At the police station
Evelyn was sitting on the floor looking at the bag of cookies in front of her. 'I don't know what you all wrote, I'm kinda scared.' She took the bag and took out a cookie, it had Annie's name on it. 'So it has the name of the people who wrote the letter inside.' She put it back, and rummaged through it as if to find a specific cookie. She took out the cookie with Akbar's name on it. She took a deep breath in. 'I wonder what you wrote...'
She broke the cookies and took out the letter, it read, "I'm glad you realised your mistakes. I don't hate you for any of your actions, rather I'm glad that you are gradually changing your heart. It could have been better if you realised the gravity of your actions earlier. Anyhow, I don't think our friendship will break for this, and I feel your boss will also be friends with you forever too. Next time, try to differentiate between good and bad things, you can convince others later."
She smiled. 'Such a long one. You are an idiot for writing such suspicious things, but you are really pure.'
At night in the house
Akbar was standing on the balcony and looking at the sky. 'Jodie, I have made quite a lot of friends in the span of weeks,' Mary and Catherine's faces came to his mind, 'there are also the people who remind me of you.'
"What are you doing here all alone," he heard someone's voice.
He looked back and saw Alex. "Nothing, just looking at the sky, it just feels good."
Alex just hummed and went silent, he broke the silence after a while. "I'm gonna tell you a secret."
"Huh? Hm," he said, still mesmerised by the beauty of the night sky
"I'm the second kidnapper."
"Oh, you are? That's great..." He stopped talking midway. "Wait what?! YOU ARE THAT KIDNAPPER?" Akbar calmed down a bit. "No way bro, you are joking," Akbar laughed awkwardly.
"It's true," said Alex with a straight face.
"What? Why are you telling me this."
"Because," he turned his face towards Akbar, "I know you are the kidnapper." Akbar's face turned pale hearing this. "Huh? Why did you go silent hearing this? Are you perhaps the kidnapper?"
"OF COURSE NOT! I was just too stunned after your revelation. Are you... Are you really the second kidnapper?"
"Yeah, why should I lie? You can stop pretending now, I can't report it to anyone because that will also make my cover blow," said Alex.
'I shouldn't lose my composure like that, he could be using the same tactic Trevor used,' Akbar thought. He gave a laugh and put his hands over Alex's shoulder. "Come on! You are doing this because you suspect me right?" He took off his hands and walked towards the balcony door. "You know, you will make me call the police on you if you keep doing this."
Akbar walked downstairs and entered the dining room, everyone else was already sitting there, waiting for their dinner. He sat in his place and started drinking the water straight from the jug. "Hey! Don't drink from the jug!" said Mary.
Catherine smiled creepily. "Hey Kidnapper."
Akbar spat the water and started Coughing. He looked at her, 'this woman.' "What the fuck is wrong with you? What was that?"
"I mean where were you all this time? Now you suddenly come back and start drinking water like a maniac."
"I didn't know drinking water was something only a kidnapper would do."
Mary came with the food in her hands, with Trevor and Tony assisting her. "Now now, can you lazy rats shut up for like 30 minutes. I had to do everything all by myself today even though you two were here for the whole day. Now I have to bear this?" said Mary.
Catherine sighed. "Let's just eat then."
Alex came down the stairs and joined them for dinner.
The next day
Akbar was sitting face to face with Alex in the Living room next to the coffee table. They both stayed silent for a good minute. Akbar finally broke the silence. "Nice weather, right?"
"Hm? Ah yeah, it's beautiful outside today.m," after this, they both went silent again, but soon after Alex said, "did you... believe what I said yesterday?"
He laughed. "No, of course not. I know that we all are at the edge these days. You suspected me so you used the same strategy as Trevor, I can understand."
"Two things. It neither was a bluff nor was my suspicion wrong. I revealed it to you because I wanted you to know that you are my next target. I want you to know that I'm gonna put you behind bars."
Akbar's face turned cold. "Okay I guess."
Alex pulled one of his eyebrows up in confusion. "Did you just confess?"
"Nope, your suspicion is wrong. If you really think I'm the kidnapper then try to prove it, I will also gather proof against you."
"What if I said I already have proof then?"
Akbar scoffed. "I would say you are bluffing." Akbar stood up and went outside the house. 'I recorded the convo with Alex but I can't show it to anyone yet, it may turn everyone against me.' He looked at the sky. 'Let's see what I can do.'
