BROKEN BUTTERFLY; Beyond The Night That Differs Love And Lust
CHAPTER 05. FRACTION CONJUNCTION
“Halo? Juno?”
The voice sounded far from calm across the phone. My head has been spinning ever since I got home from the library, but it's been so much better since I got to my house and a hot cup of coffee in my hand.
I'm in my room on the second floor, sitting in my study chair, stationery ready at my desk in case I need to take notes. I tried to sound as calm as possible even though adrenaline was flooding my brain vessels.
“Ben.. please explain everything, in order.!”
Benji who is also commonly called a journalist in my class breathed a bit long. I hope he can explain everything calmly without missing a single detail, about the photo of the victim he sent this afternoon, about everything he knows about this case.
“So.. Did you know I skipped the afternoon lesson? Well, I got word if in district park S there is an incident and immediately unplug ga pake mikir.”
Well, this explains the absence of the afternoon, if it was that hot I could understand why he skipped even though he knew there would be a test.
“I got to the scene and there was also a police ambulance there, some photos after I took before finally a police officer who was on guard pulled me out of tkp.”
The photo on the phone, but it's definitely not the one he sent me.
“Then?” I began to get impatient.
“A policeman who claimed to be a detective asked me a few questions. I'm cooperative.my whereabouts there are already very suspicious.”.
“From that cop you got a photo you sent this afternoon?”
“Iya, he said it was from a previous case. I was asked about the victims who turned out to be our age. The detective suspects there is a certain motive in the case.”
“And.”
“And the killer is still roaming this city!”
As much as possible I don't want to hear that conclusion. I knew clearly without having to hear the whole story, and that was the conclusion I was most unwilling to meet.
I massage my forehead just to get rid of dizziness, since from the library earlier it feels like my head is very heavy. I used the back of my chair, the coffee on the table I brought from the kitchen I haven't drunk since. I'm in my room, at my study desk with a cup of coffee and a case that's been haunting me for the past week. It wasn't the friend I expected at night that demanded me to take a break because I still had to go to school tomorrow.
Alright Juno, let's sort the problem from the beginning.
…
The bus was packed full of passengers, afternoon office hours. I'm on my way home with two girls who are increasingly agreeing to disagree with each other. Sitting in the middle, between two forces that could destroy each other whenever there was a chance, I mean literally, the pressure between the two of them was really sultry. Plus the crowded passengers on the bus, complete already my suffering this afternoon.
The two sides on my right and left are currently completely opposite each other. Weena on my right sat down while hugging the backpack she had placed on her lap, her glasses she was wearing just covering her tired face. I knew she could fall asleep easily in this position, and her sleeping face would look very cute with those glasses. Alice, on the other hand, seemed completely unperturbed by any inconvenience on this bus. He was engrossed in the song, humming as if no one had heard it while occasionally playing with the ornate teru-teru bozu doll on his smartphone case. Totally unaffected by the hustle and bustle around him.
“So how? Want to try investigating this case?” Alice began to open a conversation that felt wrong this place.
“Hah? Case?”
I tried to avoid the topic that would have triggered the conflict in the library earlier. I saw an uncle standing in front of me hoping to give him a seat.
“Learning our kayak has nothing to do with such a case! Don't be kidding!”
Weena held my arm to stay seated by her side. My best friend knew very well the escape route I was trying to take.
“Hee? Not because it fits! This will be Juno's next detective adventure story!”
First, I hate the name detective. Next I think you two are just as right and just as wrong.
“Where, Juno? Want huh? Want to! I'll be your assistant for this case!”
“Hah!? Not wrong? What can you help?”
The question was not answered but with a fierce look between the two. Someone please save me.
“You too have even been put on it anyway! Juno said something what is it!” the question was followed by a hard pinch on my right arm.
“What should I say? This case is obviously troublesome.”
“Hee? How come? Little dong Sherlock spirit!! “
“Alice, someone was killed in this case. I'm not a sociopath who would be excited because of this kind of thing.”
“But you are curious right? Don't you? Kaaan?”
In this case Alice has a point. Although I know this is troublesome, but my brain has automatically searched for possibilities and compiled them into theories. But this is troublesome..
“That's not the job of the police to solve this case? Why bother solving a case that will eventually be resolved by the authorities?”
My best friend knows me to the level of being able to read my mind. Nice Weena's!
