I had lost count of how many times our eyes had met; honestly, I had stopped counting. I no longer saw the war in his eyes; they radiated pure light. I had to remind myself to breathe, but I was scared even my breath would ruin this atmosphere. My heart could barely stay in its place. Letting go of all the bad things I'd been through, I embraced only my happiness. Perhaps that's what loving Furkan was—feeling the presence of his hands in mine without even holding them, feeling the warmth of a kiss he hadn't placed on my cheek. This wasn't madness. This was exactly what loving Furkan felt like.
"Your food…" His sudden, unrelated comment snapped me back to reality. He must have felt he needed it too because he glanced at my plate as he spoke.
"It's probably cold enough now. Let me call Büşra to help you. You need to eat well. Don't move a muscle. I'll be right back."
He spoke so quickly that he was out the door before I could even respond. I wondered if he had expected me to say something. Maybe he left because I hadn't answered. Breathe, Merve, breathe! When the door opened again and it was Büşra who entered, my face fell involuntarily.
"Should I leave?" She noticed the disappointment in my expression and spoke with a hint of reproach.
"What?"
"If I'd known you'd be this upset, I wouldn't have come. What's with that face?" Not wanting her to misunderstand, I forced a faint smile onto my lips.
"Don't be ridiculous. Come on, feed me. I'm starving."
She sat down beside me, pulled the table closer, and tucked a napkin into the collar of my shirt.
"I guess you got the answers you wanted since your appetite is back," she said with a sly smile. Life was exactly this: no matter what you went through, a single smile from someone you loved made everything easier. For a moment, you could stay present and actually feel alive.
"Should I ask about that smile on your face, or will you tell me?" she teased, clearly curious. I decided to get straight to the point.
"After you left, we sat in silence for a few minutes. Then, as I was trying to adjust my position, I moved the wrong way and my stomach hurt. I guess he got scared because he moved closer."
She burst into giggles, and I frowned.
"What? Is that so funny?"
She shook her head while covering her mouth and coughed lightly.
"Don't frown those pretty brows. I'm laughing because I liked it. Keep going."
I liked what had happened too. I hoped things would always be this way.
"He asked if I was okay. When I noticed the dwindling space between us, I think he felt uncomfortable too and apologized. Then he asked if I wanted him to call a doctor."
Büşra stared at me, wide-eyed, as if she couldn't believe what I was saying. Honestly, I couldn't either. Taking a deep breath, I continued.
"When I realized he wasn't going to say anything else, I asked him why he was at the cemetery."
Büşra averted her gaze.
"So, why was he there?"
Her face showed the guilty expression of a child caught in the act.
"I don't know! I wonder who told him." This time, it was my turn to smirk.
"Why did you call him to the cemetery?" she asked, shifting her position to face me entirely.
"Because I knew how hard that day was for you. I wanted to do something for you. I thought seeing him might make you happy. At first, I planned to call you to a café and talk to Furkan before you arrived, but I couldn't reach you. So I figured seeing him at the cemetery might be better. And he agreed without hesitation. I wonder why?" She raised her eyebrows meaningfully at her last words, and we both laughed. Then I opened my arms, asking her to come closer. We hugged tightly.
"I love you," I said as we returned to our positions.
"You're confused, dear. Furkan just left," she teased, making me laugh again.
"It's not like I don't love you," I retorted, shrugging and pretending to pout.
"Actually, we need to put all this aside," she said. I tried to understand her point, raising my eyebrows to urge her to continue.
"Don't look at me like that. The truth is, what you've been through is huge, and we don't know what could happen next. You need to give your statement as soon as possible. That man needs to face justice. If you're feeling well enough, I'll call the police."
Büşra was right. It was time to return to reality.
"I feel fine. Like you said, I should give my statement and get it over with. No matter what, you're also victims now. He could use you to hurt me. I don't care what happens to me, but if something happens to you, I'll never forgive myself."
"Don't be ridiculous! Nothing's going to happen to anyone. You clear your head; I'll call the police."
Büşra left the room, and a few minutes later, two officers walked in.
"Good evening, Ms. Merve. Since you're feeling better, we'd like to take your statement," said the younger officer. I nodded.
"Of course."
The other officer activated the voice recorder and began.
"Was the man who shot at you Murat Demirkan?"
Hearing his name sent chills down my spine. I shifted uncomfortably in bed.
"Yes," I said, exhaling deeply.
"Have you also learned that you were attacked in front of the police station before? Was it the same man who did it?"
"No, it wasn't him. I didn't see, but the person who was with me said the attacker wasn't an old man. However, he might be one of his men." The young officer nodded, indicating he understood what I was saying.
"Are you sure?" This time, the other officer asked.
"As I said, it's possible, but I'm not certain. However, I can't think of any other explanation for these events."
"Who was the person with you?"
"Furkan…" For a moment, I struggled to remember his last name. "Furkan Solmaz?"
"Yes, that's him." While I was giving my statement, the officer without the recording device was jotting down notes in his notebook.
