After finishing the task of disposing most of the box contents and scattering them in random places now drenched in Ivan's fingerprints Kaiser threw the empty boxes violently beside the door. Then, with an eerie caution, he carried the rest.
"Ivan, you should be grateful… I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing it for you."
His words came out with deceptive softness as he held in his arms boxes that contained a catastrophe beyond human limits. He walked steadily toward his brother, as if enacting a ritual of delivering a doomed fate.
"There are some exquisite pieces in here… but I doubt you can handle seeing them. So, don't open them now. Fortunately, I've coated every item in a preservative… keeps them from rotting."
Despite the coldness in his tone, there was a hidden smoothness to his words, like poison laced with honey.
"Don't blame me, alright?"
Kaiser tilted his head slightly, studying his brother's terrified face. He sighed indifferently, placing the boxes beside him, waiting for Ivan to touch them… just a single touch would leave his prints.
"If you need someone to blame, blame our father. He created this reality. Not me."
His words came out sharp, stripped of mercy. From his pocket, Kaiser pulled out a clear plastic bag and tossed it at Ivan's face without even looking at him. Then he bent down to push the boxes under the bed, stood up again, and brushed off his hands in a careless motion.
"Take it… and feel the euphoria."
He said it with haughty sarcasm, mocking what his brother was going through.
Ivan took the bag with trembling fingers and stared at the white powder inside. It looked like… powder. Then he dropped it instantly, as if it had bitten him.
"Th… this is forbidden. Dad said it's wrong… it's not right."
Kaiser smiled that kind of smile that concealed a deep cruelty needing no explanation.
"Oh, the old man again? Maybe he's jealous. Maybe he doesn't want you to be rid of your seizures and headaches. Maybe… just maybe, he wants you to stay sick, trapped in those nightmares of your mother drowning in her own blood."
Kaiser turned toward him slowly, hand in his pocket, his gaze piercing into Ivan's terrified blue eyes with a frozen calm.
"Ivan… don't you trust your brother? Don't you want to forget that horrible scene?"
"I… I…"
Ivan shook his head slowly, his hands trembling torn between an overwhelming fear of defying his father's commandments and a buried desire to believe in the false warmth being offered to him. His body and mind begged him to surrender, but his heart was still screaming.
"Arseny… Plea—"
"Don't call me that name!"
Kaiser suddenly screamed, his voice slicing through the air like a blade.
Ivan shut his eyes tightly and pulled his body into the corner, hiding under the blanket.
"I'm sorry… I won't say it again… I'm sorry… sorry…"
He shook like a terrified fetus, the blanket covering him from head to toe.
Kaiser watched him with a grim look carrying a faint trace of pity then sighed coldly.
"Forget it."
He fell silent for a moment, then added with icy indifference:
"Just don't forget what I told you… or the women I described to you."
"I won't forget… I swear, I won't forget…"
"Then repeat it. I want to hear you describe them."
Ivan nodded, afraid to anger Kaiser any further.
"A woman with blonde hair… and a woman with black hair…"
Ivan was trembling violently, sweat dripping from his forehead, yet unaware of the silent tears tracing down his cheeks as he recited every detail.
On the road, Pyotr stopped the car. But before stepping out, he turned toward Alia.
He gazed at her face for a moment, then said in a low tone:
"If you want to come with me to question Daniel, you'll have to keep silent."
Alia shot him a sharp look, her voice filled with surprise:
"Keep silent? Me?"
"Yes."
Pyotr nodded calmly and added with a calculated casualness:
"We can use the boy well. But if you provoke him or try to pressure him, he won't say a word. Just like what happened with Charlotte."
Alia narrowed her eyes. Pyotr was skilled at pressing on wounds. But which wound was still tormenting him? She hadn't done anything wrong… it was Charlotte, not her.
"Fine. You've got it. I'll stay silent. Happy now?"
Despite feeling wronged, despite her higher status, she found herself yielding to him. Maybe… just maybe, he was right this time.
"Completely. Let's go."
They both got out of the car and headed toward the barbershop. But before they stepped across the threshold, a woman with short red hair appeared in front of them.
Her blue eyes sparkled under thick reddish lashes as she suspiciously looked between Pyotr and Alia.
From her appearance, and the black apron that hugged her curves, they guessed she worked at the salon.
But… why did she look so bothered by their presence? Well, it's not like a visit from police officers usually signals good news.
Pyotr smiled gently and said:
"Good evening, ma'am. We're here to see—"
"Leave."
Lyudmila cut him off coldly, then added:
"We don't want bad rumors spreading about our shop just because two officers are standing at the door."
"But ma'am…"
Pyotr kept his smile, but it was pale and tense around the edges. He raised his hands in a calming gesture and spoke in a diplomatic tone:
"We're not investigating anything related to you. We just need a few minutes with someone inside."
Lyudmila didn't reply. She simply crossed her arms and looked at him like he was an unwanted customer.
Alia stepped forward, trying to take control of the situation:
"Please, there's no need to worry. This isn't an official visit, and we won't cause trouble."
But Ludmila's gaze was like a wall rigid and rejecting. It seemed the mere word "police" was enough to close doors.
