Mr. Frair Mailo had invited some prominent guests who had come to have a look at the rehabilitation centre. Actually he wants to have some new members in the board who would also bring a lot of changes in the centre's management. There has been quite a shortage of staff during the season so he has also put people incharge to search for eminent doctors and efficient staff.  So for all this change he wants some new board of directors who would be interested in investing in the Yourera Centre.
All this fuss has made Brian a lot more busy in handling  the centre business along with the cases which he never misses to attend at any condition. I think so we haven't met more than two days,in the last week that also in between the attending cases. Sometimes I think if the wedding will happen on the fixed date cause he seems more sincere to his work than me. Whatever be I still love the man's sincerity as he finds love in everything he does. I believe he would love me in the same way.
I have learnt to handle the organiser and Brain, thanks for your every bit of advice.

Last week the electricity went off in the evening and the generators wouldn't start even after a long time. On checking it was found that the wires of the generators were cut off and it looked as if it had been cut deliberately. If that wasn't enough a fire broke out near the garden lamp post on the very same evening. If it wasn't that dark, may be no one would have noticed it immediately as the fire alarms wouldn't have worked without the electricity, though the guards immediately brought down the fire with the help of the fire extinguisher. What's confusing me is Sarah the same incident happened when Brian was at my house for the dinner two days ago. Maybe it's just a coincidence but since few days it seems some mysterious events are occurring more often now, like few days ago the files in my desk were not found and when I searched for it, they were found in your desk. Maybe the cabin cleaner might have misplaced it but still, till date this hasn't happened ever. Yesterday the storekeeper got locked inside the storeroom. As she had a a cell phone, she called up the receptionist who immediately came with the help. Sarah maybe it's just my fear but somehow I feel some evil treading around in the centre premises. All this makes me miss you so much that I sometimes spend nights in your aunt's quarters.
Mr. Mailo has given orders to the concerned management to investigate the whole matter. I am not brave enough to become a detective at nights in these dark woods and I don't want you also to worry about this during your pregnancy, you know it effects the child. Let's see what comes out of the investigation till then fingers crossed and let all go well.

The letter ended with a photo of her and Brian along with me and some of the colleagues. I am always going to keep her letters with me it makes me feel her presence always around me.

"Expecting my first child Ellie, but I promise never to miss your wedding"

Once in a while she would call me and would tell everything about her wedding preparations. Dr. Brian was still very busy in his work and had appointed a wedding planner to arrange the whole wedding which was planned to be held in the Yourera itself. Poor Ellie had to handle by herself as her family would be reaching just a week before the wedding because her mother's health issues. But her cousins had promised to reach as soon as possible. She didn't need to worry about the wedding so much as Brian had appointed planners for every detail of the wedding. So I and Eddie had decided to give her the wedding gown as her gift which I had specially designed it for her. 
I decided to visit her as soon as the gown arrived so that if she didn't like anything about it then she could change it in due time. I knew aunt Sandrea was always there for her, as she was always had been since I left the centre. She has been taking care of her just like her own mother. Eddie would be bringing the gown in the evening so I thought getting ready by the time he arrived. Just then the phone rang up, it was aunt Sandrea on the other side, her sound seemed as she was sobbing aloud," Sarah, Ellie is no more with us. She has left us for the heaven aboard."

Frank's mom caught hold of me immediately as I fell almost unconscious hearing it. She took hold of the reciever and just replied we would reach there in a while. All the way to the centre my only thoughts were about Ellie. Her happy and smiling face was not getting out of my mind. I couldn't believe what I had heard. what must have happened when only two weeks were left for her wedding. All these thoughts were revolving in each of our minds.
By the time we reached, the cops and their dogs were all over the ground. We hurried straight to the hospital ward, aunt was standing outside ICU. Seeing us aunt started crying, holding me tightly.

