Chapter 82: Neither Zeke Shaw Nor the Police Believe Me

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Neither Zeke Shaw Nor the Police Believe Me

"I... I don’t have any evidence, but... I suspect the killer is secretly living in Cecilia Caldwell’s house. If you just believe me... you can have someone watch him." I was growing nervous.

Even Madeline Quinn didn’t believe me; Zeke Shaw definitely wouldn’t.

If they didn’t believe me, that murderer would just keep killing.

More people would die.

"I suspect everyone the killer has murdered is connected to the orphanage. It’s not just the women in red dresses from the photos. They might... just be the beginning." I looked at Zeke Shaw anxiously, deciding not to mention the class monitor, Howard Finch, just yet.

I had to go ask him first to be sure.

Zeke Shaw gave me a skeptical look. "You’re saying the killer might be living in Cecilia Caldwell’s house?"

I nodded hard, watching Zeke Shaw nervously.

Zeke Shaw frowned. "How do you know that?"

"I..." I opened my mouth. "I investigated."

"Where’s your evidence?" Zeke Shaw demanded.

"If you just believe me, you can watch him. He’s definitely going to make a move again," I said, my voice filled with urgency.

"Are you still hung up on someone living in Cecilia Caldwell’s house?" Madeline Quinn emerged from the office and glanced at me. "Silvia, after you told me that the other day, I went to Cecilia’s house myself. Everything was normal. There was no trace of anyone else staying there. I reviewed the security footage from the last few months, and the only person who frequently went in and out was you. Even before Cece died, you were constantly sneaking into her house!"

Madeline Quinn stared at me coldly. "In fact, I’d like to ask you: how did you get a key to Cece’s house? How did you open the door and get inside? What were you trying to do? I never once heard Cece mention you."

"I..." I wanted to explain, and I was also shocked. ’Silvia Lynch used to go to my house often? What was she doing there? I don’t even live there anymore...’ But the scrutinizing gazes from Madeline Quinn and Zeke Shaw were suffocating.

I knew the truth, but no one would believe me if I told them.

"Besides, I looked through Cece’s belongings. Her diaries, the ones she wrote in every day, were all in that house. Now they’re all gone. You took them, didn’t you?" Madeline Quinn was furious.

"You have to believe me. Madeline, please, believe me. I’m really trying to do what’s best for Cecilia. I want to help catch her killer." I started to panic. ’Silvia took my diaries?’

’Just how many secrets did this Silvia Lynch have?’

She watched me with unwavering suspicion, then glanced at Zeke Shaw. "I think she’s the one who’s suspicious. From the very beginning, she’s known far too much about Cece, way too many details... She’s deliberately imitating Cece to mislead us."

Zeke Shaw also looked at me skeptically. It was clear it wasn’t just distrust anymore; it was suspicion.

"If you don’t believe me, I’ll just go." I didn’t say any more. The more I said, the more suspicious they would become.

’Since they don’t believe me, I’ll just have to find evidence to make them believe me.’

"This Silvia Lynch... there’s definitely something wrong with her," Madeline Quinn said with a frown, looking at Zeke Shaw.

Zeke Shaw said nothing, his gaze deep and unreadable.

...

「In the car.」

I stared absently out the window. The sky was gray, and a light rain had begun to fall again.

It suddenly occurred to me—the killer, every time he murdered someone... it seemed he always chose weather like this.

Because of the light rain, many people wore raincoats. Even if a security camera caught him, it wouldn’t see anything clearly. It made it easier for him to kill and to dispose of the body.

"Asher... take me to my house!" I said, my voice strained. I had to find evidence to make them believe me.

That feeling of being disbelieved, especially when your own best friend suspects you, was enough to make a person break down.

"Driver, to Serenity Road."

Sebastian Lancaster knew that when I said "my house," I meant Cecilia Caldwell’s house.

The car pulled into a small alley on Serenity Road. There were plenty of other cars in the alley, providing good cover.

I nervously watched out the window, my eyes fixed in the direction of my house.

One good thing about these old-style apartment buildings was that the walkways for each floor were open, so you could clearly see if anyone was going in or out of a door.

I had Asher stay in the car, then got out and hid in a corner, staring at the entrance for a long time. Finally, I saw the figure. Dressed in a raincoat, he came out of my house and walked down the stairs.

I secretly followed him.

"Zeke... I see the killer. He’s about to kill again." I sent Zeke Shaw a voice message, telling him to follow.

’If we can catch this person in the act of murder, that will be all the evidence I need.’

Then Zeke Shaw and Madeline Quinn would finally believe me.

The rain was coming down harder now, growing denser as the sky grew darker.

I followed the man; I don’t know for how long.

He was very cautious, looking back several times, but thankfully I was quick enough to hide.

Finally, he stopped in front of an apartment building, holding a photograph and looking around.

’I knew it. He has a new target. He’s locked onto a new victim.’

His target had to be in this apartment building.

Sure enough, a luxury car pulled up. A woman in a red dress holding an umbrella got out and walked into the building.

The hallway was quiet, the only sound the CLICK-CLACK-CLICK of the woman’s high heels.

I nervously held up my phone and started recording the scene.

The woman went into her apartment, but the door didn’t fully close.

The killer in the raincoat seized the opportunity, using his hand to stop the door from closing and slipping inside after her.

I frantically sent the video to Zeke Shaw. ’This counts as evidence, right?’

Terrified the police wouldn’t arrive in time and he’d kill her, I rushed over and started pounding on the door. "Management! It’s time to pay this month’s property fee."

There was no response from inside.

’The killer isn’t actually murdering her right now, is he?’

"Open up! It’s management!"

Just as I yelled for the third time, Zeke Shaw and his team rushed over, broke down the door, and slammed the man in the raincoat to the ground.

The woman screamed. "Who are you people? Are you insane?"

Zeke Shaw frowned, and the other officers froze for a second.

I stood in the doorway, watching as the man’s raincoat slipped off...

It wasn’t him! It wasn’t the killer.

I’d been tricked.

The real killer had deliberately sent someone else out of my house.

He did it on purpose.

’He knew I was going to call the police on him?’

"What are you doing? Why are you attacking my husband?" the woman in red demanded angrily.

The man also glared at Zeke Shaw. "Are you crazy? This is breaking and entering!"

"Silvia, what the hell are you doing?" Zeke Shaw was angry now. "Don’t you know how busy we are?"

I stood numbly in the doorway, not knowing how to explain. "It’s not... It’s not..."

"He came out of my house," I said, pointing at the man in the raincoat. "Why did you come out of Cecilia Caldwell’s house?"

The man frowned. "What do you mean, *your* house? I have no idea what you’re talking about."

Zeke Shaw was losing his patience. "Silvia, filing a false police report is also a crime!"

I froze, clenching my fists where I stood.

Zeke Shaw didn’t believe me. It was obvious he was already biased against me.

"Zeke..." I wanted to say something, but what could I possibly say?

"Captain Lowell! Bad news! We found a body at Southerlyn Pier... a man’s body! Looks like he was just killed, vital signs just ceased."

An officer rushed in to report to Zeke Shaw.

I looked up in alarm, meeting Zeke Shaw’s furious eyes.

"If I find out you’re deliberately obstructing our investigation, I’ll arrest you myself." Zeke Shaw pointed a warning finger at me before leaving quickly.

I chased after him in a panic.

’A man’s body?’

’Has the killer started murdering men now?’

"Zeke... that man *is* the killer! Why don’t you believe me?" I shouted after him, unwilling to give up.

Downstairs, Sebastian Lancaster was standing in the rain. He watched me quietly, and when I reached the bottom of the stairs, he held an umbrella over my head.