Zara didn't touch her coffee anymore.
Her fingers stayed wrapped around the cup, but her mind was still somewhere else.
Rick noticed.
"You're still thinking about the case."
Zara exhaled slowly.
"Datuk Rama."
Pause.
"And Tan Sri Steven."
Rick nodded once.
"Two high-profile deaths."
"Same execution style."
"No witnesses."
"No clear suspects."
She looked at him.
"No connection."
Rick tilted his head slightly.
"I don't think that's true."
Zara frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Rick leaned forward a little.
"I think there is a connection."
Zara studied his face carefully now.
"What kind of connection?"
Rick answered calmly.
"Protection."
She blinked.
"Protection?"
Rick continued.
"People at their level don't operate alone."
"They build alliances."
"They share secrets."
"They protect each other."
Zara didn't interrupt.
Rick's voice lowered slightly.
"And when one of them becomes a liability…"
Pause.
"The others act first."
Zara stared at him.
"You're suggesting they hired a killer?"
Rick didn't answer immediately.
Instead he asked:
"What's the cleanest way to silence someone who knows too much?"
Silence.
Zara whispered—
"Remove him."
Rick nodded.
"And make it look like coincidence."
Zara leaned back slowly.
"You think Datuk Rama and Tan Sri Steven were covering something together?"
Rick looked at the rain outside the café window.
"Yes."
"And I think someone inside their circle started closing the gaps."
Zara's expression changed.
"That means…"
Rick finished the sentence for her.
"They may have hired the same assassin."
The idea landed heavily between them.
Zara spoke again, slower this time.
"If that's true…"
Rick continued calmly—
"Then this isn't random."
"This is containment."
Pause.
"Controlled elimination."
Zara watched him carefully now.
"You sound very certain."
Rick gave a small smile.
"Not certain."
Pause.
"Just familiar with how powerful people solve problems."
That sentence carried weight.
Zara noticed.
"How do you understand this kind of strategy so well?"
Rick lifted his cup.
Took a small sip.
Then answered quietly—
"Because powerful people don't panic."
Pause.
"They prepare."
Zara didn't reply.
But something about Rick's confidence felt different now.
Not guesswork.
Not speculation.
Experience.
Rain tapped softly against the café window.
Zara looked tired that evening.
Not physically tired.
Mentally tired.
Rick noticed immediately.
"You didn't sleep."
Zara gave a small smile.
"How can you tell?"
"You're stirring the same cup of coffee for five minutes."
She laughed quietly.
"Two high-profile deaths in less than a month."
Rick didn't react immediately.
"Datuk Rama," she continued.
"And Tan Sri Steven."
Rick nodded slowly.
"Still no suspects?"
Zara shook her head.
"No witnesses."
"No clear motive."
"No connection between them."
Rick leaned slightly forward.
"That's not true."
Zara frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Rick spoke calmly.
"There is a connection."
Silence.
Zara stared at him.
"What connection?"
Rick lowered his voice.
"The killer."
Zara studied him carefully now.
"This isn't a normal investigation anymore, Rick."
Rick nodded once.
"Yes."
"This is pattern-based targeting."
Zara blinked.
"That's exactly what I told my team yesterday."
Rick continued:
"If two high-level figures are eliminated using the same precision method…"
Pause.
"You don't step ten steps backward."
He looked directly at her.
"You move ten steps forward."
Zara listened carefully now.
Rick's tone changed slightly.
Lower.
Sharper.
"This isn't a street crime."
"This is a controlled operation."
"Pre-selected targets."
"Pre-planned timing."
"Clean execution."
"No witnesses."
"No traceable exit."
Zara slowly leaned back.
"You sound very sure."
Rick answered calmly.
"Because people who operate like this don't repeat mistakes."
Pause.
"They repeat strategy."
Zara stared at him longer this time.
"How do you know that?"
Rick took a sip of his coffee.
Then replied quietly:
"Because whoever is doing this…"
Pause.
"…isn't improvising."
Another pause.
"He's following a list."
That sentence landed heavily.
Zara's expression changed immediately.
"A list?"
Rick realized what he had just implied.
But it was too late to take it back.
Zara leaned forward slightly.
"You think there are more targets?"
Rick didn't answer directly.
Instead he said:
"If your team stays ten steps behind…"
Pause.
"You'll always arrive after the next body falls."
Silence.
Zara looked at him carefully now.
This time—
not like she was talking to a friend.
But like she was studying a witness.
Or something else.
"How do you understand this kind of pattern so well?"
Rick gave a small smile.
"Experience watching people."
Zara didn't respond.
But something inside her changed.
Just a little.
Zara didn't touch her coffee anymore.
Her fingers stayed wrapped around the cup, but her mind was still somewhere else.
Rick noticed.
"You're still thinking about the case."
Zara exhaled slowly.
"Datuk Rama.
Pause.
"And Tan Sri Steven."
Rick nodded once.
"Two high-profile deaths."
"Same execution style."
"No witnesses."
"No clear suspects."
She looked at him.
"No connection."
Rick tilted his head slightly.
"I don't think that's true."
Zara frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Rick leaned forward a little.
"I think there is a connection."
Zara studied his face carefully now.
"What kind of connection?"
Rick answered calmly.
"Protection."
She blinked.
"Protection?"
Rick continued.
"People at their level don't operate alone."
"They build alliances."
"They share secrets."
"They protect each other."
Zara didn't interrupt.
Rick's voice lowered slightly.
"And when one of them becomes a liability…"
Pause.
"The others act first."
Zara stared at him.
"You're suggesting they hired a killer?"
Rick didn't answer immediately.
Instead he asked:
"What's the cleanest way to silence someone who knows too much?"
Silence.
Zara whispered—
"Remove him."
Rick nodded.
"And make it look like coincidence."
Zara leaned back slowly.
"You think Datuk Rama and Tan Sri Steven were covering something together?"
Rick looked at the rain outside the café window.
"Yes."
"And I think someone inside their circle started closing the gaps."
Zara's expression changed.
"That means…"
Rick finished the sentence for her.
"They may have hired the same assassin."
The idea landed heavily between them.
Zara spoke again, slower this time.
"If that's true…"
Rick continued calmly—
"Then this isn't random."
"This is containment."
Pause.
"Controlled elimination."
Zara watched him carefully now.
"You sound very certain."
Rick gave a small smile.
"Not certain."
Pause.
"Just familiar with how powerful people solve problems."
That sentence carried weight.
Zara noticed.
"How do you understand this kind of strategy so well?"
Rick lifted his cup.
Took a small sip.
Then answered quietly—
"Because powerful people don't panic."
Pause.
"They prepare."
Zara didn't reply.
But something about Rick's confidence felt different now.
Not guesswork.
Not speculation.
Experience.