"Where is Brian and what happened all over suddenly?" I asked 
"He is in his office, the cops are questioning him because he was the first to find her lying unconscious at her home covered in blood. He was the one who carried her to the hospital before she died. He and the nurse were the only people present when she spoke before she died. The body has been sent for the post mortem, but the doctor say she died of head injury, she might have been hit hard on the head twice or thrice. It will be confirmed only after the post mortem report arrives. It's a clear case of murder so the cops were called up" The words fell like a shock to us, who would try to murder Ellie, she was so sweet an angel soul. What would be the benefit in killing her? But more than this what fell like a shock was that Ellie had gone. She had left leaving behind all our dreams of her wedding gala. A silence which can never be replaced.

We left Frank's mother with aunt and went to see Brian. The cops were still questioning him.
"  As you were the first one Dr. Brian, to see her in that condition,we want to start the inquiry from you. When did you first see her and what were you doing there at that time at her house"
Brian continued looking out of the window, lost in his thoughts. The cops repeated their question knowing he was still not in his senses.
A minute later he replied without facing his eyes towards the cops."She was my fiancee, our wedding was fixed two weeks later and we were going to discuss about the rehearsals on that day. I had promised her that I would be there right by 8 in the evening, even Mrs Sandrea was going to be present there for it, so you can cross check my words if you don't believe me" still not moving his gaze out of the window.
"What did you first see when you reached her house?"
"I saw her lying unconscious in a pool of blood near her entrance door. Blood was oozing out profusely, I could still feel her pulse so I hurriedly carried her to the hospital"
"Did she say something before dying, I mean any last words that could help us in the investigation?
"Throughout the time when I carried her, she wasn't in a concious state and when I brought her to the ICU, the nurse was present plus we have cctv in there so you can check it with the higher official's permission. She took the last breath with the just the words 'our child'. That's all."
"Who is Mrs. Sandrea?"
"She is one of the warden who handles the patients' appointments and their hospital needs. She was the one taking care of Ellie and helping her with wedding arrangements"
"  And who do you live with and where?"
" I live in the male confinement area in the house alloted by the hospital. We doctors need to stay inside during the night, incase of any emergency."
" Do you live alone or with your family or someone?"
" My parents live in the city as my dad has his own business. They were going to reach here by tomorrow with my and Ellie's surrogacy child. He is six months old now."
"So you both had a child also! Ok then we need to meet again for further investigation. For now I don't think so you are quite in your senses."
For the first time now he faced the cops through out the inquiry, his eyes were lightly red which showed he was controlling back his tears.
The cops felt it better to leave him for now and decided to see him the next day along with the post mortem report.

Until midnight the cops continued their investigation with the dogs sniffing around every corner of the centre's infrastructure which included the hospital, the houses, the lodging area, the parking lot and so on, in search of the object that was used to murder Ellie. Every time the dog sniffed and ended up following Dr. Brian, but now that was obvious as he was the one who carried her to the hospital. All else went in vain, finally they left leaving back some of the cops to guard the area cause there were chances that someone may try to tamper any of the evidences at night. Ellie's house was sealed completely and no one was allowed to come near it.
The next day the cops arrived with some more extra officers as they had to question a large number of staff members. Dr. Brian was no where to be found in the hospital compound. On calling up the guards, he informed that he had seen the doctor going towards Ellie's house. The officer found him standing outside the sealed area, so he took him inside to take further details on Ellie's murder.
"The investigation team hasn't found anything that depicts struggle inside the house except in this hall where you found her. Not even the dogs sniffed anything unusual, which concludes more chances that the intruder was someone who was well acquainted to Ellie. What do you think?"
" It was around 8 o' clock that I found her lying unconscious. If you check the staff register, you will come to know about the time that she checked out of the hospital. Usually she leaves between 7:30 and 7:45, you can also check the cctv footage to know at what time she entered the staff residential area. I am sure you must have checked mine"
"Ya we are trying to check almost all the cctv footages. Did you see or notice anything unusual that day. Or did Ellie told you something that could put light on the case?"
"No I didn't notice anything unusual that night or during the day. I immediately carried her to the hospital when I saw her in that situation."
"We questioned your staff, and they said Ellie had complained that someone was mishandling her files. Do you know anything about that?"
"Ya the administration department was inquiring about it, so you can ask them any questions related to it"
"Ok Dr. Brian thanks for cooperating with us, we will let you know if we come up with anything new related to the case. We have got the post mortem report, it only states that she died of severe head injury. Bits of tree bark was found in her hair, so it is possible that she was hit by a log. Anyway wait till we complete our investigation." 
Saying he led him out of the sealed area and asking him about the hospital and it's staff.

