Looking into his mirror before leaving his house, it was exactly the same man he had pictured after he stepped out of the bar. The clock on the wall said that he had barely had two hours of sleep before Mr. Kagiso called him.
Mr. Kagiso hung up the call before Rio had the chance to ask him what had happened exactly.
The urgency in Mr. Kagiso's voice indicated that Rio should not wait until the next morning.
Rio turned off his AD. His limbs felt like lead, every movement a monumental effort. His eyelids drooped, weighed down by an overwhelming fatigue that seemed to seep into his very bones. Knowing that he would need to freshen up, Rio dragged his feet to the bathroom.
In the next fifteen minutes, Rio found himself back in his Hyperloop Pod again.
As Rio approached Mr. Kagiso's mansion, he was taken aback by the sight that greeted him. Instead of the usual serene landscape, the mansion was surrounded by flashing blue and red lights, and the blaring of sirens filled the air. Emergency vehicles were parked outside, their presence casting an eerie glow on the mansion's façade.
Rio's heart raced as he hurried towards the entrance. Police officers and paramedics were bustling around, their expressions grim. He spotted Mr. Kagiso standing near an ambulance, his face etched with worry.
"What happened?" Rio asked, his voice barely audible over the commotion.
"It's my wife," Mr. Kagiso replied, his voice trembling.
Rio's eyes scanned the chaotic scene, but he struggled to spot Mrs. Kagiso amidst the flurry of activity.
"She's dead," Mr. Kagiso's voice was hollow, his face drained of all color. His words seemed surreal against the backdrop of buzzing conversations and blaring sirens.
"Dead?" Rio's voice rose above the din, finding it difficult to believe the news.
Rio's mind raced, trying to process the news. Mrs. Kagiso, a constant presence at her son's side, now gone. The implications of her death weighed heavily on Rio, especially considering the mysterious circumstances surrounding the Kagisos and Batho.
"What happened?" Rio asked, his voice more subdued now, reflecting the shock and sorrow that gripped him.
Mr. Kagiso's eyes were distant, lost in grief. "She was found in the garden just now. It appears to be a heart attack, but..." his voice trailed off, his expression pained.
Rio's thoughts darted back to Batho, and the strange occurrences that seemed to swirl around him.
"What was she doing in the garden in the middle of the night?" asked Rio, his mind now consumed by questions, leaving no room to consider Mr. Kagiso's distraught feelings.
"I have no idea," Mr. Kagiso's voice cracked. "I was busy with my work. If I had finished earlier and gone to bed as usual, I might have discovered her disappearance earlier and could have saved her." Mr. Kagiso buried his face in his slender hands.
Shaking his head, Rio was speechless. No words of comfort managed to escape his mouth, even though he wanted to say something.
Rio watched Batho from a distance, his small figure standing out among the adults bustling around him. Batho's eyes, usually bright and curious, now seemed empty, staring ahead without focus. The paramedic's voice was gentle, but Batho's response was robotic, devoid of any emotion.
As Rio approached, he could see the police officer speaking to Batho, trying to comfort him. Batho's lack of response was unsettling, almost as if he was in a trance. The ambulance doors closed, and the vehicle slowly pulled away, Batho's gaze following it until it disappeared from view.
The lack of emotion on Batho's face sent a shudder down Rio's spine. Despite being a child and possibly not fully grasping the gravity of the situation, this was not the expression of a child who had just lost his mother.
Even with the DNA of another person, there was still a part of Batho in this body. Rio shook his head again.
Mr. Kagiso grabbed Rio's arm suddenly. "Please, Rio. Please find out the truth. I know she didn't die from a heart attack but was murdered," he said, his gaze drifting towards Batho with suppressed fear simmering in his eyes.
Before Rio could respond, Mr. Kagiso wiped away the tears on his face and ran after the ambulance, which was about to leave the scene.
As Mr. Kagiso left with the ambulance, the crowd of authorities started to thin out, leaving Rio feeling uneasy in the eerie silence that settled over the once bustling mansion.
As the last rays of the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting long shadows across the mansion's garden, Rio felt a chill run down his spine. The once lively estate now seemed haunted by the events of the night, the air heavy with an unspoken tension.
The paramedics had left with Mrs. Kagiso's body, their flashing lights disappearing into the distance, leaving behind a solemn silence. The police officers, their task completed for now, began to pack up their equipment and prepare to leave, their voices hushed as if out of respect for the tragedy that had unfolded.
The butler, a stoic figure in the fading light, stood by the entrance of the mansion, watching the proceedings with a somber expression.
Batho stood in the garden, bathed in the fading light of the twilight. His silhouette was stark against the dusky backdrop, his features obscured by shadows. He appeared eerily silent, his usual animated nature replaced by a stillness that was almost unsettling.
A cool breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, carrying with it a sense of foreboding.
Despite the heavy tension and unease in the air, Rio couldn't shake the feeling that there was an important clue hidden among the chaos he had just witnessed.
It was the butler - who caught his attention almost immediately.
The familiar butler, who had always greeted him warmly whenever he visited Mr. Kagiso, now appeared... different. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, his fingers twitching nervously. His eyes darted around, never settling on one spot for long, as if he were searching for an escape route.
The butler seemed afraid.
As Rio locked eyes with him, the butler quickly averted his gaze, as if trying to avoid Rio's scrutiny. Rio closed the distance between them, determined to get some answers.
"Mr. Alkis!" Rio called out, relieved that he remembered the butler's unusual name from his brief introduction by Mr. Kagiso.