Misty saw Akbar standing outside alone so she approached him. "Hey, what are you doing here alone?"
"Hm?" he looked back and saw Misty, "oh, it's just you. Nothing, thinking about ways to catch the kidnapper."
"Well anyways, Mary is asking for all of us to help in the kitchen."
"How dumb is she? Should we do chores in the house or try to get away from all of this stuff."
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
She laughed. "Don't let her hear this, she will tear you up."
"I'm already prepared for that," Mary was standing behind them, furious with a kitchen knife. "By the way smart ass, when were you trying to get a way out of this." She sprinted towards him with the knife in her hand.
Akbar took a step back. "Hey, I was just joking, don't take it too seriously."
"Then joke around when I'm around, not in my absence!" she sighed, "Anyways, everyone present here should help me out in the kitchen, lazy bitches." She went inside the house.
"You will definitely be a great mother, Mary," said Misty.
Akbar grinned. "Yeah, she really wants to be a great mother to Alex's children."
Mary stopped and sprinted towards Akbar again. "I'm definitely killing you today."
"Akbar, she might end up killing you, shut up!" said Misty.
He quickly ran past her and went inside.
She slapped her head lightly and smiled. "This guy."
Akbar laughed. "You really do love him, ri-" his eyes widened, 'she loves... Alex...'
"What's up? Why did you pause like somebody really stabbed you with a knife?"
He turned over. "Nothing, I will be waiting in the kitchen."
"Hm? What's up with him?" she looked at Misty, "he's acting weird, I mean weirder lately, right?"
"Well, I can guess why he was acting weird right now."
"You can? What is it?"
Misty sighed. "Imma go and call the others."
Afternoon
"How's the food?" said Mary.
"It's delicious," said Trevor.
Mary Smiled. "Of course my recipes are always top notch."
"Just like you," said Alex.
Mary choked on her food and drank a glass of water. "Where is this suddenly coming from?"
"Maybe it's Mutu-"
Mary interrupted Catherine. "NO!"
"What no? And what were you saying Catherine?" said Alex.
"It's probably nothing, right Cathy?"
"Ye..yeah, it's nothing."
Akbar looked at all three and made a pouting face. "I am not liking any of this."
"Huh? Why?" said Meera.
"Some people don't deserve to be loved by other people."
"Huh? What are you even talking about," said Mary
Catherine chuckled. "I agree with Akbar, but I personally believe it applies in friendship as well."
"You mean some people don't deserve to be friends with certain people?" said Akbar.
"Yeah, Like I don't think Evelyn deserves any of our friendship, because she made us all suffer."
"I don't know what you are up to, but don't say such stuff. She regrets her actions," said Trevor.
"Yeah, I agree," said Misty.
"I agree more," said Mary.
"You are saying that because you weren't that close with Evelyn, but if someone close to you was the culprit, you would have hated them, Mary," said Catherine.
"No, I won't. It's true that I will be heartbroken but I will forgive them."
"That's why such people don't deserve a friend like you."
'It's true, I don't deserve a friend like her,' Akbar thought.
Annie finished eating, took her plate from the dining table and stood up. She went to the kitchen and washed her plates and walked past the dining table.
"Are you going back to your room, Annie? You can go take a walk or talk with us. Don't always go off alone," said Mary
"No, I'm good. I'm going to sleep." She was slowly climbing the stairs."
"Hey!" said Catherine, Annie stopped. "I'm gonna tune in to a movie today on Satoshi's TV, you can watch it with us, it's a crime thriller," Catherine smiled, "just like our life currently. If you are interested go and wait in the living room and by the way it's an invitation to all." Annie turned back, climbed down the stairs, and went to the living room
Mary Smiled. "Cathy was right, the kidnapper really knows a lot about us."
Everyone present there gathered in the living room to watch the Movie. After a while, there was a scene which showed the main character observing every step of the culprit and even following them with discretion to find evidence against them. Akbar looked at the scene carefully. 'I can use it to find evidence against Alex.'
Everyone left the room when the movie ended except for Akbar. 'I will definitely bust you before anything gets out of hand,' he smiled awkwardly, 'I hope I am not running right into your hands.'
