Dark Daylight - A Science Fiction Story

17. The Doctor's Dead!

Dr. Sharan was busy writing down something after looking at Musk. Jack too looked on as Sharan did her work. At that moment, Jack's phone began to ring.

It was Kelly.

"Jack, Dr. Robert is dead."

It was a huge shock for Jack.

"Wha...what are you saying?"

"He's dead, Jack. Consumed excess of his sleeping pills at his apartment. Inform Dr. Sharan about this. She's the only expert left." said Kelly calmly.

"Oh... okay....I'll be... We'll be there..."

***

Jack's car carrying him and a disheartened Dr. Sharan reached the apartment where the brilliant scientist used to live. Now it was sheathing a corpse of his. Gwen walked slowly towards the door, and opened it very gently. Inside the room were police officers, and a superior under whose command they stood in silence, creating a way for the doctor to walk. It was Kelly, and he looked at Jack. His silence and his eyes were enough to give Jack some sympathy. Jack had grown close to Robert, and the two shared a strong bond of friendship. Jack had only the utmost respect for the old scientist. There was no soul on the other end to hold this bond now.

As for Gwen Sharan, she had lost a great friend, and a very helpful senior from whom she had learnt a lot. As she walked past the police officers, she came close to Robert's dead body. A strong woman herself, she did not break down but her eyes were telling otherwise. The old scientist lay there, his eyes closed, skin pale, and a posture which made him look like he would wake up any moment, but he most definitely wouldn't. The big man Jack, tough as steel, seemed very much moved as a teardrop rolled down his cheek.

Sharan was very much moved too, and she moved even closer to the body. She knelt down, and took Robert's hand in hers. As she was about to start crying, she noticed that the hand turned slightly purple, and distinctive lines through which his blood used to flow revealed themselves in purple. She then held Robert's stiff face upright, and using her hand opened one of his eyes. They were lifeless, yes, but cloudy and grey too.

Someone had used the biochemical on him. The police had already taken the bottle of pills and other belongings. Even though the arrogant Miles had put SSD off the case, it was the SSD's complete right to look into Robert's case as this was an incident that happenedinthecity, and it is the SSD's duty to investigate what happenedinthecity.

Jack was very furious due to the strong emotional effect this incident had on him.

"I WILL FIND WHO DID THIS TO HIM", he told to Kelly.

"I know you will. Don't get all moved by this. We're cops. We serve the law no matter what happens. Remember that."

At this time, Dr. Sharan came near Jack and Kelly and told them,

"I.... I cannot believe this. Dr. Robert has been murdered. He wouldn't... wouldn't kill himself...he's been drugged... and made to kill himself...with his own invention.... We got to find out who did this... and we'll get to the end of it. Dr. Robert was a genius... he deserves a special ceremony."

And soon the motionless body was taken away from where Gwen and Jack were standing, never able to talk or look at the ones it once called 'friends'.

"Come on, let us go to my office. This is no place to discuss."

***

At the office, Kelly tried offering coffee from his coffee machine to Jack and Gwen but both of them refused to have any. Kelly couldn't let them sit there, doing nothing, as it was a serious case, and now even more serious because the main 'key' person - Dr. Robert himself, had been killed.

"Now, it is very tragic, of course. But remember, Dr. Robert worked very hard, and he really wanted to prevent this from spreading. If he were alive, he would be very happy to see the case closed safely forever. Won't you give him that, Jack?" He looked at Jack. Jack nodded his head indicating a 'yes'.

"And you, Doctor, you're the person he thought could help him. Now is the time to step in his shoes, doctor." He said to Gwen Sharan.

Gwen Sharan got back her senses, and replied,

"Yes, it is true, officer, and I surely want to finish it. I had been thinking about who might've done this to him. It's definitely someone from the mafia that stole the chemical."

Jack immediately replied, "Okay. But if the man came inside, the guards must've seen him, right?"

Kelly interrupted, "When you came inside the room, did you notice any guards standing there? They are nowhere to be found, that is the problem."

After a pause, he continued, "Why don't you go to the CSD and check out the CCTV footage?"

Jack's face glowed, he lifted his eyebrows a little, and jumped out of the chair.

In no time, he was in Camper and Shimura's tech temple.

Camper pressed a sequence of keys on his keyboard, and the CCTV footage appeared on screen. He pressed the left arrow key, and fast forwarded the video to the point where they saw an old man with a bald spot enter the apartment.

Camper carefully moved frame by frame to find the best frame in which the old man was clearly visible. However the CCTV camera was to his back, so there was no way they could see his face.

"This man is definitely someone Dr. Robert knows, or else he wouldn't let him in.", Jack said, "Let's see if Dr. Sharan can help."

Jack dialed Dr. Sharan and asked her if she could come to the CSD.

In twenty minutes, Dr. Sharan was in the CSD building.

Camper showed Dr. Sharan the frame from the footage. Gwen stared at the screen and went a little closer to it. After some time of constant staring, she said, "Oh my, that's Dr. Eberheart."

"Eberheart?" asked Jack.

"Dr. Ty Eberheart. He's Dr. Robert's friend. He was always behind Dr. Robert. Strange man, wouldn't talk to me properly. He was like a bloody tail. I couldn't believe it is this old bastard..." said Gwen.

Jack replied, "This old bastard is our only lead. Camper, Shimura, can you guys get info on him?"

"Obviously, we can!" the duo replied.

At this time, a civilian security employee walked in and approached Jack and said that the chief wants to meet him and the lady doctor. He seemed to have forgotten her name.

Jack and Gwen went inside the elevator, pressed the button which took them to the Chief's office...