The police commissioner was walking along the corridor. All the cops he passed by saluted him. He reached one room and met an officer who was guarding it. "Anything?" The commissioner asked.

"Nothing." He replied. The commissioner nodded and went inside the room. A naked man sat in the middle of the room, where two police officers were already stationed. That man was tormented terribly. The commissioner grabbed the picana from one of the officers and went to him. "You've been wasting our time for hours. We're not fools here. Just tell me, who did you kill and why?"

"I don't know anything you're asking." He was panting, and his voice reflected pain. "When I reached there, it was dark, the glass was already broken, and there was no noise."

The commissioner didn't hear anymore and placed the picana on the throat of that electrician. He trembled in pain and screamed. When he removed that equipment, a gulp of saliva mixed with blood spilled out of his mouth. He was unable to breathe. "I'm telling you the truth. Believe me..." Nothing came out of his mouth after that. The only thing that came out was an excruciating scream and water. He was badly drenched.

"Okay, at least tell whom you helped escape with the body when we caught you."

"What are you asking about? I don't know." He screamed in pain.

"Tell us! Who was with you?"

"I don't..."

"Who did you kill?"

"Please try to... I didn't kill anyone." And the man fainted, but the commissioner kept shaking him and asking questions. "Then who killed?"

*  *  *

"Matt..."

"Matt." Podrick said it again as he placed his index finger on a photograph. "Your husband." Then he turned to Nina. She was staring at the album blankly. Podrick sighed. He had been doing that for a month, but no change was visible from her side. At that moment, Lady Kate entered. "Is she well?"

"Sort of," he replied.

"Mom..." Nina let out a whisper. That was the word she had learned weeks ago, and nothing happened after that. She had also learned 'Pod' to address Podrick. Her entire day was spent reciting those two names. Kate glanced at the album and went to Nina. "Dear, everything will be okay. You only need to remember all these members. They are very close to you." And she hugged her. She turned to Podrick and said, "It's her lunch time. After that, a physiotherapist would be coming for her exercise." She left. Actually, John convinced her to have limb surgery so that she could set foot again on the floor. She didn't resist him because she didn't remember anything. Kate also could not go against it, no matter how much she did not want that to happen. As providing any hindrance to the exercise process could make everyone suspicious of her, and she never wanted that. The surgery was successful, and she returned home, but she still had to go through the regular process of exercise. Podrick led Nina to the dining room.

Matt moved to a hotel room with Victoria. It was set up by an outside party. He completed all the formalities with the receptionist. "Is it okay?" He asked Victoria.

"Yeah, much better, but the most important thing is, are we safe here?"

"Of course, dear." He went to the couch and sat with a painful countenance. He wore a tight bandage around his left arm. "Does it hurt badly?" She asked.

"Yeah, a little bit. Thank God that it's not a fracture. I'll be fine within a week or so. Then, I'll go for further examination."

"What?"

"To home. To find out what happened that night."

"What do you mean?"

"I threw Pablo out of the window."

"Okay..."

"But his body was nowhere to be found."

"What?"

"It's true. Right now, the police would be wasting their time with that electrician. By that time, I'll figure out somehow what's the truth."

"Please, don't make it worse."

"Victoria, I have to find out the truth. I cannot risk any loose endings in our plan." He kissed her and went to the bathroom.

Meanwhile, the policemen were asking the members of society who gathered that night at the accident site. The commissioner asked every person present there, and their answers were the same. When the guards went up to the fifteenth floor, a man rushed out of the lift from the ground floor. He was terribly blood-stained and was unable to walk properly. He went to the car, on which the body was lying. He was trying to scare people with a long, sharp-edged glass in his hand, even though he himself was scared. He went to the body, brought it down, and kept it in another car that was standing next to him. A man from the crowd tried to get closer and stop him, but that guy with that weapon bruised him badly. After that, no one even dared to stop him. He got in the car and dashed away.

"Did you see his face? Can you help us with the sketch?"

"Umm, sorry, sir, but none of us saw his face. It was covered with blood and distorted too." One member of the crowd said this to the cop.

"Alright, thanks for the information." The cop said.

The cops were confused, trying to figure out how many people were actually there in that apartment. In their hands, they had no one but an electrician.

A week later, Matt went to his home. Lady Lynda hugged him tightly and asked, "Where were you all this time?"

"Mom, I was sort of busy."

"Matt, please, what are you doing with your life? Why don't you stay with us? I know you left this place because of Nina, but nowadays, she is living with Clarks. So, please stay with us. Stay with me. You know, people even started asking about you. What should I tell them? Matt, things are getting out of hand. It is becoming quite difficult for me to handle all these businesses by myself. I need you." Matt nodded.

"Alright mom. I'll be there with you very soon." That moment, he felt proud while lying. Just then, Nick passed by them. He grew up really quickly during that span. His thin, wiry build gave him an air of mild shabbyness, as if he had outgrown his clothing but hadn't yet acquired new ones. He was a teenage lad. A rising hardness was evident in the way he looked. His clothing was typically ill-fitting and wrinkled, and his messy hair fell in unkempt strands over his forehead. Sharp, focused eyes that exuded an edgy, defiant attitude were indicators of a hardened personality that was beginning to emerge on his formerly young face. He seemed fragile and a little distant, as though he was having difficulty adjusting to the changes of puberty and finding his place in the world, due to his skinny, ill-groomed appearance and his increasingly harsh demeanor.

