Pulchritude Case
Page 04's

"Del, I'm waiting in front."

Deline agreed with a shout. Indeed his brother was so chatty, repeatedly Danesh yelled at him like a child even though dressing up for a woman takes a long time. Today they will be attending a family dinner. Actually Deline was so lazy to attend the event, but her brother seduced her with the lure of gifts. Okay, well that sweet manager will do whatever Deline wants, so she agrees to go with him.

Dinner with distant relatives. Well ... doesn't seem too bad, but will they welcome it well? While this is his first experience gathering with family members from the father. He had no idea what kind of person he would meet today, Deline was afraid if they did not like his presence.

He imagined whether the dinner today went comfortably and warmly, oh it must have been fun and memorable for him. But, it's wrong. This family association is more focused on showing off wealth, rank and luxury. You know the family of Deline's father are high-profile people, they're too materialist. Well in front is not necessarily good in the back, like that 'relatives' (not all).

The Hiraet Phloxier restaurant is where they gather, the number one restaurant in the city center. Serving high-quality food with premium ingredients, a place where the rich gather to satiate their stomachs. The classic retro-style building is dominated by dark brown and maroon red, the restaurant is quite spacious and terraced.

Danesh and Deline have arrived at their destination, greeted by well-dressed female waiters who are ready to deliver the two. Their father and stepmother had also been present, they were joking with some other family members. Deline felt nervous and awkward because this was her first experience.

"Oh, it's Danesh." said Natha, aware of her son's presence.

The brothers gave greetings to their relatives. Natha asked Deline to greet her stepmother, politely the girl smiled broadly at her, but the woman replied to her with a forced smile. As well as aunt or uncle Deline, they were looking at her cynically.

"Include her my daughter, Deline." continued Natha.

"Oh, that kid who lives in Canada, huh? Hm, why is your daughter back? Is she tired of living with her real mother?" timpal Freddy, uncle Deline.

Deline was quite surprised to hear the old man's remark, sounding impolite. If you had known that his mother had died, then who would he have been with if he had not gone with her?

"De son visage ne ressemble fitting to une fille intelligente" murmured a short-haired woman. He seemed to dislike Deline the most when she came.

Of course Deline heard it, the woman was insulting with French. He said that Deline's facial features did not indicate that she was a smart girl. What was talked about was lowered, he was quite hit by the babble thrown by the unknown woman.

"Sorry Aunt Alma, please take care of your words. My sister also understands what you say." said Danesh. He defended his sister.

"Ah, my son is a great man. And we'd better make a toast before enjoying the main course" Natha's lerai.

Toast a glass of wine except for Deline, she did not drink any alcoholic beverages, so she rejected it subtly. This made some people look at him sharply. Natha also seemed disappointed by Deline's attitude which was considered to not appreciate her relatives.

"Courteous and appreciative girl" Freddy quipped with a derogatory laugh.

All right, he's got to be patient. Danesh grabbed the brother's hand by holding it. Trying to strengthen Deline. He knew what his sister was feeling now.

Before long the waiters presented the main menu in the form of Beef Schnitzel and premium quality meat steaks. They immediately started the dinner voraciously, the meat looking seductive. Not with Deline. For some reason when he looked at them eating just felt uncomfortable. It was like seeing humans enjoying raw meat covered in blood. Slowly pushing her plate, Deline was not eager to try the piece of meat.

"He didn't even touch his food one bit" Alma said.

"Deline, what are you doing? Quickly eat, and appreciate the menu chosen by Aunt Alma." scolded Natha.

"Try a little" Danesh added.

They looked at him cynically. Ah, I don't know why the people here feel intimidating. Deline is like a criminal under interrogation. Already she felt uncomfortable, Deline bailed to the toilet to calm down. It doesn't matter if they talk about it. This was not a dinner event, but it led to a show of contempt for her. For what is present if in the end he is the easy target as a roasting material. He regretted agreeing to the brother's invitation.