By afternoon noon both the families arrived at the rehabilitation centre. Brian's child wasn't brought and was left behind with the caretaker. The funeral was going to be held the next day in the early hours in the morning as Ellie's parents had to leave for the funeral of one of her near cousin who was like a son to them and was a cop. He had died last night in a car crash while chasing a culprit. They promised the investigating officials to co-operate from back home cause the funeral was unavoidable. The officials allowed them to leave after a short inquiry related to Ellie's personal information. They said she called only twice or thrice in a month as she was busy with her hospital research work. She was the same even after the wedding was fixed. They said that she and Brian used to visit them often after her mother's health deteriorated due thalassemia. They came last month to inform about their wedding and ask blessings for the latter. They were still not out of the shock of two consecutive deaths in their home. After a little further inquiry they were allowed to leave after the funeral was over but Brian's parents stayed back. In the evening the chief investigating officer Carlos met Mr. Mailo in his office.
"So, what do you think must have happened to one of your residing staff and and a doctor"
"We all are shocked by such an incident inside the centre's compound. The entire area is fenced with razor wire, which makes it nearly impossible to get entry through wall climbing"
"What do you think,why would someone try to kill Miss Ellie?"
"I don't think so I can help you with that point because she has never had any problems with anyone inside the centre"
" One of your staff said that her files were misplaced, do you have any information about that"
" No, actually the management looks after such problems so I never interfere. Only Dr. Brian and Dr. Ellie had an access to the hospital files that were confidential. And I have no idea as she being one of the consulting junior doctor, which of her files were misplaced"
Officer Carlos left after getting the complete information, beginning with the Yourera's foundation and it's history till date.

Next day, officer Carlos took Dr. Brian to the crime site. 
" We haven't found any suspicious finger prints or clues from her house, none of her things were found in disorder or moved from its place. Neither have we fould anything suspicious in the cctv footage. You said that you found her lying near the door, so either she was attacked while entering the house or she must have opened the door to someone known to her. That means either the culprit was hiding inside waiting for her or he or she attacked her when she must have opened the door. When did miss Ellie join this job and how?
" This was Ellie's fifth year in her job. She joined here to complete her PhD in neurology. She was the topper in the college where Mr. Mailo is the trustee, 'The college of neuroscience'. I had to verify and authenticate her research work in the centre and this was her final year. She had an access to the hospital files as she was quite efficient and up to the mark in her work."
"And what about her family?"
"She was the only adopted child of her parents as they couldn't bear a child for quite a long age. No siblings"
"Had you checked her research work file before her death"
" Yes, but at that time she hadn't arranged it in a proper format so it still left for me to do"
"Do you know where it is cause we haven't found any at her house or office and her parents said it isn't at their place also."
"No, actually I never interfered with it. But I will inform you if it is anywhere in the office."
"Ok Mr. Brian thanks for the valuable time, will see you later with more details related to the case."
A separate office was given to the investigation team so that the centre's work doesn't get interrupted. I and Frank were the next to be called.
" Sarah I heard Ellie, was your best friend and you were like a family. Did she tell you anything that could help us with the case."
I told him everything I could and gave him the letters that she had sent me. He took the letters into his custody as it was like a written proof of Ellie's own suspicions.
"Now Mr. Frank can we know what were you doing that day at the centre just an hour before the murder took place. The cctv footage shows you, near the residential area and the parking lot"
"Aunt Sandrea wanted to see the final wedding gown before it was gifted to Ellie. She called me up to know that if the gown had been delivered on that day, and if it had been, she wanted to have a final look, if anything was more needed for it. So I just came by to show her but at that time nothing had happened. You can confirm it with her"
"You never told me Frank that you came here on that day"
" I must have forgotten in the complete chaos"
"Ok then no more questions for now, we will call you if we need you for further investigation" said officer Carlos, so we left.

