CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 31

 It was child's play for Jimmy Perkins to enter the majestic door of Asklepios & Company once more in the morning, using the same methods. Once inside, Perkins looked around nonchalantly to make sure he wasn't noticed by anyone. Then he kept walking.

 He had to complete the research he had started two days earlier in Dr. Köhler's laboratory. But he had other things to do before.

 I hope Blake's plan works...

 Crossing the wide hall, Perkins took the elevator down to the ground floor. After stepping down from the elevator, he felt a slight shudder and shudder as he landed in this part of the building, which was not as well lit and decorated as the parts of the building that were visible. But once he had made it this far, he had no choice but to move on. 

 On the ground floor, there were research laboratories, data centers, warehouses and storage areas for spare devices and equipment, chemical substances, clean rooms, test and analysis rooms, a security control center where the entire company could be monitored centrally, rest and break areas for personnel, walkways and emergency exits. Perkins got the image mapping the ground floor on his smartphone. The place where he descended by elevator was a roughly rectangular part of the area close to the security control center.

 Apparently, in order to reach his destination, he had to cross the ground floor in the opposite direction to reach the section where the chemicals were stored, which was located near the emergency exits.

 A security guard, who didn't seem satisfied with his life, had come out of the security control room to smoke a cigarette without telling anyone. Perkins greeted the man in uniform lightly, trying to act naturally. The man didn't quite get there. With the tension relieved, Perkins continued on his way with slow steps.

 A few minutes later, Perkins, the 'cleaner', had found the room he was looking for.

CHAPTER 32

 It was four o'clock in the afternoon when Simon Blake arrived at Ray Fisher's mansion, which resembled the iconic houses in Hollywood movies.

 Old Travis, who was waiting for Blake towards evening, looked at the man suspiciously. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded his head without saying anything, nodding in agreement with Blake's entrance and pointing with his arm in the way Blake already knew.

 A minute later, Blake got out of his vehicle and knocked on the door of the house. This time, it was Tabitha Fisher who opened the door. The woman looked livelier and tidier than before. She wore her hair in a bun and a black T-shirt over a tight light blouse.

 Blake and Fisher exchanged silent glances for a few seconds. The host was the first to speak.

 "Hello, Mr. Blake. Were you here for Kyla?"

 "Yes, I am, I think she's at home?"

 "She left at noon, and as far as I know, she hasn't returned yet. But since you have a lesson, I think it will be back in a moment. Come on in, please."

 "Thank you, I hope I'm not bothering you..."

 "You're welcome, please enjoy yourself. I need to make a call, I'll join you shortly. You sit down, please."

 Simon Blake sat down with his eye on the armchair in a part of the large hall with a comfortable view of the garden. He wondered if the woman's unexpectedly sincere demeanor was natural. Tabitha Fisher walked over to the kitchen and disappeared for a few minutes. When she came back to Blake, she asked,

 "Would you like to have a drink?"

 "Just a glass of water, please."

 The woman handed Blake a glass of cold water. Then she sat down in the seat opposite him and examined the man with curious eyes. It was impossible to understand what was going through his mind.

 "Where do you meet Kyla? Are you a former teacher of her?"

 Could it be that the woman knows the real reason I'm here?

 "I'm a teacher for an old friend of Kyla's. My student told me that Kyla lost her father in an unfortunate plane crash. She had to be busy with something to get through this difficult period. That's how we met. Kyla has talent and from what I can see, she's going to get through it quickly."

 "Who would have thought that Kyla would have such artistic tendencies,"

 Tabitha Fisher said with a smile.

 "I'm sure you're going through a difficult time, but from what I've seen, you're close to your daughter and it helps you get over the loss of your spouse easily. I'd like to say I'm glad I don't want to."

 "Oh, you're so kind. Thank you. Are you sure you don't want to drink anything else?"

 "Maybe another time. I think Kyla is about to come too. Unless, of course, he has already decided to dodge me."

 "If Kyla dodge you, maybe I can replace her, Mr. Blake."

 Before Simon Blake had a chance to speak, the sound of the door opening rang out and Kyla Fisher entered. The young woman stared at Tabitha Fisher and Simon Blake, who were sitting opposite each other, for a moment without saying a word. Then he said,

 "I'm a little late, I'm sorry, Mr. Blake, I hope Tabitha didn't bother you."

 "On the contrary, she's very welcoming. She almost took your place as my student. Shall we go to class?"

 A minute later, Simon Blake was in the library with Kyla Fisher.

 "How are we doing, Mr. Blake? I feel like you're not giving me enough information about what's going on."

 "I just don't want to muddy the waters until everything is clear, Miss Kyla. For now, just know that we are making tangible progress. You can rest assured that I will explain everything in due course."

 "What do you think about Tabitha? Have you been able to find any concrete evidence against her?"

 "I think we need to be more flexible, Kyla. Our goal is to get to the truth. We're not going to get anywhere by obsessing over certain people."

 "How secretive you are. I'd expect to hear more from you."

 "Take your time, you'll hear it. By the way, your brother Dorian called me this morning. To be honest, I was a little surprised by this because he was very distant from the beginning..."

