Chapter 42: Erin Whittaker is Deliberately Stalling

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Erin Whittaker is Deliberately Stalling

Zeke Shaw dropped his cigarette butt into the trash can and spoke again. "Cecilia Caldwell’s phone sustained varying degrees of damage, but it’s not completely beyond repair. It will just take time to fix. We’ll have to wait and see."

Zeke Shaw turned to leave, but then seemed to remember something and looked back at Julian Fletcher. "If your hesitation and your attempts to shield her lead to Cecilia Caldwell’s death or an even more terrible fate, then you’re one of the killers. Even if the law can’t punish you, morality and your conscience will be your shackles forever."

Julian Fletcher stood there numbly, suddenly looking incredibly weary.

I glanced back at him one last time, then never looked back again.

’I don’t know when my soul will finally disappear, when I can truly die. I don’t know why I’m in this state. All I can do is wait.’

’I’m waiting for my body to be found, for the truth to come out, for my remains to be cremated and laid to rest.’

’Maybe then, I’ll finally find release.’

"Lowell! That crazy... I mean, Asher, is gone! We were all searching the scene, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished."

Zeke Shaw frowned and got in the car. "Find him. Keep an eye on him. He definitely knows something."

Zeke Shaw was convinced Asher was hiding something.

As I rode along in Zeke Shaw’s car, I looked at the photo in his hand.

It was the photo Asher had found at the orphanage, the one with the little girl in the red dress.

In the photo, Asher was the most eye-catching one. You’d spot him at a glance, probably because he was just so handsome.

Standing with Asher was another boy who looked timid, clutching Asher’s arm in fear as he hid behind him.

Asher was like a big brother, shielding him.

Zeke Shaw stared at the photo, murmuring in a low voice, "Asher..."

"Morgan, can you run a check on everyone in this photo from the orphanage?"

Zeke Shaw called one of his subordinates.

"A few years ago, there was a huge fire at the orphanage. Turns out the director’s crimes had been discovered, so he deliberately set the fire, trying to burn all the children to death and destroy the evidence. Aside from the girls in red dresses who had already been adopted, Asher was the only one who made it out alive..."

"Asher wasn’t always slow. I heard he was actually a genius before the fire. He lost his wits after that."

Zeke Shaw looked at the children in the photo.

’Except for those who were adopted, they all died. Only Asher survived.’

’He’s the killer. He’s on a rampage, killing everyone who was at the orphanage. The man is terrifying. He either has a split personality, or... he’s just an incredible actor.’ I tried to warn Zeke Shaw, but he couldn’t hear me.

But Zeke Shaw was clearly starting to suspect Asher too.

"Keep a tight tail on Asher. We have to find him!"

Seeing that Zeke Shaw suspected Asher, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Zeke Shaw had just hung up when his phone rang again. It was Madeline Quinn, the medical examiner.

"Zeke! Madeline Quinn is gone! She might be going to find Erin Whittaker. Are you over there?"

Zeke Shaw froze for a second, instinctively looking toward the hotel.

I also stared nervously at the hotel entrance.

’Madeline is coming for Erin?’

Zeke Shaw quickly got out of the car and headed for the hotel.

I followed him, a little worried.

「Hotel Hallway.」

Erin Whittaker was leaning against Julian Fletcher, her face pale and weak.

Madeline Quinn stood in the doorway. She didn’t fly into a rage, but spoke with quiet desperation. "Please, help me save Cece."

For Cecilia Caldwell’s sake, she had no choice but to come and beg Erin.

"I’m sorry..." Erin Whittaker sobbed, leaning into Julian Fletcher’s arms.

Julian Fletcher grew angry. "Madeline Quinn, don’t you start making a scene. Erin is emotionally unstable. Why are you here provoking her?"

With bloodshot eyes, Madeline Quinn stared at Julian Fletcher. "You really are a bastard..."

Julian Fletcher fell silent.

"If you won’t go, that’s fine. Just lend me your dress..." Madeline Quinn asked Erin Whittaker for her long red dress.

Cecilia Caldwell had also been wearing one of Erin’s red dresses before she disappeared.

Erin Whittaker stared at Madeline Quinn, stunned. "Are you crazy? We’re talking about a murderer."

"A person like you isn’t worthy of having someone risk their life for you, are they?" Madeline Quinn’s voice was hoarse yet resolute.

"What’s so special about Cecilia Caldwell that you’d go this far for her?" Erin Whittaker murmured, unable to comprehend it.

"Are you even worthy of hearing how good she is?" Madeline Quinn said coldly, clenching her fists. "Erin Whittaker, you’d better pray that you have nothing to do with what happened to Cece. Otherwise... I absolutely will not let you off the hook."

I stood a short distance away and sighed. ’She’s the one who tricked me into going there.’

"Madeline Quinn, don’t go too far," Julian Fletcher said angrily, shielding Erin Whittaker.

"Miss Whittaker, it’s just as she said. If you aren’t willing to get involved, that’s fine. Just lend us the dress." Zeke Shaw, who had been listening nearby for a moment, strode over.

’At this point, you could really tell who had a good heart and who didn’t.’

’Erin Whittaker was deliberately stalling, unwilling to help save me.’