Alia was beginning to lose patience, and it showed in the edge of her voice but this time, she held her tongue. Pyotr was about to speak again when a sudden shout interrupted him from inside.
"Ludmila! What are you doing?"
Daniel's voice came from within the salon, sharp and surprised to see two police officers as he appeared at the doorway.
Lyudmila responded coldly, as if her actions were completely justified:
"What do you think? I'm trying to kick these two out."
Daniel's eyes widened in shock, and he quickly stepped out. Without hesitation, he gently pushed Lyudmila back by her forehead and said:
"I sincerely apologize… on her behalf."
"Ugh!"
Lyudmila groaned, feeling assaulted from her point of view.
Meanwhile, Pyotr and Alia didn't seem the least bit bothered; on the contrary, satisfied smiles spread across their faces the moment they saw him.
Alia said with a light, teasing tone:
"Well, I suppose we can forgive her."
Then Pyotr added, pointing his thumb toward the police car behind him:
"In return, can we talk a bit… quietly… in the car?"
"That…"
Daniel hesitated, seriously weighing the consequences of refusing, then gave a silent nod.
Behind him, Lyudmila gave him a long look as he walked off alone with the officers. She looked upset but said nothing and let him go.
Pyotr closed the car door and glanced into the rearview mirror with a faint smile as Daniel sat in the middle.
"Honestly, I appreciate your quick cooperation. People like you deserve a hat tip."
"Hmph…"
Daniel murmured indifferently to Pyotr's dry compliment, his gray eyes fixed on the window as if waiting for them to get to the real reason for the visit.
After glancing at the officers for a long moment, Daniel recognized who they were. Remembering that night, he let out a heavy sigh that carried buried tension.
Pyotr gave a small smile, as if he fully understood the meaning behind that sigh, then adjusted his seat and said calmly:
"Well… I won't waste your time, Daniel. I have a few simple questions. We just want to see the picture clearly, that's all."
Daniel slowly turned his head toward him, eyes filled with caution and suspicion.
Pyotr added more gently, as if trying to reassure him:
"Don't worry, we're not here to accuse you of anything. We just want you to be honest with us… and I think you know exactly what we're here to talk about."
A heavy silence filled the police car.
Alia looked at Pyotr, while Pyotr stared firmly at Daniel through the rearview mirror.
Daniel didn't look nervous, only focused, wrapped in a layer of deep thought. Then, in a cold calmness, he opened his lips and said:
"I said everything I had to say that day. I have nothing new to add."
"You're lying."
Pyotr said it in a quiet tone, but his eyes flashed sharply as he stared at Daniel through the mirror.
Then he added in a soft voice, like bait:
"Maybe you said what you saw… but you didn't say everything, did you? Or are you just enjoying keeping the rest to yourself?"
"And what if I am? Do I look like I'm enjoying it?"
Daniel smirked dryly and leaned back into the seat.
"I have nothing more to add. That lunatic threw the poor puppy dead onto the cold floor, then looked at me. By the way… your eye color is similar to his."
"Wait, are you saying the suspect and I have the same eye color? That's an odd detail."
"Do you think I'm wrong? I still remember a lot about him, his voice, his eyes, his shady demeanor… That lunatic isn't just an animal killer, he's—"
Daniel suddenly stopped, as if he bit his tongue, then calmly backtracked:
"Nothing. That's all I've got."
"Alright, you can go. But remember, you can still tell us anything at any time. Just don't be surprised if you face consequences later for hiding something important."
"Really~?"
Daniel smiled, then sat up, resting his elbows on his thighs.
"That's very kind of you. But just so you know… I've said all I have."
He slowly moved toward the door, opened it, and stepped out with one leg. But then he paused and cast a side glance before adding:
"If you're looking for more about what happened, ask Charlotte Smith. And by the way, judging by where your car is parked and the street you came from, I bet you talked to her before me, didn't you?"
Pyotr continued staring at Daniel through the rearview mirror, then turned to him with a calm smile.
"Yes, you're right."
He said it quietly, then added:
"And judging by your answers, I don't think you're hiding something… you just don't want to say what Charlotte doesn't want you to say, is that it?"
Daniel shrugged without commenting, then stepped out of the car quietly, heading back toward the barbershop.
The little bell above the door jingled as he entered. Lyudmila turned to him with worried eyes, then rushed over and whispered:
"What happened? Why did they take you?"
"Nothing…"
He paused for a moment, then hugged her and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
"Is everything really okay?"
"Yes… I'm okay too."
Lyudmila sighed and gently patted his back, smiling with relief:
"If you say so, I believe you. Good thing my father isn't here, he'd think you were a criminal."
Daniel chuckled softly and raised his head to rest his forehead against hers:
"Lyudmila, I'm not a criminal. But theoretically… maybe, since I stole his only daughter's heart."
They both laughed while outside, Alia looked seriously at Pyotr:
"He knows more than he's saying."
Pyotr nodded and slowly started the car, then said:
"And he has a reason to stay silent… Charlotte again."
"Why would Charlotte Smith try to hide everything?"
"Maybe because she's afraid she'll hurt herself or someone else. Or maybe… because she's already been hurt, and doesn't want anyone else to be hurt the same way."