11. 48 Hours Remaining

The two men quickly turned around and saw an INAFIS officer approaching them, clad in a white hazmat suit. The woman spoke immediately, "I found a small lipstick stain on the floor under the victim's bed, and I don't think it came from the lipstick on the victim's face," she explained.

Her expression grew even more serious as she shared her assumption. "The victim's face was only stained with lipstick after it was severely damaged. So logically, if the lipstick stain had come from his face, there would have been traces of blood mixed in. But the floor under the bed is clean," she continued. "This suggests that the lipstick stain might have come from someone else, possibly the perpetrator. Which means the killer could have hidden under the bed, waiting for the victim to come home, biding their time to strike. It lines up with your earlier theory that the perpetrator had already entered the house before the victim arrived."

Derian, who had been listening intently, nodded. "Good, we can test for DNA later. There could be something left behind." He then followed up, "Did you find anything else?"

The INAFIS officer nodded. "Yes, Lieutenant. I also found some white powder scattered near the lipstick stain," she said, her tone serious.

Candrasa furrowed his brow. "White powder? Not drugs, right?" he asked.

The officer shook her head. "No, it doesn't have the scent of any drugs," she replied. She paused briefly, as if thinking aloud. "Unfortunately, I can't say for sure what the powder is yet. I'll need to analyze it further in the lab," she added with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Derian remained silent, his arms crossed over his chest. His dark almond eyes were fixed on the floor, still smeared with bloody footprints. It seemed as if he was lost in deep thought, his focus drawn to the stains.

Noticing Derian's contemplative demeanor, Candrasa spoke up, a thought crossing his mind as he recalled the information he'd received earlier that morning. "Bro, about Binar Bangsa... things are starting to look more suspicious. Especially now that we know the COO has a long history with both victims," he said. "You mentioned from the beginning that the motive behind these murders could be revenge and humiliation. If that's the case, shouldn't Andi be a prime suspect? He could easily hold a long-standing grudge against them."

Derian sighed and shook his head. "It's too early to make that call, Cand," he replied. "Logically, if Andi did have some deep-seated grudge, he would have taken action long ago. Given his position, he holds much more power than the victims. If he really wanted revenge, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to destroy them in other ways."

Candrasa paused, his forehead furrowing as he processed Derian's explanation. "If Rian's testimony holds up, it seems like Andi actually had a decent relationship with both him and Nando, despite the eviction and the embezzlement of company funds," he said, pausing again, his expression growing more serious. "But did the killer murder Rian because he was a witness in the previous killing? Or... could there be another motive at play?"

Derian didn't answer immediately, his footsteps returning as he walked down the hallway toward the living room. "I'm not sure yet. But considering the killer stuck to his usual modus operandi and signature behavior, it suggests there's a personal angle in this too. Signature behavior usually hints at the killer's psychological or emotional motivation—often tied to past trauma or experiences," he explained, his eyes reflecting a mix of confusion and concentration. "So it's possible that this murder wasn't just a matter of silencing Rian. It might've been symbolic, satisfying the killer's need for personal revenge or closure."

Candrasa, walking beside him, let out a heavy breath. His frustration was palpable. "But still, not even 24 hours since we started investigating the first murder, and now there's another one," he said, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the police cars parked outside. "I told those guys to keep watch, but they really screwed this up. Complete incompetence." Anger simmered in his voice as he recalled the officers he'd assigned to keep an eye on Rian, their carelessness allowing this second murder to occur.

Derian, feeling the same frustration, sighed deeply, struggling to maintain his calm. His thoughts churned until suddenly, a familiar sound interrupted him—a notification chime, causing him to raise his head slowly.

Ping!

[System]

Last Action Log: Murder scene investigation of the second victim

Recent Discovery:

Evidence:

- Lipstick stains on the floor under the victim's bed (possibly from the perpetrator). Requires lab testing for possible DNA).

- White powder found near the lipstick stain (requires further analysis to determine the type of powder).

Signature Behavior:

- Defacing the victim's face with lipstick.

- Leaving a soccer ball at the scene.

Notes: The perpetrator continues using the same modus operandi and signature behavior in this second murder.

Other Important Discoveries:

- Blood outsole prints with the same pattern and size as those found at the previous crime scene, further indicating the perpetrator's height to be around 6'5 feet.

A flicker of denial was still evident in Derian's dark eyes. But now that he was certain the object before him wasn't a hallucination, he had no choice but to accept its reality and adjust to its presence.

As the holographic screen faded, Derian shifted his gaze toward the window. Outside, the same bustling scene from hours ago remained unchanged. The only difference was the orange hue of twilight rain that had begun to fall, making him acutely aware of how quickly time was slipping away.

Ping!

[System]

Mission: Murder Case (Lipstick and Ball)

Time remaining: [48:00:00 | hh:mm:ss]

Suspect Profile: -

Case Progress: 30% / 100%

Derian frowned at the notification, eyes narrowing as he read the countdown. "Two days left... What happens if I miss the deadline?"

"Lieutenant, we're almost done. Should we head back to the office now?"

Rona's voice snapped Derian out of his thoughts. He slowly turned his head toward her, watching as she approached, but said nothing, still lost in deep contemplation.

Candrasa noticed this and furrowed his brow. "Bro, what's up?" he asked, nudging Derian's arm.

Derian simply shook his head with a sigh before walking towards Rona. "Come with me," he ordered as he headed toward the front door.

Rona frowned, puzzled by the sudden command, but followed him anyway. "Where are we going, Lieutenant?"

Candrasa, watching his superior leave, couldn't help but protest. "Bro! Why are you taking that crazy woman?! Why not me?!" He grumbled in frustration.

"You stay here and supervise the investigation!" Derian called back as he walked out of the house.

Left behind, Candrasa muttered under his breath, his frustration mounting as Rona stuck her tongue out at him, taunting him playfully.