Persona

[Content warning: death, violence, bullying, self-harm]

Stella groaned as the tea kettle started whistling. She was living her fantasies through the rich girls on the TV, and she didn’t want to pause it. The kettle kept whistling for five more minutes before Stella forced herself to get up from the couch. If she had a rich husband or rich parents like the girls on TV, she wouldn’t have had to deal with such mundane problems.

As Stella dragged herself near the stove, the thick eyeglass fogged up by the steam. She turned off the stove, roughly wiped her eyeglasses with her smelly t-shirt, and stood there weighing her options. When she came home from work, she wanted to cook a healthy meal to combat her bulging figure. That’s why she even printed the recipe and put the kettle on, as the recipe suggested. But it had taken half an hour just to finish step one of boiling water, and the thought of slogging one more hour just to put something in her mouth didn’t sound appealing. So, Stella made a cup of ramen like every night and plopped in front of the TV with some chip packets. Her figure was already ruined, and one meal would not make much difference anyway.

***

Detective Seargent Ryan Morris entered the shady alleyway and looked up at the crumbling apartment building. There was no lift, which was to be expected, but even the stairs were shaky. When he entered the crime scene on the third floor, he noticed Dr. Davis was near the murder victim. He wanted to look at the body up close, but he knew Dr. Pamela Davis, the efficient forensic pathologist, hated anyone intruding into her space while she was doing her job. So, he stood at a distance and looked around the dust-covered apartment.

Ryan couldn’t think of even one positive adjective to describe the place. There was mess everywhere. Even the couch where the murder had occurred was filled with plastic wrappers and half-eaten food. Ryan was thinking about the futility of gathering prints when Dr. Davis finally looked up.

“I wish everyone was as respectful of other’s jobs as you are, Sergeant.”

Ryan just shrugged his shoulder. “Do you have a COD?”

“Lots”

“Lots? You mean there is more than one?” Ryan was surprised. He assumed that the gunshot wound was the probable cause.

“Three, if my preliminary analysis is right. I don’t know how many I will find once I finish up at the morgue.”

“Were there multiple murderers?”

“I am not sure, Sergeant. All I know is someone stabbed, suffocated, and shot her yesterday night. I will give you the thorough results after proper examination.”

***

Ryan was discussing the case with Detective Chloe Jones and Detective Scott Green. But as soon as he saw that Dr. Davis was bringing the autopsy report herself, he knew the case was going to be even more tricky. “What’s the final verdict, Dr. Davis?”

“The victim died of three causes: poisoning, suffocation, and gunshot.”

“God! She was poisoned too! Is there anything the killer didn’t attempt? What about the stabbing, Doc?” Scott asked with a grimace.

Dr. Davis sighed and sat down. Even with all her experience, this case unsettled her. “The half-eaten ramen cup tested positive for poison. Stella probably started vomiting soon after eating a few bites. The poison was non-lethal, and there were defensive wounds on her body. So she was alive when she was suffocated. The stabbing didn’t cause any internal injuries. Considering the bleeding rate, the stabbing was probably post-mortem.”

Ryan studied her face. In all the years he had worked with Dr. Davis, he had never seen her unsure. “Is there something that’s bothering you, Dr. Davis?”

“The gunshot was reported at 4 a.m. I was at the crime scene by 5 a.m., but the body was already in full rigor mortis…” Dr. Davis trailed off.

Ryan ignored the gasps from his sergeants and took a second before replying, “you mean the killer shot and stabbed an already dead body?”

“It appears so, isn’t it, Sergeant? The killer probably poisoned her to decrease her defense and then killed her by suffocating her. He then spent five to six hours with the body and shot her!”

“But why?” Chloe’s question echoed everyone’s thoughts.

***

Ryan sighed as he put down the tea kettle. The case was driving him crazy, and he hadn’t slept for three days. He didn’t want to reach for the sleeping pills yet. So, he made himself a cup of chamomile tea and sat down at the dining table. He looked at the notes spread in front of him. Nothing made sense. There was no sexual violence, and nothing was stolen from her house. There were no reasons for anyone to hold a grudge against Stella. She was a good person, according to everyone they had interviewed so far. She dreamt of living a rich life and lived out of her means, but she was a decent human being. At least, that’s what one would gather from the countless interviews with her parents, friends, and colleagues.

She was the apple of her parents’ eyes. According to them, Stella had always been their rock, especially after their youngest son, Brandon, killed himself because of bullying in college. She was there for them whenever they needed. It seemed that Stella was there for anyone in need. Her colleagues raved about her helping nature. She was the first person her friends reached out to when they needed a shoulder to cry on. The detectives were yet to find a single person who spoke any ill of Stella.

Ryan had initially assumed the murder was an act of some random, wayward violence, but it was not. Someone had deliberately poisoned her. So, it was someone who knew her habits. But who? Ryan suspected that there were two separate killers with no link, but he did not have any proof. The failure of the case was already bothering him, and he didn’t want to share his wild theories with anyone in his department. Maybe he needed to take the sleeping pill after all.

***

The answer to Ryan’s sleep lay inside the interwebs under the username Iamalwaysright. It belonged to a girl who relished bullying innocent people. She was unhappy with her body and her life. So, she stalked and harassed anyone who appeared slightly happier than her, especially her friends and family.

The girl never got a graduation party because she had dropped out of college, believing her pretty face would bring her wealth. So, imagine the jealousy when Brandon got one. If her dreams didn’t come true, then why should someone else’s? So, she made it her mission to destroy Brandon’s happiness by commenting on how his family must be ashamed of his looks and stuttering and egging him to kill himself. Brandon ultimately took the suggestion by drinking poison and hanging himself. Imagine what would happen if, by some chance, his best friend finds these comments.

The girl was also jealous of her best friend Cathy for marrying her love and having a baby. So, she used Cathy’s post-delivery weight as an excuse for abuse. Even when Cathy closed her social media account, mean notes started appearing in Cathy’s home, pushing her over the edge. One night, Cathy stabbed her baby and shot herself. What happens if the grieving husband finds these notes that destroyed his family?

Who knows how many people’s lives were destroyed by Iamalwaysright? Who knows how many people were wishing ill to the random internet user who was destroying their happiness? Who knows what would happen if one day every victim fought back against the abusers who destroyed their lives? Who knows what would happen if every anonymous face behind the computer screen was held accountable?

END