THE INEVITABLE

CHAPTER 5: The One

John was shocked to see what he had unraveled. The murder took place exactly one week ago. One of the officers working with him in the case, was actually the killer. It was either Alex, or Parker. But which one was it?

"Which one of them is the killer? What was the motive? Why should a police officer kill a business man?" asked a confused John to himself. He was sitting at his desk, in the office. It had been more than a month since he last sat there. That desk was his spot. That's where his brain functioned rapidly. He would sit there and search for answers if the case proved to be challenging. This was the second time he sat there for hours together, thinking about a case. This was challenging in a different way. Even if he solved the case, he would be forced to arrest one of his fellow colleagues.

Just then, the chief came in. He hadn't told the chief about this yet. He was determined to find the killer, and then report it to the chief.

"How's the case proceeding? Any luck?", asked Harrison.
"I've narrowed it down to a few people sir. I'll find him within 12 hours, and report it to you sir!", said John.
"Jeez. Your voice sounds deep. Your throat should be too damn dry. Drink some water, would ya?" said Harrison.
"What did you just say sir?"
"drink some water. Why?"

WATER! It was raining that night. It started raining around 2:00 in the morning, and stopped by 4:00.
The killer could enter only through the empty ground at the back of Raymond's house. He enter​s the place around 3:55. By 4:00, he had raised his hand to stab Raymond. It would have taken at least five minutes from then for him to get out through the ground, once again. So, it was around 4:05 when the killer leaves Raymond's house. The rain stopped by then. The ground too is off limits for anyone other than the police. So, no one would have walked on the ground after that. As it was raining, all the footprints in the ground would have been wiped out. It had stopped raining by the time the killer leaves the crime scene through the same ground. So, his footprints would be there. If no one else can enter the ground, then according to my calculations, the footprints of the killer leaving the crime scene would be there.

"That's it! Even the killer would not have realized that. When someone goes to murder a person, they would be fixated on that. He would not have realized that it had stopped raining by the time he left Raymond's house."

John was standing there, in front of the ground. It was just as he thought. The footprints of the killer, leaving the scene was there.

He measured the foot size from the crime scene and compared it with the shoe sizes of both Alex and Parker.

Only one of them matched with the killer's size.
It was Raymond's cousin Alex. One of John's friends had killed the other.
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Thanks to all those who read my story so far. I'll be publishing the next chapter within the next 24 hrs. So stay tuned! Comment /vote if possible. PM me on suggestions.
With lots of love, Rahul :)