Rio's expression remained impassive as he met Mr. Alkis's gaze squarely. "Mr. Kagiso told me himself."
Mr. Alkis took a while to recover from his initial shock of Mr. Kagiso sharing this information with an outsider, "then Mr. Kagiso must have trusted you a lot. This is a secret that he had been keeping to this family. A secret that Mrs. Kagiso could not bring to her graveyard."
"I doubt so," said Rio, his expression was cryptic.
"What do you mean?" asked the butler.
With a deep breath, Rio decided to tell everything he had seen in PharmaMedicor company to the butler, and he did so. The reason to reveal this was to exchange more information that the butler had observed in this mansion.
The butler's face contorted in a grotesque mask of terror and disbelief, his eyes wide and bulging, mouth agape in a silent scream. "Mrs. Kagiso had been getting medicine from her brother to give it to Batho?"
Rio nodded.
"Even knowing the potential risk to harm Batho?" The butler shook his head, finding it hard to digest this piece of information. "But that was unlike her. She would do everything to protect Batho."
Rio shrugged. "Maybe the current Batho is no longer the Batho that she gave birth to."
A confused expression clouded the butler's face. "I could sense the difference in Batho ever since he returned from the riverside. But I am not sure if I understand what you mean by 'not the same Batho.'"
"A dead body was found in the river and proven to be Batho," said Rio. "And this current Batho carries two sets of DNA, one of which belongs to someone who came from three hundred years ago."
The butler let out a disbelieving scoff. "Mr. Rio, what you just said sounds a little far-fetched. I..."
"What do you think Mr. Kagiso tasked me to do? Why do you think he trusts me with the information that he was sterile and Mrs. Kagiso should have been unable to conceive with Batho?"
The rhetorical questions kept Mr. Alkis's mouth shut for a moment.
Then, Mr. Alkis raised his eyebrows as the realization dawned on him.
"His behavior has been quite unusual," Mr. Alkis confided, glancing around as if to ensure no one else was listening in. "Batho has developed a keen interest in history. He spends hours watching documentaries on his AD about events that occurred centuries ago. It's as if he's trying to learn everything he can about the past."
Rio raised an eyebrow, intrigued by this revelation. "And how does he speak about these historical events? Does he seem to understand them beyond his years?"
Mr. Alkis nodded, a troubled expression crossing his face. "Yes, that's the puzzling part. Batho not only watches these documentaries but also discusses them with a depth of understanding that is far beyond what you would expect from a child his age. It's almost as if he has a sense of purpose or a mission he believes he must fulfill."
Rio's curiosity deepened. "A mission? What kind of mission does he talk about?"
"It's hard to say exactly," the butler replied, looking perplexed. "He speaks of it vaguely, as if he's on some sort of quest or has a role to play in something significant. I initially thought it was just his way of coping with the trauma of his near-death experience, but now I'm not so sure."
"So did Mrs. Kagiso notice about his unusual behavior?" asked Rio keenly as he realized the butler seemed to recall the unusual behavior.
The butler shut his eyes tightly as he was trying to recall everything, "I am not sure if I am biased, now that I know what happened to Batho. If I am not mistaken, whenever Batho exhibited this kind of behavior and strange obsession with the history, this was when Mrs. Kagiso would keep him in his room, and a couple times, I had witnessed she was giving injection to his thigh."
Rio hesitated for a moment. "And Batho's symptoms would be controlled for a while?"
The swift expression that crept up on the butler's face confirmed Rio's suspicion. The medicine, Zonizide, that Mrs. Kagiso requested from Hyllos was used to control and suppress another identity in Batho's body.
Ignoring Mr. Alkis's questioning eyes regarding how Rio came to know about this, his mind now drifted to the involvement of Haydon in this. Rio could slowly put the pieces together now. Haydon was involved due to his influence in the pharmaceutical field, which would make it easier to obtain the medicine from him.
It seemed like Mrs. Kagiso was using their relationship to obtain more despite knowing the risks it carried.
Having two sets of DNA in a body did not mean that the two identities would live in a constant balance all the time. It appeared now that one of the identities would dominate over time. Rio was not sure if the condition, if left untreated or uncontrolled, would result in Batho's identity being consumed and diminished over time...
Rio's voice was firm, his eyes locked on Mr. Alkis, demanding answers. "And why do you think Mrs. Kagiso died?"
Mr. Alkis, visibly startled by the sudden change in Rio's tone, stammered, "I... I'm not sure."
"Just tell me what you know," Rio insisted, taking a step closer. "You don't have to speculate. I'll handle the investigation."
Nodding reluctantly, Mr. Alkis began, "Mr. Haydon visited Mrs. Kagiso around nine in the evening. They went to the garden, and I was nearby, by the lakeside." He gestured towards the spot where Rio had spoken with Mr. Kagiso previously.
"They were arguing," Mr. Alkis continued, furrowing his brow as he recalled the events of that night.
Rio could almost hear the tension in the air, the argument likely revolving around Zonizide.
"Then, the argument escalated," Mr. Alkis went on, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm not certain, but it seemed like Mr. Haydon pulled something from his pocket and jabbed it into Mrs. Kagiso's neck. She slumped and lost consciousness."
The image of Mrs. Kagiso falling replayed in Mr. Alkis's mind, his face drained of color as he recounted the tragic event.
Rio's eyes narrowed, piecing together the puzzle. "What happened next?"
