Same, same but different!

Part 16

Ömer’s House:

The apartment was quiet, Mavi tucked into her bed with her iPad listening to a story book. Ömer sat at the dining table, papers scattered before him though his eyes weren’t on them. His leg bounced restlessly, jaw tight.

A knock came at the door. Sharp. Two short raps, one pause, then another. He opened the door and Can stepped inside, carrying a slim folder under his arm. His face was serious, his usual easy grin nowhere in sight.

Can: Abi… you weren’t joking. You really wanted me to dig.

He placed the folder on the table, sliding it across. Ömer didn’t touch it right away, his fingers drumming against the wood.

Ömer: What did you find?

Can sank into the chair opposite him, running a hand through his hair.

Can: Too much. And not enough. (he hesitated) The official report says it was an accident... brakes failing, car swerving off the road. But… the mechanic who signed off the last repair? He vanished a month later. No trace.

Ömer’s brows furrowed, eyes darkening.

Ömer: Vanished?

Can: Gone. No forwarding address, no family contact. It’s like he was erased. And one of the detectives… (he flipped the file open,pointing) … transferred out suddenly, right after closing the case. No reason given.

Ömer’s chest tightened. He’d expected inconsistencies, but this…

Can: Abi, if you keep digging, you won’t like what you find. This isn’t just about a broken car. Someone made sure Aslan’s death stayed buried.

Ömer clenched his fist on the table. His mind flashed with Kıvılcım’s laugh that morning, the way she’d fallen asleep in his presence, unguarded, soft. And then Aslan... her husband, her pain, the ghost she still carried.

Ömer: I owe it to her.

Can leaned forward, lowering his voice.

Can: Then you need to decide if you’re doing this for her… or for yourself, because here comes more and I don't know if you'll be able to handle it.

The words hit harder than expected.

Can: Güneş enterprises was somehow involved.

Ömer: I knew it. I knew they wouldn't let it go when Aslan rejected their proposal.

Can: They were after antiques that were very valuable for their private dealings. Apparently they had a "meeting" weeks before his accident. They tried to scare him but apparently Aslan was not the type to be scared easily. A few months after the accident, Güneş enterprises worked through other clients to get their hands on those antiques.

Ömer: Were they able to get it?

Can: Yes, Kıvılcım sold all of it to the different companies.

Ömer: These fools worked through others so that the antiques don't get linked to their names easily.

Can: I have another lead but I'm waiting on my source. Abi… be careful. If Aslan was silenced, then whoever did it won’t like you stirring the ashes.

Ömer finally pulled the folder closer, flipping it open. His eyes scanned the papers, each detail carving deeper into him. He whispered, almost to himself...

Ömer: I need the truth, Can. No matter the cost.

Silence stretched between them, heavy, until Mavi’s door creaked open. Barefoot, she made her way downstairs.