At the sight of Munis’s blood-spattered body and a bloody knife in Amir Khan’s hand, she screamed and fell to the floor in a swoon. By now Amir Khan had regained his composure enough to feel apprehensive. He gazed at the knife as if surprised to find it in his hand. Hurriedly, he put it on the table. But he changed his mind and picked it up. With a handkerchief that he produced from his pocket he wiped off his fingerprints from its handle and put it back on the table. The doorbell rang and Amir Khan rushed to open it. His parents entered the hall. “We’ve checked with three police stations,” they blurted out without waiting for Amir Khan to say a word. “No sign of her yet.” They proceeded to the living room, almost stumbling on Alia, still stretched on the floor, before noticing Munis’s body. They looked at each other in total confusion. Almost in unison, they each gave a short, high-pitched scream and fainted, slumping to the floor. Now here was Amir Khan with four motionless bodies at his feet.