"I see. So, Murat Demirkan, your grandfather, wants to kill you?" It was a question that shocked everyone who heard it, but by now, I had grown used to it.
"My grandfather didn't care about me after I lost my parents. He didn't even want to see me. One day, I heard strange noises in my house. Then, a man with a gun came down from upstairs and started chasing me. I sought refuge with my grandfather. At first, he refused, but later, he changed his mind and said I could stay. That night, we had an argument, and he kicked me out of the house."
The officer with the notebook interrupted me.
"What kind of argument?"
I took a moment to gather my thoughts before continuing.
"I asked him why he didn't love me and what I had done to him. He told me my parents died because of me and that he couldn't stand to see me. So, I left the house. The next day, I was walking by the beach when I saw him behind me with a gun. He said he wanted to kill me and confessed that he had killed my parents."
Both officers' eyes widened.
"Are you saying your grandfather killed your parents? Is that correct?"
I wished with all my heart it weren't true, but unfortunately, it was.
"Yes! That's correct!"
The officer who had recovered from his shock urged me to continue.
"Go on."
"Then, my friend Emre—he had followed me—saw us like that. He picked up a piece of wood and hit him on the head. He took me to his house. After that, I don't know why the matter was swept under the rug. During the last incident, I visited my parents' graves. He found me there, too. He had a grave dug for me. That day, he said he would kill me. Büşra and Furkan arrived just in time. To make me suffer more, he pointed the gun at Büşra first. But when Furkan provoked him with his words, he aimed the gun at him instead. At the exact moment he pulled the trigger, I found myself standing in front of Furkan."
Reliving and recounting these events in one breath was agonizing. I doubted anyone else could face them as calmly as I did, but only someone who had lived through them could understand.
"Is that all for your statement?"
I shook my head angrily.
"No, he also confessed to killing every single member of my family. My father's parents, his siblings—he admitted to killing all of them."
Tears began streaming down my face as I spoke. It was excruciating to recount something so terrible that I had lived through. I had no one left. That maniac had taken everyone I loved away from me.
One of the officers came over and handed me a glass of water.
"Okay, the suspect is already in custody. I'll ask you one last question, if you're able to answer."
"Of course, go ahead." Bringing everything to light was for the best for all of us.
"Why did he kill so many people? Do you know the reason?"
"My father was a police officer. He was also a devout man. My grandfather, on the other hand, was a man who denied God. He never liked my mother's relationship with my father, but he never dared to say it to her face. At the time, my father was trying to dismantle a major organ trafficking ring. Although he disrupted their operations, he could never catch the leader. It turns out that the leader was my grandfather."
The officer with the notebook added something after every sentence I uttered.
"How do you know this?"
"The night he tried to kill me on the beach, he confessed it himself."
"Alright. Please continue."
I wished continuing were as easy as it sounded.
"He originally only planned to kill my father. At the same time, he had a different plan for my mother and me. He made it seem like we had an overseas trip planned. He orchestrated everything. On the night we were supposed to board the plane, he planted a bomb in my father's car. But since we missed the flight, we returned home. The next day, my parents got into that car, and… well, you know the rest."
As I kept crying, I struggled to finish my statement.
"After that, I lost everyone I loved. I knew the mafia was behind it, but I didn't know who was leading them. Eventually, I found out, but…"
He had to pay for what he'd done. The punishment for his crimes had to be death. He didn't deserve to live.
"Is that all?"
I wiped my tears and nodded.
"Yes."
One of the officers turned off the recording device, while the other tucked his notebook into the front pocket of his shirt.
"Alright, thank you for the information you've provided. As I mentioned, I hope all of this can be proven, and you can move on with your life peacefully."
I wasn't sure if there was much of a life left for me to move on with.
"Where is he now?"
Before the officer could answer, the door opened, and seeing Furkan walk in immediately put me at ease. Just seeing him made me feel better.
"He's in custody. We've kept him detained until your statement could be taken. The lawyers put up a fight, but having two witnesses besides you worked in our favor. The young man, in particular, gave a very detailed statement, and your accounts align perfectly. That makes our job much easier. Once again, I'm sorry for everything. We'll contact you if necessary."
I nodded in agreement and exhaled deeply.
"There's one more thing. If everything you've said is true, we might be able to dismantle a major syndicate. However, this could put you in danger. Being alone isn't advisable. We can provide you with security for a while, but as I understand it, you live alone. Do you have any family or friends you can stay with? I don't mean to alarm you, but the rest of the syndicate might still be active and on high alert now that their leader is in custody. What precautions are you planning to take?"
I froze. I hadn't considered this at all. What could I do? Staying with Büşra wasn't an option. Even if I didn't tell her family, they'd eventually find out and would never let us stay together due to the dangers involved.
"I don't know what I'll do for now. Maybe…"
Before I could finish, Furkan interrupted me. His words made the blood in my veins freeze.
"She'll stay with me!"