ASSESSINATION AT MIDNIGHT

4 (ENGLISH)

Singto was reading the list where the victim's personal effects were written when Tae, followed by Krist, entered through the door with a face full of curiosity.

- "I had just arrived at the police station" - he said as he sat in one of the armchairs and placed his legs on the little table in front of him - "Why did you make me come in such a hurry?"

- "Have you brought it with you?" - asked the young man without giving any kind of explanation.

Tae smiled as he showed them a plastic bag with a card identical to the one they had.

- "Although I do not know why you want it .."

- " Let's go!"

Singto got up and went to the door with quick and agile steps.

In a second they were outside the dormitory and going upstairs again.

The young man could barely control his excitement as he climbed the steps of the staircase that led to the third floor two by two.

Finally he stopped in front of one of the doors and waited for Tae and Krist to reach him ...

- "You and your exercise mania" - Tae muttered as he tried to catch his breath.

- "And you should start working out, you're getting fatter" - answered Sing while looking towards his cousin's belly.

- " I'm not fat!" - Tae exclaimed as he took out the test bag and brought the card to the door.

It opened with a slight click leaving the inspector and the two young people with their eyes on the hole from which the interior of the bedroom could be seen.

- "So..., if this is Max's card, whose is the one that is in his room?" - Tae muttered as he opened the door completely and entered the dormitory.

Krist frowned as he watched the closed door of the roommate who had left during the previous year.

What if....?

- "Why do not you try it with the lock of the other room?" - He said when he saw Tae come back with the card in his hand.

Singto frowned as he watched his cousin try the card with the door. 

A click was heard and, without making any noise,  it opened revealing a room of reddish tones that, despite being unoccupied, did not present any speck of dust.

- "Someone has cleaned it ..."

A FEW MINUTES LATER...

Tae, Singto and Krist watched the experts as they checked the red room.

It was clear that  someone had entered and cleaned the place but, the staff who cleaned the rooms denied having even entered there because, as the protocol stated, they don't tend to clean vacant bedrooms until they were assigned and only a few days before the arrival of the new student.

- "There is nothing" - said one of the investigators who, with a white coat and gloves to avoid leaving his fingerprints in the possible proofs, approached the three young people who were waiting in the living room.

Tae frowned as he looked at the little card that was now  inside a plastic bag.

- "I do not understand what he was doing with it.." - Tae said while frowning.

Singto, however, was staring at the researcher.

- " There was nothing?" - Said like wanting to make sure of something - "nothing at all?".

- " No, nothing".

The young man turned to the table and, with slow steps, walked over to pick up the plastic bag. After which he turned to Tae and Krist, who were watching him with identical expressions of curiosity.

- "If there are no fingerprints, not even Max's ... why did he keep the card? Or was it placed after his death?"

- "And in the rest?" - Krist asked making three people turn to fix their eyes on him.

The young man was not used to being observed in that way, let alone being the center of attention. 

He was, in that, too similar to his uncle Arthit. 

However, while trying to control his rapid heartbeat and flushed cheeks, continued to expose what had come to mind after hearing the comment of Singto.

His instinct told him that they had finally found their way and that now, they should only walk on it ...

- "I mean the locker or his storage room" - explained Krist as he watched how Singto's face began to brighten when he understood what he was trying to say.

- Of course!" - the young man mumbled and, with quick steps, headed for the front door followed closely by Tae, Krist and the expert that was a close friend of his cousin.

The young scientist Tee Thanapon.

The four young men descended the stairs until they reached the basement floor where a single white door that was always open, gave way to the small storage rooms that were given to each of the students who lived in the residence.

- "It is this one" - said Tae while pointing to a door that had the same number as the one on the ID card.

Tee immediately took control, analyzing the knob on the door and the reader that was just below it.

A few minutes later he sat up while shaking his head.

- "It's clean" - he said as he left the place to Tae.

The inspector, very carefully, approached the reader with the card. 

The door opened without making any noise.

There, right in front of the door and in a completely empty room, was a large table on which was a small black box that made everyone hold their breath because it was exactly the same as they had taken the previous day from Singto and Krist's dormitory.

A box that, however, was completely open.