Lynda called him. He ignored her. She called him again, loudly. He replied in a harsh tone, "What's your problem, grandma? I'm trying to find out who did that to my mother. My father died without any reason, and now there is no trace of grandpa. I think I'm close, you know? Please don't distract me with those shitty things. I have everyone on my radar." His eyes were glued to Matt. "I've got a lot of work to do." He uttered it and left with an irritated look on his face.

Right after that, his friend, Dave, reached the gate. His look was remarkably average for a young gamer. His attire was careworn and laid-back, frequently consisting of faded graphic shirts and sweatpants that suggested extended periods of time spent indoors. His hair fell into his eyes from time to time as he stared closely at the TV. It was messy and disheveled. The computer monitor cast a faint glow over his face, which remained expressionless as he clicked through his games. His slouched posture and worn headphones suggested a prolonged period of keyboard use combined with a lack of interest in the outer world. His entire appearance was sober and pragmatic, more fitting for a life devoted to video games than to fashion or social trends. Matt glanced at him, as did Dave.

"Hello ma'am. Is Nick in his room?" He asked Lynda with a gentle smile. She nodded, and he dashed towards Nick's bedroom. Matt inquired about Nick's recent behavior and about Dave from his mother.

Lynda managed to smile before Matt. She was really embarrassed. "I'm sorry, son. Nick is mostly like this. He thinks someone did that to her mother, says someone is after us, and also drags his friend, Dave, into all this investigation." She managed to laugh helplessly and said, "This is the result of the Sherlock Holmes comics your father used to give him and the detective video games they play together, but at least these things keep the boys busy. I'm happy with that and will be even happier if you join us."

Matt was staring in the air, engrossed in deep thoughts. "Matt...Matt!" Lynda brought him back.

"Huh...Oh sorry. I need to go."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Completely fine." He tried hard to make him look untensed.

"Then, what do you think about my proposal?"

"I'll surely think about that."

"Please, honey, make it soon. You can start a new life with us."

"Mom, I understand." He staggered. "I have to go."

He went to Oswald and said to him, "Sir, I need so much money from the deposits."

"But, sir, our businesses are not going well right now. Even Lady Lynda has forbidden all sorts of investments nowadays."

"This is my firm. Do you know that? You better hand me a blank cheque right away, and I'll talk to my mother later regarding this."

"Alright, sir, as you wish." Oswald said that and handed him a blank, signed cheque. Matt left.

*  *  *

"What?" Victoria screamed.

"It's true," Matt said.

"We have to do something." She came closer to him and said that.

"Sorry? What can we do?"

"Are you out of your mind, Matt? You just said that Nick is very close to finding out, and as you mentioned, he was also glaring at you, which means he is suspicious of you. I'm getting a feeling he is eventually going to find out who did all this." She knelt before him. "Do you know who did this?" Matt had no answer.

She got more irritated. "Us!" She shrieked and got up. "We're both now in deep trouble." She began shaking.

"Whoa...whoa. Hold on! He is just a kid. He can never reach that far."

"I don't think he is a kid anymore. If he is close enough, then he can reach us." Her face was hard to read, but one thing was evident. There was no trace of empathy in there.

"So, what do you want, huh? Should I go to him and tell him that it was not me and he should pack up his detective mission?" Matt snapped. Victoria gave no response to his question. She kept on staring at him, and Matt got her thoughts. "No, no." He said, "Of course not!"

"There is no other choice."

"Are you crazy? I have already attempted murder once, when I tried to kill my wife. I'm not going to kill him either."

"It's for both of us." She tried to calm him down.

"You are out of your mind!" He screamed. "He is just a seventeen-year-old child."

"So what? The point is, he is dangerous to us." Matt kept looking into her straight face with a confused expression.

She continued, "Tell me, do you love him? Earlier, you were ready to remove him from your life when you learned about Nina's truth. I had a thought at that time that I would have convinced you to kill him, but I made a mistake. I believed that he would never become our problem, but I was wrong." She approached him and held his hands. "Now, he is the only hurdle between us and our heaven. Look into my eyes, and tell me that you still love him. He is never ready to talk to you. He is going to expose you. Expose both of us, and you'll let him." She cupped his face. "You should get him out of our way."

Matt was breathing heavily. He was in deep thought, pondering her words. "I'm not a serial killer, Victoria." He said.

"He is not even your blood, Matt." She paused. "Do you know whose blood he has?" She brought her mouth to his ears and let out a whisper, "Brandon's." At that moment, Matt's eyes went red. His fists tightened. The insatiable anger was clearly visible on his face. She said, "He is your enemy by blood. Now, you have no reason to keep him alive." Matt started breathing loudly, which symbolized his grudge. "Think for our future, dear. Think about us. Think about our paradise." He sat there in that same posture and slowly turned to her.

She hugged him like a baby and made him comfortable as he was filled with rage. "Save it." She advised while wrapping her arms around him and began singing 'Paradise' by Coldplay, close to his ears.

When they got apart, Matt was quiet for a while.

"I'm ready." That's all he said.