 At the same time, Simon Blake noticed the notification sound coming from his phone.

 Can we talk to you in private? Important...

 "Excuse me, Kyla. I have received an important message, I have to write a reply."

 "Enjoy yourself."

 "Yes, what was I saying... Your brother told me that he knew who the killer was and that he had evidence to prove it. He said he would come here tonight and meet me at the first opportunity tomorrow morning and tell me everything."

CHAPTER 33

 Jimmy Perkins finished his work on the ground floor of Asklepios & Company at noon. He had to wait until the evening hours before he could re-enter Köhler's laboratory. He thought about how he could make this wait, which would last a few hours, fun in his own way, provided that it did not get caught on the radar of prying eyes.

 First, he should have taken advantage of the free lunch that the company offered to its employees. Then he could kill time in the company's library. As far as he remembers, there was also a playground somewhere on the upper floors where billiards, table tennis and darts could be played. Maybe he could hang out there for a while, too.

 There was really good food in the cafeteria. Perkins ate his meal with appetite. However, there was no one playing billiards or table tennis at the entertainment venue. After firing a few unsuccessful darts shots at himself, he went to the library and skimmed through the few comics he could find.

 By 7:30 p.m., Perkins decided it was time to get back to work. He glided silently into Dr. Köhler's laboratory. This time, he knew the environment better and knew more clearly what to do.

 He sat down at Köhler's computer. After turning on the computer, he took out of his pocket the drug samples he had taken from the room where the chemicals were stored on the ground floor and placed them on the table where the computer was located, before going to work.

 Renoxin...

 This drug, which significantly delays aging, surprisingly improves performance and has a high level of prophylactic effect against many diseases, apparently had a terrible side effect in case of overdose on some people; Within a few minutes, the person who drank the medicine was burned as if gasoline had been poured on him. And again, it seems that someone, inside or outside this company, knew about the side effect of this damn drug and thought of turning it into a murder weapon in order to settle some old accounts.

 The potential return of the drug was so high that, in addition to its possible dangers, 'how' it was obtained was considered an acceptable price and a reasonable risk by company officials and who knows who else involved.

 The incredible similarity of the 'spontaneous combustion' phenomenon, the mystery of which has not been fully solved for centuries, and the side effect of renoxy added a mystical atmosphere to the event. 

 Kidnapped and abused children, murder, greed for money...

 For a moment, Perkins thought about what a dark business he was involved in. And how much danger he put himself in. He felt himself shiver and his stomach convulsed. It was true that he owed a debt of gratitude to Boris Pavlov for his good deeds in his time, and he also liked to experience excitement, but perhaps it was not worth it so much. After all, what happened here had nothing to do with him, and if he was captured and killed here, Pavlov would not be able to buy him another life.

 Anyway, let's get this job done as soon as possible...

 Perkins snapped out of the thoughts he had been immersed in. He left the bottle of renoxin he was holding on the table. He focused on the screen.

 At the same time, the lights of the laboratory were turned on. Dr. Aldric Köhler, with his sly smile and pistol in hand, stood about five feet to his right.

 "Hi, Mr. Perkins. I'm not interrupting your fun, am I?"

 " But, I..."

 "I see that you are very interested in our medicines, Mr. Perkins. How about tasting them? It's sure to be an experience that broadens your horizons."

 As he continued to speak, Köhler held his gun pointed at Perkins, taking care to keep some distance from the man.

 "Now open that bottle slowly. There should be ten tablets in it. I want you to drink it all. You have one minute, Mr. Perkins. Otherwise, you can be sure that I will kill you without hesitation."

 "Please. My goal is just..." 

 "If I were you, I wouldn't push my luck, Mr. Perkins. You're running out of time."

 Desperate, Perkins did as he was told.

 "Good. You are old enough to know that it is not a good habit to interfere in other people's business. Still, I appreciate your scientific curiosity. You've got a few hours to live, Mr. Perkins. You will burn horribly to death, and no one will understand why. As a principled person, I consider it my duty to share the details of our scientific work with you in the rest of your time. Then you can decide for yourself if what you've learned is worth dying for."

 "The ten tablets of renoxin that you just inhaled are worth over a hundred thousand dollars each. Moreover, despite the fact that it is still in the experimental phase. And believe me, there are thousands of people in the world who will pay this money without a second thought. Maybe tens of thousands. Not a small number of these people also know the ways in which the drug is obtained and what will happen to them in the event of an overdose."

 Perkins felt his heartbeat quickening, his body temperature rising, and his perceptions going out of normal.

 "Well... And those guys?"

 "Unfortunately, it is an unpleasant method that our company has to resort to in order to produce renoxine. But scientific progress requires sacrifice and courage. Someone has paid the price and will always pay the price. At the very least, we use children who have a poor chance of survival. Drug addicts, the disabled, the sick, those who have been outcasts from society, or sometimes those who have been fatally injured in natural disasters. In summary, those who attract our attention are those who cannot live a long and healthy life anyway. For example, we benefited from the children who were seriously injured in the recent major earthquake in Turkey. They were going to die anyway."