"Mr. Haydon rushed over to me," Mr. Alkis recounted, his voice quivering. "He demanded that I call an ambulance to save his sister and warned me not to tell anyone about his presence here tonight."
Rio sensed Mr. Alkis's fear, the weight of Mr. Haydon's influence bearing down on him. "Did you call the ambulance?"
"Yes, I did," Mr. Alkis replied, his gaze darting nervously. "I was too afraid to do otherwise."
As the gravity of the situation sank in, Rio knew he was facing a formidable adversary in Mr. Haydon.
When Rio was about to thank Mr. Alkis for all the information, Mr. Alkis grabbed his arm as if he had just been struck by something. "You may want to look into the family history of Mr. Haydon and Mrs. Kagiso."
Taken aback by this sudden suggestion, lines of confusion appeared on Rio's forehead. "Why do you say so?"
"Ever since Batho's return from the riverside, Mr. Haydon has been visiting Mrs. Kagiso more frequently. I overheard their conversations once or twice. It seemed like every time they mentioned the mysterious deaths of their father and grandfather, their conversations would get slightly heated."
"The deaths?"
"Yes, nobody knows how their father and grandfather died, at least not the public," Mr. Alkis explained. "But from the fragmented conversations that I heard, I suspect it was due to some inherited genetic disorder that could cause sudden death."
Now that Mr. Alkis had mentioned their deaths, it struck Rio as an abnormal phenomenon. A prominent family that ran PharmaMedicor with early deaths of the owners should have been big news. But strangely enough, there seemed to be no discussions about it, or rather, someone seemed to be suppressing the discussion as much as possible.
Rio nodded, acknowledging the butler's help. "Thank you, Mr. Alkis. I appreciate your assistance. I'll keep you updated if I need further information."
Mr. Alkis nodded back, a hint of concern in his eyes. "Please be careful, Mr. Rio. This is a dangerous path you're on."
Rio left the mansion, the night enveloping him as he made his way to his Hyperloop Pod.
Rio's thoughts churned as he navigated the futuristic cityscape in his sleek Hyperloop Pod. The city's neon-lit streets blurred past, a vivid tapestry of light and shadow. Each passing moment brought new revelations and questions, the weight of the investigation pressing down on him.
The cool, artificial breeze through the pod's open window did little to calm his racing mind. The holographic displays in his vehicle flickered with updates on Mrs. Kagiso's death, highlighting key points and connections. Despite the late hour, Rio knew he couldn't rest until he had unraveled the mysteries surrounding Mrs. Kagiso's death.
As he approached his apartment complex, the bustling city below began to quieten, the hum of activity giving way to a stillness that matched the late hour. Rio's mind buzzed with thoughts of genetic disorders, pharmaceutical conspiracies, and the enigmatic figures of Mr. Haydon and Mrs. Kagiso. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place, but the picture they painted was far from clear.
With a sigh, Rio parked his Hyperloop Pod and made his way to his apartment.
Rio lay in his dimly lit bedroom, the glow of the city's neon lights casting eerie shadows on the walls. His mind raced with thoughts of the confrontation ahead. The image of Mr. Haydon, cold and calculating, jabbing something into Mrs. Kagiso's neck, lingered in his mind like a haunting specter.
The room felt suffocating, the weight of the mystery pressing down on him. He knew that to solve this, he needed to face Mr. Haydon, to extract the truth from the man who had orchestrated such a heinous act. But how does one confront a man capable of killing his own sister?
As he tossed and turned, Rio's thoughts drifted to the complexity of the situation. Mr. Haydon was not just a suspect; he was a powerful figure, deeply entrenched in the pharmaceutical world. Rio needed his cooperation to unravel the mystery, but he also needed to be cautious.
With a deep breath, Rio resolved to approach Mr. Haydon with cunning and guile. He would need to outmaneuver the man, to play his cards right and extract the information he needed without tipping his hand. It was a risky game.
Rio finally fell asleep, the weight of the impending confrontation lifting momentarily. However, his respite was short-lived as the harsh rays of sunlight pierced through his eyelids, jolting him awake. Blinking away the sleep, he glanced at the time, only to find that it was almost noon.
His AD, sensing his awakening, began beeping incessantly, demanding his attention. Rio groaned and reached for the device, which displayed a flurry of notifications. Multiple news feeds were reporting on Mrs. Kagiso's death, each filled with wild speculations and theories. There were no updates from Mr. Kagiso, which added to Rio's growing unease.
The latest message was from Mr. Alkis, likely with more information or perhaps a new lead in the case. Rio's heart raced with anticipation as he opened the message.
The message read:
Rio,
Mr. Alkis here. I wanted to inform you that I spotted Batho leaving home by himself earlier. I tried to reach Mr. Kagiso but haven't received any response. Concerned, I decided to follow Batho.
Please advise on the next course of action.
Best regards,
Mr. Alkis
However, there had been no further updates since he began tailing him.
Rio's stomach churned with unease. The sudden disappearance of Batho, especially in light of recent events, raised alarm bells in his mind. He knew he had to act fast. Without hesitation, Rio sprang out of bed and hastily got ready, his mind racing with thoughts of what might have happened to the young boy.
Connecting his AD and Pastolium to the terminal in his living room, Rio began the process of locating Mr. Alkis's whereabouts. After hacking into the surveillance system utilized by the government to track every individual in the country, he found something strange. The latest location indicated that Mr. Alkis was situated about fifteen miles away from Mr. Kagiso's mansion.
Rio quickly disconnected from the terminal and rushed to this location.