Chapter 154 : Found some clues.

The mystery of Ava's disappearance had taken an unexpected turn. Ibrahim had finally tracked down Elara's location. It turned out Elara wasn't in Kuala Lumpur. He was had been located in Nusajaya, a city 327 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur. He was staying with a relative of his colleague, Michael ever since Ava's disappearance.

Ibrahim conducted a discreet search in Nusajaya but found no trace of a girl seeking refuge. That realisation hit him hard - he'd been searching in the wrong direction for eight days. Elara's careful planning had led him to believe Ava was hiding out with her. 

Now, with Elara out of the picture, two prime suspects remained: Aqil and Michael. Michael seemed like an unlikely accomplice. A background check revealed a clean record, placing him firmly within Malaysia on the night of Ava's disappearance, December 5th. This made him a less likely suspect, at least for now.

Aqil, however, presented a more intriguing puzzle. According to official records, Aqil had taken a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on December 5th and returned on the 7th. Though a closer look at the airport CCTV footage for December 5th revealed a glaring discrepancy – Aqil wasn't on any flights departing for Singapore. The system showed him entering the airport, but there was no record of him boarding on that plane. Yet, on December 7th, the footage clearly captured Aqil arriving from Singapore.

This discrepancy was deeply suspicious. Where had Aqil been for those two days? In Singapore?

Aqil tried to paint a clear picture - a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore and back. But the glaring absence of Aqil on the Kuala Lumpur airport's CCTV footage on the departure date threw a giant wrench into that narrative. A thief always makes a mistake. 

It was like a magician trying to convince the audience he'd simply vanished into thin air, then reappeared moments later.

Here was the crux of the problem: Aqil wasn't in Singapore on December 5th, at least not according to the departure records. So, where was he? One theory emerged - Perhaps Aqil had traveled to a different location entirely or another country from Kuala Lumpur. Then he could have then flown to Singapore from the country before returning to Kuala Lumpur on the 7th.

If Ibrahim confronted him now and questioned his timeline, Aqil could easily deflect suspicion by claiming it was classified information related to his work as an informant, not just for Elara but possibly for other police forces and even the army. His job, by its very nature, often involved secrecy and covert travel. 

This presented a challenge for Ibrahim. He couldn't very well haul Aqil in for questioning based solely on a missing travel record. He needed more concrete evidence.

Fury simmered beneath the surface as Ibrahim pounded the heavy bag hanging from the gym ceiling. The heavy bag swung back and forth with the force of his attack.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, tracing a salty path down his temples before dripping onto his bare chest. Strained breaths escaped his lips, punctuated by the rhythmic thwack of his bare knuckles against the heavy bag. His dark hair was now in disarray, damp strands plastered to his forehead. 

Ibrahim ignored the sting in his knuckles, the dull ache creeping into his forearms. He didn't care about the exhaustion creeping into his muscles. He just needed to unleash the frustration. Physical pain was a welcome distraction from the turmoil within. This was his therapy, his way of channeling the worry gnawing at him. He pushed himself harder. He wouldn't give up, not until he brought Ava home safe.

The gym door creaked open, and Samir stepped inside. He held few papers in one hand and his phone in the other. 

Spotting Ibrahim, his bare knuckles wrapped red and raw, launching another punishing blow at the heavy bag, Samir reached out and grabbed his arm, "Enough, Ibrahim! Those stitches only came out yesterday! You'll rip yourself apart if you keep going like this!"

Ibrahim let out a guttural growl as he reluctantly stopped punching. He snatched a towel hanging from the nearby rack and swiped it roughly across his face and chest.

"New information," Samir told, "I was just digging into Elara's recent transactions. Since he wouldn't send Ava anywhere without some cash. But there's nothing suspicious on his end, just normal transactions. Even no unusual withdrawals. However," Samir continued, "there's something interesting about Michael."

Ibrahim's ears perked up, "What is it?"

Samir turned tapped the screen of his phone, pointing at a specific transaction. "Look at this. Michael withdrew a significant amount of cash from his credit card on the night of December 5th, the same night Ava disappeared."

People rarely used credit cards for hard cash. The interest rates were significantly higher compared to regular purchases, making it a financially unsound option unless absolutely necessary. Credit cards were typically used for online transactions, bills, or breaking down payments into smaller, more manageable chunks. Cash withdrawals were usually reserved for emergencies, situations where other forms of payment weren't accepted.

This knowledge cast a new light on Michael's actions. While a normal transaction wouldn't necessarily raise eyebrows, a credit card withdrawal on the same night Ava disappeared was certainly cause for suspicion.

