Chapter 95: A Corpse Appears in Cecilia Caldwell’s Home

Chapter 95: Chapter 95: A Corpse Appears in Cecilia Caldwell’s Home

My heart plummeted. I ran to Zeke Shaw’s side in a panic. "Madeline Quinn? She’s missing?"

"To get to the bottom of Cecilia Caldwell’s death, she’s been practically living in the forensics department. She’s been with Quinn for every autopsy, desperately trying to find an answer. Last night, she nearly collapsed, so I told her to go home and rest. When I didn’t see her at the precinct at eight this morning, I called her, but no one answered..."

Zeke Shaw frowned. "I was held up by a case. By the time I went to find her at noon, she was already gone. I’ve been searching all afternoon, and no one has seen her."

"What about last night? Are you sure she went home?" I asked, my voice trembling as I grabbed Zeke Shaw’s arm.

"Her downstairs neighbor is an insomniac. He would have seen Madeline Quinn if she’d come home. She didn’t come home last night, which means she disappeared on her way back after leaving the precinct."

Panicked, I glanced back at Sebastian Lancaster. ’I have to find Madeline Quinn.’

Asher’s expression was complicated, as if he wanted to say something to me.

"Let’s check my place!" Suddenly, a thought struck me. I turned back to Zeke Shaw in a panic. "No... I mean Cecilia Caldwell’s place."

’I told Madeline Quinn the killer might be at my apartment. Is it possible she didn’t go home last night at all, but went to my place instead?’

Zeke Shaw froze for a moment, then gestured for me to get in the car.

In the courtyard, Asher took two steps after us, then stopped, his head hanging low.

I watched his retreating figure in the rearview mirror, and my heart ached for some reason.

’Is he feeling let down?’

’Is he sad? Sad that I seem to care more about someone else than him?’

’Or is it just my imagination...’

"He’s very dependent on you," Zeke Shaw said, his eyes on the rearview mirror.

I didn’t say anything, feeling a strange unease settle in my heart.

’Why... why does the sight of him standing there, waiting silently, make my heart ache so much?’

’It was as if a voice was telling me not to make him wait any longer.’

’He’s already waited long enough.’

Clasping my hands tightly, I glanced at Zeke Shaw. "Can I... bring him with us?"

Zeke Shaw, who had been about to drive off, glanced at me. "Yeah."

I quickly got out of the car and looked at Asher, who was still standing barefoot in the courtyard. "Do you want to come with me to find Madeline Quinn?"

Asher froze, then snapped his head up, his gaze burning.

He didn’t answer, just rushed over and pulled me into the car.

I took his shoes and socks from the housekeeper and, once we were in the car, quietly helped him put them on.

He huddled in the corner, watching me the whole time with a cautious gaze.

"Cece... do you remember me?" he asked in a near-whisper.

Confused, I shook my head.

’I’m just doing this out of pity.’

Disappointment clouded Asher’s eyes again. He averted his gaze and stared out the window.

We were all silent for the rest of the drive. The only thing was Asher’s hand, gripping mine tightly and never letting go.

...

「Downstairs from my apartment.」

Zeke Shaw parked in the alley and cautiously led us upstairs.

Night had fallen, and the hallway light was out.

I instinctively shielded Asher, ushering him to walk behind me.

Asher’s eyes never left me.

"The man who was hiding in Cecilia Caldwell’s apartment is definitely involved," I whispered, pulling the spare key from under the doormat and handing it to Zeke Shaw.

Zeke Shaw carefully unlocked the door, signaling for us to be on guard.

The room was dim. No lights were on.

My art photo was hanging on the wall. It was hard to make out in the darkness, which made it look a bit creepy.

’I must be the first person in history to be scared by their own photo.’

"Shh." Zeke Shaw gestured for silence, listening intently for any sound from inside.

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the bedroom.

"Madeline Quinn?" Zeke Shaw called out cautiously. He flipped on the living room light and started slowly toward the bedroom.

