Cassandra took a deep breath, her gaze soft but firm as she spoke. "Dasika, your brother's family... they were murdered recently. The entire family, except for his daughter—your niece. Her body hasn't been found, and we believe she wasn't killed."
As the words sank in, Dasika's face went pale. She blinked a few tis, as though trying to process the heavy truth. Her hands, which had been resting calmly at her sides, suddenly began to tremble. The smile that had graced her face just monts ago vanished, replaced by a look of pure shock. She took an unsteady step back, her body swaying as though she could no longer support herself under the weight of the news.
The room fell silent, the only sound the rustling of the trees outside and the soft creak of the wooden floor beneath their feet. It was as if the world itself held its breath, waiting for her to speak, to react. But she couldn't. She simply stared, wide-eyed and unblinking, as though the ground beneath her had shifted.
Cassandra, seeing her stumble, instinctively moved forward and caught her by the arm, steadying her. Her voice was gentle, filled with empathy. "Please, sit down," she urged softly. "I know this is shocking and painful, but we need your help. We're here to find out who did this, to catch the murderer. If you could answer so of our questions, it would help us."
Dasika's trembling hands gripped the edge of a nearby table, and she closed her eyes, trying to steady her breath. The shock seed to be overwhelming her, leaving her frozen in place for a mont. Her lips parted, but she couldn't speak—she only shook her head slowly, as if in disbelief.
Minutes passed, and slowly the shock began to wear off, though the sorrow lingered in her eyes. Dasika's gaze wandered to the statue of the Pained Goddess at the far end of the room. Her hands clasped together in prayer, her voice barely a whisper as she asked aloud, "Why, Goddess? Why must I feel this pain? Why have you chosen to bear this weight?"
Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She looked up at the statue, as though waiting for so divine response, but there was only silence.
It was then that the sound of a child's laughter cut through the heavy atmosphere. The door to the small house opened, and in ca a young boy, no older than eight or nine, his cheeks flushed from running. His eyes were bright, his smile wide as he giggled and caught his breath. He had clearly been playing outside.
But when he saw his mother standing there, tears streaming down her face, his smile faltered. The joy in his eyes quickly dimd, and he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Mom... why are you crying?" the boy asked innocently, his voice small but full of concern. His little hands reached out, trying to comfort her without fully understanding what had happened.
Dasika, her hands still trembling, quickly wiped away the tears from her face, though they continued to fall. She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's nothing, my dear," she said, her voice unsteady. "Mom is just... feeling a little sad, that's all."
The boy stared at her for a mont, his brow furrowed as he looked between his mother and the strangers in the room. He didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press the matter further. He simply walked up to her, hugging her legs tightly, his small arms trying to comfort her.
The room was heavy with grief, but the presence of the child seed to shift the air slightly, grounding Dasika in a way. She looked down at him, her heart aching, torn between the sorrow she felt for the loss of her family and the need to protect the boy who stood before her, unaware of the tragedy unfolding around them.
Cassandra gave Dasika a mont, her heart aching for her as well. She could feel the weight of the nun's grief, and it made her wish even more that they didn't have to be the ones to bear this news. But there was no turning back now.
"Dasika," Cassandra began softly, her voice gentle but firm, "I know this is difficult, and we're sorry to have to bring you such news. But we need to ask you about Pastor Abraham Cronus, the man who helped your brother's family move to the city. Anything you know about him could help."
Dasika's expression grew confused. "Why the pastor?" she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.
Cassandra hesitated for a mont, clearly weighing her words. Finally, she spoke, her voice lower. "We believe Pastor Cronus might be connected to the murders. It wasn't just your brother's family—six families have been killed so far, and we suspect more could follow. If you know anything about him, anything at all, please, you have to tell us."
To their shock, Dasika suddenly beca defensive. She shook her head, her voice rising slightly. "He wouldn't do sothing evil like this."
"I've been telling them the sa," Russella added, her tone sharp with frustration. "He's a kind man, the kindest I've ever known."
Russella glared at Cassandra, who looked visibly frustrated by their reaction. Stay connected with мѵʟ
As Cassian stepped into the conversation, he raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Whoa, whoa, no need to fight…"
Cassandra shot him an angry look, but he quickly looked away and continued, "Lady Russella, Detective Cassandra isn't saying he murdered those families. She's just saying it's possible he might have known sothing about them. All we're asking is if you know where he might be, or if you know of any other families he helped move to the city. We need to confirm sothing."
The two won exchanged a tense glance before Dasika spoke, her voice cautious. "I don't know where he is now, but I do know of two families he helped move to the city. He helped my brother's family, and there was another tow."
Saying this, Dasika shared what she knew about the families, and Russella also added information about another family she was familiar with—one that was different from the two Dasika ntioned. She had told Cassian about it the night before, but he was grateful that Russella had brought it up herself. If he had ntioned it, Cassandra and Dallas would have bombarded him with questions about why she told him and how it happened, which would have been troubleso. Cassian silently thanked her for saving him from that hassle.
User Comments
0 comments from readers