 Perkins felt cramps enter his stomach.

 "You... You're a very sick man."

 Köhler laughed disgustingly.

 "Who knows, Perkins. Maybe you're right. But from here, it seems to me that you are more the one who is sick. An asocial hacker who lives his last hours because of his curiosity and no one cares... I, on the other hand, am a successful and respected businessman and scientist in the eyes of the community."

 "What is it about this damn drug that makes it so special?"

 "You're going to experience the answer to your question for yourself, even if it's for a short time, just before you die, Perkins."

 "And that filmmaker? What does he have to do with it? Did you kill him?"

 "You're really curious, Perkins. I think you're talking about that cocky Ray Fisher. To be honest, I wasn't sad about Fisher's death, but he has nothing to do with it. At least it has nothing to do with it. And no, I didn't kill him."

 " What are you going to do to me?"

 " To you? I'm afraid there's nothing anyone can do for you anymore, Perkins. I assume you are already dead. All I can do for you is show you the door. This is an outstanding scientific institution. We don't want burnt human corpses here. You're free to go, Perkins."

 Köhler continued to point his revolver at Perkins with his right hand while pointing at the door with his other.

CHAPTER 34

 For hours, the unidentified person had been watching the garden gate, the only entrance to the house, through the window. He was getting bored.

 Maybe I'm waiting in vain...

 He glanced at his watch once more. It was close to two o'clock in the morning. Just then, he noticed a shadow coming through the garden gate. He waited for him to approach to make sure.

 Yes, that's it... So it was true.

 What he had to do now was to wait patiently for another hour or so. Then he would do what was necessary. He had no choice.

CHAPTER 35

 It was midnight when Prof. Walsch's phone rang. The caller was Angela Strickland.

 "I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour, sir. Our man reported that the hacker had just left the Asklepios & Company building. He said their demeanor was a bit weird too."

 "I understand. What does he mean by weird?"

 "Well... like scared, or like sick. He can't quite describe it himself."

 "All right, Dr. Strickland. Stay tuned for now. If there is any development, do not hesitate to call me at any time."

 "Of course, sir."

 Dr. Aldric Köhler watched security camera footage of Perkins throwing himself into the street in a frenzy. Although he felt like he had won a small victory, it made him sick to his stomach. First the death of that self-righteous Fisher, and now the Hacker who rummaged through the computer records and the warehouse where the chemicals were stored.

 What had happened had shaken Walsch's confidence, which Köhler did not like. If Walsch gave up the job, the financial loss would be insignificant compared to what would happen to Köhler.

 It's all because of this woman...

 Then, suddenly, Köhler thought of something he had forgotten to do. Something important.

 Damn, how could I be so stupid...

 Turning off the camera recordings, he wasted no time and ran towards the stairs to go down to the ground floor.

CHAPTER 36

 At three o'clock in the morning, the unidentified person quietly approached Dorian Fisher's room. His heartbeat quickened, his pupils dilated. He felt slightly dizzy.

 This time the situation was different than before. But no, he couldn't give up. That would be too risky. He took a deep breath. He plucked up the courage.

 Quietly, he opened Dorian Fisher's door.

 Good. Asleep. He won't feel anything...

 First, he instinctively glanced once at the dagger he held tightly in his hand. Then he became more focused. He raised his hand holding the deadly weapon. He stabbed his victim with all his might. Then once again... And again...

 As he was about to deliver the fourth blow, he realized that something was wrong.

CHAPTER 37

 Leaving the building with a wobble, Jimmy Perkins walked briskly toward his vehicle, which was parked about fifty yards away. He opened the front door and sat in the driver's seat. He closed the door. He took a deep breath. He took three bottles of specimens out of his pocket and carefully placed them in his bag. He put it in the back seat of the vehicle. From his other pocket, he took out the voice recorder with which Köhler recorded his conversations. Finally, on Blake's advice, he pulled out the now empty bottle in which he had put the placebo pills, which were exactly like renoxin tablets. He smiled to himself.

 Stupid dude, he thinks he's poisoning me...

 He started his vehicle and sped away. He had experienced enough adrenaline to last a lifetime. There was no need for more.

CHAPTER 38

 When the unidentified person was about to deliver the final blow, the lights in the room were turned on. The astonished attacker's hand remained in the air.

 "But you, how come..."

 "Put the knife down immediately and put your hands together over your head so I can see them. You are under arrest for attempted murder."

 Kyla Fisher tried to figure out how the man could have been in the room while Major Pavlov was doing what he was saying. Then she turned her head to look at Dorian's bed. The quilt and the many pillows crammed underneath were riddled with knife blows. There was no Dorian Fisher or anyone else in the bed.

 After handcuffing Kyla Fisher's wrists, Pavlov shouted loudly,

 "Simon, don't be such a coward, my friend, get out of the hole you're hiding in!"

 A few seconds later, Simon Blake approached from the hallway and entered the room. Waving his index finger and head, he said,

 "It's a shame, Ms. Fisher, an aspiring artist shouldn't kill her own brother."