The night came and everyone went to sleep. Alex came out of his room and walked outside at 2 AM. He walked for around one hour and reached the woods, he walked a few more steps and started digging through the soil. He took something out of the hole he made and walked back to the house. He reached the house and buried the thing in the lawn. He went back to his room after that. Akbar has entered the living room from his hiding, he was following Alex all along.
He waited half an hour before going to the lawn and digging up what was buried, it was a phone. "You are caught, Akbar," he heard from behind.
He recognised the voice. 'Ca..Catherine?' He looked back and saw Catherine standing behind him with Alex.
"Wh..what do you mean by caught you?"
"Why were you following him? Also why do you care so much about what he's hiding?"
"Of Course I care, it's because I want to catch the second kidnapper."
"Second kidnapper," she emphasised those words, "why is he the second kidnapper and not the first kidnapper? Is it because you are the first kidnapper?"
"No, he told me himself that he's the second kidnapper! I just believed him..."
"Are you the second kidnapper, Catherine? And that asshole is your helper?"
"Are we? If so, how are we supposed to move with our plans? Nobody's gonna trust you."
"You think? You guys plan everything and go in coordination using this phone," he showed them the phone in his hands.
Catherine smiled. "Well, there's nothing in it," she smirked, "we always reset it, with no way of getting the data back," she turned back. "By the way, go to your room and sleep, there's nothing you can do about it, especially with that useless piece of brick." She stopped talking and looked at the sky as if she was thinking about something, then she went. "Oh, there's one thing. You can turn yourself in." They both went inside. Akbar sat there in silence for a while, then stood up and went inside.
Next day Afternoon
'What can I do about them? Whatever I do, it will turn everyone against me,' Akbar thought. Just then, Akbar heard a car approaching the house, he went outside to check. He saw Fred standing outside the house, he started sweating. 'Why is he here?' he shook it off and went to welcome Fred, "uhm hello, sir."
"Hello young man," said Fred.
"Can you call Catherine Quilt for me?"
"Wh..Why do you want to meet her?"
Fred gave him a look. "I see, I'm not welcomed here."
"N..no sir, you are definitely more than welcome. Please get in, I will go call Catherine."
"I'm fine here. Just tell her to come fast, time is of essence," Fred smiled.
He went inside to inform Catherine that Fred is here to see her. He was observing them from afar. She handed something in a cover to Fred. Fred noticed Akbar, and made Eye contact with him. Akbar got scared and went to his room.
Misty Came to Akbar's room after 15 minutes. "Akbar, come with me."
"Hm? Why?"
"Uncle Fred wants to see you."
He stood up. "That's kinda concerning, he doesn't even know my name."
She sighed. "I know."
Fred looked at him. "Oh, it's you. Anyways, you are under arrest."
"For what?"
"For the serial kidnapping in our town."
"But I'm not the kidnapper."
"Stop pretending Akbar, I found your spare phone you use to text the main culprit. You are only helper, huh? Well whatever," said Catherine.
'How did she get it?' He thought. He looked at Fred. "Sh..she's lying sir, whatever she gave you, it's fake evidence to frame me."
Fred squinted his eyes. "It's not fake, it's verified by the officials."
"If you are thinking about how we got the deleted chats, just understand that I know a little bit of hacking," said Catherine.
Akbar's hands were trembling, "but there's no proof it's mine, she made her own spare phone look like mine."
"Hmm, but there's this CCTV footage of you digging something out of the lawn yesterday," said Fred.
"Yes! The CCTV! If you got such footage, then if you check the CCTV more you can find the footage of Catherine and Alex standing beside me and talking, you can also find Alex getting outside the house yesterday. I was following him the other day, I was digging out the thing he buried!"
"There's nothing like that in the CCTV," said Satoshi. "Both me and Officer Fred checked the footage of the whole night, there was nothing except you digging something up."
"There's no way. Did they mess with the CCTV again?"
"Like you said there's no way somebody could have gotten past Trevor's hacking," Satoshi smirked.
Akbar widened his eyes. "You are also working with them, right?"
"What are you talking about? Also if you already knew that these people were up to something, why didn't you inform any of us?"
Akbar gritted his teeth. 'That was a big Mistake. Seems like there's no way out for me, I'm turning myself in, but...' He looked at Catherine, and then took a deep breath in. "Yes, it's me. I'm guilty for the crime of kidnapping all those people," he pointed his fingers at Catherine and Alex, "but those people aren't any saints either.”