Joint Case

Chapter 15: Arc 3 - Dismemberment Case I

Paseton had been living by himself in his rented apartment. 

His sister Witira once told him that a cheap price might have a hidden explanation for it. It made him want to find another apartment to rent. However, all the apartments he had seen had no vacant place. 

He had to pick this place. The owner of the apartments on this land is kind. Awfully kind. 

Paseton does not know why, but the time spent with Elisneh, the owner, keeps on giving him the creeps. As if, as if she was observing him?

Maybe it was just him being paranoid. Without his sister by his side, it made him not trust strangers too easily lest, why trouble and danger might find him. 

He does not want that to happen. A family with overprotective tendencies might force him to go back home for his safety. It was hard to convince his parents to let him live alone because, from a young age, he was too protected, making him feel suffocated in the house.  

Good thing when he requested to live alone, they agreed since he is of legal age and is mature to think. 

Looking around the apartment, Paseton could not help but feel fear. Even though he had lived here for about three months, he could not shake the feeling of something eerie here. 

From the hallways, sightings, and each enormous apartment, everything was so scary. As it was the land of death.

Everything here looks like death. Sometimes, he regrets it. However, he could not drown himself in fear. 

Forgot the fear. How could he be independent if he was such a scaredy-cat? 

Paseton rubs his face to wash away the fear that’s been seeping inside of him. 

He let out another ragged breath and prepared himself a cup of coffee in the morning to wake himself up. 

Finishing preparing it, he strode towards the living area and sat down on the couch. Occasionally sipping the warm coffee, he prepared for himself.

He smells something rotten entering his nose, prompting his lips to a downturn in response. 

It has been days since he smelled that peculiar scent. A scent-like decomposition of something...

Like a dead body?

Paseton shivers from that train of thought. 

However, he was sure it was. He was blessed with a strong sense of smell, which is a blessing and a curse as well. 

He could tell it was the scent of a decomposed body since he smelled a whip whenever Witira came back from work. 

It was too strong. That’s why he remembered it so well. 

Paseton could not take it anymore. He stood up and grabbed a hammer he owned, then walked up and stood on his couch. 

He faces the wall where the scent is the strongest, with his nose covered with a mask and demolishing it. 

After he was done, the debris was removed, and it displayed the head of a corpse intact with its features in front of him. 

He could not help but jolt from shock and rushed down from the couch. Fear is written on his face as what he has seen is so gruesome in his own eyes. 

Paseton's first thought that came to his mind after calming down a bit is he needed to call his sister. 

Older sister, Witira, could help him. 

***

It has been months since the flower killer case has been closed. The two teams handled with great care everything.