Breaking the Clues

It was dark yet and pretty evening with golden lights the dazzled through the driveway near Reavan's house. He had just arrived in his garage, since it was cold outside, he wore his scarf as he asked Billie if she was comfortable. Billie nods, he then helps her in picking up her stuff from the backseat and he got down from his Mercedes. 

Billie sits there for some more time as if she needs time to get accustomed to the warmth of the car in comparison to the outdoors. Her heart feels heavy due to thoughts about their pasts and it also kind of felt awkward to be associated with Reavan after quite some time. In fact, it was more than a year since they had been goody and jolly with each other. 

From the time that Reavan picked her up till they reached his home, though there was a lot to speak or update each other as real friends, there still were moments of pathetic silence where they didn't know where to begin or what to do. 

Reavan wondered why she had been sitting in the car for so long. He thus volunteered to help her out of the car, he opened the door and gave her a hand which she took, but not without being hesitant. Reavan knew why she wasn't her old self, he knew that they had to bridge the gap, he also knew that it might take quite some time to get back to who they were. 

He accepted the scenario and decided to first establish and proceed with their professional relationship for now, anticipating time will do the unboxing of their forcefully shut friendship. He thus began, "So, Billie. Here is the plan, we refresh, get ready and go to another person's house to discus about the case like I had mentioned earlier."

Billie nods and he continues, "you do have the memory of visiting my house right? that is, you do know where each room is if you want to use it right?" She nods again. He starts walking in front of her as he comments, "suit yourself and feel free to use anything at home"

He doesn't wait for a reply but directly goes for his door and closes it shut after she follows him in. He then enters his room, changes his dress into a casual one and returns to see Billie still in formals. "I am comfortable this way" she replies to his look which was self explanatory of what  he intended to say. He shrugs.

**************

Door bell rings which is opened with a big smile by someone unfamiliar to Billie. Maya welcomes the two guests, Reavan her regular and a new person who looks like his colleague, Billie. 

Maya does not care about who she is, but is very happy that her son is in demand by people who look like they already are bigshots. Thinking that such people, so powerful would need assistance of her son whose merely fifteen and has not even faced the true reality of this society, made her so happy that she couldn't maintain her calm. And thus the big welcome and also a sumptuous dinner party. 

Maya told them that they cant deny the dinner, as Billie looked at Reavan lifelessly. He knew that he should have told Billie about it too, but knew that Billie would deny, he thus gave her no choice by letting her out of informing her earlier. All that Billie might have thought was, well played smarty pants! its definitely my fault to have forgotten about the kind of person you are. you still haven't changed god damn it!... but all that she said was, "you suck Bud" 

Reavan handsomely smiled along with a "cant help it." Maya didn't know what was going on but went along with the flow and smiled, she then said, "the dinner will be ready in half an hour's time, hope you don't mind" 

Reavan replies, "no issues, it's too early for us anyway. So, if you will excuse us, can e meet up with him?" Maya realizing that she had forgotten why they had come replies with embarrassment, "Ahhh! yes yes. He has been waiting for you two. Please proceed to his room, I will bring you something to eat."

Reavan ever so courteous, replies, "please don't trouble yourself with all the formalities. We are good." Maya being out of words just nods and blushes. 

They thus enter into mildly lit room, where they find Ashura seated in his chair having wheels. He rotates in his chair to look at his guests. He then gets up to welcome them. 

Reavan is excited to see the kid to have recovered from his illness, he gives Ashura a warm hug, then introduces Billie to him. Billie is pretty shocked to see that they had come to discuss the case with a Child?! she wondered, has Reavan gone insane? what is wrong with him?!. Quiet immediately another voice as that of her ex emanates from within saying, it's Reavan we are talking about, wait and see what's so special with this kid, then decide.

They  then start discussing about the case of Ria, Ashura gives out striking thoughts with respect to the case that it shocks Billie. Reavan feels prized to find a treasure that he expected to find, which was the expression that Billie would give when she found out how smart Ashura was, and be amazed by it. 

Ashura cross questions Billie about the number of witnesses who saw the crime, Billie says "not much of people were involved, but all the witnesses said the same thing, she was taking a selfie and then slipped and fell." 

Ashura asks about Ria's friends, "both of them were not near by, one had got a call from husband while the other went to the rest room." Billie replies. 

Ashura then turns to Reavan and asks, " what did they tell you the reason for leaving Ria alone was, when you asked them recently?" "the same" Reavan replies, Ashura continues. "did you cross question them as to why did they leave her and who left first?" 

Reavan responds with so much pain and frustration spoke with a voice trembling with controlled anger that was ready to burst out, "they both responded saying that the other one had left Ria first and then the other person attended to their urgent business."

Ashura then asks Reavan about what the witnesses told this time when they were questioned further. Most of the witnesses being shopkeepers to the shops that were kept by the side of the falls at quite some distance were still working there. 

