Chapter 47 : Prof. Usama Syed.

Elara, Captain Hameem, and Officer Michael gathered around a table cluttered with reports and evidence photos. Elara, flipping through the forensic reports, sighed.

"Everything is pointing towards an accidental fire after investigating so far." Captain Hameem began.

"But the fire originated in the kitchen, yet the safety protocols, the fire extinguishers – everything seems in order." Elara replied. 

Officer Micheal took the report from the table, "The firefighters' statements align with the evidence. They had a hard time containing the fire, and by the time they arrived, it was already spreading rapidly."

Captain Hameem leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "Forensic reports show no signs of accelerants. The kitchen staff attested that they followed proper procedures, and the fire started from a faulty electrical appliance."

"Hmmm.... Crimson Lounge turned into an inferno so quickly. Do we have any witness statements?" Elara asked. Though he couldn't accept the fact.

Michael chimed in, "The survivors' statements align with the firefighters'. They heard a sudden explosion in the kitchen, and the flames escalated rapidly. And it's really tragic." 

Captain Hameem finally closed the file, "Elara, sometimes accidents happen, and tragedies occur. In this case, everything points towards it being an unfortunate incident. We can't always find someone to blame."

Elara reluctantly nodded, "I know, Captain. It's just hard to fathom that it was all a random accident. We did everything we could to find answers."

Captain Hameem put a reassuring hand on Elara's shoulder. "You did your best, Elara. Sometimes, life throws us situations without clear explanations. It's a harsh reality we have to face. Now comes the tough part. We need to inform the media and the public about our findings."

Elara nodded in agreement. "Yes, Captain. I'll gather all the reports, statements, and evidence photos to present." 

 Hameem looked at Michael and told, "You will assist Elara, Michael." 

Michael added, "I'll sir." 

Captain Hameem instructed, "Make sure all the details are in order. The public deserves to know that we've done everything in our power to investigate this tragedy."

Elara sighed, "I just hope the public can understand that sometimes accidents happen, even in the worst possible scenarios."

"Elara, Michael. We're doing our duty by presenting the facts. It's a tough situation, but we have to face it head-on. We will do all we can, so no one can show the finger to The Police. There is no time for mourn, we have so many cases. Remember, We are Police, not god. There'll a time we can only save one person at one time. But we will try our best." Hameem told while looking at both.

.....

Prof. Syed entered his personal office cabin at the University. had been four days since the tragic death of his nephew, Adam, in the fire at The Crimson Lounge. Though grieving deeply, Prof. Syed understood the responsibilities that awaited him at the university.

Seating himself behind the desk, he gazed out of the window. Today, there were no scheduled classes for his —students preferred studying at home before exams. The room felt so quiet. 

Even though Prof. Syed usually looked handsome, today his face showed the sadness inside. Losing Adam hurt him a lot. He had a good relationship with his nephew. Adam went to the club with his friends. He wanted to enjoy his last day Kuala Lumpur because the very next day he has flight. But that day really became a last day of Adam. 

Prof. Syed slammed his hand onto the desk. "Damn you, Ibrahim Rahman," he muttered, the anger pulsing through him. A gentle knock disturbed his thoughts. 

The door creaked open, and a staff member entered Professor Syed's cabin carrying a cup of coffee. The stuff put the cup on his table and said, "Professor Syed, my deepest condolences for Adam. May his soul rest in peace."

Prof. Syed told, "Thank you. Pray for him."

"While you were away, Professor, some application letters arrived from students. I placed them in the blue file." The stuff gestured toward the file on the desk.

Prof. Looked at it and said, "I appreciate it. I'll take a look."

The staff member offered a nod and left the room. Prof. Syed took the cup and opened the blue file. The letters inside revealed the routine affairs of the university – leave requests, general communications, until his eyes rested upon a specific letter. It was Ava Lim's rejection letter for the scholarship. 

 This was unexpected for him. He thought, why would Ava reject such kind of offer. She was a good student. Ammmm.... Ibrahim's influence must be at play.

A subtle smile danced on his lips. Prof. Syed carefully placed Ava's rejection letter in a drawer, securing it with a decisive lock. He should deal with it later.

Shifting from the physical to the digital, Prof. Syed opened his laptop and logged in his Pinstagram account. After a bit of exploration, he found Ava's profile under the username "diaryof@va." A tap on the follow button granted him access to Ava's online world.

Sipping his coffee, Prof. Syed scrolled through Ava's uploaded pictures. He couldn't help but appreciate her youthful beauty. "Quite the catch, Ibrahim," he murmured to himself, realizing why she might have attracted Ibrahim's attention. 

However, he noticed – no pictures posted after her marriage to Ibrahim. Professor's mind began think with the idea of toying with Ava. Should he take risks? 

He sipped the coffee and scrolled more. Then he saw some pictures of Ava with Farah. The picture had a caption #bestfriends. So that means Ava and Farah were best friends. 

Another mischievous thought sparked in Professor Syed's mind. Playing with Ava might be challenging, but toying with Farah seemed like a safe adventure. If he could influence Farah, he might indirectly impact Ava. And in that way he could easily reach Ibrahim...

His concentration again interrupted by a soft knock on his office door. The door creaked open, revealing a female student. 

Prof. Syed looked up, "Ah, Jessica. What brings you here?" He closed his laptop. 

"Just came to drop off my semester fees. Wanted to see if you were around." Jessica replied with a warm smile. It seemed they know each other well. 

Professor Syed raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly, "Checking up on me?" 

Jessica still stood near the door. She told, "Well, you know how it is. It's good to know if someone's here when you need them."

Professor Syed chuckled and gestured for her to come in. "Alright then, since you're here, let's follow our 'usual' routine."

Jessica entered and closed the door behind her and moved towards the window, pulling down the blinders. The room plunged into semi-darkness, the only light filtering through the cracks in the blinds. Jessica looked at Prof. Syed. And her eyes told, "Now what?" 

Professor Syed's voice cut through the silence, "Come here. Sit on my lap."

Jessica placed her bag on a chair and approached to him. She sat on his lap and he hands encircled her waist, pulling her closer. "My mind has been troubled lately. I really can't think properly after Adam's death." 

She lifted his glasses from his face and placed them gently on the desk, "I'm here for you, Professor Syed, anytime, any day. I just need that A+ in your paper."

Professor Syed chuckled softly, his gaze fixed on her lips. "Then you have many things to do, my dear Jessica," he said, his eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint.

"Try me," Jessica challenged, "I'm willing to do anything."