Hello Ashley

"Ash, I think we should do it now." Flo looked at her best friend seriously. They were in the corner of the University library, discussing something important. 

Ash sighed. She massaged her temples nervously. "I don't think this is a good solution, Flo. What if the attacker knows that?"

"That is exactly what we want! We want him to understand and not mess with us." The brown-haired girl clenched her fist. 

"Flo, I am still afraid because of the incident. Don't you think I should lay low for a while?" Ash tilted her head, opposing the idea. 

Florence grabbed her best friend's shoulder. "Trust me, you will be fine. Because this time I will help you, Ash. There must be some clues to find the perpetrator if we look thoroughly."

The black-haired girl sighed when she saw her determined best friend. Ash knew that if Flo had already decided something, she would go through with it no matter what. "Promise, if it is dangerous, we will stop, okay? I don't want to drag you further into this mess."

"I promise."

When the two of them exit the library, they meet Bianca, who just returned the book from the library. The blond-haired girl greeted them, and they chatted for a while. This time, Flo wasn't wary of Bianca anymore and could have a civil conversation with her. When Ash told Bianca what they wanted to do, the blonde beauty offered to help.

"I know some people from the basketball team. Anya is my friend too. We can ask her if she knows something." Explained Bianca. 

"Are you sure? I don't want to bother you with this." Ash was a bit reluctant to involve Bianca in their investigations. 

"Non-sense. I am glad to help, Ashy. This way, we can find more clues, and maybe we can find the culprit." Bianca waved her hand like it didn't matter to her. 

Ash sighed and finally nodded. She knew both of her friends were stubborn. "Okay, you can join us."

Bianca grinned widely. "Thank you! I promise I will be a great help!"

Suddenly, Flo asked Bianca something: "Wait, before we start asking other people, can you tell us what you saw when the incident happened?"

Ash frowned when she heard that. "Flo? What are you doing?"

"I don't blame Bianca. I want to get some information from her. Maybe she saw something important that day." Flo explained while crossing her arms. 

Bianca waved her hand. "It is okay, Ashy. I don't know if can help much with what I saw because I spent most of the time on the veranda helping Coach Edward grill the meat. However, I went to the toilet several times because I got stomachache that day."

Florence frowned. "Stomachache? Which toilet that you go into?"

"The one in the living room I suppose."

"Did you see anyone who acted suspicious?" Flo asked her again. 

Bianca held her chin, pondering slightly. "I don't think so. Some people went in and out from the veranda to the kitchen. But I think they behave normally."

"One more thing. Do you still have the receipt for the medication?" Flo asked again. 

"Flo! Are you accusing Bianca?" Ash stared at her best friend in shock. 

"I just want to make sure she is not lying."

Bianca checked her phone, scrolling a bit, and then showed the receipt. "I purchased it from the pharmacy and took a photo of the medication."

After checking the medication, Flo confirmed Bianca's alibi. "Okay. Sorry for the trouble."

The blonde-haired girl smiled. "No worries."

Meanwhile, Ash just sat back and talked with her friends, wondering if the whole investigation would be okay. 

***

The three approached Sam, relaxing in the school's coffee shop. When he saw them, the handsome guy waved his hand. "Hey, guys! What's up?"

Flo kissed his cheek before sitting next to him. "We need to ask you some questions."

Sam raised his eyebrow. "Woah, is this some detective role play?"

The brown-haired girl rolled her eyes. "Sam? Seriously." Sam rubbed his neck while chuckling nervously. "I mean it sounds like a detective novel."

"We want to know what did you see on the night when Ashley was attacked. Did you see someone suspicious? Where are you when the incident happened?" Bianca took control of the interview. 

Sam tilted his head. "Uh, wait let me recall something. Hmm… I don't think I have seen someone suspicious at that time. I spent my time mostly with the guys in the living room and on the veranda when we ate the meat. Maybe the culprit from the outsider?"

"Babe, why do you think the culprit is the outsider?" Flo finally asked her boyfriend. 

"Well, I mean, I know most of the guys who came. They are my basketball buddies. There is no way they did something irresponsible like attacking Ash. I mean, it is ridiculous." Sam insisted while explaining his opinion. 

"What if one of them did that?" Bianca asked with a follow-up question. 

The blonde-haired guy rolled his eyes. "Like what I said, it is impossible. I mean, I know them, guys. I play basketball with them. We are brothers." 

Flo massaged her temples. "Yeah, brothers. And you are not helping much." Meanwhile, Sam just grinned sheepishly. 

Ash looked at Sam sympathetically. "Thank you, Sam."

"No worries, Ash. I hope you guys can find more information. Sorry, I don't help much."

The third guy that they asked that day was Joshua. They found Joshua in the park after the guy had delivered his assignment to his professor. "So you guys has been asking around about the night when the incident happen? Wow, sounds cool."

"Do you know anything, Josh? Maybe you see someone suspicious?" Flo asked her friend. 

"Hmm… If I recall correctly, I don't see someone suspicious. I mean it was just a BBQ party with friends. What did you expect the guest to behave?" Josh chuckled lightly, but Flo wasn't interested. The handsome guy coughed. "I mean, I don't know."

"Where were you at that time?" Flo asked him again. 

"Mostly on the veranda. I helped Coach Edward cook the vegetables. I also accompany Sam and the guys smoking, even though I am not smoking. After you came back without Ash, I joined you in the backyard. Then we found her." Josh recalled the event on the previous day. 

"I see. So you didn't find anything weird?" This time, Bianca asked Josh. 

"No at all. Hmm… But I can help you asking other guys. I mean I know them, if you want."

Ash nods quickly. "Yes, thank you. We appreciate the help."

The third person they went to was Anya Taylor. The three of them met at the corner of the library. Anya was doing her assignment when the trio came to her. The friendly basketball manager just welcomed her friend to her table in the corner. 

"I didn't know that much. I am not sure I could do any help."

Bianca put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "It is okay. Just tell us everything that you know."

The friendly girl nodded. "Mostly the people who went around at that time were the basketball guys. However, I didn't pay attention who is going through the backyard at that time of accident. I was busy helping back and forth."

When she heard that, Flo's face fell. She didn't find any clue at all. 

"Are you suspecting that someone from the team attacked Ashley?" Anya asked curiously. "Well, if you assumed that, let me tell you something, they are innocent."

Flo frowned. The brown-haired girl looked at the young manager sceptically. "What do you mean they are innocent?"

"Well, as far as I became the basketball club's manager, they never made problems like that. Those guys only care about playing basketball and winning the tournament. They may be fools that like to joke around, but they are competitive as fuck." The young manager emphasized the word competitive.

Anya turned off her laptop and gazed at the three of them. "You should ask Coach Edward about this. After all, it is his house." The young manager excused herself with a smile and then went out earlier. 

Anya's words reminded Flo about what Sam told her earlier. The brown-haired girl thought it aligned with her boyfriend's opinion about the basketball team. However, she still had the nagging feeling that told her it was not as simple as that. There must be some clues to find out about the person who was responsible for the attack. 

***