Invisible Killer

Michael was a hardworking man who had toiled all his life. Although they lived in a small village, he had provided all the comforts for his family. But now, on the eve of turning fifty, he was facing a strange challenge. His daughter had turned 18 and was willing to become a model, so she wanted to go to the city.

His fourteen-year-old son, Fredli, was also a concern.

Fredli was very smart and talented. His teacher had repeatedly pulled Michael aside and said, "Send him to the city. He cannot progress here. With the talent and intelligence I see in this boy, he could become a famous scientist, as long as you send him to a place where his talent can be recognized."

Michael's wife, Angelina, disagreed and believed that the city was not a good place for a lonely teenager. In the end, they decided to move, despite the difficulties of relocating to a city where they didn't know anyone. They immigrated to Miami, where their daughter Tina wished to go.

Tina quickly got a job with a fashion company and became famous much faster than expected. Fredli also made great progress in school. In the same year, he won the Miami State Brilliant Award and placed first in the math competition. His teachers were impressed with Fredli's performance and behaviour and sent reports to the local government to secure a sponsor for him to participate in the Math Olympiad. Everything was going well, and the school managed to send Fredli to the math Olympiad qualifiers.

However, a tragedy struck when Fredli's close friend's body was found in the school bathroom.

The school was suspended, and everyone was shocked and saddened. Kim, Fredli's teacher, was worried about him, as he was supposed to participate in the tournament the following week. Kim offered to cover the costs of a psychologist to ensure Fredli was mentally ready for the test. But Fredli remained calm. He reassured his teacher that he was fine and more determined than ever. He said his friend had mentioned the previous night that he would win the competition and dedicate his medal to him.

The local police asked Fredli's family for permission to speak with him before the trip, hoping he might provide clues about the killer. Fredli went to the police station and answered their questions very calmly. The police concluded that Fredli had no knowledge of the killer. Based on classified police interpretations, there were no signs from Fredli's body language, tone of voice, or reactions that suggested he was a suspect or knew the killer.

Fredli went on to compete and won. Three years later, he received a scholarship in mathematics from Cambridge University but did not accept it because he was interested in biology. He waited until the following year and received a scholarship from Jason Lane University of Health in Miami. However, before he could start, something strange happened to his sister on her birthday.

With his hands tied in the interrogation room, Michael muttered something under his breath. His body was drenched in sweat and trembling. When the interrogator entered the room, Michael jerked violently and stared angrily into the interrogator's eyes.

The interrogator asked, "Sir, do you feel cold? Do you need anything?"

Michael was furious, like a spark igniting a fire. He tried to stand up angrily, but the chains on his feet prevented him from moving. His attempt made the handcuffs and anklets tighten, causing him to curl up in pain and sit down again.

The interrogator said, "Sir, you better calm down and answer my questions correctly."

Michael got angry again and, with a spit of aggression, said, "I don't want you to ask ridiculous questions. The killer of my daughter is roaming freely outside, and you have me locked up here, asking if the weather is good." He then started cursing again.

The interrogator calmly sat in a chair and said, "Sir, you are the main suspect in this case. We know that you had a dispute with your daughter. Her boyfriend said that you were aggressive towards both of them."

Michael's face turned red and swollen with anger as he shouted repeatedly, saying it was all the work of "that bastard."

The interrogator warned, "Sir, if you don't calm down, I will have to leave you alone again."

This time, Michael began to beg, tears streaming down his face. "No, don't waste time! My wife and son are also in danger!"

The interrogator reassured him, "Don't worry about them; they are under our protection. Now calmly explain what happened."

Michael explained, "It was Fredli's birthday when my daughter came home with her boyfriend. Tina is young and beautiful; she is very naive and doesn't understand that her boyfriend is just taking advantage of her."

The interrogator asked, "Did you kill him because of this?"

Michael became enraged again, yelling and cursing, "How could I cut my daughter's throat?"

The interrogator continued, "So, Tina came with her boyfriend, then you left the house. Where did you go? What did you do?"

Michael, drenched in sweat, leaned his head against the wall and passed out. He was rushed to the hospital.

At the same time, the forensic doctor's report was handed to the interrogator. As soon as he read the first line, he hurried to the case officer's room. He put the report on the table and said, "The throat was cut, and then there were forty stab wounds to the neck."

The officer asked, "Well, what does that prove?"

The interrogator replied, "In the case of Misha, Fredli's friend who was killed right after his birthday at school, the report showed his throat was cut and he was stabbed forty times in the neck."

The officer took a deep breath and opened Misha's file on the computer. "What motive could Michael have? What would be the benefit of killing Fredli's friend?"

"We need to talk to Fredli one more time," the interrogator said.

"Yes," agreed the officer. "His crazy father who only yelled, his son might give us better information."

A few hours later, Fredli was brought into the interrogation room. When the interrogator asked, "Do you think that the murderer of your friend Misha and your sister Tina might be the same person?" Fredli calmly replied, "Yes," without changing his tone of voice.

The interrogator asked, "Why?"

Fredli said, "Because I did both things myself."

At first, the interrogator thought Fredli was trying to help his father. But the details Fredli provided were very precise. He explained that he intended to kill his sister first and then his friend. However, his friend trusted him more; when Fredli asked him to close his eyes for a surprise, he complied, but his sister never listened to him.

"That night, after a fight with my father, I told Tina, 'You don't know anything; close your eyes so I can surprise you.' She was crying, but she closed her eyes. I grabbed her mouth tightly from behind, slit her throat, and then stabbed her forty times."

The interrogator asked, "Why forty?"

Fredli replied, "Because all professional killers have a mark. My mark is 40 strokes on the neck."

Fredli had written all the details of the murders and a list of people he planned to kill in his notebook.

End.