5 Chapter 5
Chapter 5
-Joanne-
I'm still alive. I'm still alive and I'm breathing and I'm here. Am I happy? No. Yes. No. Am I lucky? I'm not her next target, what do you think?
But every day, one more person dies. The police still haven't figured out who on earth can do such a cruel thing. She's a serial killer. I'd like to applaud Keira Wu for murdering thirteen people in a span of two weeks. Amazing.
The best part?
Charlie Wu and Yasmin Wu have absolutely no clue about Karina. Again, applause. For someone as smart as them, they really must be stupid to not see that Karina is a serial killer. Then again, serial killers don't walk around with the words 'serial killer' stuck to their foreheads.
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-Keira-
Another death in Geylang was reported this afternoon. The victim had no superficial wounds, and was believed his cause of death is asphyxiation. Investigations are still going on as police try to –
They'll never find me.
Never.
Because all the traces lead to none other than Joanne Liew.
+++
No traces.
No fingerprints.
Just witness statements.
All of them
Saw Joanne Liew
On the day of my victims' deaths.
All of them
Saw her walk past
The weapons store.
+++
I don't have a reason for killing.
They're all related to Scarlett.
All the victims.
And I know none of them while Joanne knows all of them.
She was at Scarlett's funeral.
She was at Keane's funeral.
She was present at each of the victim's funerals, standing quietly, while I was helping host the guests.
Who seems more suspicious?
Her,
Or me?
Joanne will take the fall.
And even if she manages to find enough evidence to push it back to me…
I'll take her down with me.
No matter what, Joanne Liew will go down.
+++
-David (Scarlett's ex-boyfriend)-
"You killed her, Ethan Truitt. Now get on with your life." –The Ethan I was Before
I killed her.
I killed her.
I killed Keira.
And I—
Can't—
Breathe—
"You killed me."
I don't hear the gun go off but…
I feel the concrete.
+++
-Mrs Cho-
What happens to my ex-students aren't my problem. But Keira Wu?
She's everything to me.
My blood.
My kin.
And she's—
+++
-Mr Ling-
My students are my responsibility.
It's my job.
I do it well, I get paid.
But Keira?
She's brilliant.
Except, I think that there's something wrong with—
My mouth foams.
+++
-Mr Ling's son-
I've always been known as the teacher's son.
But Keira saw something else in me.
And again, like everyone else, she betrayed me.
Keira is a—
+++
-Keira-
Four people. That makes a total of seventeen people.
And all of them, and more, will know that their murderer is Joanne.
+++
-Joanne-
I want to leave.
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-Keira-
My final victim.
+++
-Central Police Division Headquarters-
"Ms Wu, you say you have information on the recent murders?"
Ms Wu nods. Inspector Razali sighs and nods to Staff Sergeant Tan.
"Yeah. On the day of Scarlett's funeral, I was there hosting. But Joanne was just standing there, listless," Ms Wu says.
"If I'm not wrong, her brother went missing that day, am I right?" Staff Sergeant Tan asks.
"Yes. Normally, she would be anxious until the point she would cry non-stop. But that day she wasn't crying. I heard that she was extremely pissed off with her brother that morning, too."
"So, you're saying that Joanne is a possible suspect?" Inspector Razali cuts in.
"Yes," Ms Wu confirms. "Not only that, she was present at Keane's death place days after he died."
Ms Wu doesn't say anymore, just sits there quietly, blinking.
"Is that all?" Staff Sergeant Tan asks, a hint of impatience in his voice.
Ms Wu opens her mouth, then closes it again. "I'm not accusing Joanne. I'm just saying that she's a possible suspect."
"Everybody's a suspect." Inspector Razali says.
"But, right now—"
"Ms Wu, if I may ask you, how do you know all this?" Staff Sergeant Tan asks sharply.
"I was there at the funerals. And Joanne told me she saw Keane dead."
"And why, may I ask you, did you go to the funeral? Scarlett doesn't have your contact number. Neither does Joanne—we've checked. As far as we know, Joanne and you do not know each other—why would she tell you such a personal thing?"
Ms Wu gazes at them both. "And I believe that your time is running out," she says.
The two officers stare at each other before turning to Ms Wu, but she's gone.
There's a loud bang, and both officers are thrown off their feet.
+++
The Central Police Division Headquarters was under attack today. There were two bombs planted inside the headquarters—there are no known survivors. Other police divisions are reminded to stay vigilant, and the public is advised to contact the police via i-Witness should they know anything about the attack. Citizens are reminded to contact the police if they see anything suspicious.
-Keira-
Finally, I can leave the world in peace.
+++
-Joanne-
"I. Did. Not. Kill. Them!" I yell through gritted teeth. "Oh, really?" Senior Staff Sergeant Miki Lee questions. "Then why were you beside Keane Liew's corpse before the police found him?"
The interrogation goes on.
I'm charged with seventeen counts of murder.
Inspector Sam Dass just looks at me with cold, hard eyes.
But I didn't do it.
+++
My trial comes and goes.
It's death penalty for me.
I'm going to be hanged.
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"When any person is sentenced to death, the sentence shall direct that he shall be hanged by the neck till he is dead but shall not state the place where nor the time when the sentence is to be carried out."
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Changi Prison.
Friday dawn.
And
I'm
Dead.
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"I am going to send you to a better place than this. God bless you."
+++
Millionaire Charlie Wu's eighteen-year-old daughter is believed to have committed suicide on Friday, August 28, 2020 at dawn, around the same time serial killer Joanne Liew was hanged.