 At the same time, a message notification came from Pavlov's phone.

 Hey big guy. The news is good. I caught big fish. Let's meet you and Blake as soon as possible...

CHAPTER 39

 A week had passed since the arrest of Kyla Fisher and Dr. Aldric Köhler. Simon Blake, Boris Pavlov, Jimmy Perkins and Tabitha Fisher met Sunday afternoon at the Beetle Cafe near the University of Washington, drinking a cold drink and discussing what had happened.

 Tabitha Fisher said,

 "So these kidnappings were real... My God, what a world we live in."

 "Unfortunately, it is," Blake said. "We were able to do all of these this with the help of the talent and courage of our young friend Perkins, who put his life on the line."

 "And of course, thanks to Professor Blake's strategic acumen. I just did what I was told," he said.

 Pavlov,

 "We all contributed to the resolution of the case in our own way. Let's hope that we have contributed to preventing such incidents from happening in the future..."

 Tabitha Fisher said,

 "I hope so, Mr. Pavlov. Gosh, when I think of being with a monster like Aldric Köhler..."

 Pavlov said,

 "Don't blame yourself, Mrs. Fisher, everyone makes mistakes. You didn't cause all this. And according to Blake, you had a significant impact on solving the case."

 The woman smiled slightly.

 "We all know 'our' part of the case, Blake," Perkins said. But you put the pieces together. Why don't you give us a complete and tidy summary of what happened?" 

 All three people fixed their eyes on Blake. Pavlov and Fisher nodded their heads in agreement with Perkins' request.

 Blake took another sip of his coke, which he had been drinking even though he had no habit. He waited for a few seconds to clear his head, then began to speak.

 "When Kyla first came along, Boris and I were both undecided for a long time about whether there really was a murder. It takes more than unsubstantiated allegations by a relative of the victim to believe that an incident recorded as an accident is actually a murder. But the event was quite interesting from a different angle. There was a phenomenon called 'spontaneous combustion' involved, the secret of which had not been solved for centuries. Whether there was a murder involved or not, the case was interesting.

 "We had to conduct our investigations secretly because the case was officially closed. Naturally, we should have started the review with Ray Fisher's wife and lover. That's what we did. Fisher's relationship with Megan Cole was no secret. We visited her at her home. Thanks to Boris' persuasiveness, Megan Cole answered all of our questions, even though she knew she wasn't officially under question.

 "Obviously, what helped me at this stage was not so much Megan Cole's responses, but what I saw in the woman's house and something that happened to me the next day. I'm convinced that at least Kyla Fisher wasn't dreaming, and that there really was a murder going on, and that the murder weapon could be that experimental drug. One way or another, we had a real case on our hands, and if we weren't careful, we could get into trouble. Likewise, Megan Cole's life could have been in danger. Thankfully, nothing happened to anyone except the adventure Perkins went through."

 Perkins interjected.

 "Who were the people who followed you in the car?"

 "Obviously I'm not entirely sure about this, but the only plausible explanation I can come up with is that there are others who are following this incident for different reasons and are uncomfortable with our intervention. Considering that they also have financial resources at their disposal, it may be the people of the companies with which Dr. Köhler does business or who provide him with resources. The fact that they intimidated me once and didn't take on much confirms my opinion. On reconsideration, they may have found it better to remain inconspicuous. Anyway, even though Megan Cole was an ambitious and pragmatic woman, there was no evidence to suggest that she had killed Ray Fisher, and there was no visible reason for her to do so.

 "It was the family members' turn. Talking to Dorian Fisher wasn't a problem. He was aware of his sister's allegations and didn't feel uneasy because he was quite out of the picture. He did not break our request and agreed to talk to us. He was an intelligent young man who lived detached from his family, focused on his own goals, and seemed indifferent to his father's death and what he left behind. Did this disinterested and individualistic attitude reflect reality, or was it a front? Time would tell.

 "The challenge was to keep a close eye on you, Tabitha Jenkins Fisher, which Kyla Fisher had been targeting all along. Since there was no legal process and I was not a police officer, it was not possible for me to do this openly. We had to make up a cover to enter your home and meet you. So we made up the role.

 "When I first stepped into the manor, I found something unexpected in Dorian Fisher's room: an old photo album. It was quite strange to find the photo album in Dorian Fisher's half-abandoned room, where there were no other personal belongings. Had it been in any other room of the mansion, there would have been a chance that the album would have been overlooked. So it was almost certainly deliberately put there by someone so that I could easily find it. But by whom?

 "In practice, there were only three people who were likely to do so: Tabitha Fisher, Kyla Fisher and Dorian Fisher. But in terms of the facts revealed by the photograph, there was only one person who had a logical reason to do so. As you later admitted, it was you, Mrs. Fisher, who did it.

 "The photograph was striking and pointed to things that would play a key role in solving the case. However, before moving on to these, there is one more point that needs to be emphasized. In order for you to put the photo album in Dorian's room, you had to know in advance that I (or anyone else to investigate the incident) would come to the mansion and poke around. How could this be possible? Kyla had informed you that I was coming to the manor, but by introducing me as her art teacher and saying that she would be taking lessons from me.

