Chapter 67: Is Asher Really Not the Murderer?

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Is Asher Really Not the Murderer?

Asher’s breath was hot, and beads of sweat were trickling down his forehead. He was obviously running a high fever and was unsteady on his feet.

He hugged me from behind and whispered, "Cece... I’m scared."

’Huh? *He’s* scared? When he shows up, everyone else is the one who gets scared...’

’Especially people like Susan Whittaker. They bully others for entertainment, but Asher... he looks like he wants to kill someone at any given moment.’

"So you really... do have ulterior motives. You’re actually in league with this psychopathic killer! Since you had the guts to show up today, don’t even think about leaving!" Susan Whittaker said angrily, motioning for her people to make a move.

Before Madeline Quinn could even react, I grabbed her with one hand and Asher with the other, pulling them toward the door.

Asher stumbled, nearly losing his footing as I yanked him along.

Susan Whittaker had brought three goons with her, all of them big and beefy. Discretion is the better part of valor; it was time to run.

Madeline Quinn and I bolted out and frantically jabbed at the elevator button.

"What are you waiting for the elevator for?! Didn’t you call the police?" I demanded.

"How was I supposed to know we’d get attacked..." Madeline Quinn retorted, running behind me.

"You have to be kidding me..." I wanted to cry but had no tears.

Madeline Quinn stopped running and looked at me again.

I was confused. "What are you looking at...? Run!"

Madeline Quinn didn’t say a word. She just looked back at the empty hallway. "Where’d he go?"

I froze. Asher hadn’t come out!

"Asher!" Almost on pure instinct, I sprinted back.

’He’s still sick!’

"Asher!" I snatched a fire extinguisher from the hallway and charged back in. I couldn’t just stand by and watch them beat him up.

The moment I burst into the living room, I froze. I didn’t need to do a thing. Everyone was already sprawled on the floor, groaning in pain.

Susan Whittaker was slumped on the floor, paralyzed with fear, her face ashen. "Maniac... He’s a complete maniac..."

Asher tossed aside the club in his hand, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and shot me a wide grin.

I stood there, stunned, still clutching the fire extinguisher.

His skin was so pale that the bright red blood created a startling contrast against his face.

’God only knew how devastating that smile was, coming right after he’d beaten everyone to a pulp.’

My heart seemed to skip a beat. I dropped the fire extinguisher, grabbed Asher, and hauled him out of there.

I didn’t say a word the entire way. The air was thick with tension. Asher was quiet too, following me obediently with his head down like a child who’d done something wrong.

It wasn’t until we reached a safe place that I couldn’t hold it in any longer and started laying into him. "Are you insane? Don’t you know you’re sick? What were you doing running out here?!"

Asher looked aggrieved. He sat on the edge of a planter with his head hung low, letting me chew him out.

"What if you had gotten hurt? Why can’t you take better care of yourself?!"

As I berated him, I looked closer at his face, at all the blood.

’It would be a real shame if a face like this got scarred.’

He gave me a slight grin and said softly, "It’s not my blood."

I pushed his chin away, still fuming. "Don’t you get cheeky with me! How did you get here? And how did you find me?!"

He didn’t answer, just lowered his head again.

’So he’s not going to tell me how he found me.’

Nearby, Madeline Quinn was bent over, gasping for air after all the running. "Stop being so harsh on him... Look at him, he looks like he’s about to fall apart. It’s pitiful."

"And you!" I rounded on her. "You were so sure of yourself when you called me out here. I thought you had a foolproof plan! You should have at least called Zeke Shaw, right? But no... you came here all by yourself! What would you have done if something had gone wrong!" I was losing my composure, redirecting my anger at Madeline Quinn.

Madeline Quinn froze, staying crouched on the ground and taking my verbal assault.

After a long moment, she finally spoke. "What’s your relationship with this suspect?"

"What suspect?" ’I had subconsciously forgotten that Asher was a killer... That’s a terrifying shift in my thinking.’

’After all, I was the one who was so convinced he was the killer...’

’I was only pretending to be nice to him to lower his guard, to pry the truth about the serial killings from him.’

"I’m Cece’s husband," Asher said, lifting his head.

I shot Asher a glare, and he lowered his head, looking wronged.

"Cece? Your name is Cece, too?" Madeline Quinn asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

"My name is Silvia Lynch." ’I knew Madeline Quinn would have a hard time accepting that I’m actually Cecilia Caldwell, so for now, I’ll have to interact with her as Silvia Lynch.’

"Then why are you pretending to be our Cece?" Madeline Quinn asked with a frown.

"I’m not pretending..." I sighed. ’You wouldn’t believe me if I told you I really am Cecilia Caldwell.’

"Alright, as long as you’re both okay," I said, sitting down nearby and catching my breath.

’Silvia Lynch’s body is in much better shape than my old one was.’

’When I was Cecilia Caldwell, I was frail and got sick all the time. My health was never good.’

’But this Silvia Lynch... I’d assumed she was sickly and had been tormented to death by drugs, which is how I was able to slip in. I never expected her body to be so healthy that I could run without my legs aching or my heart pounding out of my chest.’

"Cece, I feel awful," Asher mumbled.

I reached out and touched his forehead. "You’re burning up. Of course you feel awful."

Asher didn’t say anything, just gazed at me.

’I couldn’t stand the way he was looking at me, his gaze so intense and soulful it seemed to pull at me, making my heart flutter for no reason.’

I quickly looked away and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, let’s go home."

Madeline Quinn got up too, following behind me. "I didn’t expect Julian Fletcher... would still side with Erin Whittaker."

"Maybe he’s not protecting Erin Whittaker. Maybe he’s just protecting that pathetic pride of his," I said sarcastically. "Erin Whittaker is pregnant with his child now. He won’t give up on her that easily, so your plan... probably won’t work."

"Yeah... Erin Whittaker is pregnant now, and Zeke Shaw won’t let the police use a pregnant woman as bait," Madeline Quinn sighed.

I lowered my voice and asked Madeline Quinn, "So you guys don’t suspect him at all? That he’s the real killer? Or at least an accomplice? Is it just because you have no evidence?"

Madeline Quinn shook her head. "Zeke Shaw says he was probably threatened by the real killer and forced to take the fall."

’The killer threatened him?’

"Right after he turned himself in, Cece’s body was found. He must have made some kind of deal with the killer," Madeline Quinn speculated.

I shook my head. ’No, it can’t be just a threat.’

’Asher showed up when I was kidnapped, and then he showed up again at the scene where we were trying to lure out the killer. He’s definitely connected to the killer.’

’Even if he isn’t the killer or an accomplice, he absolutely knows who is.’

"Weren’t all the girls from the orphanage gone except for Erin Whittaker? The latest victim..." I was curious if it was the same killer this time.

"It was the daughter of the orphanage’s former director." Madeline Quinn glanced at me. "The police have officially classified it as a serial murder case, which means they have evidence proving it’s the same person."

"The same person?" I glanced back at Asher.

’So what’s the connection between Asher and the person who’s actually doing the killing?’

’Is he an accomplice? A partner? Or something else...’

The three of us were walking through a small alley when Asher suddenly stopped.

I turned back to look at him. He was scanning our surroundings, his grip on my hand tightening.

’Someone’s there?’ I scanned the area warily as well.

It really did feel like a pair of eyes was watching us.