Reavan couldn't open his eyes, they were force shut with tears that were about to roll down his eyes. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking, he clenched his palm which was becoming red as he spoke, "they said, she had slipped but when I asked if they saw how exactly she had slipped, had she tripped on something or lost the grip on her shoes due to slippery rock or something totally different, they all said the same thing which was, that it was too crowded to see through it all but they were positive that they saw her slip and fall."

Ashura kept his hand on Reavan's shoulder ever so gently and gave it a tap, so as to say that it was ok, he can break out here, no one judges. Billie was in her world of thoughts, in fact, she was taken over by sock that she couldn't move. 

She thought that everything was clear in her investigation she had solved the death ever so easily, as back then, all the evidences that she could find was a bare minimal. And with all that she could gather, she solved the case to be that of an accidental one and that it was no ones' fault but Ria's. Back then, she also wasn't in a good state of mind as she had been dealing with her ex's escape. Maybe that's why she couldn't actually solve the case.

Currently, she was blaming herself for being so unreliable back then. She was also ashamed that she couldn't find out the clues that Ashura immediately could, that someone was definitely behind it all. 

There are two reasons for concluding the same, which are: one, if it was crowded how can the shopkeepers see her slip while they couldn't see how? it would mean that either of those two(what and how it) happened or that the whole thing was a forged lie. 

Two, how can both the friends just leave her alone like that? According to the human psychology, two friends never leave the third one out to linger by herself, either they take her along or have an eye on her as they move elsewhere. but going to a place from where you don't see what happens sounds so fishy. 

Ashura saw that Billie was lost, he touched her to make her look up, told her that he would be back after guiding Reavan to the rest room. He then helped Reavan up and took him downstairs.

Maya saw them come down, seeing Reavan's face, she got so serious and ran to the kitchen to get some water. He was made to sit on the dining table, offered some water and calmed. Ashura, ever so calmly told him that he didn't trust Billie, as she wasn't such a careless person, but a thorough investigator and that is exactly why somethng seemed wrong in her part. Reavan denied it saying it was because she wasn't alright back then due to her Ex. 

Ashura then decides to look up at the person behind it all, he now knew for certain that someone else was behind it all and that, he hadn't done a very good job in covering up the evidence. Ashura thus asked Reavan to investigate along with silent observation of Ria's two friends. He also apologized in advance but made Reavan promise not to tell a single word about this to Billie.

Reavan trusted Ashura, he thus followed his advice in not revealing anything to Billie. Ashura then went to call Billie for dinner, when he found her meddling with his puzzles. He hated people touching his things, especially without his permission. He just snatched it from Billie's hands that it hurt. She glared at him, "what would you do that for?!"

Ashura replies, "you deserve more than that to have touched my stuff, just because you are Reavan's friend, you can't do all that you want to. Know your place!" The last sentence suddenly reminded her of her Ex, she just left the room and went downstairs when she faintly heard Maya call out for dinner. 

Ashura, didn't come down for the next few minutes, when asked what he was doing, he stared at Billie and told his mom that he had been arranging his puzzles in their original place. Reavan reading between the lines told Billie that he hated people touching his stuff and that he also hated it if people caused havoc to his organized way of arrangement of things. 

They have a good dinner, Reavan offers Billie a ride which is declined by her. She books a cab, gets on to it and travels to her home, which is in the same lane as that of the palace like building of Aron.... She falls over onto her princess bed, so disturbed and agitated. 

One thing that has to be agreed upon is that Ria's death was a shock to everyone. In fact, even the leader of the most criminal gang that was behind many crimes could not believe it, though they were the ones who caused it. The only ones who were happy were the ones who really wanted Ria dead as she posed a threat to them. 

And who are they? Reavan would find out. 

***********

The next day morning, Reavan calls his chief requesting permission to approve the reopening of the case on Ria's death, so that he can investigate her friends. He states the triggering point that John had mentioned in his investigation, but Reavan is inevitably refused, stating it isn't even guaranteed that Ria's death is related to the case.

 Failing to convince the chief, he goes through his wallet to find out if he has any contacts that can help him unofficially. But no, he leaves that for now and gets ready to office. 

On his way, he switches on his radio. The songs are interrupted by news, "the new law related to saving the nature is to be passed by-" he parks the car by the side of the road, and switches the engine off, thus shutting the radio in the middle of it's sentence. 

He takes his phone from the pocket, dial a number, "hell....oo-?!" a sleepy and lazy voice attends the phone. Annoyed Reavan yells to wake him up, "ZACKKKKK!!!! wake up you blood-" "I'm up, I'm up, I'm up.... what's the matter buddy, you usually don't call me" Zack teases.

"Shut up Zack, are you available? I needed your help" Reavan asks intently staring at his watch knowing clearly well that he's going to be late to his office.

"well, anything for my friend, after all if I don't who-" Beep- beep-beep Reavan hangs up on him, and rushes to his office. He has now got someone who could help him, and that thought was more than enough for him.

 Though Reavan came out to be rude, Zack deserved it as he was purposefully extending the conversation knowing clearly well that Reavan was getting annoyed. Anyway, such trivial things do not affect their friendship. 

"-would" Zack just finished his statement to himself and fell asleep again.