A week had passed since the investigation had started and now it was aunt Sandrea's turn to face officer Carlos.
"We would like to know everything you know about Ellie. Sarah said she used to stay at your place quite often whenever she felt alone."
" Yes, she used to stay at my place but not when my son or his family stayed with me. My son owns a small inn near the town Lake where he lives with his wife and children. Once in a while they come to stay with me so during those days Ellie never used to come"
"So tell us about the days when she used to stay with you"
"Ellie always used Sarah's room as it's balcony faced the garden and it was there she used to sit until late nights to complete her research. Though she stayed at my place,we seldom spent time together except at the dinner. But even at that time, all she had to talk was about the hospital, her research and Sarah. She used to complete her research files and sent it to her college professor for examining the details for which her cousin brother came when called for. He collected her files and took it for her to the college professor in Evlin city where her family used to stay. I think someone named professor Krate."
"And what about the cousin brother?"
"I think so if I am not wrong, he is the one who died in a car accident"
"Oh that's something interesting for the case but did she leave any files or important documents at your place."
"I haven't checked any of the room's cabinets though once in a while I clean up the rooms"
"Then I think we need to check your house immediately"
An investigation team was sent to her house to search Sarah's room and a call was made to the police department of the Evlin city to contact professor Krate.
The search team found some her official papers and some incomplete letters with no recipient name on it. The department of Evlin city called the next day to inform that the professor had gone on a vacation last week to the snowdell hills and all attempts to contact him went in vain. So they said they have sent a team to the hills to search for him and will inform as soon as they find the professor.

The centre had become a type of police headquarters with police dogs sniffing all around or the cops searching for evidences. It wasn't comfortable but the centre has handled all types of people, from prisoners to migrant workers from nearby local factories. Cops usually visit the centre whenever a prisoner is admitted here so Ellie was someone who was known to them. I and Frank had decided to stay back with aunt Sandrea till she felt better after Ellie's demise which fell like a shock to everyone who knew her. Dr. Brian now mostly spent his time in the evenings near Ellie's house so there need no guesses about where to find him if you need him at that hour of the day.
"Why do you come here everyday Brian? You need to really take rest after an hectic day plus the case problems. Your mind needs a break out of all this and I don't think Ellie would also love to see you like this"
"I feel her here Sarah. I feel her presence as if she standing just beside me whenever I come here. Her memories refresh my strength or else it isn't easy to go on without her"
"I can understand it's not easy for you to come out of her absence but coming here everyday will make you miss her more. Anyway this makes you feel better I don't need to interfere,did the police find something new in the case"
"Nothing much except about some letters which were related to her research. But they haven't found her research files nor have they still found her mentor professor Krate. You know in the morning on the day of her murder she had a little squabble with the same patient in room 45."
"Oh the chief secretary of some multinational company in Eddie's city if I remember. Isn't it, hasn't he been discharged still?

