Crisis Lurks: Who Is the Real Culprit Behind Her Death

In the living room, we sat in one group while Mike sat opposite us, creating an atmosphere of confrontation.

The tension was palpable.

“What’s your relationship with the victim, and what exactly happened last night?” Mike was still persistent, beginning to interrogate us.

I knew he was just doing his job, and although I felt uncomfortable with his suspicion, I decided to explain after some hesitation.

“My name is Tara Green, I’m a software engineer. We were all in the same college club as Zoe. After graduation, we stayed in touch since we all stayed around the city. The six of us have been close for years, meeting up every few months. Yesterday was her birthday, and she booked this villa so we could all celebrate together. We drank, sang, and talked about old times. I got so drunk I blacked out and didn’t wake up until this morning. I have no idea what happened after that.”

After I started, Evelyn, Chaz, Sam, and Casey followed suit, introducing themselves one by one. As for what happened last night, everyone was like me, too drunk to remember.

Mike opened a bottle of water, frowning as he thought for a moment, then began asking more detailed questions about our relationships with Zoe and each other’s personalities.

After going around the group, it seemed he didn’t have much to go on. Finally, he took another sip of water and asked, “Did the victim have any relationship issues recently?”

“No way!” Sam answered immediately. “Zoe was only focused on her career. She didn’t have time for men! And if she did, I’d share all the losers who won’t give me the time of day!”

Sam’s comment made Mike spit out the water he’d just swallowed.

Sam, irritated, snapped, “What are you spitting for?”

“Sorry.” Mike coughed, turning red as he apologized while looking around for a napkin.

But there wasn’t one in sight – no surprise, considering how much we had partied last night.

Rolling his eyes, Sam reluctantly got up and fetched a towel from the backyard, tossing it to Mike.

“Thanks,” Mike said as he began wiping himself off.

Watching him, my mind suddenly cleared.

I realized what had been bothering me ever since I saw Zoe’s body in the pool.

It hit me like a lightning bolt: Zoe hadn’t been wearing that black dress last night!

Zoe always liked wearing dark colors to make her skin look brighter, but last night was her birthday, and she wore a bright red dress, saying it was perfect for a birthday celebration.

How could someone so drunk that they mistook the pool for a bed have the clarity to change clothes before falling in?

Could it be that Zoe didn’t drown by accident?

…

By the afternoon, Mike made us some pasta to keep us going and washed the dishes in the kitchen.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease from my earlier realization. Unable to hold back, I went to the kitchen, pretending to want some snacks.

“Mike, can I trust you?” I asked quietly, closing the door behind me.

Mike stopped washing the dishes, his expression turning serious.

He cranked up the water so no one could hear us and motioned for me to step closer. “You can trust me. What did you find?”

After a brief hesitation, I explained the discrepancy with Zoe’s clothing.

Mike nodded slowly. “I’m not a medical examiner, but a person who drowns usually shows signs of hemorrhaging in the nasal and oral cavities. Your friend didn’t have any of those signs.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Zoe hadn’t drowned at all!

Mike leaned in, locking eyes with me. “Zoe was your friend, right?”

I nodded.

“Then how can you just stand by and let her death go unanswered?”

Of course, I didn’t want to!

Mike’s gaze was intense as he continued, “Tara, for your friend’s sake, I need you to do me a favor.”