The bus slowed down, a sign that it would soon arrive at a stop, the stop where Weena was descending. He stood ready to get off the bus that was almost completely stopped. Her tiny body was crammed into the crowded bus that afternoon.
“Before let me confirm. Juno, if you try this case I won't bother you. It's all up to you. But I'm not gonna help you with this either. I'll always help you, whatever the case, but don't make this one.”
His last words before leaving me this afternoon sounded very firm and solemn, like an ultimatum. And I can understand his attitude like that. To a Weena Shurelion this sort of thing was definitely not her world, or yes at least not the thing she expected to be in her world. I'm well aware that the murder mystery we're talking about is not a joke, not a story about losing an item that after being discovered everything will end happy ending. Several people have been killed, exactly three people, three humans who have family, friends, and other backgrounds have met the end of the story in a tragic way.
Just thinking about it makes the head feel full. Imagining those who have lost their lives and the perpetrators who I don't know can reach their minds. This story has been bad ending before it all started, no matter what decision I make it will still not be able to bring back the lives of those who have been lost. This is not like the case of losing a cell phone at the inn the other day.
I've been quiet since Weena left. I understand the gravity of coming event in front of me. I can't bear all this. Not without Weena beside me.
I realized we had come this far, I hadn't noticed my surroundings since Weena's departure on the bus. Fortunately, nothing happened, well I could have gotten off the stop or tripped when I got off the bus. Then I noticed my hand which was held by the girl beside me. Alice, from earlier she led me who was immersed in my own thoughts. And he led me who walked like a dazed to this garden.
I stood up for a while, gathering my consciousness scattered here and there during the journey. Looking towards the park that was now blocked by the police line with a blank look, trying to find things I could not find in that place.
“I think you can do better than this!”
“Hah? Wh why? Me?” I'm not ready for that statement that must look stupid.
“Iya, you. What I've shaken from my friends you've always been reliable and genius. You should not have to rely too much on Weena.”
“Why do you think I depend on Weena?”
He didn't answer my obvious question.
“Try me, now how many theories have you thought about this case?”
“There are.. eleven. but I can narrow it down to five if needed.”.
“May I know? One aja!”
“What good do you know about this? There are no good things you can find in this kind of situation, you better stop.”
“Hoo.. I became more curious about the contents of your head.”
No, I'm sure he doesn't want to know.
“You must be curious too, right? Solved this case.” The question sounds like it's teasing me.
“I have a few guesses, but none of those guesses I want to prove.”
“But?” ask the girl with a smile.
“But what?”
“Entahlah..your sentence was just an unfinished kayak.. ehehee.”.
Mind games? Is this a mind game so I want to follow his wishes?
“Udah yes! I'm h-home. If you are still curious about this case we can investigate together! You can trust me, I will be your assistant!”
And his figure disappeared behind the turn. Alice Eris, the girl I just met yesterday said I can trust her. Can I trust him? In cases where several people have been killed in chains. Solving a murder case is certainly not without risk, on the contrary because it is related to life so life is at stake. Can I trust the girl I just met yesterday?
…
“Juno! Hey, Juno!”
Benji's voice across the phone made me realize.
“So what do you think?”
What do I think? Wait, I don't seem to have really listened to the previous question.
“Yak, hello? I'm sorry I was a district. Can you please repeat the question?”
“Yah's.. So now the police are hunting down this unknown perpetrator. And since the previous victims of high school students were like us, it feels like we need to do something about it.. It's possible that we can help us prevent the next murder, or maybe we can even help the police catch the culprit!”
“Possibly you just said tuh.. Sounds grandiose.”
“Make me maybe grandiose, but not for you.”
Huh huh? I don't understand the direction of the conversation..
“..You're Juno, if there's one person I know who can solve this kind of case.. Yes, you're the only one!”
“What is not excessive huh?”
“Engga! Detective Juno!”
For what reason do I hate that call.
“Alright Mr. Journalist, before I hang up. You said you took some pictures from the scene, right? can you please sendin?”
“Okey-dokey!”
I closed the phone, and an email containing a collection of photos I received on my computer. A picture of the park near my house that I know so well. And of course he was there.
There was a strange feeling of pleasure and relief I felt when I saw her figure in one of the photos Benji sent. Elegant figure in a black suit. The mysterious woman.
…