THIEF OF BREAN (VOL-1)|✓

SCARLET SCREAMS- XXXI

There had been a good recovery in Lily Freeman's conditions by the next day. Carl had done an enquiry about her in the infirmary. As it happened, none of the nurses or nuns had seen Lily leave the infirmary the other day. 

One of the nurses claimed that she had last seen Lily with Janess Katriel, going to the orphanage, while another nun remembered seeing her with her son in the cloisters. That was it. When enquired, the Abbess had claimed that Lily had come to her asking if she could spend some time with her son. The Abbess had agreed to it. 

Likewise, Lily had had spent the morning with him and returned to the infirmary quarters around noon. The old woman in the ward said she had seen her leave for a bath soon after. That was the last that anyone had seen her.

"You think she tried to run off?" asked Giles. He pulled himself away from the table when the waiter walked in with his plate of cured ham.

Carl flicked his notepad close and drummed it on the table. "Why on earth would she do anything like that?"

Giles shrugged. "We'll know once she wakes up."

Carl nodded. He was waiting for it desperately.

"What if the Vermit woman you suspect was not alone?" Giles bit off the ham slice. "What if they were all a group? They used to be that way before. And I think they still live and work like that, in packs, like wolves."

Carl downed a mouthful of beer from his glass and let his nerves ease down. A group of Vermits trying to take down the army—sounded very familiar.

But he chose not to dwell on it much. He could go on guessing things and never really be able to reach the crux of it without any leads or evidence. It had become that convoluted now. Sure, it he had taken too long to reach this realisation, but glad he did. Now he could do make fewer theories and focus more on reality.

Giles' forehead creased like it did every time he got into thinking very heard. "Never thought it would become such mishmash," he sighed.

"Oh well, I just hope it doesn't get worse."

"So what about this woman? Maybe we can hold a round of questioning. However, I don't think it is going to serve any purpose. The Vermits are known to be hard-ass people. Despite of being so less in numbers they'd given a great fight against the military. They even posed great danger to the general public... but always refused to accept their fault. Their atrocities forced the state to form Act-111. And yet, they never learn."

"And now," he continued, "I am afraid it is going to be tough without ground evidences. This Vermit liberation thing... it has already become an international issue. A flagrant violation of human rights and liberties by the state of Aristos," he slurped his beer. "The President is sure in the receiving end of the heat from the international peace councils. They are pressuring the state to take the matter seriously, have the Vermits released from Sielkhaan and send them back to their home country."

"So what we cannot book her even if we found out she was doing something illegal?"

"We can. But with a concrete set of evidences. Not circumstantial."

Well, Lily Freeman had seen Osanne the previous day. But that wouldn't be considered as a proof to support his theories. Lily has seen her mend her wounds. That wasn't the impression he would want to prove her guilty. The only thing he was now hoping on was the samples of cidar and the ash-like powder he had sent to the labs for analysis.

"Balin Grey was out of the constabulary for no reason, wasn't he?"

"He was but he was off during free hours, and his superior's consent. You see, it can weaken our claims. It was snowing heavily yesterday, he can give that reason for the delay—"

"Oh, c'mon, he was gone like for three hours."

"I am just saying that all of this is not going make for strong evidence. Moreover, it will be tougher to prove Osanne's part in this situation. She was here for what—"

"Seventeen years," Carl muttered in disfavour, having gotten the hint where Giles was heading with his suppositions.

"The murders started just a month ago."

Carl threw the last of the beer down his throat and groaned. "The system is more threatened by the political situation in the capital than a killer on the loose, isn't it?"

"No kidding," said Giles. "And the humanists wouldn't stop to think twice before blaming on the military and the intelligence for labelling an innocent Vermit woman to cover our inability to crack a case. I mean... they are not totally false. Such incidences have happened in the past. Innocent Vermit have been falsely accused and thrown into Sielkhaan just because they were Vermits. But," he sighed and looked out of window to the busy street. He did not continue.

The method of killing was similar to that of the Sentinels. The doctors thought it was a kitchen knife. It was something obvious as the person could not have used military dirk this time. Carl sat staring at his empty glass. He had an urge to chug a bottle full of beer. Just as he was nearing the conclusion that the two cases were different and trying to refocus on the murders, things had overturned.

"But my question is—why now? This person really did not think we were going to believe it to be another suicide, did he?" he scoffed.

"I like to believe he was forced to kill her off. Maybe he was afraid she would recover the forgotten memories overtime."

"He had his first chance."

Carl shrugged. He could not fathom this person's motives. His mind was again drifting toward the possibility of a deranged killer who had no goddamn idea what he was doing.

"I hope she meant the killer when she said she saw him," said Giles.

Giles rose up and pinned his military hat over his head. Carl's mind drew a blank. They were supposed to go somewhere after this. Oh yes, he remembered then, they were about their way to hospital in order to procure Lily's statement. He shook his head to clear the sudden daze of his mind. The case was not done yet. There was still a hope. He slid his notepad to his coat and picked up his own hat. They set off to the manor hospital.