained?! You didn't believe my words?"

Mr. Rasoli shook his head. "You know, Mr. Arman, before I transferred to the police force I worked in the east of the country for ten years. Ten years in the east of country and along the Pakistan border, I faced terrorists you couldn't even imagine in your dream. These terrorists were really smart. They told beautiful stories after their arrests. After all, they were not illiterate terrorists. Their education levels were normal, even high. They read the newspaper every day..."

Charlie cut Mr. Rasoli off with a loud voice saying: "my words aren't written in any of the newspapers." He understood Mr. Rasoli's purpose. Charlie knew he was referring to the passage in yesterday's "Tehran times."

Mr. Rasoli nodded and said: "Oh, that's interesting! So you read the newspaper?!"

He paused, then continued: "Well, every story has an origin. Why shouldn't I believe your story's origin is not nonsense from that newspaper?" Then he stared at Charlie's surprised and angry eyes with a triumphant smile.

Charlie with gritted teeth said: "Sir, I'm not lying. I swear to God, I'm telling the truth. You should believe my words. Peris and Daevas are real. I saw the queen of the Peris. I saw the Daevas who were going to kill me. In that recording from the supermarket everything is clear!" Charlie yelled his last sentences.

Mr. Rasoli, who had listened coolly and calmly to Charlie's speech and arguments, suddenly got angry. He slammed his hand on the table and put his face as close as he could to Charlie's face and then shouted: "Don't tell me this crap! In that video it is clear that some people wearing disguise wanted to kill you and you hid there. But before they could do something like that, they froze all the people in that street. They just decreased the temperature to fifty degrees below zero suddenly, just in that street. Your denial doesn't have any benefit for you. The bodies have been autopsied. The forensics clearly said the bodies you said are Daevas are actually human. Do you understand? Human! But it gets better. We have analyzed those nails, too. Do you know what we found?!"

He shouted, his eyes glowing. "An unknown substance! This unknown substance could answer one of our questions about this case. That it is, why would they use ancient weapons in an age of technology? Now we understand that this unknown substance was our missing link. Certainly you know better. Yeah, surely you know. You know that substance somehow destroys all of the body's system in less than three seconds, even when a person is only scratched with those nails."

He pounded on the table and spat. "Tell me the name of this substance is! The men who were looking for you and your friends, why should they freeze all the people on one street? How did they do it? Which kind of technology and method did they use? Which country or government are they working for? And how did they obtain these unique weapons? And you...who are you really working for? Charlie, answer me!"

Charlie with voice full of fear said: "I don't know. I swear. I don't understand what are you talking about. They were Daevas. When they were killed, their bodies changed. They became smaller. I didn't kill them. The Peris killed them. You have to believe me, I swear, I'm telling the truth!"

A teardrop flowed down his hot cheeks. He continued: "Five years ago you thought I was a terrorist, I was a member of a professional band of thieves. But that diadem appeared in my hand, I didn't even touch the glass. But you didn't believe me. You just asked me which group I was working with. Now I'm caught in the middle of a story again, suddenly you think I'm working with terrorists again. I'm not a member of any gang. I swear to God, everything I said was the truth. You must believe me."

He stared insistently and with tearful eyes at Mr. Rasoli, who now stood up in front of him. Although the anger and rage completely faded out of his face, he still looked hesitantly to Charlie.

Mr. Rasoli took a deep breath to calm himself. Then he whispered: "Words, just words. You need proof. Proof is all that's important. I need evidence. Five years ago you repeated every moment that you were innocent and that the diadem got into your hand unwanted, but you never give me any acceptable and evidence. My bosses want evidence to prove you are guilty or innocent. So give me evidence. At least introduce me to a person who could corroborate your story."

Charlie said without thinking: "Christopher...Christopher Artimani. He believes Peris and Daevas are real. A few minutes before I got out of the car he talked with me about Peris and Daevas and their special gates. He can confirm my story."

He stared hopefully at Mr. Rasoli. Christopher was his only chance and Charlie was sure he would say everything if he knew.

Mr. Rasoli still couldn't believe Charlie's speech, but with reluctance he pulled a white paper out of the green case and put it in front of Charlie with a pen. Then he said: "Write his address...and hope he will confirm your story."

Charlie picked up the pen and while he wrote Christopher's address he said with hope: "I'm sure he will tell you everything he knows."

He wrote the address and then gave back the paper and pen to Mr. Rasoli.

Mr. Rasoli, without looking at the paper, put it back into the folder and said: "I think that's enough for today. The remainder of the interrogation will be after Mr. Artimani's interrogation!"