 "Leaving aside the possibility that Kyla will tell you the real face of the situation herself, there is only one explanation left: Kyla was in a relationship with Dr. Aldric Köhler, just like you. Kyla had been informing Dr. Köhler of many developments, and it was not surprising that in an idle moment the man had told you about them, or perhaps you had seen his phone messages.

 "Let's get to what the photo says. How could it be explained that Rusty Richards, the son of Mark Richards, Ray Fisher's former partner, and Bridget Fisher, Ray Fisher's first wife, were in the same frame? Simple reasoning and Boris' investigations were enough to establish that Mark Richards had an affair with Bridget before Ray Fisher and that Rusty Richards' mother was Bridget Fisher. But that fact raised some shocking questions: Did Bridget and Mark's relationship continue after the woman's marriage to Ray? If so, was it possible that Kyla and Dorian Fisher were actually Mark Richards' children? Were the deaths of Mark Richards and Bridget Fisher caused by natural causes, even though they were reported as heart attacks and cancer?"

 Tabitha Fisher, a member of the family, didn't seem surprised to hear Simon Blake's account. It was obvious that she knew or guessed a lot about it. She was only surprised that Blake had come to all these conclusions in such a short time.

 Blake took another sip of his now warmed drink. As he was about to continue speaking, Perkins interjected.

 "So Kyla and Dorian's father is Ray Fisher, right?"

 "The answer to this question can only be clarified by a DNA test if deemed necessary, although I see this as highly likely because when the plot is based on this assumption, the pieces fall into place easily.

 "Namely; Since the children's legal father is Ray Fisher, they are the ones who will benefit from his inheritance first-hand, with the exception of Tabitha Fisher. If Ray Fisher directly or indirectly caused the death of their real parents, why shouldn't they also eliminate the man as soon as possible and put him in his fortune? And why not put the blame on the 'second wife who married their father for her money' when they had the opportunity? Pardon my expression, Tabitha. I use these phrases to explain what happened. Thus, Tabitha Fisher, who has a third share in the inheritance, is eliminated, the dead parents are avenged, and the owner of a large fortune is obtained. This scenario also explains the fact that the children can easily give up their rights to the company, because Rusty Richards is already their elder brother and they will be able to take advantage of practically all the possibilities of the company due to blood ties."

 Boris Pavlov took over.

 "It seems logical. The rest is self-evident. Kyla Fisher sees that Tabitha is having an affair with Dr. Köhler. She follows what is happening with curiosity. After a while, she realizes that the ambitious scientist is doing dark deeds and that the drug he produces may serve his evil plans. As a young and beautiful woman, she easily seduces Dr. Köhler. Thus, he follows the man's work more closely. Somehow convinces Ray Fisher to use renoxin. And maybe, to secure her job, she unwittingly mixes extra drugs into what the man eats and drinks. However, when you interrupt and tell her that Dorian is going to explain everything, she inadvertently feels compelled to eliminate his brother and falls into a trap... And Simon Blake's big win..."

 Waiting for his friend to finish his heated speech, Blake looked restless.

 "It's an obvious inference, but it's also a flawed one. There is some truth in what they say. Because Kyla Fisher really thought she was a murderer, and in order to avoid being caught, she tried to eliminate her brother, who she thought would give her away. The truth is, Kyla didn't kill Ray Fisher. Renoxin was not the murder weapon, and what I have described so far is nothing more than a diabolical screen used to cover up the real motive of the murder. I didn't win or anything yet. I'm afraid the killer is out there somewhere, and he's laughing behind our backs." 

CHAPTER 40

 Rusty Richards parked his vehicle in the section of the King County jail reserved for visitors. When viewed from the façade, the design of the light-colored building, characterized by the cylindrical security tower on the right side, was simple but aesthetic. The young businessman, who was carefully searched, was taken to the section where the detainees met with visitors, accompanied by a security guard.

 Kyla Fisher, wearing a prisoner's uniform, looked really bad. It looked like she had already lost weight. Her face was pale. She had a bruise under his eyes.

 Trying to appear sincere, Richards could not hide his sly smile.

 "How's it going, Kyla?"

 "Rusty, I... Believe me, what happened was not my fault. That man, Blake, it all happened because of him. I had to."

 "Calm down, Kyla. I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on, but nothing is clear from what you say. Take a deep breath, try to relax, and tell me what's going on from the very beginning. Don't worry, I'll get you out of here."

 " Can you really do that?"

 " Of course. You can trust me. You know how much I love you."

 "Okay, Rusty. I... when Blake came that day..."

 Kyla Fisher tried to clear her head and told Richards what happened on the day she was caught, in the most understandable terms she could.

 Twenty minutes later, Rusty Richards got into his luxury car. He lit his cigarette before starting the engine. He took a deep breath. Anyone who saw Richards from the outside could easily tell that he was a well-to-do person.

CHAPTER 41

 It had been four days since Prof. Simon Blake had met his friends at the Beetle Cafe.

