Marcella's Case

When Kathrina arrived at the complex of Marcella Williams' apartment, she saw a large number of reporters as well as throngs of fans crying while embracing each other in an attempt to provide consolation in the midst of a tragic event that befell their idol.

She hacked her way through the crowd to get inside the building. She shoved her golden badge to the two officers stationed in front of the entrance of the edifice and gave a slight nod in response to their greetings.

Not long after, she went into the apartment unit. She first noticed how feminine the decor was throughout Marcella's apartment. It almost felt like a doll room because the decoration was mainly pink or lilac. The second thing was the half-eaten steak and unfinished glass of wine that was still on the dining table; she had enjoyed herself before her soul left the word. And the last thing, Marcella's unit was neat; there was not a single item that was out of place.

Kathrina noticed that Theo was conversing with a police officer while standing in front of the restroom. Every time the officer said something, Theo took notes. She then took several steps towards them.

"Hey,"

"Hey, I thought Joe was supposed to come."

"Yeah, he called me here and said that he was stuck in the traffic." Kathrina explained shortly, "So, who found the body first?" Kathrina stepped inside and had a more in-depth look around the bathroom.

"It was one of her bodyguards. His name is Vin. You must have seen him sitting in the living area. He is the one with blonde hair and wore a suit with an emblem of FSS." His response was brief, but it was sufficient to give her a mental image of the bodyguard.

Kathrina refrained from asking any more questions as she concentrated on Marcella's body in the tub. Marcella was positioned like she was sleeping with her head resting against the edge of the head pad, looking up at the white ceiling with her eyes closed tightly. She was fully clothed in a maroon satin dress that was slightly lifted to her mid-thigh. One of her hands was submerged in the water whilst the other was hanging to the outside of the vessel to let the blood pool on the floor. In addition to that, the rope had her feet bound together.

Kathrina became paralyzed as she took in the overall image of the situation. A flash of pictures appeared before her eyes; this time, it was not Marcella who lay quietly in the bathtub. Instead, it was the young her. She took a few steps backward while clinging to the walls to keep herself from plunging to the bloodied marble floor.

Her eye blinked several times to make sure she was not dreaming. Still, each time she blinked, the image got even more apparent as she noticed the large windows in front of the bathtub that revealed a large green area filled with numerous trees. The scenery outside was breathtaking, yet the thick air around indicated that she was in a dangerous situation.

Kathrina's heart sank to the lowest ocean. She could sense the dread emanating from her younger self; it slowly manifested in her as the sudden onslaught of anguish in her chest made it difficult for her to take even a single breath.

"Kathrina, hey, are you okay? Kath!" Theo's attempts to wake Kathrina up were fruitless because the woman's body remained rigid like a mannequin despite his best efforts. Then, he boldly put his hand on Kathrina's shoulder and forced her to look at him. "Hey, look at me, please." Nothing, it was as though she were utterly deaf to the world around her. He took off the latex gloves and continued to shake her body, but this time one of his hands made contact with the skin of her cheeks.

The sudden cold sensation on her cheeks ultimately brought Kathrina back. She blinked a few times, realizing that Theo was looking into her eyes and their position was so close. Kathrina immediately freed herself from his hold.

"I'm sorry. I thought I saw something." She said to cover herself.

"Are you okay?" Theo did not bother to mask the concern in his voice, making Kathrina feel awkward.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Let's continue."

Theo complied, knowing that there was no point in asking Kathrina if she did not want to give her answer.

Both went back to observe the crime scene. The bathroom was spotless, like the other room in the apartment. Kathrina's attention shifted to the pale blue vanities, where various beauty products were lined up according to size and color. She assumed that Marcella liked her things to be organized nicely. Kathrina's attentive gaze was fixed on each product carefully to look for something amiss. Then, it hits her like an epiphany.

"Someone was here with her." She said while pointing at the vanities to show that the lipstick and perfume were placed in the wrong positions, "The lipstick should be placed on the last since it was the smallest item."

"Maybe she forgot about that," Theo remarked.

"Maybe she did, but we can't rule out the chance that someone else was here when she was still alive." Kathrina then rotated her body and watched Marcella's body. "They said this is a suicide, right? Did she leave a suicide note?"

"Hmm, on the desk in her bedroom. It only said Goodbye."

"Since the rigor mortis has started, her time of death should be around five and six. So why would she bother to tie her feet if she took her own life? It makes no sense to me."

"I agree. However, she may want to ensure that she can't escape from the bathtub," Theo answered. It was a valid reason to do since she could have second thoughts during her final time.

Kathrina's eyes narrowed when she saw Marcella's hand gripping something. After taking a closer look, she realized that what Marcella was clutching so tightly was a pen. Marcella held it as if her life depended on it. Kathrina motioned the forensic photographer to take pictures of the pen. Kathrina placed it in a plastic bag designated for evidence and taped it shut.

"Have you talked with the bodyguard?" she asked while ambling her way out of the bathroom.

"Not yet. I was still talking with the officers when you came."

"Okay, I'll talk to him then."

Kathrina did not wait for Theo's response as she made her way to the living area. There she saw Joe was already talking with Vin. She tapped his back, making him glance back at her for a while, then continued talking with Vin. She took a seat beside him, listening attentively to their conversation.

"Today, as per Miss Williams' instruction, we were not permitted to enter her unit under any circumstances. But suddenly, she pressed the alarm. That's why I barged into her apartment." Vin recounted everything carefully; he was afraid that letting a wrong word out of his mouth would make him the prime suspect.

"Is she still breathing when you came?"

"No, she was already dead. The alarm was the reason why police officers arrived even before I made the phone call."

"How is it possible for her to activate the alarm if she was already dead?" Kathrina could not help herself from butting into the conversation.

"That…. I'm sorry, I'm not sure, Detective." Vin's face was aghast as soon as he realized the alarm was late. Before, he was too shocked even to stomach the fact that their client died, and he ignored the alarms completely.

Vin moved agitatedly, 'I need to inform someone in the office.'

"I see that you worked for FSS. So, did they give her the alarm?" Joe asked sharply; his gaze never left Vin at all.

"Yes."

"Then the alarm must be broken," Kathrina said nonchalantly.

Vin's face became even whiter after that. He knew the significance of those words. FSS would be held accountable as long as Kathrina's words were proven true because Marcella would've been alive if the alarm's function had worked.

"I have no answer to your question, Detective. However, since the alarm is considered confidential, I suggest you go to the main office and speak to our representative there."

Joe and Kathrina nodded simultaneously, understanding that Vin wouldn't be able to disclose everything they needed to know. They had to meet the one who was responsible for FSS.

"Okay, thank you for your cooperation."

They each gave Vin's hand a shake in turn and then let the man leave.

"Someone killed her," Kathrina stated as she somberly thought about Marcella's lifeless body. She could not remove the image from her head as it somehow felt closer to her. She then took a deep breath before turning to Joe, "Let's go. We have many works to do."

"This will be messy. FSS will be dragged into the pit even if they are not involved directly."

"Right, their boss must be vomiting lava right now," Kathrina uttered in an emotionless voice, not even feeling bad for them.