"He had been discharged, but his wife's suicide again made him addicted and abusive. His wife had filled for a divorce but she committed a suicide before that and the chief ended up at the centre about six months back."
"For what did they argue, I mean for what reason?"
"I have no idea, I wasn't there at that moment as I had a meeting with the new investors of the centre. But she had told me that if possible she would meet Frank that day as she needed some information about this guy as when Frank was here, they seemed well acquainted with each other but I don't think so Ellie met him on that fateful day"
"Frank did not tell me anything about such meeting with Ellie but I would still ask him regarding the matter and what about the letters that police got from my room drawers."
"They didn't give out much details of the letters in their custody except that she was worried about her research files and that the letters prove that she had an hint about something like this would be coming. The main problem is the letters have no recipient nor are the research files are anywhere to be found"
"But she seemed very happy about her upcoming wedding function. She had told me about some evil prevailing in the centre other than that she never gave me the slightest idea that her life might be in danger"

"Maybe that's because she didn't want you worried during pregnancy. But what amuses me is that this guy Mr. Rode was discharged that afternoon itself, on the basis of the company's business issues and shifted to some hospital in their own city. So now the only way to know what happened between Ellie and this person is to find his whereabouts."
"Why don't you inform the cops, they would do the necessary"
"No, that means involving a multinational company would hinder the reputation of our Rehab Centre. Rather than that why don't you tell Frank to get the information about this guy through his contacts. That would make things pretty much easier"
"Fine, as you say, I leave then, let me find Frank and let's hope he gets the information. See you tomorrow, take care, go home and take rest"
"Naah, I will stay here some more time in the solitude. See you tomorrow morning in my office"

Next day I went to meet Brian at his office but he wasn't there. I saw a note lying on the table with my name on it.

"Ellie's mother is too sick, need to go out of town. See you in the evening if I am back by that time. Sorry couldn't make it."

I waited for Brian in the evening but he didn't reached back till late evening instead I came across officer Carlos as I was l was leaving Brian's office.

"Good evening ma'am, how come you are here" he asked in an investigating manner

"I just came to meet Dr. Brian as he had told he would be here by evening. But I don't think so he still back"

"The receptionist told me he had cancelled all appointments and had gone to visit Ellie's mother as she is not well "

"Ya I know that, anything new in Ellie's case?"

"Nothing much, the culprit hasn't left back any evidence but right now we are trying to decipher the recipient of the letters found in your room. Do you have any idea about it"

"I never interfered in any of her works unless she herself felt it important to share it with me. So I really can't give you much information about her too personal or professional life"

"Did Ellie lived alone or did anyone shared the residence"

"All doctors are allotted separate residence for the convenience of their family, but Ellie used to stay most of the time at aunt Sandrea's house, I mean we shared my room. After Ellie and Brian's engagement they used to live together along with their respective families whenever they used to come for a stay. Even their child used to be here with them quite a number of times."

"Were Brian's family happy about the child, I mean with the surrogacy."

"Yes, absolutely it was Brian's father's decision about having the child through surrogacy as Brian wasn't getting free from his work for the wedding any sooner even on his father's insistence. On his birth, his father named his entire property after the child. His parents love the child love the child a lot"

"Did they used to quarrel?"

"No, never. They never interfered in each other's work and were very understanding towards their schedule, both had a busy life according to their work.  Brian has been quite busy since a year as Mr. Mailo wants to bring some changes in the Rehab Centre and he was most of the time out of the town attending the meetings with the investors. Maybe this is what made them the most adorable couples I have ever met, even more than me and Eddie. Even though giving less time for each other, they knew how to make up for it"

"Was Brian the only child of his parents?"

"yes, he has a younger brother named Devin who runs an international events management company. Actually it was his company who was going to handle the entire wedding ceremony but say what, maybe illfate"

"Oh, but I didn't see him or I should say no one told me about him. Was he here for the wedding planner before the murder?"

"No, I think so he is too busy for that so he had sent his best planners to organise the entire wedding event. you should ask about them to aunt Sandrea cause other than Dr. Brian, she was the one who knew everything about the wedding"

"I don't think so she would be free right now, I will see her tomorrow. Anyways you can leave, it's getting late"

"You could come to her place, if she's free you could meet her"

"Fine, if you feel so then let's go to your place"