Chapter 28
Chapter 28
+25 BONUS
I’d shown Hansel the ring after getting the date engraved. I even said, “We can have a party after the engagement and wait until 9th September of the following year to register our marriage.
“That way, we can celebrate the day you proposed and our wedding anniversary together. I like the number nine and hope we’ll spend forever together. What do you think?”
“I think it’s great.”
I remembered Hansel answering me without hesitation before leaning down to kiss me. At the time, I’d been blissful. In hindsight, he’d probably been mocking me for being so naive and foolish. He’d been preparing to close in while I dreamed of a future with him.
“Is this one of Elara’s belongings, Mr. Frost?” Officer Crawford asked.
Hansel loosened his grip on the ring. Before he could say anything, Violet asked, “So what if it is Lara’s? That can’t prove that something has happened to her, right?
“You guys might’ve discovered this pit, but there was nothing in it. There is no evidence that Lara’s disappearance had anything to do with this. Maybe she just passed by here and dropped the ring.
“Or maybe she’s up to something. Maybe she dug this pit and threw the ring here. Either way, just finding the ring doesn’t mean anything if there isn’t any other proof.”
I had to applaud Violet for being so amazing at twisting the truth.
Officer Crawford glanced at Violet, seemingly also amazed by her abilities. He told Hansel, “We might not have discovered anything useful like blood traces in the pit, but I think that there’s something sketchy with Elara’s disappearance, Mr. Frost.
“We can adjust our approach to the investigation. It could improve our chances of finding Elara and help uncover more useful clues. Should we open a crime case?”
“Isn’t that a bit too much when there aren’t any clues yet?” Violet argued. “That would make sense if there were even the slightest traces of blood on the ring, but it’s clean. Are those grounds for initiating a crime case?”
“Ms. Lovelace, why do you keep trying to stop the initiation of a crime case?” Officer Crawford looked her directly in the eye. “Aren’t you worried that your relative is missing? Don’t you want to find her?”
She’d been the first to stop the police from initiating a criminal investigation when my white dress had been discovered, and she was still doing it now. Officer Crawford had noticed something was up.
Violet’s expression shifted, and her eyes reddened. She started using her excellent acting skills to summon her tears at will. “Do you suspect that I’m up to something, Officer Crawford? Of course I’m worried that Lara is missing. Of course I want to find her!
“But initiating a criminal investigation without any clues will be bad for Lara’s and Hansel’s reputations, won’t it? You’ve failed to find any useful clues, yet you suspect me of being up to no good. I’m so upset, Hansel…”
She trailed off there, too choked up to continue speaking. She buried herself in Hansel’s chest and wept. Her tears wet his shirt and softened his heart.
He put the ring back into the bag and returned it to Officer Crawford. His tone was back to its usual iciness as he said, “Contact me again once you guys have found useful clues.
“The ring may be Elara’s, but it’s just as Violet said–a ring and an empty pit are not enough to initiate a criminal investigation. All I can say is that the police need to buck up”
Chapter 28
+25 BONUS
Ha. It seemed that the zombies had eaten his brain. Even the police doubted Violet, yet he still believed her like the
fool he was.
Chapter 29
+25 BONUS
Chapter 29
