Chapter 74: Whispers of the Forbidden

"We did a full forensic analysis, but not a single fingerprint of Darrel's was found. Despite our efforts to get information from the residents of Yarrabura and distribute his sketch through newspapers and social media, no one came forward with any leads," he said, his voice steady, though there was an undercurrent of frustration.

"We scoured every inch of the town, questioning anyone who might’ve seen him or recognized him from the sketch. It was like he never existed.”

“One more thing," Jason continued, his face darkening as the memory resurfaced.

"The house... it was filled with hand-drawn sketches of some kind of horrific creature. Something I’d never seen before. And there were other strange things—owl heads, rotten flesh, bowls of decaying blood... Just disturbing stuff. There were a few dolls, too, but they were stuffed with human organs. Not just regular body parts, either. These were... mangled. We never found out whose organs were in those dolls, because they weren’t from the nine victims who were butchered that same night.”

Jason paused, running a hand through his hair, trying to steady himself. "I gave it everything I had to track down the killer, to bring him to justice, but came up empty. It’s hard to believe someone could just vanish into a town like Yarrabura, blend in like that. Not one person in all of Australia recognized the face in the sketch. It’s... haunting."

Kate leaned forward, her expression thoughtful but hard. "Jason, I’m no expert on the Yarrabura tribe, but one thing I do know about native cultures is that they’re incredibly cautious about outsiders. How did the elders let a stranger like Darrel just slip in? How did he get access like that?"

Jason exhaled slowly, his gaze dropping to the table as he recalled the events. "The Yarrabura tribe needed an art teacher for their local school. While most applicants were from within the tribe, a few outsiders, including Darrel Luke, applied. After reviewing all the candidates, the school decided Darrel was the best fit for the job. He seemed harmless enough, a little odd maybe, but nothing that raised any red flags. The thing is, the elders didn’t see any reason to question his credentials. So they hired him."

He paused, taking a breath before continuing. "Darrel requested to live in the neighborhood, said the commute was too long from his place elsewhere in the city. The elders, trusting him by then, agreed and let him stay in one of their houses. They thought he was gentle, that he was just another quiet outsider who was looking for peace. They had no reason to suspect he wasn’t who he appeared to be."

Kate shook her head, her voice quiet but firm. "They must’ve been blind. There had to be signs...something that didn’t add up. It doesn’t make sense."

Jason’s eyes hardened, a flicker of regret crossing his face. "But Jira, one of the tribe’s elders, felt something wasn’t right. He suspected Darrel might be dabbling in forbidden, ancient knowledge—things the tribe had left behind long ago. Jira was worried, so he went to the elders and tried to raise the alarm. But they couldn’t find solid proof, nothing they could act on. Darrel was well-connected—he had contracts with the school, with the landowners. People didn’t want to make a move based on suspicion alone. They didn’t want to risk causing a scandal."

Jason’s voice grew more strained as he continued, the weight of the decision still haunting him. "Jira didn’t back down, though. He was worried enough to come to the local police station, asking for help. He explained everything—his concerns about Darrel, about the danger he thought Darrel posed to the community. I was stretched thin with another big case at the time. Jira was insistent, but I didn’t give it the attention it deserved. I sent a few officers to search

Darrel’s house, but we didn’t find anything concrete. No evidence to tie him to anything illegal. And then... the massacre happened."

Kate narrowed her eyes, her voice sharp. "Nine dead. All from the Yarrabura tribe. And you ignored the warning. Ignored Jira. I get it now."

Jason's face grew taut. "Yeah, I ignored him. I failed. And I have to live with that. I had every chance to stop it, and I didn’t take it seriously. The next day, the bodies were found... nine members of the Yarrabura tribe were butchered in the most brutal way. Jira tried to stop it, but it was too late."

Kate leaned back, the silence between them heavy. She stared at him, processing the truth of his admission. "So that's why Jira refuses to help us now, why he's holding a grudge against you. Because you failed him. You failed the tribe."

Jason didn’t meet her gaze. "Yeah, that’s about the gist of it."

Kate’s tone shifted, becoming more businesslike, even though the sting of the truth hung in the air. "Where’s the file for that case? The photos you took at the crime scene? I need to see everything."

Jason paused before responding, his voice quieter now, almost resigned. "I have it. All of it. But it’s not going to be easy to stomach. There’s a lot more... disturbing stuff in there that didn’t make it to the public eye."

Kate’s expression was unwavering. "I don’t care. We need it. If we’re going to catch Darrel, we have to start at the beginning."