Clues and an Assumption

"That night, my brother went to bed very early after coming back. The next morning, he also got up very early. We had breakfast together, and when we talked about what happened yesterday at the table, he even laughed and said that what he had seen wasn't really a ghost, which was a lie. I asked him what he saw, and he said it was a white face hanging from a tree, staring with a pair of black eyes. I laughed when I heard it, thinking someone had played a prank on him. In fact, everyone thought that, so we didn't give it much importance."

"But looking through some photographs taken that same night, we discovered that the face appeared, clear and vivid, as if it were part of a joke. Unfortunately, we burned those photographs and decided to leave this town."

Ethan nodded as he listened, realizing that this case exceeded his expectations. Being an old investigation, the chances of success diminished by the minute. "So, did that help at all?"

Billy smiled while looking into the distance, sitting on a wooden bench under a tree. "No, it didn't help at all because my brother began seeing that head wherever he went."

"The night it happened, my brother came back early. This time, without saying anything, he ran inside the house and locked himself in. He and I shared the same room back then. Our family's conditions weren't great, but we never lacked food on the table."

It was clear that this was beyond what a detective typically faced in an investigation, but knowing that it was a challenge and needed resolution, Ethan didn't abandon the case for lack of skills.

He had studied a lot to be a good detective, so he couldn't afford to give up now. By listening to the testimonies of those living nearby, he hoped to find the main problem.

After hearing Billy's testimony, Ethan finished making his notes, put down his pen, and looked at the elderly man before him. He seemed to notice Ethan's gaze and said, "Shortly after that, my brother committed suicide."

"Was the reason ever discovered?" Ethan asked with a discreet look of observation, as if trying to evaluate the man.

"It was never known. Shortly after, it was discovered that a girl had died in the lake, and later another victim was found near the factory that was closed afterwards."

Ethan noted this down and said, "It must have been tough, but now I ask you, since those people died within a short time span and you studied to be a detective, is there any relation between the victims?"

"The girl found dead in the lake after my brother's suicide was an orphan, and the boy who died later near the factory was my brother's best friend, so the three of them were somewhat connected."

Ethan remained silent for two or three seconds, as if thinking of something he hadn't realized before. "Thank you very much. It seems you know a truth you've never spoken of until now."

"Yes. Did you think of it too?" Billy didn't mind hiding this anymore, as he had no one, so knowing the truth didn't hurt.

Ethan frowned, as if forcing himself not to say what he thought too soon. He put his notebook into one of his pockets and said, "It's possible that your brother killed the girl he liked in the lake that same night when he returned home later than usual. Maybe you noticed something if you remember, so that statement would be closely tied to your words based on what you observed."

"That's..." Billy thought for a moment that tarnishing his brother's name was something he couldn't allow. However, as he had said before, he didn't want to take those secrets to the grave.

But Ethan didn't give him a chance to respond and said, "It's also possible that your brother wasn't the murderer, but his best friend was. Maybe both of them were the murderers, and somehow all three ended up dead. There are many reasons we can't know because both the victim, the friend, and your brother are dead."

Just before leaving, Ethan paused and said, "Of course, all this may or may not be as we mentioned. I'm not here to solve past problems, but to ensure the future is safe."

After saying this, Ethan left, still needing to clear his thoughts on how the human head appeared to people and whether it was a malevolent spirit.

But before he left, Billy shouted, "I have a photograph of the girl, my brother, and his best friend. If it helps, you can have them. You don't know how much you've eased my mind."

"Then it would be of great help."