I watched the bedroom warily, praying Madeline Quinn was okay.

"She’s not going to die," Asher said confidently from behind me.

I glanced back at him. "Why are you so sure?"

"She’s an innocent person," Asher said.

’In other words, Asher knows that the killer doesn’t harm innocent people.’

The bedroom door swung open to reveal an empty room.

There was no one there.

I checked every room in the apartment. Nobody.

THUMP! Another noise came from the bedroom, this time from inside the closet.

Zeke Shaw and I exchanged a glance, then ran over and threw open the closet doors.

Madeline Quinn was inside, tied up with a cloth gagging her mouth.

Thankfully, her life wasn’t in danger, though she was dehydrated.

"Madeline Quinn!" Zeke Shaw untied her and pulled the gag from her mouth.

"That bastard... he’s warning us..." Madeline Quinn screamed in terror, looking utterly traumatized before fainting in Zeke Shaw’s arms.

"I’m taking her to the hospital!" Zeke Shaw said, scooping her up and rushing toward the door.

I started to follow them, but a sudden chill ran down my spine. I spun around in alarm to look at the art photo hanging in the living room.

"AH!" A wave of pure terror made me scream.

The original photo of me dancing ballet had been swapped... for the photo taken when the killer placed me in the glass display case, posed like a human doll.

Zeke Shaw stopped in his tracks, only now realizing the photo had been switched.

When they had first entered and turned on the lights, their attention had been entirely on the bedroom, so they hadn’t noticed the photo had been swapped out.

Asher instinctively covered my eyes, his voice trembling. "Let’s go."

Trembling, I stood frozen to the spot. My body felt like it was no longer under my control; I couldn’t move my feet.

Zeke Shaw called his colleagues to come and secure the scene.

"The photo frame... it’s dripping blood," I said, my voice trembling.

Even with Asher’s hands covering my eyes, I could smell the thick, coppery scent of blood.

The red dress in the photo had been painted over with another layer of fresh blood...

"The blood hasn’t coagulated yet. The killer isn’t far," Asher said hoarsely, turning to scan every corner of the room.

"He calculated exactly when we would get here and when we would see this picture. A man this clever would have to be hiding somewhere dark, admiring his handiwork..." Asher’s voice trailed off as he kicked open the bathroom door, his emotions spiraling.

Zeke Shaw laid Madeline Quinn on the sofa and told me to watch her, then followed Asher to search the apartment.

"He puts people in glass cases, precisely calculates their vital signs... He’s an expert in mathematics and medicine..." Asher muttered to himself, his gaze landing on the shoe cabinet by the door.

Logically, an adult couldn’t possibly hide in that shoe cabinet.

But Asher walked over to it anyway.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Julian Fletcher’s displeased voice came from the doorway.

He had brought a group of people with him who looked like movers.

"Get out..." Asher told Julian Fletcher to leave and not let anyone else in, warning that they would contaminate the scene.

But Julian Fletcher’s hostility toward Asher was palpable. "This is Cecilia Caldwell’s home. She was my fiancée, and this apartment is now legally mine. You’re the ones who should get out!"

Julian Fletcher looked at the movers. "Take all of this away. Be careful with it."

"Don’t touch anything!" Asher suddenly flew into a rage, lunging at Julian Fletcher.

But Julian Fletcher’s bodyguards restrained him.

"Julian Fletcher!" Zeke Shaw and I shouted angrily. "Don’t let them in! Secure the scene!"

But it was too late. Julian Fletcher’s men swarmed through the door, blocking us and Asher.

"There’s someone in the cabinet!" I watched, horrified, as they lifted the shoe cabinet and blood streamed out onto the floor.

A body, contorted into a grotesque posture, had been stuffed inside.

CRACK! It tumbled out.

In that instant.

Everyone fell silent, the quiet broken only by the sound of someone retching.

"Before it fell out, the person had been stuffed inside in a kneeling position." ’At least I saw it...’