Mr. Alkis slowed his pace for a moment but made no move to turn towards Rio.
Rio grabbed Mr. Alkis's arm, perhaps too tightly, causing the butler to turn towards him with a sheen of cold sweat on his forehead.
"Mr. Alkis," Rio called out again, quickly releasing his grip and holding up both hands in a gesture of apology, "I need to ask you something."
"Mr. Rio," acknowledged the butler, "it has been an eventful night. I would appreciate a little bit of rest. May we talk when things are more settled?"
Despite not looking directly in Batho's direction, Rio could sense they were being watched out of the corner of his eye.
"I'm not sure if Mr. Kagiso can wait," said Rio in a hushed voice.
The remark sent an evident shudder through the butler's body, confirming Rio's speculation about the butler's loyalty. Despite the fear evident in his expression, Rio knew he cared deeply about his master.
A sense of hesitation and apprehension flickered in the butler's eyes. "What do you mean?"
Rio pulled Mr. Alkis aside, keeping their distance from Batho, who was a few steps further away, in the hope that he wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. "You know exactly what I mean. Mrs. Kagiso didn't die of natural causes. Did she have any underlying medical conditions that might have caused a sudden heart attack? If her death wasn't from a heart attack, then what else could it be? Murder?"
Mr. Alkis's eyes widened at this speculation, as if Rio had said something unbelievable. "Mr. Rio, this is too bold a speculation to make at this juncture. Mr. Kagiso must be distraught from Mrs. Kagiso's passing. I think the best thing to do here is to let the authorities handle this matter."
"The authorities?" Rio squinted his eyes. "You still believe in them? They seemed to be in a rush to conclude her cause of death even without a proper postmortem." Rio couldn't shake off the odd feeling he had when Mr. Kagiso told him his wife had died of a heart attack.
With every word Rio spoke, more blood seemed to drain from the butler's face, his lips trembling. "Mr. Rio..."
"Mr. Alkis, I want nothing more than the truth about what happened," said Rio with an unwavering gaze. "Tell me everything you know about what happened before Mrs. Kagiso died."
The butler swallowed and cast another quick glance at Batho, which did not escape Rio's notice.
Catching the hint, Rio pulled up the warmest smile he could manage in the tense situation and turned to Batho, who looked at Rio with his innocent, round eyes. "Batho, why don't you go back to your room to rest? Your daddy will be coming home soon."
Batho stared at Rio for a long moment. Just before Batho gave a subtle nod and left the garden, Rio could swear he saw a split second of an evil smile curl up the corner of Batho's mouth. A chill coursed through him as he watched Batho's back moving towards the mansion.
Heaving a sigh, Rio turned back to see Mr. Alkis, whose expression seemed to relax slightly with Batho's departure, though Rio couldn't be sure if it was genuine or just a facade. The dim light from the mansion cast long shadows around them, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
"Before Mrs. Kagiso went to the garden, did anything unusual happen? Why was she out there in the middle of the night?" Rio's voice was tinged with urgency, his eyes locked onto Mr. Alkis, searching for any hint of deception or hesitation.
"Mr. Rio, I'm not sure if I should be having this conversation with you," Mr. Alkis said slowly, his tone firm. "But I hope that with the information I'm about to share, you can truly help Mr. Kagiso. Please ensure he won't be killed in this conspiracy. He's had enough just by being born into this family. I've served this family for forty years, even before Mr. Kagiso was born. The last thing I want is to see this family fall to ashes."
Rio looked into Mr. Alkis's imploring eyes, feeling the weight of his words. He nodded solemnly, determined to unravel this mystery and protect Mr. Kagiso, no matter the cost.
With a downcast gaze, Mr. Alkis clasped his hands before him. "Mrs. Kagiso was out to meet her brother."
"Her brother?"
Another firm nod, and Mr. Alkis continued, "Yes. Her brother. Mr. Haydon."
Rio's mouth fell open slightly, but no words came out. His brows furrowed, as if trying to make sense of the shocking revelation.
Haydon was her brother? That would explain her appearance at the PharmaMedicor company if Rio had not overheard the conversation between Hyllos and her. But it seemed like there were some secrets between Haydon and Mrs. Kagiso regarding Batho.
"You know Mr. Haydon?" asked the butler as he studied Rio's expression.
Realizing it would be pointless to deny it, Rio nodded. "Yes, I am aware that he is the owner of PharmaMedicor company. I..." Rio's words caught in his throat as he contemplated whether to offer the information he had seen - Mrs. Kagiso in the company, asking for medicine for Batho.
"They have been giving some injection to Batho," Mr. Alkis said, his expression darkening.
The butler knew it too.
A glint of suspicion flickered in Rio's eyes. "Have you told Mr. Kagiso about this?" he asked.
Mr. Alkis shook his head, a troubled look on his face. "I know how deeply Mr. Kagiso loved his wife. He would have done anything for her. That's why I was cautious when I found out about Mrs. Kagiso giving medicine to Batho without Mr. Kagiso's knowledge. I dropped hints to him, but he believed she would never harm Batho. And, well, Mr. Kagiso... he isn't as close to Batho as Mrs. Kagiso was."
"Because he was supposed to be sterile, and Batho was not meant to be born in this world?" Rio finished the sentence, his voice devoid of emotion.
Mr. Alkis's eyes widened in disbelief, his shock evident in the way his mouth hung slightly open. "How... how did you know?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.