Four

CHAPTER 4

Alicia does have strong intuitive abilities. Although she refused to connect with the death that had just happened, her intuition told her otherwise. Something inside Alicia's head forced her to come, so Alicia finally got up from the chair in the main hall and went to the dormitory hallway.

Everyone seemed to be filling the hallway. From a distance, Alicia could find some students who were sick to their stomachs, or whispering about the incident. Although she wasn't really interested, Alicia ended up standing among the crowd of people who were watching the process of moving the victim with enthusiasm. They looked curious, worried and scared at the same time.

It was a rare scene. However, it wasn't the first time for Alicia.

A man with a black mustache approached Nicholas. Nicholas was still gently patting Brittany's back in the corner of the hallway. "Brittany, isn't that the James I know?"

"Yes, Dad. He's my boyfriend," Brittany said through tears.

Paul Scoots lifted his chin, giving Nicholas the code. "Nic, we need to talk." He patted Brittany lightly on the shoulder. "I'll talk to Nicholas, you'd better stay away from this location."

"Okay, Dad."

Afterward, Paul and Nicholas returned to the scene near James' body. Paul whispered, "Mr. Blake asked us to keep our mouths shut in the media. He doesn't want his kindness to get bad press."

Nicholas cocked an eyebrow, surprised. "Wow. One of his students is dead, but that old bastard is busy making a name for himself," he thought. But what came out of his mouth was something else, "Okay, chief."

After the police left to escort the ambulance carrying James, the other students were instructed to return to their rooms by the Golden High officials to help with the investigation. Classes were dismissed for the day.

Brittany then approached Nic. The two puffy eyes were now looking at him uncertainly. "Nic, what exactly happened to James?"

"From the condition of the victim, it is suspected that James was assaulted and murdered," Nicholas said diplomatically.

Britt shook her head slowly, still in disbelief. "Who could have done all this, Nic?" her tone of voice was still soft.

Alicia leaned closer and cleared her throat. "Britt."

Britt turned her head and was momentarily stunned by the presence of Alicia, who had said she didn't want to leave the hall, now standing in front of her.

"Alicia?"

"I'm sorry for you," Alicia said with a nod of thanks from the chubby-cheeked girl.

As someone who had been left behind, Alicia understood exactly how Brittany felt right now. For a moment, James' death had also brought her a piece of the past. But now was not the time to get nostalgic about those dark times.

Alicia was now staring at the floor, then observing the dark gray-patterned gazled tiles beneath her feet. She then deliberately rubbed her boot-clad feet against it a few times, seemingly to prove a point.

Alicia muttered under her breath. "The floor surface is a bit rough and scratchy."

Britt and Nic exchanged surprised glances. Both were silent, as if waiting for Alicia to continue.

"Is this blood... Only belong to James?" Alicia turned to Nic.

Nic looked at Alicia, then Brittany, then Alicia again. He rubbed the nape of his neck awkwardly. "Through the luminol test, we did find blood that we suspect belongs to the victim."

Alicia rubbed her chin, as if considering something. "Are you sure all the blood scattered here is just his?"

Nic nodded confidently. Britt watched silently as she wiped away the remnants of her tears.

Alicia observed the trail of blood that formed a long pattern before finally ending in a pool of James' blood in front of her. Curiosity led her to follow the pattern of blood that formed like splatters. She then stopped, in front of the last drop of blood.

"The blood starts here," she said, pointing to the red droplet near his foot. "Can you take a sample of this blood, detective?"

Nic glanced at Brittany and nodded in agreement. She quickly performed a luminol test on the blood. Matching it to the tools they had at their disposal.

Nic furrowed his brow in surprise when the blood match came back negative. "Negative," Nic announced.

Britt looked at both of them confused. "What do you mean by negative?"

Alicia and Nic looked at each other for a few seconds and nodded in agreement, without even saying it. "James put up a fight here, he managed to get the perpetrator injured." Nic said then grinned with satisfaction. "Good job, James," as if the owner of that name was now in front of him.

Alicia looked up, seeing the intersection of dormitory hallways in front of her. "Looks like James has been followed since he left his room."

Her luminous blue eyes looked up at the worn ceiling of the hallway. Looking for anything that might help her investigation. Unfortunately, there was only one CCTV camera in the corner of the hallway, and it was obscured by thick dust.

"Does it work?" Alicia asked Britt.

Britt chuckled dismissively. "What can you see from that far away?" She paused her sentence and shook her head lazily. "Even the camera is covered in dust."

Alicia then returned her attention to the area around where the victim was found. Nic, meanwhile, silently smiled at Alicia. What an attractive girl.

Britt bent her forehead deeply and muttered softly. "Nic, why is James' corpse so horrible? Even his eyeballs are widened and his tongue... Euh, horrible."

Nic carefully hypothesized James' death. "I think he was choked before he was stabbed with something," Nic sounded unsure.

"What if he did die from choking and the stabbing was just an alibi?" Alicia said suddenly.

Brittany and Nicholas turned their heads in surprise. A look of astonishment mixed with amazement crossed Britt and Nic's faces as Alicia came up with this conjecture.

Britt muttered under her breath. She was looking at the intersection of the hallways with apprehension now.

Nic watched the movements of the blonde girl next to him suspiciously. She cleared her throat, breaking Britt's agitation. "What's wrong, Britt? You're so restless."

"There's something wrong here," Brittany whispered, as if afraid that someone had eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Why, Britt?" Alicia asked.

Brittany bit her lower lip in doubt. "Didn't the officials distribute the new alphabetized rooms?" She paused for a moment, then turned to Alicia and Nic in turn.

"If what Alicia said about James being followed from the room is true. Shouldn't he have been killed on the second floor, since his room was on hallway 002?"

Alicia and Nic looked at each other, before Britt let out a long breath and finished her sentence.

"So James just came out of whose room?"