{ CHAPTER - 28 } USING OTHERS

He went outside and dug a hole in a corner of the yard.

After observing Karma dig the hole for a while, he finally inquired, (What are you doing?) out of interest.

"Looking after things"

The hole he made wasn't very wide, but it was a little deep—deep enough to go up to his elbow.

He removed the three passports from his pocket, threw them into the hole, and then dusted the area heavily with dirt.

(Why did you bury them?)

"They are worthless at this point because if I use them in any manner, they will know where I am and the cops would catch me right away, and that is the one thing I don't want."

"I'm attempting not to leave any signs that would indicate that I was here following the disappearance of my father."

Agastha was perplexed by the idea that some leftover food may serve as proof implicating him. How could leftovers possibly be considered evidence?

(How is this garbage considered "proof")

"The biodegradable trash in the house is rotting inside and is filled. Police will be alerted if I toss something else in there that doesn't fit the condition of the already-rotten rubbish. And I can't throw it someplace else since it is already full. The locations where individuals dispose of their rubbish are monitored by cameras."

— For those who don't know, the Indian government has installed C.C.T.V. in regions where people often discard their rubbish to discourage individuals from doing so.—

He asked in a perplexed tone, (So?)

"If they locate this, they will know that someone was here after they vanished since the food's state of decomposition doesn't match that of this one. In contrast to food that has been in the trash can for a while, this is still fresh."

Even though his head was still a complete jumble, he was still pushing himself.

(If you just threw the garbage in the trashcan someplace away, you wouldn't have to go through all of this.)

The proposal he made had sense, but Karma found it to be too apparent.

"We can't do that because if we dispose of the garbage, they would be able to tell "Very" easily that it was emptied, which may cause them to believe that the "suspect" was searching for anything significant in the trash, leading them to seek out the location where the trash was tossed. Furthermore, carrying rubbish outdoors puts us in too great a danger of being exposed."

"Well, why did you bury them here, though? And why does the soil have two layers?"

He rose, smacked his hands together to remove the dirt, and remarked that the concealment of the "Evidence," about which he had been so anxious, had been taken care of.

"Chances are slim, but 'IF'—and that's a big if—someone finds this spot and attempts to dig, what they'll find will be some rotten stuff which will give them no idea of how long it has been here since decomposition process is faster in soil, and it will further lower the chances of them finding the passports even if they try it with a trained dog"

He stepped back into the home after dusting off the dirt.

Agastha surveyed the room before making a remark and insulting his intelligence. (Evidence, huh? Guess the scrapes on the exterior wall and this shattered window will just be "ignored" by the cops, and let's not forget that your parents' room is still a mess.)

When he stared at Agastha, his eyes had the appearance of someone who has predicted the future. "I'm aware of that"

He indicated what Agastha spoke and called attention to with his index finger.

"The cops will be able to tell that there was a struggle when they arrive because of how everything looks. They will have to assume that the individuals who came here are all pros because my dad is prepared for situations like this and is a decent fighter himself, which makes it clear that it can't be me. How am I supposed to be the suspect when my father can easily catch me?"

(If the marks on the wall are fake evidence, wouldn't that be a diversion in their case if you are acting the victim here?)

He replied while rolling his eyes and shaking his head in dismissal of the concerns.

"That's part of my plan, too,"

(What?)

It was the first time he had been perplexed by his conduct since Agastha first encountered him or began observing him.

"I'll leave the demon aspect up to the cops to investigate."

(Why would you act in such a way?)

"From observing that there has been a struggle, they will be forced to consider a 2nd party's involvement, but after observing the scratches on the wall outside, they will be forced to consider that there was something extraordinary involved here, something that is beyond humans, and because of this, they will have to maintain the possibility of something supernatural being involved in this case."

(But why? Why would you act that way? Why would you allow them to believe that there is a supernatural component to this?)

"That's because. The cops will serve as my tools as I will get additional information using them."

Agastha questioned as he grew more and more perplexed and, more importantly, more and more enthusiastic about this. (Huh? How?)

"Demons can't remain hidden for very long; eventually, the truth will come to light. Because of this, "I" want to be the one who alerts them to their presence. I'll trick them into believing that the cops are missing something so they'll keep looking, but I'll then show them exactly what they're looking for."

(You mean demons? You'll Show them the real deal?)

"Yes, and when I do, they'll have to check inside for further information about their whereabouts."

The majority of his idea made logically, but he was troubled by one particular aspect. (What if your friends told the cops how they first met you today? Wouldn't that be a problem?)

"Don't worry about that, we'll be gone by the time the cops find out about us,"

CHAPTER - 28 - TO BE CONTINUED