CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

BACK AT THE STATION

"Why didn't Stephen kill you as soon as Anita disclosed the information ?" Anna asked Alex.

"Mr. Fred and Anita didn't reveal the evidence to anyone else. They only told me and asked me to keep it a secret from the other students."Alex replied.

"How did Stephen not find out?"

"Anita discovered the solution while we were taking our external exams."

"Why did you insist on seeing me first?"

He leaned closer. "You're the only detective who will understand that Stephen doesn't need prison... he needs a psychiatrist."

"A psychiatrist?" Anna repeated.

"All his life, Stephen has struggled to be accepted by his parents and everyone around him. He has bipolar disorder. He was diagnosed, but his father was desperate for him to go to school like other kids. Stephen killed his mother and her lover before he was diagnosed. When that happened, his father locked him in an underground room for five days without food. That's where Stephen learned more about killing."

"How do you know all this?"

"He keeps a journal in his cabinet. I made a duplicate key after I suspected he killed Juliana. Everything you need to know is in that journal."

"Are you aware that right now you're suspected of being an accomplice?"

"Only if Stephen confesses that I am."

"You seem very sure he won't."

"Stephen sees me as the only person who accepts him for who he is. Interview him and see for yourself."

"Why didn't you tell me all of this earlier?"

"I was scared. I don't even know exactly what I was scared of."

"For your information, your friend will be locked up in jail. And if you push any further, you'll be arrested as an accomplice."

"You can't do that, Mrs. Robert."

"The subsequent murders were driven by human emotions. He's socially fine.He doesn't need a psychiatrist, he needs jail" Anna retorted.

***

Anna sat in the interrogation room with Stephen Robin and his father, Jack Robin.

She glared at Jack. "You're a celebrity with a bright smile on camera, but behind the scenes, you're a monster."

Jack Robin smirked. "I heard you're the popular Jerry's sister."

"So what?" she replied sharply.

Stephen began to cry. "Please, I don't want to go to prison."

"You murdered those girls in the most brutal way. They had families who loved them. You made them suffer before throwing them out of the building. You threatened people, killed that poor elderly woman, Mrs. Papaya, and you kidnapped my daughter. You took pleasure in causing pain. So why should your pain matter to anyone right now?" Anna said bitterly.

Jack Robin chuckled. "I never knew detectives could be this emotional."

"Emotional? You don't even feel any regret for your son's actions?"

Jack nudged Stephen. "He killed my wife. My own son killed my wife. My family is already a mess, so why should I feel regret?"