Devil's Whisper Chapter 118: The Room of Secrets

"We have a search warrant to search your house. Please step aside and let us in," Oliver said firmly, holding up the warrant for the lady to see, his voice leaving no room for negotiation.

The lady, clearly startled by the presence of the police officers at her doorstep, took a step back. "But... but why do you want to search our house? What are the charges? Is there some sort of mistake?" Her voice wavered, a mixture of confusion and concern.

Jason, who was standing next to Oliver, took a few steps forward. His gaze remained serious, his tone unwavering. "We'll explain everything in due time. For now, we just need to conduct the search."

The lady hesitated, her eyes flicking nervously from one officer to another, but in the end, she relented. She knew, deep down, that resisting would only make matters worse. She slowly moved aside, her hand trembling as she gestured for them to enter.

Without another word, Jason, Kate, and the rest of the team filed inside, their boots thudding on the wooden floor. The house was quiet, too quiet, as if it were holding its breath, waiting for what would come next.

The officers dispersed, each one heading off in different directions to begin their search. Jason and Kate followed the lady as she led them down the narrow hallway, her heels clicking against the floor with each step. The air felt thick with tension as they walked.

A man emerged from one of the rooms along the hallway, his face etched with surprise. He looked at Jason, who was dressed in full uniform, with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"Officer, what's going on?"

"They're here to search our house and speak with Juan," the lady explained in a strained voice.

"But... but why?" the man asked again, his eyes darting between the officers. He was clearly trying to understand what was happening, but the truth hadn’t quite sunk in yet.

Jason turned to face the man, his gaze steady. "I’ll explain once I speak with Juan," he replied briefly, his voice carrying an air of authority.

There was a brief silence before Jason added, "By the way, who are you?" His curiosity was evident; he hadn’t been briefed about the family members yet, and it was important to know exactly who he was dealing with.

"I'm Juan's father, and she's his mother," the man said, gesturing towards the lady beside him, his voice tinged with a hint of defensiveness.

Jason nodded, acknowledging their response, then turned to Kate. "Which one is Juan’s room?" he asked, his tone businesslike but still polite.

"This one," the lady said, pointing down the hall to the door at the end of a small corridor.

Kate looked back at the couple, a subtle furrow in her brow. "What are your names?" she asked, her tone softening slightly. She hadn’t yet learned their identities, and it seemed only polite to ask.

"I'm Charlotte Noah Luu, and he is Harper Noah Luu," the lady replied, her voice calm, though the tension was still thick in the air.

"Okay," Kate acknowledged, making a mental note of the names as she followed Jason down the hall.

When they reached the door, Jason stood still for a moment, his hand resting lightly on the knob. He hesitated just long enough for Kate to catch up with him, her steps quiet behind him. Then, without further hesitation, he turned the handle and opened the door.

The room was cloaked in shadow, a dull, oppressive darkness that seemed to match the disarray inside. A single dim lamp flickered weakly, casting strange shadows across the room. Jason’s eyes quickly scanned the mess: clothes strewn haphazardly on the floor, papers scattered in every corner, and items seemingly thrown around without care. The room had the unmistakable feel of neglect.

At the center of it all, lying on the bed, was Juan. He was cocooned under a brown blanket, his chest rising and falling slowly in the rhythmic pattern of deep sleep. Jason frowned, his suspicions growing. Something didn’t sit right about the whole situation.

"Juan is sleeping," Harper muttered from behind them.

Jason didn’t look at him; instead, he stepped further into the room, his boots making a soft thud on the floor as he moved closer to the bed. "Get him up," he ordered, his voice firm and commanding.

"I want to tell you something," Harper said, his voice low as he stepped forward, clearly anxious.

Jason looked back at him, his expression unreadable. "What is it?"

"Juan is suffering from clinical depression," Harper said, his voice faltering slightly as he spoke. "He hasn’t spoken to anyone, not even us, for the past two years. We don’t know what happened to him, but everything changed after that... something happened two years ago, and after that, he just... stopped talking."

"What do you mean he stopped talking?"

Harper’s gaze shifted nervously, but he held his ground. "Juan hasn’t spoken a word to anyone in two years. He left his job, cut ties with all of us, and just... shut himself off from the world. We don’t know why, but that’s the truth. He’s been living in complete isolation ever since."

Jason’s face hardened. "The police know how to make a man speak."

"I’m telling you the truth," Harper insisted, his voice rising slightly. "You can ask anyone — Juan never speaks to anyone anymore."

Jason exchanged a quick glance with Kate, who was standing quietly beside him, her eyes scanning the room. "You get him up, and leave the rest to us," Jason said firmly, his tone brokering no argument.

Harper didn’t hesitate this time. He moved toward the bed, his face etched with confusion and concern. He gently shook Juan’s shoulder, calling his name in a soft, coaxing voice. "Juan... Juan, wake up," he said, his voice growing louder as he nudged his son.

But Juan remained unresponsive, his eyes still closed tightly, his body limp under the blanket. He didn’t stir.

"Juan... wake up, son," Harper pleaded once more, his voice thick with emotion.

Jason, growing impatient, turned to Charlotte. "Is your son using any drugs or medication?" he asked, his voice sharp, his suspicion mounting.

"Juan isn’t using any drugs," Charlotte replied, her tone apologetic. "But he is taking sleeping pills prescribed by a psychiatrist. They help him sleep because he struggles to rest otherwise."

Jason’s gaze shifted back to Juan, who was still lying motionless on the bed. After a few more moments, Juan finally stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and he glanced around the room, his vision blurry and unfocused. The grogginess was evident in his sluggish movements as he tried to sit up, his bloodshot eyes still fogged with sleep.

"Juan, the police are here to talk to you about something," Harper said, his voice more urgent now as he tried to rouse his son from the fog of sleep.

Jason stepped forward, his gaze never leaving Juan. "Hello, Mr. Juan Luu," he greeted, his voice calm but carrying an underlying edge. He observed Juan closely — his broad, stubbled face, the dark circles under his eyes, the roughness of his appearance. He was dressed in a half-sleeve T-shirt, revealing muscular arms adorned with a skull tattoo on his left upper arm.

"I’m Officer Jason Strauss," Jason continued, his voice steady. "I’m here to search your house and ask you a few questions."

Juan didn’t respond, his eyes glazed and unfocused as he continued to stare into space. There was no recognition in his expression, no acknowledgment of Jason’s presence. He simply sat there, silent.

"My team is searching your house right now," Jason said, his voice taking on a sharper tone. "In the meantime, I need you to answer a few questions."

Still, Juan remained silent.

Jason leaned in slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Juan, I need to know why you were commenting on Sasha Paula’s posts, telling her not to post anything against Satanism."

Kate, standing just behind Jason, noticed the flicker of restlessness that crossed Juan’s eyes at the mention of Sasha Paula’s name. There was something there, something he didn’t want to reveal.

Jason waited for a response, but once again, Juan remained silent, his body motionless on the bed.

"Mr. Juan Luu," Jason said, his tone becoming more insistent. "Remaining silent is not a good defense strategy."

Still, Juan stayed silent, his face betraying nothing.

"Why did you threaten your cousin, Shawn Paula, saying you would sever all his relationships?"

Harper, who had been standing at the edge of the room, finally spoke up, his voice defensive. "If you're talking about Shawn Paula, who is my sister’s son, let me tell you that Shawn's actions were the cause of the enmity between him and Juan. Shawn provoked Juan into saying those things... but he never meant them. He never meant any harm."