CHAPTER SIX
"How? I thought you said she was already getting better!" Yusuf shouted, his voice echoing through the hospital corridor as he confronted the doctors.
"She was," replied the doctor calmly, though his tone carried exhaustion. "But there were complications during surgery. You already signed the consent form, fully aware that it was a fifty-fifty chance — either she lived or she didn't."
Yusuf clenched his fists. "I thought you were trained to save lives," he said bitterly, his voice cracking with pain. "Why watch the patient die? Why?"
He slumped into the chair beside the bed and buried his face in his palms. His shoulders trembled as tears slid freely down his cheeks.
Beside him lay his sister's still body — lifeless, pale, and silent. The machines had been switched off. The rhythmic beeping that once gave him hope had gone forever.
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Later that morning, in the Criminology Department, Dr. Fred entered the third-year classroom holding a stack of notes and a USB drive.
"Good morning, class," he greeted as he walked to the front.
"Good morning, sir!" the students chorused.
"Right," Dr. Fred said, placing his materials on the podium and connecting the USB drive to the projector. "Open your textbooks to Chapter Twenty — Are All Suspects, Suspect?"
He adjusted his tie, picked up the remote control, and faced the class. "Now, before we begin — does anyone have an idea what that topic means?"
Silence. No hands were raised.
"No one?" he asked again, slightly amused. "Were you all playing around yesterday instead of reading? Peter — you. Stand up."
Peter, startled, rose to his feet. "Um… sir, I actually find that topic confusing. I mean, how can suspects not be suspects?"
A few chuckles broke out, but Dr. Fred only folded his arms. "Did you bother watching any documentaries related to it?"
"No, sir."
"Really?" Dr. Fred arched a brow, stepping closer. "Why did you choose this course if you aren't willing to read or watch case studies? How can you claim to be a future detective if you can't even investigate a question?"
"I'll make sure to do so, sir," Peter replied quickly, standing straighter.
"It's not a choice; it's a requirement," Dr. Fred said sternly, then motioned for him to sit. He turned to face the rest of the class. "Listen carefully. In your final year, you'll be doing several projects. Losing even a single mark can cost you a whole year. So, it's vital — absolutely vital — that you start studying real-life crime documentaries, mystery cases, and detective reports now."
He gave the class a meaningful glance before pressing the remote. A slide appeared on the screen:
> Who is a Suspect?
"Who is a suspect?" he read aloud, then repeated, "Anyone?"
A girl from the centre row raised her hand. "Someone found guilty of a crime they committed," she answered confidently.
"Good, Margaret. But do you know why I'm not satisfied with that answer?"
Margaret stood up again, uncertain. "Because… I didn't define it completely?"
"Half correct. You can sit." He set the remote on a nearby desk and stepped down from the podium. "Anyone else?"
A boy near the back blurted, "A suspect is someone told about his unnoticed crime by detectives."
The class burst into laughter.
Dr. Fred frowned. "What's funny?" he asked sharply. The laughter died instantly. "Who said that?"
The student rose sheepishly. "I'm sorry, sir. I just said it based on the topic we're discussing."
Dr. Fred adjusted his glasses and nodded. "You're not entirely wrong — just incomplete. Sit down."
He turned to address the entire class again. "As Margaret mentioned earlier, a suspect is someone believed to be guilty of a crime. But according to criminology, a suspect is an individual believed to have committed a crime or offence based on evidence, circumstances, or suspicion."
He picked up the remote again and changed the slide. Three words appeared in bold:
> Evidence – Suspicion – Circumstances
"These are the three key points in identifying a suspect," he continued. "Now, let's return to our main question: Are all suspects, suspects?"
He paused to let the question sink in.
"Evidence," he said, pointing at the first keyword, "is not always about CCTV footage or eyewitness statements. Why do you think that is?"
A hand shot up. "Yes, Michelle," Dr. Fred called.
Michelle stood, her voice clear and confident. "Because, sir, not all eyewitnesses can be trusted. Some might be threatened to lie, or even choose to lie without reason. CCTV footage can help, but cameras often capture only limited areas — sometimes just sidewalks or corridors — and not the exact scene of the crime.
"That means what we see might raise suspicion but not confirm guilt. For example, if a student was seen on CCTV six hours before the incident, and another passed by with the victim an hour before it happened, we still don't know what truly occurred. Was it suicide, self-defence, or murder? And even the first student could be involved, directly or indirectly — we just don't know. That's why such evidence alone isn't solid."
Dr. Fred smiled faintly and nodded. "Excellent, Michelle. You've just touched on all three keywords — evidence, suspicion, and circumstances."
He stepped back towards the podium and placed his hands on it firmly. "This," he said, "is what criminology is all about — questioning the obvious, doubting the convenient, and understanding that truth isn't always what it seems."
Then he looked up at the class and announced, "Your assignment: I want each of you to find a real-life documentary about detectives who arrested the wrong suspect. Analyse the case and explain it using the three key points — evidence, suspicion, and circumstances. Submit it before next week."
The students began scribbling the details in their notebooks, murmuring quietly about which documentaries to choose.
Dr. Fred adjusted his glasses once more and glanced towards the back of the class, his expression thoughtful. "Remember," he said finally, "in every investigation, a suspect is not always guilty — and the guilty one is not always a suspect."