Three people sat in a quiet restaurant room, the table before them scattered with half-empty wine glasses and untouched dishes.
On the right, a handsome young man with tousled brown-blonde hair and piercing grey eyes exchanged glances with an older man in his fifties. The elder's white hair and sharp features mirrored those of the younger man.
Across the table sat another man, slightly older but still strong and commanding, with striking blonde hair and deep green eyes.
"Mr. Derroth," the older man on the right asked, "it's quite late. When is Mary arriving?"
Derroth glanced at his phone. "I just called her. She should be here any minute."
The younger man leaned back. "Dad, it's fine. I think it's worth the wait. Mary Derroth is known for her strict work ethic she would never be late unless there's a good reason."
The elder chuckled softly. "True enough."
At the Department...
"Come on, what are you waiting for? Let's go."
"Like this? And what about your meeting?" Derin asked.
Mary glanced over, noticing Derin's eyes scanning her dress. She stepped on his foot deliberately and shot back, "What's wrong with it? You think I look bad? And why do you care? for me my work is more important than anything... You fucking idiot. Shut up and let's go."
Mary had finally found a way to dodge the meeting her father had arranged for her. Truth be told, she didn't care for it in the slightest — especially when her current case had gripped her so completely. This lead she'd just stumbled upon wasn't something she could ignore, not for a meaningless date, not for anything. Her work had always come first, even if it meant losing sleep and drowning herself in files until dawn. Tonight was no different — the thrill of the clue thrummed in her veins, pulling her deeper into the investigation, far away from the shallow small talk her father wished for her.
Derin's cheeks flushed slightly as he shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Mary smiled briefly at the gesture as they walked toward the investigation room.
Luther who came outside the room hearing that Mary was coming chuckled...
"Who's she? Do I know her? She looks like the chief."
"Her sister," Mary replied with a sly smirk
"Ah… so that's where the attitude comes from," Luther teased lightly, though there was a flicker of respect in his eyes.
Mary's smile thinned. "Luther, are you always this vile?"
Chief Luther's eyes gleamed as he scoffed back. "Is that you, Chief?"
"Come to the point," Mary snapped, though the corner of her mouth twitched.
"The forensic results are in," Luther said, pulling out a file. "Bella submitted everything after you departed. She's asked you to come—there's something you need to see she's said she'll tell you face to face. Violeta and Drill's bodies... and a chip they found sewn near Drill's heart."
Mary and Derin's eyes widened in shock.
"What the—sewn inside his body? Why would he— cut himself off, Derin almost grinning from the absurdity before the seriousness of it hit.
"Is everyone here? Let's just find out," Mary said tightly.
"Yes. Brittney and Ben are inside already. I haven't played the chip yet—I was waiting for you."
Mary entered the room. Brittney and Ben looked up.
"Chief, is that you? You look gorgeous," Brittney said with a light grin — but it faltered under Mary's unyielding gaze while Ben remained silent.
"Play the chip. We've got no time to waste. Is it audio or video?"
"Audio file," Luther replied, his voice quieter now. "It could be the biggest clue we've gotten so far or just trash."
He inserted the chip into his laptop, hooked up to the projector, and pressed play.
The room fell silent as the chip slid into the laptop. The faint hum of the projector filled the space until static hissed from the speakers.
Static...
Drill...(heuk)I... I don't kn—know...(sob sob)how much...(aahh)longer...(gasp)
They keep...(hic)coming...(sniff)
I'm so scared...(sob)so cold...(haaah)
I tried...(sniff sniff)to be strong...f-for you...(sob)
but the dark—darkness...(heuk heuk)it's swallow—swallowing me...(aaahh)
I-I can't...(sob sob)
I'm so...so sorry, Drill...(sniff)
Please...d-don't forget...how much...I loved you...(sob)
if I dis—disappear...(heuk)
please...(sniff sniff)remember me...(haaah)
I wish...I wish I could...run to you...(sob)
but I'm trapped...(haaah)trapped... forever(sob sob)
Her voice broke into silence.
Nobody moved. The air was thick — oppressive — as if the grief in that voice had seeped into the walls. Even seasoned officers found themselves staring at the floor or at their hands, as though looking at one another might make the weight too real.
How much agony must that sixteen-year-old child have endured? What horrors had befallen her to speak like this...everyone got these thoughts in their mind but as crime department inspectors they were use to steady themselves in these situations as a code of conduct.
Derin exhaled sharply. "What the hell is even happening?"
Mary closed her eyes, willing her heartbeat to slow. "What do you think, guys?"
Brittney's usual spark dimmed. "She's in so much pain…"
"This isn't the time for overflowing emotions," Mary said, though her voice was softer than usual. "We need to find the cause. This case… is far from simple."
