The café was quiet again.
Not peaceful.Focused.
Like the air itself was holding a pen, ready to underline something important.
Hawk stood near the counter, arms crossed, eyes sharp with that look Barfi now recognized well.
It was the look that meant:The puzzle is almost done.
"My police mind keeps coming back to one thing," Hawk said slowly."Guy's brother."
Barfi leaned forward.
"The autopsy?"
Hawk nodded.
"Professor K did it himself," Hawk continued."And he found something wrong."
Walter frowned.
"Wrong how?"
"Wrong enough," Hawk said carefully,"that he asked for a second autopsy."
Silence dropped heavy between them.
Barfi's eyes sharpened.
"But that second autopsy never happened."
"Exactly."
Hawk's jaw tightened.
"Because before it could happen… the harassment case exploded."
Walter snapped his fingers.
"So Guy met the stepbrother."
"Yes."
"And they set a trap."
Hawk gave him a slow nod.
The Trap 🕳️
Hawk paced as he spoke, boots quiet against the café floor.
"Guy needed the autopsy buried," he said."The stepbrother needed Professor K destroyed."
Barfi swallowed.
"They accused him."
"Yes."
Hawk stopped pacing.
"A respected man. Clean record. Popular lecturer."
Walter muttered,
"And one fake scandal later… finished."
Hawk continued.
"Professor K couldn't survive the public humiliation."
Barfi's voice dropped.
"So he died."
Hawk didn't look at him.
"…Or was helped toward death," Hawk said quietly.
Walter exhaled slowly.
"Pressure can kill."
Barfi looked down at the table.
"He was trying to expose a murder… and they buried him instead."
No one disagreed.
The Missing Piece 🧩
Barfi looked up.
"What's the plan now?"
Hawk answered instantly.
"First, we confirm how Guy's brother really died."
Walter tilted his head.
"Why don't we just ask Professor K?"
Barfi shook his head slowly.
"He hasn't appeared since we started uncovering this."
The café felt colder at those words.
Walter glanced around dramatically.
"Okay, but if he pops up behind me, I'm resigning from life."
Barfi almost smiled.
Almost.
Two Days Later 📂
Hawk returned with a thicker file this time.
He dropped it on the table.
Dust rose like history being disturbed.
"After Guy's brother died," Hawk said,"all his property and business shares transferred to Guy."
Walter's eyes hardened.
"That's not coincidence."
"No," Hawk agreed."That's motive."
Barfi's voice was steady.
"So Guy killed his own brother."
Hawk nodded once.
"According to financial records and timeline… yes."
He flipped a page.
"Three days after the death, Professor K requested a re-evaluation of toxicology."
Barfi froze slightly.
"Toxicology."
"Yes."
Dr. Putin, who had quietly joined them, spoke calmly.
"That means he suspected poisoning."
Hawk nodded.
"Exactly."
Walter leaned forward.
"So Professor K saw something in the blood work."
"Yes," Hawk said."An anomaly. Something that didn't match heart failure."
Barfi felt it then.
A shift in the air behind him.
He didn't turn immediately.
But he knew.
Professor K stood near the door.
Watching.
Silent.
Truth Beneath the Truth 🕶️
Hawk continued.
"Guy panicked."
"And the stepbrother saw opportunity," Barfi said quietly.
Hawk pointed at him.
"Yes."
"They accused Professor K. Public scandal. Immediate suspension."
Walter clenched his fists.
"And the second autopsy?"
"Cancelled."
Hawk closed the file.
"And a month later, Professor K is dead."
Barfi finally turned his head slightly.
Professor K stood still.
Not angry.
Just heavy with something unfinished.
Barfi spoke softly.
"He didn't come back for revenge."
Hawk nodded.
"He came back because his name was destroyed."
Walter exhaled.
"So now what?"
Hawk's eyes narrowed.
"Now we prove poisoning."
"How?" Walter asked.
Hawk answered calmly.
"We reopen the file legally. Quietly. Exhume the body if needed."
Walter blinked.
"Digging up bones?"
Hawk didn't flinch.
"If that's what truth requires."
Barfi felt Professor K step closer.
"I did not kill myself," the ghost whispered.
Barfi's chest tightened slightly.
"Did they poison you too?" Barfi asked quietly.
Walter looked up.
"He's here?"
Barfi nodded once.
Professor K's form flickered.
"They pushed me. Cornered me. Destroyed everything."
"Did they kill you?" Barfi pressed.
The ghost's eyes darkened.
"I was not allowed to clear my name."
That wasn't a yes.It wasn't a no.
It was something heavier.
The Net Tightens Again 🕸️
Hawk stood up.
"Once we expose the first lie," he said,"everything collapses."
Walter grinned slightly.
"Money trail, false accusation, motive… that's prison-level stuff."
Dr. Putin added quietly,
"And if Professor K was pressured to death… that becomes abetment."
The café felt like a courtroom without a judge.
Barfi looked at Professor K.
"You want your name cleared."
The ghost nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Barfi turned back to Hawk.
"We start with toxicology."
Hawk nodded firmly.
"I already sent the request."
Walter raised both hands dramatically.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Season Two: Murder."
Hawk glared.
Walter lowered his hands.
"…Serious murder."
Barfi leaned back in his chair.
For the first time since the hill…
He felt something clear.
Purpose.
Not revenge.
Not anger.
Justice.
Outside the café, traffic flowed.
Inside, truth was rising from old paper and old graves.
And somewhere unseen—
Professor K stood straighter.
For the first time since death…
He was not alone.