Deline looked at the mirror, looking at her face. Does she look like a stupid girl? He lowered his head, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to come out. It hurts enough when someone is physically insulting like this—Deline knows if she is not as beautiful as other women. Thirty cheeks and dark circles in his eyes look like someone who consumes drugs. Yes, all because of the effects of lack of sleep. The nerd who spends his time finishing a novel that he reads every day.

Amidst the sense of insecure that engulfed her, suddenly a woman with a face hidden behind her long hair stood beside Deline. His gaze was blank as he looked at the mirror. Cold atmosphere dominates the bathroom, it feels gripping maybe because of the lighting effect is less. Deline felt uneasy as the woman moved back and looked at her.

"Excuse me ... Are you all right?" Deline wanted to approach him, but the awkward thing made the girl undo the intention.

The mysterious woman scrunched her neck until it rang, as if her bones were broken. Deline walked backwards, her hands trying to grab the doorknob. However, the door cannot be opened. He was trying to bang on with the intention of having people out there help him open the door. As the woman drew closer, both of her hands were raised straight ahead intending to strangle Deline.

"Sister Dan!!" Deline screamed as she touched her neck. Their faces were very close, he smelled the fragrance of flowers from his body.

"Your scent .. sweet." said the woman, hoarse and shrivelled, then she shouted loudly right in her face. Deline closes her eyes while clogging the ear hole with both index fingers. The sound of his screams was so shrill and agonizing.

Deline pushed him, she tried to open the door. But someone opened it first. "Del, what's wrong?"

"Sister Dan?" He hugged her tightly. Deline's body felt cold and slightly trembling.

"Hey, what's wrong? You're okay, right?" Danesh looked worried, he stroked her hair.

"Sister Dan, I want to go home now" he asked. Danesh nodded and obeyed.

°°°

Away from the extravagant scene and creepy events Deline had just experienced, at a public cemetery some people were walking cautiously to head to Carrolyna's grave. Yep, they're Val and his men. Amidst the panic over Carrolyna's missing body, he plans to forge the identity of the corpse using the body of another person.

They planned to disassemble and lay the body of a woman instead. I don't know where Carrolyna's body is at the moment, if Val were to report it, he'd be in big trouble. This case he did in secret. Val doesn't want the grief family to know about the problem, so she twists her brain to cover up her mistake. The prosecutor bought the body from a hospital. Again, Gavin was the moderator. Although he had been bullied by the doctor, it was not a problem for him. It was Gavin who was getting cornered.

"Just do it," Val ordered. They immediately dug it.

Little by little the excavation is almost complete, the coffin has been seen. One of them opened it and put the bodies of others in there. Amidst the dark activity was taking place suddenly a squeaking sound was heard in each ear. The sound drew closer, a drop of yellow and foul-smelling liquid dripping on the back of Val's hand. She flicks her, one of them noticing something hanging over Val. The man immediately sat down and gradually left, as well as the others.

Val looked up, but there was nothing up there. He yelled at his men because the job was not done yet. Val took a deep breath, so he had to finish this job. It sucks, he swore he would teach them a lesson after this. The man was not at all afraid of the astral beings who were likely paying attention to him now. He continued his work quickly as the atmosphere at the funeral grew weirder.

"Dead!" he throws Val away from Carrolyna's tomb. His body hit a tombstone.

Val stood up while holding onto his injured arm. He immediately ran to his car. Enough of his mission this time, Carrolyna's grave is in pretty good shape. He does not care if someone suspects the grave is the result of his actions. Val has to get home.

His feathers stood without being told. When in the car, Val felt that someone was being followed. Fortunately, the car is not problematic like in the movies, when someone is in a state of distress, their car must be jammed suddenly. On the way he was surprised by the woman who was standing in the middle of the road. Val immediately slammed the steering wheel until the car was drifting.

He let the car oversteer with a gliding state for as long as possible. The four-wheeled object stopped in the middle of a quiet street. Val looked at the woman ahead who was getting closer. He shouted loudly because the mysterious woman threw a large stone at him.

"Excuse me? Hey, is there anyone?"

