Devil's Whisper Chapter 72: The Thin Line

"We've never been friends, but I trust you won't share this with anyone. I don't want it to turn into gossip within the media or my circle," Kate said, her voice steady but guarded.

Jason was slightly disappointed. He didn't answer right away. He just thought about how he'd always felt something more for Kate. He'd never dared to say it, though. The word "friends" stung more than it should have—they were colleagues, partners in a way, but he'd been carrying the weight of unspoken feelings for longer than he cared to admit. The kiss had just confirmed what he'd known all along.

"It's not going to be like that," Jason finally assured her, his tone firm. "Professional rivalry is one thing, but throwing someone's stuff out there for the world to see? That's just wrong." He met her eyes directly, wanting her to see the sincerity behind his words.

"Thanks," Kate said, nodding in appreciation, though her eyes immediately went back to her phone. Still no reply from Aussie. He was offline, as usual. The screen reflected in her tired eyes as she checked it for what must have been the twentieth time that hour.

She leaned back in her chair and shut her eyes, trying to unwind from the chaos of the day. But something about it wasn't sitting right with her. She opened her eyes and found Jason, buried in some file, his brow furrowed in concentration as he flipped through pages of evidence they'd both memorized days ago.

"Jason," she said, her voice quieter now, the professional edge softening just slightly.

He looked up, a question in his eyes.

"What was Jira talking about with that past incident? He said something about going to the police for help, but they turned him away, and people got hurt... What happened?" Her question hung in the air between them, the earlier tension momentarily set aside by professional curiosity and something deeper—a need to understand him better.

Jason let out a slow sigh and briefly glanced at her before returning his attention to the paperwork in front of him. His shoulders tensed, and his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. Whatever this was about, it clearly wasn't something he enjoyed discussing.

"It's a long story, and honestly, it doesn't matter," he said, trying to brush it off. "Let's just focus on what's in front of us." He shuffled the papers with more force than necessary, as if physically trying to push the topic away.

But Kate wasn't letting it go that easily. She leaned forward, her gaze steady, the detective in her sensing the importance of whatever he was trying to hide. "We've got time. Start talking," she said, her tone softening the command into something close to concern.

Jason met her eyes for a long moment, then exhaled deeply, knowing there was no getting around it now.

"Well, a few years back, when your dad was still active in his field, Jira came to my station," Jason began, his voice taking on a more reflective tone. "I had just joined the office a few weeks before that, so I was still getting the lay of the land. Anyway, Jira walks in and tells me he wants me to arrest a man."

Kate raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Arrest a man? For what?" Her professional curiosity was fully engaged now, the earlier awkwardness between them temporarily suspended as she slipped into detective mode.

Jason shifted in his seat, his gaze moving from the file he was reading to meet Kate's. "I asked him who the man was and what the grounds for the arrest were. He looked at me like I should already know the story. He tells me the guy's living in their neighborhood and is using some ancient knowledge."

"What kind of knowledge?" She leaned forward slightly, drawn into the story despite herself.

Jason's hands resting on the table as he spoke, his voice low and intense. The bustling sounds of the precinct seemed to fade away as he drew her deeper into his past.

"The people of Yarrabura—they have this legend. They believe in a Satan-like figure who can create dual personalities in a person. On one side, the person becomes a beast. They kill people, butcher their bodies... it's like something out of a nightmare. But on the other side? They show up in society, acting like they're pure, good-hearted, someone you'd never suspect of doing any harm. It's like they live two completely different lives, but no one ever knows what's really going on. They live with this duality as long as they're alive."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy with implication. A chill ran through the room that had nothing to do with the building's air conditioning.

Kate leaned in, her eyes wide, trying to digest what he was saying. "That sounds... insane. So, was this guy doing all of that?" Her voice carried a hint of skepticism, but it was tempered by the reality of their current case—a case that had already pushed the boundaries of what she considered possible.

"Yeah. The people of Yarrabura were convinced this man was using that forbidden knowledge. They were demanding immediate action, saying he needed to be arrested before he did any more damage."

Kate's expression softened with empathy, but she couldn't help but ask, "And what did you do about it? You just... let him go?"

Jason's face darkened, his hand gripping the edge of the table as he let out a frustrated breath. "I couldn't just arrest him on the spot. I mean, I had only just joined the office a few weeks before all of this went down. I didn't know the full history of what Jira was talking about, and there was no solid evidence to back up their claims. So, I did what I thought was right at the time. I told Jira I needed more information, more proof, before I could take action."

The words seemed to cost him something, each one weighted with the knowledge of what had followed. The file beneath his fingers lay forgotten as he fully immersed himself in the memory.

Kate's eyes softened in understanding, but she could sense the weight of guilt in Jason's voice. "And then?"