Lethal Obsession

38.

"Love is the most dangerous thing in the world." ― Jennifer Beals

"Love is shown in your deeds, not in your words." ― Fr. Jerome Cummings

"The tragedy is all right there...in the very beginning when he smiles at her. When she instantly forgets. Forgets how dangerous he is." ― Anne Eliot

"E ho detto a Coraline che può crescere
Prendere le sue cose e poi partire
Ma sente un mostro che la tiene in gabbia
Che le ricopre la strada di mine"

- Coraline - Måneskin

Chapter 38

The dean's office was surprisingly messy. There were countless papers scattered on the desk. The gray jacket that had been draped over the chair he was sitting in had a large dark stain that reminded me quite a bit of red wine. The room generally looked as if no one had cleaned it for months, and there was a strange, rotten smell in the air whose source I didn't have the slightest desire to find.

However, what stood out as the only bright spot was the huge picture frame on his desk. The beautiful, feminine features seemed to stare right back at me. The dean's tragically deceased wife was unbelievably beautiful.

"So, miss, how are you?" a deep voice brought me back to reality.

I was once again reminded of his manliness. For a moment I glanced at the picture again and very quickly came to the confirmation that they really were the perfect couple. It was sad how quickly he had aged since her death, but there was still something about him that screamed raw strength. And even with so many years on his resume, he was even now the dream of many young women. There is something irresistibly appealing in the posture that emits threat and power.

"Fine? You? " I replied uncertainly, although my answer sounded more like a question.

"I'm good, thanks for asking," he nodded. "I can see that you're uncomfortable, so I'll get straight to the point. I want to talk to you about Victor."

"Victor?" I asked him in confusion.

"Yes, since the police stopped the investigation, I decided that I would continue it on my own," he explained decisively.

I was slowly beginning to understand. The police made a surprising decision to stop the investigation a while ago. The case was closed and marked as an unintentional overdose and substance abuse. Victor never talked about what had happened, but all those who were close to him knew the truth - he would never put something like that into his body. Of course, none of us wanted to pressure him to tell his version of the story, especially because it made him nervous every time because the memory of that evening was a blur.

It was somewhat strange why the dean was so determined to find out what had truly happened, as well as what had made him suspicious in the first place. Although, I had an inkling that it had something to do with a woman whose presence was still present in the room.

"Okay, but how can I help you? I have already made a statement."

"Sure, but still, there may be something you didn't say or something you felt didn't matter and could potentially be crucial," he insisted.

"I really don't know what else I can tell you. That evening was quite...eventful," I carefully said the last sentence, choosing my words, which made him frown.

"Yes, I heard that there was a fight just before they found Victor," his tone was light but the meaning behind his words was anything but. He demanded that I continue.