Val opened her eyes when she heard someone knock on the car door. He looked straight ahead, the windshield didn't break. What the hell's going on? Didn't the woman throw a big stone? And why all of a sudden...

"Excuse me? Hey man, you parked your car in the middle of the road. If you don't get out of here, I'll break your car's glass."

That's human. Okay, Val's getting ready to get out. In front of him, a man is standing.

"Are you drunk?" ask the man.

"W-what? No, I'm a prosecutor where I might get drunk driving."

"But why is your car like this? You're blocking the way."

"Tadi—it, suddenly there was someone standing in the middle of the road and I reflexively slammed the steering wheel until my car like this" he replied. However, the man in front of him looked less trusting.

"Alright, but from your looks-,"

Val just woke up. If his appearance looks disheveled. The dirt stains and sweat on his body make someone suspicious.

"It's—I just did a kail—eh trip, wait why I tell you. Just forget my appearance, which I'm definitely not a criminal." Val opens car— door intending to leave before further suspicion.

"Kevin Noah, intelligence officer."

Val instantly fell silent as the man revealed his identity. Shit, why in a place like this is a cop.

"With this appearance, I can take you to the police station. You look suspicious with all your stains and gestures."

"You suspect me?" Val grins. "Val Destavin, prosecutor of the Ethereal Law Firm. You don't see the streets here are full of mud? My car broke down and I fixed it, so I looked suspicious. And you—that's why an intelligence member is in a quiet place like this."

Kevin did not reply. Val immediately turned the car around and drove away from the cop. His alibi sounded convincing enough, but the person at hand was not a police officer. So, just wait for Val, she won't just ignore you.

"Prosecutor?" kevin murmured as he stared at the man's departure. "I'll go after you, Val Destavin." he continued with a faint smile.

°°°

The clock indicates one o'clock at night. Deline was still unable to sleep due to thinking about the incident earlier. Whether it was a human or not, but his body felt cold as their skin touched each other. The girl could indeed feel something related to the supernatural. However, he could not immediately see where they were. The weirdness that happened at dinner made him even more curious. He opined that the woman in the toilet was in contact with the restaurant. The more you feel, the more Deline thinks about the bad things.

"Why not sleep?" Danesh's voice surprised him.

"So, why haven't you slept yet?"

Danesh sat next to his sister. "I feel guilty for taking you to dinner with them—Deline, sorry for me you had to hear an inappropriate remark."

"Sister Dan, come on. I'm fine, but what happened in the bathroom just scared me" he said.

Danesh just remembered the incident, he forgot to ask. "Oh, yeah, I was curious about that. What exactly is going on? I heard screaming from inside,"

"I don't know if you believe it or not, but what was clear was that a woman was choking my neck and screaming in front of my face. His body felt cold and I smelled the fragrance of flowers.  I'm sure she's not human,"

"Where is it possible in the restaurant there is a ghost— do not believe such a thing, Deline." Danesh dodged her while chuckling.

"But this is real. Look at this, I have traces of someone's grip on my neck." Deline showed a hand grip on her neck.

Danesh was surprised to see a red striped mark on his sister's neck. Now the man was forced to think over Deline's words.

"Soon sleep. I'll accompany you to sleep on that couch, don't you be afraid? I'm right here,"

Deline nodded. But now he feels burdened by his brother. Truly Deline had no intention of making the man think of a no-no. It seemed that he had mistakenly told her about it, but how else had the rice become porridge. He couldn't bear to keep it to himself anyway.

°°°

The lights from the monitor screen illuminate the dark room atmosphere. Kevin wants to find out the identity of the prosecutor he met earlier. He thought about many things after analyzing his appearance. The sweaty body, brown stains attached to his shirt and also a scratch on the man's arm made him even more suspicious. If he did travel from the city, then why are his clothes not neat.

The sleeves were rolled up, the black pants look tangled and Kevin had a glance at the shoes used by Val. There are traces of wet textured soil attached. It was only natural that Kevin would be suspicious of him. Val himself was too reckless when acting. From the way he spoke that sounded stuttering was understandable to the intelligence.

"Wait a minute, Val Destavin."