Ben leaned forward, his tone deliberate. "Chief, that's Lyla Brojorn's voice. The message must be meant for Drill Den according to her words— it must be her. And I've heard her before while gathering evidence in the school in a clip. And by the words she conveyed darkness, the trapping… 'they keep coming' — she might have been kidnapped or might be held somewhere."
Mary nodded slowly. "That's very possible. I was thinking the same . But how did Violeta get this then? She was already missing or in a sense she transferred schools, when Violeta handed this recording to Drill,. How did Violeta meet her and get this?"
Derin broke in. "Should we ask that girl? The one who handed us the diary? She seemed friendly with Violeta and she even got her dairy maybe she knows something..??"
"You mean Rune?" Mary replied, frowning. "No... it could be dangerous for her."
"Why not? This is more important we don't know if she is still alive and we can get clues.."
"Shut up, Derin." Her voice cracked like a whip. "The girl in that audio was in hell. What if there's a racket behind this? What if they catch her too? I won't let a kid suffer like that for my own purpose. Everyone leaves some clue — we still have the diary, just wait for Brittney to unlock it."
Derin looked away, jaw clenched. "I never said I wanted that… I just wanted to check if Lyla's alive…" He popped a gum into his mouth, chewing hard to steady himself.
Mary's eyes softened for half a second, but she didn't take the words back.
Brittney looked at him sorrowfully but she knew who was right so she said nothing at that time.
"Chief," Ben added, "this explains why it was sewn inside Drill's body. Looks like he knew there might be a police investigation and maybe he wanted us to find this clue. There's definitely something bigger behind this whom he didn't wanted to find this because no one would touch his body in any case unless it visible or this could make them suspicious."
"I understand," Mary said. "But my question remains—how did Violeta get it?"
Luther interrupted. "After Lyla disappeared, Violeta was mostly at her school and her home and trustees took over Lyla's care after her parents died. We should question them—why and under what conditions they approved Lyla transfer. I'll check CCTV to see if they met somewhere outside."
"It's not that easy to get information from the trustees without any suspect they all are big people and "...Ben exclaimed
Just then,
Mary's phone buzzed sharply against the table.
RING… RING… RING…
She glanced at the caller ID, exhaled through her nose, and cut the call.
"You're right," she said to the team, forcing her voice to stay steady. "I should have done this sooner, even if it was difficult. I thought Lyla might have left after being bullied as per the information bought by from Ben and Derin, or maybe she just… gave up on studies after her parents died and that's what the teachers and students mostly said. But now—" Her eyes darkened. "Now, nothing about this feels simple."
She turned to Luther. "Check the trustees' information. Every single one."
Yes chief..Luther replied with a nod.
RING...RING..RING..RING..
Derin groaned, chewing his gum like it was the phone's fault. "Just pick up already."
Mary rolled her eyes but stepped outside, answering. "Hello?"
"Mary, dear, where are you? Our guests have been waiting nearly an hour."
Her grip on the phone tightened. "Dad, I can't come. This is important… please, just take care of them."
"Mary, don't do this to your old father, you know it will be such a embarrassment ."
"I already told you, I don't want a political marriage, and I can't leave my investigation right now it's truly important dad...
"Mary—"
"Sorry. I'm on duty and I'll sleep at the office tonight. Bye."
There was silence on the other end for a moment before she heard him sigh — that heavy, disappointed sigh she'd known her whole life. It stayed with her long after she slipped the phone back into her pocket.
In the hotel room...
The air inside the private dining room was warm, but Harry Derroth felt cold under his collar.
"What happened, sir? Is Miss Mary coming?" Jurin asked, his voice calm, but his gaze unreadable.
Harry forced a faint smile. "Ah… Jurin, she's busy. I'm sorry. She really can't attend tonight."
Jason Caelum's expression sharpened instantly. "We've waited for hours. And now this? What a disgrace." His voice was controlled, but every syllable dripped with offense.
Harry's cheeks heated with shame. "Jason, I—"
Jurin placed a hand lightly on his father's arm, his tone almost too polite. "Dad, it's fine. We can meet another day if Miss Mary is busy. I'm sure Mr. Derroth didn't mean to disrespect us."
Jason's smile was the kind that didn't touch his eyes. "Of course."
Harry tried to meet their gazes, but found himself looking at the half-empty wine glass instead.
"Then I think we should conclude for today. It's getting late," Jurin said.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Derroth," Jurin added, his politeness feeling like a velvet glove over a knife.
Harry nodded. "Of course. We appreciate your understanding."
Jason's eyes lingered a moment longer, cool and measuring, before he gave a short nod. "We'll look forward to rescheduling."
"Please send our regards to her," Jurin said with a small smile.
Harry returned it weakly. "Safe travels back."
As they left, the door closed with a soft click, but the heaviness in the room didn't lift. Harry sat alone for a moment, staring at the empty seat across from him, wondering when exactly he'd lost his daughter to her work — and whether he'd ever get her back.