"Honestly... I hate staying up late," Hakan groaned, rubbing his eyes.
"Should we stop for coffee?" Kenjin asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Yes, please."
After a twenty-minute drive, they pulled up to their destination.
"There are still people out, despite how late it is," Hakan noted, looking out the window.
"A lot of tourists live around here," Kenjin explained as they stepped out of the car. "Plus, some of the shops run twenty-four hours."
"Do we have a specific starting point?"
"Let's start near the crime scene."
They walked down the street toward the house where the murder had taken place, approaching a small convenience store right next to it.
"Hello, old man," Kenjin greeted the shopkeeper.
"Hello there. How can I help you, gentlemen?"
"A black coffee, please. No sugar," Hakan said, leaning against the counter.
"Just a moment."
Kenjin glanced at him. "You just had one on the way here."
"I need more if I'm going to stay awake."
"Fine, but try not to overdo it tonight."
"Here is your coffee, sir," the shopkeeper said, handing it over.
"Thanks. Smells good," Hakan took a sip.
Kenjin leaned in slightly. "Sir, did you hear about what happened at the house down the street today?"
The old man's expression stiffened. "Yes... a student who lived there was killed. Poor kid was all alone when it happened."
"What did the police say?"
"From what I heard, they didn't find any evidence or anything that could help the investigation."
"That seems suspicious," Kenjin pressed. "Did the neighbors hear anything before it happened? Are you sure no one saw anything?"
"Yes, we're sure," the shopkeeper said hurriedly, his eyes darting away. "I wish we could help."
Hakan set his coffee down and muttered to Kenjin, "Just drop it. He's not going to tell you the truth. He clearly knows something... but he's hiding it. I'm heading outside."
"I'm coming too," Kenjin agreed.
As they turned to leave, the shopkeeper called out hesitantly, "Wait... anyway, what do you two gain from knowing what happened? If you dig too deep around here, it might just get you killed."
"Thanks for the warning. Goodbye," Kenjin replied coldly.
Outside the shop, Hakan took a deep breath of the cold night air. "I'm glad you didn't threaten him."
"There are cameras everywhere," Kenjin said, scanning the street. "I don't need any more trouble than we already have."
"He looked terrified when we brought it up."
"Fear is a natural reaction to something like this. But I definitely felt like he was holding back."
"Are we going to keep looking?" Hakan sighed.
"Yes. Let's check the other shops."
For the next two hours, Kenjin and Hakan combed the area, questioning anyone they could find, but came up empty-handed.
"Damn it," Hakan barked, checking his watch. "How long have we been searching?"
"About two hours."
"The residents are deliberately hiding something. We're hit a brick wall here."
"It's as if they all agreed not to speak openly," Kenjin murmured, shrugging against the chill. "Anyway, I'm going to grab my coat from the car. It's getting freezing."
"I'll wait for you here."
As Kenjin walked back toward the vehicle, a raspy voice called out from the shadows.
"Hey, mister... mister! I have what you're looking for."
Kenjin stopped and turned. An old, homeless woman was sitting in the entrance of a dark alleyway.
"What do you mean?" Kenjin frowned. "I don't have time for games."
"I know what happened here," she cackled.
Kenjin stared at her for a moment. [Is she just crazy? I might as well hear her out.] He walked over to her as she continued to chuckle to herself.
"Speak," Kenjin commanded.
"Smoke..." she muttered.
"What?"
"I want cigarettes."
"I don't smoke."
"I want to smoke a cigarette, or I won't talk," she hissed, crossing her arms.
Kenjin stared at her, annoyed. "...Wait here."
He turned and signaled to Hakan from across the street, gesturing for a cigarette. A few minutes later, Hakan walked over, holding a fresh pack.
"What's going on?" Hakan asked.
"This old woman claims to know something, but she refuses to talk until she smokes. Here..." Kenjin handed her a cigarette. "Smoke up quickly and talk."
"Good boy," she smirked, lighting it.
Hakan watched her, thoroughly bewildered. "Usually, they ask for food. But a cigarette? That's a new one."
"Who cares," Kenjin muttered. "As long as she talks."
After a few minutes of silent smoking, Kenjin lost his patience. "You're done. Now tell us what you know, quickly."
"The night is long, there's no need to rush," she grinned, showing her missing teeth. "I want some food. I can't talk on an empty stomach."
"This crazy woman is testing my patience," Hakan snapped, throwing his hands up. "Shouldn't you have asked for food before the cigarette?!"
"Hehehe," she mocked. "Didn't you just say a moment ago that I should ask for food? Go and get it for me then."
"Why you—"
"Hakan, calm down," Kenjin intervened, placing a hand on his friend's arm. "Just go buy her some food."
Hakan glared at the woman with pure rage. "If she doesn't know anything useful, I'm going to bury her alive."
A few moments later, Hakan returned and shoved a bag of food toward her. "Take it."
"Such kind gentlemen... how lucky I am tonight," she muttered, digging into the food.
Kenjin and Hakan stood there in absolute silence, waiting until she finally finished every last bite.
"Ah, I'm full," she wiped her mouth.
Kenjin stepped forward, his eyes sharp. "You have exactly one minute. If you don't speak, I swear you won't live to see the sunrise."
"Don't rush, don't rush," she said, her tone turning serious. "You're looking for what happened here, right? To that student?"
"Yes. Who killed him?"
She smiled, looking back and forth between them. "He was killed by the ghost of a girl!"
Hakan instantly turned on his heel. "I'm leaving."
"Wait until she finishes," Kenjin grabbed him, then turned back to the woman. "The ghost of a girl?"
"The night before the murder, I was sitting right here," she whispered, her eyes widening. "Just after midnight, the power went out. In those few minutes of darkness, she was standing right there on that rooftop... wearing a white dress, with long black hair. Then she just vanished. She's the one who killed him... I'm certain of it. The people around here know about her. Plenty of them have seen her recently, but they're too terrified to talk. They don't want her hunting them down next."
Kenjin stayed quiet for a moment, absorbing the information. "If what you're saying is true... why did you tell us?"
"I'm old," she shrugged, leaning back into the shadows. "I wanted to eat. I don't care if she kills me or not."
"...I see," Kenjin reached into his pocket. "Take this... for your trouble." He handed her some cash.
"Thank you, honorable gentleman," she muttered, pocketing the money.
Kenjin and Hakan walked back to the car. Hakan was shaking his head, entirely unconvinced.
"Do you actually believe what she said?"
"Yes," Kenjin said, starting the engine. "She's not lying. I won't deny it's a strange story, but she gave us the real reason why the residents won't talk. That proves she's telling the truth."
"Maybe..." Hakan countered, staring out the window. "But what she described doesn't match what we faced tonight."
"That's the part I can't explain yet," Kenjin admitted, shifting into drive. "But I'm just glad it's not the same thing."
"And now... what's the plan?"
"I'm going home. That's enough for one night."
Hakan let out a massive sigh of relief. "Finally. I'm going home too. I haven't even explained to my wife why I sneaked out at this hour, but I'm pretty sure she's just going to laugh at us."
"That sounds about right," Kenjin smiled faintly. "Let's head back."