Chapter 23: She Touched Something She Shouldn’t Have

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: She Touched Something She Shouldn’t Have

Zoe Sawyer tugged on Evan Keller’s sleeve, making her request.

She had a feeling something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why.

So she tugged on Evan Keller’s clothes, trying to get him to take her over for a closer look.

Captain Lynch glanced at Zoe Sawyer but said nothing.

He’d noticed it when they first met: among the three of them, the woman named Zoe Sawyer was the unspoken leader.

Both Evan Keller and Sean Hughes instinctively deferred to her.

Now that she wanted to go over, Evan Keller was unlikely to refuse.

Sure enough, a moment later, Captain Lynch heard Evan Keller’s reply. "Alright, let’s go. I’ll take you over for a look. You can carry on, Captain Lynch. We’ll be right back."

The two of them stood up and walked toward Teacher Scott and his wife.

On the way, Evan Keller asked, "Did you notice something wrong?"

Zoe Sawyer shook her head and just described the strange feeling she was having.

But she couldn’t explain *why* she felt that way. There was no logical reason for it.

Evan Keller nodded. ’Like a sixth sense.’

’Perhaps it’s related to Zoe’s ability.’

"Alright, don’t be so upset. The police will catch the killer and get justice for Mia," the victim’s father, Teacher Scott, said in a deep voice, patting his wife’s shoulder comfortingly.

Mrs. Donovan leaned sadly against her husband’s shoulder, her hands clenched at the hem of her shirt. "I just don’t understand. We haven’t offended anyone. Why would someone go after Mia?

"Do you think... maybe it was..."

Before Mrs. Donovan could finish, Teacher Scott cut her off. "That’s enough! Don’t overthink it! The police will figure it out!"

After he spoke, he subconsciously glanced back at the two officers working nearby. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately held it back.

Evan Keller narrowed his eyes slightly. ’What are this couple hiding?’

Evan Keller showed them his badge. "Excuse me. I’m with the police. If either of you knows anything, please don’t hide it. Tell us everything. It’s the only way to catch the killer quickly and get justice for your daughter," he said.

Mrs. Donovan started to speak, but Teacher Scott raised a hand to stop her.

Teacher Scott adjusted his glasses, his eyes sharp as he stared at Evan Keller. "We’ve already said everything there is to say. The rest is your job.

"What you should be doing is investigating and catching the killer, not standing around watching the victim’s parents and questioning us every few minutes. You’re treating us like suspects!

"If you can’t handle it, then make way for someone who can!"

Teacher Scott’s words were aggressive, but after he finished, he adjusted his glasses again, and his tone softened considerably. "I’m sorry, Officer. We’re just on edge.

"But... when can we leave? There are a lot of kids at school waiting for us. They’re seniors; we can’t hold up their classes."

Mrs. Donovan looked as if she wanted to say something, but she didn’t dare to object.

Zoe Sawyer frowned. ’Their daughter is dead, and they’re worried about their students? That’s taking dedication a little too far!’

As if struck by an idea, Zoe Sawyer poked Evan Keller’s shoulder, signaling for him to draw Teacher Scott aside.

’Mrs. Donovan looks a lot easier to talk to than Teacher Scott.’

’And she looks like she’s holding something back, probably because of her husband.’

Evan Keller acted quickly, finding an excuse to pull Teacher Scott aside.

At a signal from Evan, the two officers who had been standing nearby also backed away, giving Zoe Sawyer and Mrs. Donovan plenty of space.

Perhaps because her husband was gone, or perhaps because the police were no longer hovering, Mrs. Donovan relaxed slightly. She wasn’t nearly as tense as before.

Zoe Sawyer seized the opportunity and sat down beside her. "Mrs. Donovan, please don’t be so sad. We have to trust the police. They’ll definitely catch the killer soon! It’s just..."

’These people love to talk in riddles, leaving you to guess the rest. Fine, I’ll play their game.’

’In her anxious state, it just might work!’

Sure enough, hearing Zoe Sawyer trail off, Mrs. Donovan gave a strained smile. "Just... what?" she asked, her expression forced.

"It’s just, when I was coming over, I heard some of the neighborhood women talking about Mia. Since they don’t know the truth, they were saying some... unpleasant things. They even brought you and your husband into it," Zoe said, her tone gentle, but her meaning was unmistakable.

Mrs. Donovan’s expression stiffened. Having been their neighbor for years, she knew exactly how vicious those women’s gossip could be.

"I don’t want to hide it, but if I say it out loud... it’ll completely destroy Mia’s reputation." Perhaps it was the concern in Zoe’s voice, or perhaps it was the fear of hindering the investigation by not telling the police everything, but Mrs. Donovan suddenly covered her face, her voice choked with anguish.

’It’s working!’

Zoe’s eyes lit up. She reached out and gently patted Mrs. Donovan’s back. "It’s okay, it’s okay. The police are very professional. They won’t go spreading it around."

Mrs. Donovan lowered her hands, her voice filled with despair. "Ever since she started high school and the academic pressure mounted, Mia was like a different person.

"It wasn’t just that she stopped studying. She started skipping class, smoking, drinking, hanging out at bars... everything! She fell in with a bad crowd and wouldn’t come home until the middle of the night.

"But a few days ago, Mia suddenly got very quiet. She started coming home right after school every day. Her friends would call for her, but she wouldn’t go out. Scott and I thought she had finally turned over a new leaf, but we never imagined... We never imagined..."

At this, Mrs. Donovan’s expression twisted in pain, as if she’d recalled something horrible, and she couldn’t go on.

’Never imagined what?’

’That she’d borrowed money and was afraid of debt collectors? That she’d gotten into a fight and was scared to go outside? Or that she’d slept with her boyfriend and gotten pregnant?’

"It was none of those... If it were something like that, at least we could have fixed it. This was something else. She got involved with something she never should have touched.

"She was only staying home because she was trying to figure out how to get more money from us to fund her habit," Teacher Scott’s voice came from nearby.

Zoe then realized she must have accidentally said her theories out loud.

’Something even worse than all that... something she shouldn’t have touched.’

’He hadn’t spelled it out, but Zoe had a pretty good idea of what he meant.’

Just then, Sean Hughes came running over, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Got it! We found it! We just found a fingerprint in the corner of the room. It’s a little smudged, but we got a full lift!

"The angle and location are really awkward. If I’m not mistaken, it has to be the killer’s!"

The words had barely left his mouth.

when Zoe felt Mrs. Donovan’s body go rigid beneath her hand.