WebNovels

Chapter 32 - INTERVIEWING A WITNESS

"Your mask, Dr Felzein," Dewi said softly, offering him the protective covering with a respectful hand.

Felzein cast her a faint, knowing smile and gave a small shake of the head, "That won't be necessary, Miss. Let's not stand on ceremony," he replied, his voice smooth, assured, almost disarmingly casual.

He moved without haste towards Rosa and Melati, whose eyes met his in a brief, silent communion.

No words were exchanged, none were needed.

The weight of shared understanding passed between them in a moment's glance.

Then, with an air of detached composure, Felzein began to stroll through the pharmacy.

His gaze swept over the scene, the floor littered with verminous remains, the air thick with the faint stench of decay and disorder.

The place, once orderly, now bore the unmistakable mark of deliberate desecration.

"They must have entered through the back," he thought aloud, narrowing his eyes as if following invisible threads through the chaos.

Turning to Dewi, he addressed her with quiet authority, "Miss Dewi, there is a rear entrance to this establishment, is there not?"

"Yes, Doc," she replied with a nod, immediately gesturing towards the back of the premises.

He followed her indication and examined the rear door. The damage was evident, the lock torn, the frame scarred by force.

Felzein allowed himself a wry, almost imperceptible smile, "Just as I thought," he murmured to himself.

Without delay, he turned back to Dewi, "Have the police been notified, Miss?"

"They have, Doc. They should be arriving shortly," she confirmed.

Felzein gave a slow nod of approval, "Excellent. There will also be a journalist arriving shortly, a friend of mine, Heru. He covers crime for the local media. He'll be documenting the incident."

Dewi blinked in surprise but quickly composed herself, "Of course, Doc. Thank you for the assistance."

Felzein inclined his head with a quiet smile, "The pleasure is mine."

And sure enough, within minutes, a young man, unmistakably a journalist by his slightly dishevelled charm and air of purposeful urgency, pulled up beside Felzein's car and parked his motorbike with practiced ease.

"Felzein's really outdone himself this time," he murmured, casting a glance at the gleaming automobile.

There was no mistaking its owner.

His gaze drifted to the knot of onlookers still loitering outside the pharmacy. A wry smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"You've never let me down, mate," he whispered to no one in particular.

Without wasting another moment, he dismounted and began easing his way through the crowd.

"Excuse me! Press coming through," he said, his voice calm but assertive, threading his way toward the entrance.

"Your mask, sir," Rasya offered, holding it out with quiet poise.

Heru opened his mouth to refuse and promptly froze as the stench of rotting vermin wrapped itself around him like an invisible, noxious cloud.

He grimaced inwardly, "Dear God... that was nearly my undoing."

Snatching the mask from her hand with grateful speed, he slipped it on, "Much obliged, miss," he said, recovering his composure.

"I'd like to take a look inside, if I may," he continued with gentle formality. "Would that be permitted, miss?"

Rasya had barely drawn breath to answer when a voice rang out from within the pharmacy. Smooth, assured, unmistakably Felzein's.

"Come on in, mate."

A faint smile played on Heru's lips, "Right then," he murmured, stepping over the threshold with a quiet confidence.

The interior was steeped in disarray, but Heru's seasoned eyes immediately caught sight of the back door.

Its frame warped, its lock thoroughly mangled. A clear sign of forced entry.

He advanced carefully, weaving through the grim scene, his steps deliberate as he avoided the strewn bodies of the unfortunate rats littering the floor.

Felzein stood near the ruined door, his posture relaxed, yet his gaze sharp.

"Have a look at this," he said, nodding toward the damaged frame. "I'd wager they came through here. Forced it open with a crowbar, most likely."

Without missing a beat, Heru retrieved his phone and began documenting the scene, his camera clicking softly.

"No doubt about it," he said, with the quiet conviction of one long used to reading chaos like a well-thumbed book. "Clean break-in. Classic tool work."

Then, slipping the phone back into his jacket, he turned to Felzein, "I'll need a word with the first person who witnessed this mess. Any clue who that might be?"

Felzein let out a dry laugh, folding his arms, "As it happens," he said with a glint in his eye, "you needn't look far. The witness is standing precisely to your left."

Heru turned to find Dewi standing patiently beside him, her expression composed yet tinged with the faint tremor of unease.

"Ah, it is you, Miss?" he inquired with a courteous tilt of his head. "Might I trouble you for a few moments? I'd like to conduct a brief interview."

Dewi inclined her head in assent, the faintest hint of resolve flickering in her eyes, "Certainly, sir. Please, proceed."

With deliberate care, Heru produced from his coat pocket a slender voice recorder, its polished surface catching the morning light as he flicked it on with practised ease.

He then retrieved a well-worn notebook and pen, ready to capture every pertinent detail.

"Very well, Miss. My name is Heru, correspondent for the KobaNews Crime Daily."

"I wish to ask you about the events at the pharmacy this morning. Could you recount how you first came upon the scene?"

Dewi drew a measured breath, gathering herself before responding in a calm, steady voice.

"This morning, as is my custom, I arrived somewhat earlier to inspect the stock of medicines. Yet the instant I opened the front door, an unbearable stench assaulted me. I was taken aback, naturally."

"Then my eyes fell to the floor… where countless dead rats lay strewn in grotesque disarray. The shock caused me to cry out, and my companions, Rasya and Wina, did the same."

Heru's pen moved swiftly, the scratches on paper a stark contrast to the silence hanging between them.

"So the first thing that struck you was the foul odour, swiftly followed by the grisly sight of rat carcasses. At what point did you become aware that something more sinister might be at work here?"

Dewi bit her lip, hesitation flickering across her face before she spoke, "I haven't yet had the chance to inspect every nook and cranny of the pharmacy, sir."

"Truth be told, I'm still rather unsettled by all this. It was only moments ago that I realised the back door had been forcibly breached."

Heru nodded, prompting gently, "And the stock, has anything been taken?"

She shook her head firmly, "No medicines appear to be missing at this point. But I'm certain this was no random act of vandalism. Whoever did this had purpose. There is intent behind it."

Heru's gaze sharpened, "Intent? Pray, what sort of intent might that be?"

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