 Four days without incident... Maybe I'm too skeptical, and Boris's simple reasoning was correct. And the incident has already been solved...

 It was almost night when Blake returned home after a busy day at college.

 Even though there were no intensive classes at the faculty during the summer months, working at the university and driving in the heat was tiring. Add to that the stress he had experienced in recent weeks due to this strange case and the air temperature that never dropped, and he felt that his energy was sometimes completely drained. As if that wasn't enough, the nightmares of that night had started again. The nightmares kept reminding me of a traumatic incident in his youth.

 He sloppily removed his clothes and threw them on the ground. He got into the shower. The cold water seemed to cleanse not only his body, but also the bad memories. It was under water for a long time. When he left, he went to the kitchen. He wasn't hungry, he snacked on campus. He made himself a coffee. 

 If I was a smoker, I would definitely crave cigarettes now...

 He went out onto his balcony overlooking the river. He put his feet out. He entered the site where he was playing chess online on his big-screen smartphone.

 No, I'm paranoid. The case was closed. The murder was committed by Kyla Fisher. Safe. And those kidnapped children... Necessary actions will be taken on the subject. There are also people with common sense in the world...

 The chess app paired Blake with an opponent with a rating of 2340. Blake started the game, which was played with ten minutes of rapid time control, with the white pieces. He had opted for the Catalan opening, which took him to quiet positions because he was tired.

 By the fifteenth move in the game, the bubble that appeared in the lower left corner of the screen was informing him that his opponent had written a message to him. Blake usually ignored it and continued his game. That's what he did this time. However, the messages kept coming. It was obvious that there was something odd about it. Finally, he couldn't resist and clicked on the message box. When he saw what was written, he felt his blood run cold.

 You think you're very smart, don't you, Blake? 

 How did you solve the whole thing?

 The girl who killed her own father was locked up. Child traffickers and illegal drug producers have been punished...

 But none of this is real.

 The truth is, I was the one who killed Ray Fisher.

 That scoundrel deserved it.

 And you are a complete disappointment.

 I know all about you, Blake. 

 I even know what you see in your nightmares at night. 

 I know why you live alone.

 Because of your incompetence, two more people will now die.

 And you will not be able to prevent it. 

 You won't catch me.

 But I'll be watching you...

 Simon Blake felt a pang in his stomach. He's out of the game. He tried to pull himself together. What he feared had come true. Although he felt extremely exhausted, he had no time to lose.

 He summed up what had happened, calling Pavlov. Pavlov was stunned.

 "So you were right. And do you know who he is?"

 "I think I know."

 Blake told his friend the name that was on his mind.

 "Damn. Who do you think he's targeting?"

 "There are four possibilities. I'm afraid you're on this list of four, and so is Perkins. The other two are Kyla Fisher and Aldric Köhler. What do you think should be done now? What do the police do in such situations?"

 "If it were possible, I would like to go and arrest him myself. But in this case there are some difficulties. First of all, we don't know where he is right now, and if I tried to go after him, I would be putting the other three people at risk. And we don't have enough evidence to arrest him. If I'm lucky, I might assign a couple of police officers to find him and monitor his movements. I could ask one or two of them to help us protect myself and Perkins."

 "I understand. So, without wasting time, call Perkins and go to him. We'll talk about what to do about Kyla Fisher and Aldric Köhler later."

 " What are you going to do?"

 "I'm not in danger. He doesn't want me to die. Rest assured about that."

 "Well, since that's what you say. Be careful, though." 

 Before sunrise, Pavlov drove to Perkins' home with an armed police officer, and a patrol vehicle was on its way to track down the suspect.

CHAPTER 42

 Ten days later, nothing has happened to any of the four names on Blake's list. The officers tasked with monitoring the suspect from a distance were unable to detect any unusual behavior.

 There was nothing tangible except for the unpleasant messages that a university professor said he had received while playing a game. Life had to go back to normal. And that's what happened.

 Over the next three months, Blake kept up with the news of the trial of Kyla Fisher and Aldric Köhler in newspapers and online. Apparently, Kyla Fisher was going to serve life in prison for a murder he didn't commit. And the main killer seemed to be happy with the situation.

 What are you waiting for to take action...

 Then, suddenly, lightning flashed in Blake's head. He knew what the killer was waiting for. And how to catch him.

CHAPTER 43

 The next day, Simon Blake was at Jimmy Perkins' house. He told his young friend what was on his mind. Once again, Perkins' help was needed.

 "Are you sure this is going to work, Blake?"

 "It would be a bit of a pretentious statement to be sure. Let's just say I hope it works. What do you say? Can you do that?"

 Perkins winked,

 "It's a piece of cake. And I don't have to risk my life this time."

 "How long does it take?"

 "A couple of hours."

 "I really owe you. Remind me after this is over so I can make up for it."

 Perkins pointed to his watch. 

 "Make no mistake, my friend. Now leave me alone so I can get to work..."

CHAPTER 44

 The killer returned home after completing his regular five-kilometer run every morning. He looked at his watch.

