In a small private room, there were two tables of different heights. One table had two chairs next to it, with papers and a computer setup. The other had a leather sofa with two seats, facing the window. The room wasn't anything extraordinary—just a personal workspace with some glass-fronted book cabinets decorating the sides and corners. One object that caught attention was a large antique clock with a pendulum, its ticking in rhythm with the clock's hands. The sound of an old fan and a light breeze made a few papers rustle.
Two individuals entered, talking as they did. One was a tall young man with wavy black hair of medium length—not too long, not too short—and a well-toned body, wearing a long-sleeved shirt and jeans. The other was a chubby man, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and slacks, his head covered by a traditional headband. The two of them sat facing each other, separated by a table with a computer.
"For that matter, I already told you on the phone yesterday that I'm bound by a contract and have an obligation to fulfill it," Haidar said as he pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Well, can't we arrange something? My group is willing to pay twice the usual monthly fee. It's a rare opportunity, isn't it?" replied Mr. Gede, sitting across from Haidar.
"Sorry, Mr. Gede, but it's already booked until the beginning of next year," Haidar answered with a polite yet firm smile.
"Exactly, because it's still a long time until the end of the year! Just take it down for a week and put it back up afterward," Mr. Gede said, gesturing with his hands.
"Even so, that would still violate the contract. Do you really want your group, and yourself, to get into trouble over this, Mr. Gede?" Haidar replied with a slightly serious tone.
"Oh, it's safe, I guarantee it's safe. I can arrange it with my contacts," Mr. Gede said enthusiastically. "So, can we go ahead with the ad for my candidate? This store's billboard is in a strategic location—people walking by will immediately notice it," he added with an ambitious gesture.
"I can't, Mr. Gede. They might think I'm not trustworthy," Haidar replied with a friendly yet firm smile.
In the midst of the discussion, which seemed to be dragging on, a girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail entered. She wore a store apron and simple uniform, carrying a tray with two cups of coffee on it. The familiar aroma of instant coffee filled the room, immediately tempting them to quench their thirst with the hot drink.
"Excuse me," the girl said as she approached, placing the cups in front of Haidar and Mr. Gede.
"No need to trouble yourself, Yati, it won't take long, heh heh," Mr. Gede grinned, followed by a sip of the coffee Yati brought.
When Mr. Gede wasn't looking, Haidar let out a small sigh, signaling that he was getting tired and uncomfortable. Yati, noticing, gave a subtle gesture of encouragement and a small giggle from behind Mr. Gede. She then walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Not long after Yati left, there was a sudden knock on the door, and it opened again. This time, a young woman in her twenties entered, holding a folder. She had a beautiful face with shoulder-length burgundy red hair, a cunning and cold gaze, and wore a gray turtleneck, black pants, and black heels.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Haidar already has an appointment with me," the woman said, smiling as she stood near the guest sofa.
"Whoa, Haidar, you are quite busy! Is this your girlfriend or do you have a date set, heh heh heh?" Mr. Gede joked.
"She's a police officer, Mr. Gede," Haidar chuckled softly.
"Hah, police… what do they want with you?" Mr. Gede said, surprised.
"I'm here because there's a police matter that needs to be discussed immediately," the woman said calmly and firmly, crossing her arms.
"Well, I'll leave then," Mr. Gede said, quickly finishing his coffee and standing up. "If you change your mind, let me know, heh heh," he whispered to Haidar.
Mr. Gede left, giving a simple farewell and closing the door behind him. The young woman approached Haidar, pulled out a chair, and sat across from him. She placed her folder on the floor beside her left side, then rested her elbows on the table, supporting her chin with her hands, as if deep in thought, staring at Haidar with a faint smile.
"So, any difficulties with the investigation, Officer Feshikha?" Haidar asked.
"No 'hello,' no 'how are you,' straight to the point. Very efficient," Feshikha replied with a slightly sarcastic smile, her gestures matching her words.
"But you don't like small talk, and every time you visit, it's mostly about work," Haidar said with a slight joke, expressing himself through hand gestures.
Feshikha's face slightly hardened in response to Haidar's words. "Haaa…" she sighed, then opened the bag she had placed on the floor. From inside, she took out a file labeled "SPECIAL CASE" in red ink, with an additional "CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT" yellow label. She placed the file on the table and slowly pushed it toward Haidar's side, her face serious with a cold smile. She gestured with her right hand, silently signaling him to open the file.
Haidar reached for the file and opened it. It didn't take long before he became absorbed in its contents. His relaxed posture shifted to one of seriousness as he became engrossed in what he saw. "Hmm… this is a big issue," Haidar muttered. Inside the file was a photo of a large mansion, accompanied by the owner's data— a well-known and respected businessman from the city of Halimun Mimbar. On another page, details of the case Feshikha and the police were facing were shown. A photo of a body surrounded by dark red liquid, with signs of no mercy, along with data from five identities already placed in a cooling vault.
