"I need to take a breather. I'll leave you here for now, Catherine," Josh said, informing his wife, who was busy inside the laboratory checking the test results requested by their client.
She didn't respond and simply continued working.
Josh stepped outside the lab.
He stood there for a moment, breathing in the fresh air. He lit a cigarette, hoping to get rid of the strong chemical smell that always clung to him after spending too long inside the laboratory.
He looked around the place where they lived.
It was incredibly quiet, surrounded by tall trees that kept the air cool and fresh.
Josh touched his neck.
The bite mark was still there—deep from the dog that had been one of their experimental subjects.
He also had wounds and scratches on his legs, hands, and other parts of his body.
Am I really one of the suspects in Aliya's murder?
The thought crossed his mind whenever he remembered the police summons.
He laughed bitterly and shook his head.
"Silly, Aya. What got into you for accusing your own family? Do you hate us that much?"
He exhaled cigarette smoke.
"Even if you think we're mad scientists," he muttered, "I would never take your lives. If I had wanted to do that, you wouldn't even exist in this world. We would have dissected you when you were babies—before you even knew anything."
"Josh."
He heard his wife's voice.
He sighed and turned to Catherine, who now stood before him with a frown.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Speak to me honestly, Josh," she said.
"Are you still suspecting that I killed Aliya?" he asked.
"I don't know, Josh. Read this statement," she said, handing him a letter.
"I don't want to read it."
"Josh, there's a witness who saw you. Did you go to Aya's vet clinic that night?" she asked.
He turned sharply to face her.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Josh! Did you go there that night?" she repeated.
"Yes! I went there—but before the incident happened!" he admitted.
"Really? They found fingerprints on the door handle, Josh. And those fingerprints matched yours."
"Fine, fine. Yes, I went to Aya's clinic. But the vet was closed. I tried to open it, but it was locked from the inside."
"Why did you lie to me?" Catherine demanded.
Josh sighed heavily.
"You lied in your statement," she continued, her voice trembling with anger she was struggling to control.
"You really want to know why I went to Aya's clinic?" Josh asked.
"Spill it."
"I traveled to the city to meet with Buenaventura because of the project he assigned to us. I was already heading back here when I received a call from an unknown number saying something had happened to Aya and Aliya at the clinic."
"I'm still their father. Even if we neglected them, I'm still their father. I was worried. My fatherly instinct kicked in, so I went to the clinic to check on them. That's the truth."
"But you were still involved in the incident!" Catherine said.
"Yeah, yeah—my bad. I only peeked inside. I had no bad intentions toward them. I tried going through the exit, and that's where I encountered a stray dog. It bit and scratched me while I was struggling with it."
"Do you know how much she hates us?" Catherine said bitterly. "Do you think it's easy to approach your own child after everything?"
"Fine, whatever. I'm innocent until it's proven in court that I killed my daughter, Aliya."
He rubbed his temples.
"I'm going to rest. My head hurts."
Without waiting for another word, he walked away, leaving Catherine behind with a heavy sigh.
XXX
Someone saw that person here?
Aya thought as she studied the new evidence discovered by the police.
She replayed the CCTV footage.
There—she saw her father.
He was trying to twist the door handle.
He couldn't open it.
Then who opened the clinic before Aliya arrived?
Her thoughts became chaotic.
In the footage, she saw him move toward the exit.
Did I forget to lock the exit door?
Aya gasped when the front door of the clinic suddenly opened in the recording.
Someone entered.
The person was wearing a hat that hid their face.
They were holding a sharp object.
If she thought about it carefully, her father hadn't immediately exited when he went toward the exit door.
Maybe he changed clothes to hide his identity while committing the crime.
Then she saw her younger sister.
Aliya.
The scene replayed again before her eyes, and Aya could imagine the suffering Aliya must have endured at the hands of her killer.
Minutes later, the footage showed her father limping toward the parking lot.
He was holding his neck.
No… no, Aya. Wait. Something's wrong.
Don't jump to conclusions until you prove it was your father.
She remembered the warning from the young boy and the man who had once been her clients—telling her not to let anger consume her.
Calm down. Calm down.
She tried to steady her rising emotions.
Let's go back to the video Aliya recorded herself.
My sister never used honorifics when speaking. I know our father's voice—even if we didn't grow up with him.
But then—
Why did he leave wounded?
Why was he limping when he walked toward his car?
Aya leaned back in her chair.
Suddenly, a police officer called her.
"Hello?"
"Miss Aya Grace Castro, we have a lead regarding who killed your sister."
Hope flickered within her.
"W–Who? Who is the possible killer?" she asked anxiously.
"The possible suspect… is your father."
The officer continued.
"We sent you the CCTV footage. Based on the camera angle, the fingerprints, and the blood found at the exit, there is a strong possibility that your father killed your sister."
"We still need further investigation."
Aya couldn't speak.
"W–Wait, Chief… didn't you say earlier there was a scratch that didn't match my sister's DNA?" she asked.
Even Aya herself felt confused.
"Miss Aya, not all evidence we gather can be used. Some may be dismissed if they turn out to be irrelevant," the officer explained.
She remained silent.
"Before you file a warrant of arrest, I want to speak with my father first," she said.
"A warrant of arrest cannot be issued until it is proven that your father truly killed your sister," the officer replied. "Just prepare yourself for the possibility. You can ask him personally."
"But remember—he is still one of the suspects. Be careful and think carefully about your decisions."
"Thank you," Aya replied quietly.
Her mind felt like it was about to explode with all the thoughts racing through it.
She stood up and paced back and forth.
Her instincts told her something was wrong.
She just couldn't figure out what.
I need to talk to them.
Even though she hated her parents, Aya didn't want to be unfair or allow her emotions to cloud her judgment.
Aliya… please help me.
Guide me.