 07:35

 He liked to wander the streets alone in the twilight. He liked to do things that no one else did, at hours when no one else did. He liked to feel special and different.

 He went to the bathroom and took off his clothes. He watched himself in the mirror admiring herself before going under the shower.

 After getting out of the shower, he made himself a sandwich and made coffee. He then began to skim his smartphone to find out the latest developments, as he regularly does every day.

 He couldn't believe the news that soon caught his eye.

 He needed to act immediately. Otherwise, it would have been easy for him to be caught. He set out to design what he was going to do.

CHAPTER 45

 At ten o'clock on Monday night, a young officer whose badge had his name listed as Ned Hogan was in control of the high-security cell where Kyla Fisher was being held at the King County jail instead of senior guard Daniel Robins. Daniel Robins, who had been healthy the previous day, had received a report for that day, stating that he had a severe cold.

 During Kyla Fisher's three-month detention, all the guards did at night was to keep records of the detainees, checking to see if they were in their cells. So Kyla was surprised to find that this guard, who she didn't remember seeing before, had unlocked her cell and walked in.

 "What's going on? Is there a problem?"

 "Please turn around, lean your hands against the wall and be quiet without difficulty. There is a denunciation about it. I'm going to search your cell."

 "But nothing here..."

 "I said don't make trouble. If you do what I say, I'll finish my job right away, and everyone will be relieved. Now turn around and lean against the wall. I won't repeat it."

 Unable to make sense of what was happening, Kyla Fisher helplessly did as she was told. But her instincts told her something was wrong.

 Ned Hogan started looking for Kyla's bed. He glanced at the young woman with her back turned. At the opportune moment, he took out the chloroform cloth from his pocket and quietly approached his victim. With his right hand, he pressed Kyla Fisher's head against his chest, while with the other hand he put the chloroform cloth to the woman's mouth. A few seconds later, the young woman was unconscious.

 The killer laid his victim on his back on the bed, unaware of what was happening. Immediately after, he began to press the woman's pillow against her face. The so-called guard, who was initially extremely controlled and cautious, took on a different mood as he continued to press his victim's face with the pillow in his hand. What he did gave him incredible pleasure and took him to a fantasy world where he imagined he was a god. His pupils dilated, as if the color of his eyes had changed. This scumbag deserved to die, and he was being punished accordingly.

 However, when Ned Hogan perceived the cold piece of iron resting on his neck, he would have to abandon what he had started. Boris Pavlov's authoritative voice and the pistol he pointed at him were more than enough to bring the killer, whose badge said Ned Hogan, back to the real world.

 Boris Pavlov took off the young man's hat after handcuffing the supposed guard with the fake name Ned Hogan, who had his hat lowered to his eyebrows to avoid attracting attention. He was standing in front of Dorian Fisher, who killed Ray Fisher and almost killed his own sister.

 Simon Blake was right about the identity of the killer.

CHAPTER 46

 The following weekend, Simon Blake, Boris Pavlov and Jimmy Perkins gathered at the Fisher manor, this time as guests of Tabitha Fisher.

 "Are you sure it's over this time, Blake?"

 Simon Blake nodded yes to Tabitha Fisher, who looked at him with interest. 

 Pavlov said, "So behind all this chaos was that quiet boy."

 "How did you figure that out?"

 Before Blake could answer Pavlov's question, Perkins interjected.

 "And what was the actual motive and weapon of murder? As far as I remember, the last time we spoke, you said that family matters were just excuses and that Ray Fisher didn't die of a overdose renoxin."

 "That's right. Let's go in order. As we mentioned earlier, Bridget Fisher and Mark Richards had relationships, and I believe that, like Rusty Richards, Kyla Fisher and Dorian Fisher had Mark Richards as their fathers. Unable to take up with this, Ray Fisher 'eliminated' Mark Richards. I don't know if Ray Fisher can be blamed for Bridget Fisher's death, but whether it was true or not, it would have been used by Dorian Fisher.

 "When I spoke to Dorian Fisher, the boy mentioned three things that intrigued me, among many other things:

 -He had a master's degree in gene-editing technologies and was doing a doctorate on the genetic basis of neurodegenerative diseases;

 -He liked to play strategy games;

 -He hadn't seen Ray Fisher's post-mortem photos.

 "The reasons why the three points I mentioned were remarkable were as follows;

 "The fact that Dorian Fisher was professionally pursuing the same field as Dr. Aldric Köhler raised the possibility that there might be some connection between the two names. Dorian Fisher's interest in strategy games suggested the possibility that he was the one who played chess with me shortly after Kyla Fisher and Aldric Köhler were captured. The fact that he had not seen the photos of Ray Fisher's corpse did not directly point to a specific point, but it reminded me of something that had been on my mind and did not come to mind from the beginning in this case:

 "The claim that Ray Fisher died of spontaneous combustion belonged to Kyla Fisher, and there was no one who made a claim that the man died that way, except for Dorian, who supported his sister's testimony. According to statements made in the press and media, Ray Fisher died in a plane crash. So, in order to avoid any misunderstanding, I read and watched the news on the subject over and over again. Then I remembered a former student whose wife was a police officer who could shed light on the questions in my mind. My student told me that the possibility of sabotage in the crash of Fisher's plane was being considered, provided that his name be kept anonymous and that what he said was off the record.