Ibrahim said, reaching out to take Samir's phone. "Let's see how much money Michael withdrew." He squinted at the screen, focusing on the details of transaction. 

A frown creased his brow. The amount listed was significant: 200,000 Malaysian Ringgit. In US dollars, that translated to roughly $46,740. This was definitely not a small sum.

"Did you manage to crack Elara or Farah's phones?" Ibrahim questioned. 

"Farah's a hacker herself, Ibrahim. Breaching another hacker's defenses ain't exactly a walk in the park. Elara, on the other hand, is clean as he is trying to show. No calls or message which can lead us to sister in law..... But well He came back to Kuala Lumpur this morning."

"Something's off," Ibrahim muttered, clenching his fists. "Elara wouldn't just sit back not knowing if Ava's safe. He has to be getting updates from somewhere. Did you see any him doing any unusual activity after returning? Like, Meetings with anyone?"

Samir tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it.... after Elara arrived in Kuala Lumpur, he did head out to meet someone this morning. And guess who it was?"

"Who?"

"Aqil," Samir replied.

Ibrahim nodded slowly. He handed the phone back to Samir and pulled on a t-shirt, "Everything's pointing towards Aqil. Still I can't play like this without proper evidence."

"There's one more thing," Samir added, "Faisal got some information from Perlis. Apparently, a villager spotted a young girl and a man arriving there at midnight of 5th December. He's bringing the villager here this evening to meet you."

A slow smile crept across Ibrahim's face. It was the first genuine smile he'd managed since Ava's disappearance, "Have the villager stay at the warehouse. I'll meet with them as soon as they arrive."

A of movement caught the brothers' attention. Tasha darted across the room, skidding to a halt at their feet. Yasmeen rushed in after her, a bowl of cat food held precariously in her hands.

"I apologize for interrupting, sir." Yasmeen stammered for entering without permission.

Ibrahim's gaze softened slightly as he looked down at Tasha, who stared back with large, emerald eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Yasmeen explained, "Tasha has barely touched her food today, sir. She's become quite difficult to handle. When Ava ma'am was here, She used to feed Tasha so well."

Tasha was Ava's treasure. Though Aliya did her best to care for the feline these days, but Tasha seemed to sense the absence of her owner. It wasn't just Ibrahim who missed Ava's presence; Tasha, it seemed, felt the loss keenly as well.

"Give me the bowl," Ibrahim said, extending his hand. Yasmeen nodded and relinquished the food.

Yasmeen scurried out of the room and Samir did it too, leaving Ibrahim alone with Tasha. 

Ibrahim reached down and scooped up the kitten, her soft fur a small comfort against his chest. Then, he walked to his and Ava's room with Tasha. Inside, he sank to the floor, his back resting against the bed frame, gaze drifting towards the window. 

He placed the food bowl in front of Tasha, but the usually enthusiastic feline didn't even glance at it. 

With a soft sigh, Ibrahim gently lifted Tasha into his lap. Stroking the soft white fur behind her ears, he asked , "Missing Ava, aren't you?

Tasha let out a soft meow. 

He closed his eyes, his thumb still stroking Tasha's fur in a soothing rhythm, "I miss the sound of her voice, the way she called me 'Ibrahim' in that way that only she could. How do I say I miss you in a way that will make your heart ache like mine does, Ava?"

"If the laws of this world allowed, I would become an alchemist of your heart. Drawing your pain into my own, transmuting it through the fire of my love, until all that remains is a pure, radiant affection to surround you. From the moment you arrived in my life, it felt like you'd always been a part of my world. You just slipped right into my heart, like you'd always belonged there....You fit into my life so perfectly, like a missing piece finally found. When I found you, my heart found a home." 

He looked down at Tasha, "I'm so lonely without you. I don't want to be alone."

Though he was a mafia but he was also a man in love. "These days, all I want is to dream of her. But sleep needs peace, and that's something I haven't had a single damn ounce of since she vanished. If dreams are the only way to be with her, then maybe I just won't open my eyes again. I'll stare at the damn ceiling until my eyes bleed if it means another moment with her, even in my head. Because in this world, without her, being awake is no different from being a dead man walking."

Tasha, who typically tolerated Ibrahim with a regal indifference, surprised him by remaining perfectly still in his lap. Her emerald eyes were fixed on him, almost as if she understood everything he just said. If Ava were there, she'd be shocked to see Tasha so tolerant.

He leaned his head back against the mattress, He didn't know when, but sleep, finally claimed him. Eight days. It had been eight days since he'd last truly slept. Exhaustion had its limits. 

His mind drifted back...back to a time....

The year was 1993. Ibrahim was just a four-year-old boy back then, a world away from the hardened mafia leader he'd become...