As Haidar focused on examining the file, Feshikha moved away from him, walking around the room, looking for something. She approached a cabinet near the large clock and took one of the old, thick books with a trident symbol on its cover. She opened the book and flipped to a page that was already familiar to her.
"Five people were torn apart and lost their organs… I'm surprised the news didn't cause much of a stir," Haidar said, intending to inquire about the situation.
"All those involved agreed to stay silent with the media for now. The mansion owner himself wants this case solved quietly without causing any trouble," Feshikha replied.
Haidar took a more relaxed position, crossing his arms, looking as if he was contemplating something. He realized that he was about to face something dangerous. His caution wasn't due to a lack of experience; he was simply weighing the aspects of what he might need to do.
"Alright, I'll take the case. When do we go to the location?" Haidar asked.
"Great! I'll pick you up tomorrow," Feshikha answered cheerfully.
"Knock-knock…" In the middle of their conversation, the sound of a knock on the door was heard, followed by it opening. Yati entered again, this time bringing a cold, carbonated drink on a tray. She handed it directly to Feshikha, who extended her hands to receive the drink.
"Here you go, Big Sis Feshikha," Yati said while handing over the drink.
"Thank you, Yati… Glug-glug," Feshikha replied, immediately quenching her thirst.
"By the look on your face, it seems like you've got one of those unique clients, uncle?" Yati asked.
"Oh, you can tell? Well then, straight to the point. Yati, please look up information on Mantrakūṭa Mansion, it's located in the Garden Aruna Cipta residence," Haidar said to Yati.
"Wow, that luxurious residence. Alright, what should I look for?" Yati asked.
"Everything, heh heh," Haidar replied.
"Come on, be serious. Can you be more specific?" Yati said with an annoyed look.
"Haha... I'm sure there won't be that much to find, but the main thing might be about the ritual," Haidar said with a small laugh.
"Okay, I'll get on it. See you later, Big Sis Feshikha," Yati said, rushing out of the room.
"Thud…" The sound of the door closing echoed, and Haidar stood up from his chair, stretching his stiff body. As he turned to face the wall, he felt like someone was watching him. It made him turn around. He saw Feshikha staring at him, as if she wanted to say something.
"What's up? You seem like you want to say something?" Haidar asked while continuing to stretch.
Feshikha closed the book she had been reading, placed it back into the cabinet from where she took it, and focused on Haidar.
"I know she's been very helpful and has shown her abilities, but is it okay to let her interact with things like this?" Feshikha asked.
Haidar stopped stretching, lowered his head briefly to hide his face, and then sat back down in his chair. He placed both elbows on the table and rested his chin on his crossed hands, his posture reflecting a person deep in thought. His eyes met Feshikha's.
"Feshikha, you must still remember what she's facing," Haidar said seriously.
"Of course, I mean, the three of us have the same experience, though with different stories," Feshikha said, turning her gaze away.
"Then you should understand. She has her own reasons. Plus, I've allowed her to help find information to keep an eye on her, and to prevent her from acting recklessly on her own," Haidar explained.
Feshikha did realize that Haidar had his own way of handling Yati, and he wasn't careless in making his decisions. Even though he sometimes appeared disinterested and indifferent, when the time came, Haidar could be relied upon.
"And honestly, in my opinion, rather than hiding her or keeping her away, it's better to prepare her for the possibilities in the future. I mean, neither I nor my big sis will always be there for her," Haidar said calmly and confidently.
"Haaah… Fine, I get it. In some things, you're annoying, but at least you can be trusted," Feshikha said with a stern face.
"Wow, that's harsh. Haha," Haidar replied jokingly.
Feshikha smiled at Haidar's response. She walked to the chair she had been sitting on, grabbed her document bag, and prepared to leave.
"Alright, see you tomorrow then," Feshikha said.
"Yo, okay, see you tomorrow," Haidar replied.
Feshikha walked toward the door, opened it, and closed it behind her. Now, Haidar was alone in the room. "Tick - Tick." The silence inside made the ticking sound of the large clock's hands noticeable. Haidar tapped his index finger in time with the ticking rhythm. After a moment, he opened the drawer on his right side, pulled out a circular object from inside the drawer. It was golden, with a trident symbol on the part that resembled a lid.
The object was fairly thick, but small enough to be held with one hand. Haidar examined it for a moment, turning it over in his hand, his expression reflecting a story held within the object. He then opened it, revealing something that resembled either a compass or a watch, but without any time indicators. It had two equally long needles—one with a blue tip and the other with a red tip—but neither of them pointed in any particular direction, nor did they rotate like the hands of a clock. Instead, the two needles moved in opposite directions.
"Dong-dong..." The sound of the large clock filled the room, pulling Haidar's attention away and reminding him of other matters. He closed the object, placed it back into the drawer, then stood up from his seat and left the room.
To be continued...