 "As a result of the developments that followed, the point I came to was this; Dorian Fisher realized that Aldric Köhler's work had great potential for future, convincing his sister to eliminate Ray Fisher and shift the blame to Tabitha for the reasons I have already described. Renoxin was to be used as the supposedly murder weapon. In order to obtain sufficient quantities of the drug, Kyla Fisher had to work closely with Dr. Aldric Köhler.

 "Unaware of Dorian's true motives, Kyla Fisher seduced Dr. Köhler with the motivation to avenge her parents' death. She began to secretly make Ray Fisher drink the renoxin she had obtained from Köhler. In the meantime, she was sharing with his brother all the knowledge she had gained about Köhler's work. Meanwhile, Dorian Fisher was looking for ways to take advantage of Köhler's work and, depending on the situation, eliminate the man.

 "Again, in line with Dorian Fisher's plan, Kyla Fisher visited Boris. According to Dorian, when the police uncovered Tabitha's affair with Köhler based on Kyla's allegations, they would conclude that Tabitha, who wanted to be disinherited, had collaborated with Köhler to eliminate Ray.

 "But Dorian's plan started to run open at some points. Köhler, who was in a relationship with Tabitha, told Tabitha what he had slipped out of Kyla's mouth, which was not very secretive. Tabitha found out in advance that I was going to come here and search the house, and she cleverly placed the photo album in Dorian's room. The well-known photograph I found in this album did not lead to the conclusion that Dorian Fisher coveted Köhler and his work, but it was enough to exonerate her, at least by shedding light on the family's dark past.

 "Another flaw in Dorian's plan was renoxin, which was to be used as a murder weapon. Dorian had persuaded Kyla to secretly add renoxin to Ray Fisher's food and drink. The old man also began to drink the medicine of his own from time to time, noticing the miraculous effects of it. However, there was a problem. The circumstances of the drug related death were completely unclear, and it was not possible to control what dose of renoxin Ray Fisher used, because he himself traveled very often and rarely visited his home.

 "Ray Fisher was still alive after a long time. Tired of waiting, Dorian once again came up with a diabolical idea: sabotage Ray Fisher's plane. When the plane crashed, the cockpit would likely catch fire. Since Ray Fisher's body would most likely be burned or at least unrecognizable, it wouldn't be difficult to convince Kyla that renoxin was the real cause of death. Therefore, Kyla believed until the end that she was the one who killed Ray Fisher. For the same reason, when I told him that Dorian was going to go home and tell me everything, he panicked and tried to eliminate his brother. Of course, Dorian didn't know about this, and it was Pavlov who entered the garden of the mansion after midnight."

 Tabitha Fisher asked,

 "So why hasn't Dorian acted all this time, despite the messages he wrote to you? How did you trap him?"

 "Dorian panicked immediately after Kyla Fisher and Aldric Köhler were caught, and wrote messages to put pressure on me. But then he realized that there was no one going after him and that the case would be closed with the conviction of Kyla, who thought she was a murderer, and Aldric Köhler, who was embroiled in a drug scandal. Therefore, he remained silent for three months. The only way to get him to take action was a press release comes from Kyla, in which she make an explanation that she realized she wasn't the real killer and that she would reveal the identity of the killer.

 "When I realized this, I once again benefited from the skills of our talented young friend Perkins. Perkins spread fake news on the internet to create this perception. You know the aftermath."

 Tabitha Fisher asked, "Now that Dorian has been captured and Mr. Pavlov and Jimmy are alive, what happened to Köhler, whom Dorian said he was going to kill?"

 Instead of answering this question, Simon Blake smiled. 

CLOSURE

 In his cell at the Snohomish County jail, where he has been held in solitary confinement for the past three and a half months, Dr. Aldric Köhler stared indifferently at the guard who brought him his dinner. Without saying anything, the guard left the man's food by opening the protected glass partition and walked away.

 After reluctantly eating the tasteless unsalted meal of boiled potatoes and peas, Köhler drank the water that came with the meal.

 The taste of the water was peculiar. But Köhler didn't care.

 Aldric Köhler felt that an incredible heat wave suddenly covered his cell. It was December, but he couldn't remember having such a hot day, even in July.

 Perhaps the ventilation of this damn rat hole is broken. Or even better, there's been a fire or something...

 The temperature gradually increased. It was no longer bearable. Köhler wondered why the other prisoners or guards showed no reaction.

 That would be the last thing he wondered about. The last thing he realizes is that it's not the prison that's burning, it's his own body.

 Firstly, water drained from all parts of his body. Then he realized that he was starting to not be able to breathe. He felt a severe pain similar to an electric shock climbing up his coccyx.

 At the same time, his skin began to turn red. Immediately after, his whole body caught fire.

 A minute later, the accomplished scientist Dr. Aldric Köhler was left with nothing but a handful of ashes.