100 Ways to Solve a Murder-Chapter 67: Murder of the 15th XII

The next day

8 PM, Anna’s Mansion

Sam lay on the bed that evening, resting. Her eyes started to close as she drifted to dreamland.

Sight, smell, feel, hearing. That’s how senses one by one disappear in the process of death.

The hearing was always last to go.

And while her sight and motor functions disappeared, she could still feel him. Hear him hover and move around her.

Her eyes were wide open, but all she could see was darkness. She could feel his breath fan against her face, the smell of his breath. The touch of his fingers against her cheeks, her neck.

He was caressing her. Why? she wondered.

"Such, such perfection. Why’d you come, why’d you come so early?" His voice echoed in her head, but she couldn’t answer.

"You’re not supposed to be here, not supposed to be here." He echoed himself, pacing beside the tub as it filled with cold water.

He leaned closer to her, touching her cheek softly with the back of his hand.

"So perfect. So perfect." He said.

"Why. Why? Why? Why did you have to come? Why did you have to come?" He asks, yet she remains unresponsive.

"Who did you call? Who did you call?" He asked.

"Levi. Levi. Levi." He whispered to himself, eyes bouncing from one place to another. Erratic.

He turned back to look at her, looking like a doll, her crimson hair started to float on the water behind her.

"You. You. You. You....why, why, why why? It’s not supposed to be like this. Not supposed to be like this!" He says watching as the water slowly increased.

"Your mind, your mind is so precious, so precious." He says, scanning her in the tub. Her clothes started to stick to her skin, she reckons she would have been cold if she could feel.

"You see everything. Everything. It’s beautiful. Beautiful. You see everything. Everything. Your mind, how it works is beautiful. One of a kind. And you’re not supposed to die. No, no, no, no, you’re not supposed to die. No, no, no, no." He continued his one-sided conversation, water completely covering her ears.

He bent over, looking closely at her face. "You were supposed to catch me. We were supposed to just play, I’ll have no one to play with. No one. No one. No one." He says, and she could feel his breath fan over her face.

He tears himself away, "No. No. No. No." He repeats, rocking himself beside her. A million things coming into mind.

"No. No. no. no."

"It’s not supposed to end like this. You weren’t. You weren’t. You weren’t supposed to be here." He said, hands pressing against his temple in frustration.

"Why did you come home? Why did you come home early?" He asked, grabbing her shoulder, pulling her up for a moment.

"M...mo," Sam muttered.

"Your dog? Your dog? Your dog is dead. I killed him. I killed him." The man replied.

Sam felt heavy, sleepy, tired. And she struggled with words,

"Yo--u... Dead."

"I’m dead?" The man asked, surprised at her threat. His arms remained holding both her shoulders to keep her upright. Her brilliant green eyes looking but not seeing.

"Ye--s" she stuttered.

"Who will kill me? Levi Jackson?!" He asked, mockingly. He laughed, Levi Jackson wasn’t there.

"N--oo. M--my brother." Sam stuttered, the side of her lips curving up slightly. If there was something she was certain, right at that moment. Or any moment, Ivan will destroy anyone for her. She will get her revenge and that is enough. She’ll rest in peace knowing that.

Slowly he placed her back to the tub, her face submerged in water up to her cheeks.

She felt his lips pressed against hers softly if she could move she would have gagged. But she was paralyzed.

He swept the hair away from her face as if he genuinely cared for her.

But she knew otherwise, he was a psychopath. And that’s what psychopaths do.

Sam gasped in her sleep, jolting, panting for breath. Elle was on her side immediately.

Memories.

Memories are coming back to her.

"Anna," Sam rasped, breathing hard and Elle knew what she meant. The brunette pressed for the call button for the staff to come in. While she rushed towards the platinum blond’s office.

.....

7 Eastbourne Rd., Jackson Detectives

It was late at night, the office was now closed but Levi, Marco, Mrs. Whitehall, the boys, and even Davies were all present trying to help as much as they could.

"There’s something I’m missing," Levi said pacing back and forth like a mad man.

His suit jacket left on the sofa, he didn’t even bother to drape it like usual to avoid creasing. That’s how stressed he was.

The group moved and chatted, exchanging theories and possible suspects based on the profile Levi provided.

Levi huffed, annoyed that everyone was making so much noise while he was thinking. He only had 22 hours left and he didn’t have time to waste on needless chitchat.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" He roared out of frustration.

And everyone stopped immediately what they were doing, taking note of the slick blond’s episode. He was in a foul mood, everyone can see that.

What am I missing? He thought, standing still. Thinking.

The silence was broken when his phone started to ring, pissing the Irishman more. He grabbed his mobile as if suddenly having a target for his frustrations.

He gripped his mobile harshly, his knuckles turning white. He didn’t need his sister telling him how much time was left and pressuring him more. He was aware of how much time he has.

"What is it ANNA?! I’m BUSY!" Levi emphasized each word.

"Levi."

Levi’s eyes widened, his mouth hangs agape. It was definitely not his sister’s voice as he expected. No, It was softer, sharp in the edges.

It was from Sam.

Levi froze on his spot, and everyone in the room took note of his reaction. How the Anger in his face slowly melted.

"He kissed me." She said after receiving his silence. She knew he refused to reveal her existence. Refuses to slip.

"I see..." Levi spoke, his voice softer, calmer. Everyone exchanged odd looks.

Marco never heard him speak like that before, especially to Anna.

His temper never deflated that fast either, not after having a fit like he just had. It’s like he forgot he was angry in the first place. But what did Anna say that made him so calm? He wondered.

"I understand..." He said, "I will see you very soon." he added certainty in his voice. He heard her smile on the other line.

"I hope so." She said, sounding a bit sad.

He will see her, but she will not see him, will she?

.....

2 hours later, Levi’s Flat

Levi sat in his chair inside his living room looking at the whiteboard, thinking. Marco slumped opposite him dozing off on the sofa. The bearded man hadn’t come home for days, simply crashing on the slicked blond’s sofa at night since he was summoned by the slicked blond. Insisting the next 72 hours were vital to solving the case. It was now or never, he claimed.

"He kissed her," Levi spoked out of the blue. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Marco opened his tired eyes to look at the blond, looking not as immaculate as he usually was. He was obsessing over the case. He never saw him act this way before.

"What?" Marco asked.

Levi turned to him, "He kissed her," he repeated, earning a confused look from Marco.

The killer kissed Sam?

"How would you know? Did they test her lips of foreign saliva?" Marco snorted, all scientifically.

Levi scoffed, he was being ridiculous yet again, but he cannot blame the lanky man. Probably from the lack of sleep, even the boys had been overworking getting him information from the streets. Anything that could help them to solve this case

"Don’t be ridiculous Marco, she told me," Levi informed him casually, eyes bouncing back to the whiteboard.

Marco blinked a few times processing the information.

Did he just hear him correctly?

"Sorry?" He asked, brows furrowed together in confusion.

Levi rolled his eyes, Marco was useless when he’s tired.

"Have you gone deaf? Sam told me." He said, putting it in simpler terms.

Marco opened his mouth and then closed again, the glint in the psychologist’s eyes said he was serious.

"When? How?"

"An hour ago. But why? Why kiss her?" Levi mused out loud. Why would he kiss her? Unless...The blond psychologist narrowed his eyes.

The message started to sink in Marco, causing him to pause and stiffen.

"That call? From Anna?" Marco clarified, fisting his hand angrily.

"Technically, it was her, using Anna’s phone," Levi said in a duh tone, not sparing him a look.

"You’re telling me she’s not dead?" Marco clarified, earning an annoyed look from Levi with all the repetition.

"Of course, she’s not dead! Sam is with Anna’s people recovering." Levi said. He’d told him a few times now, why is his brain incapable of grasping such a minuscule idea?

He sighed, days like this makes him miss the redheaded genius more.

(To be continued)