CHAPTER 19

Damien frowned as though regretting what he'd said. He was most likely worried that he'd brought trouble on Juliet.

"I'm sorry, those are private matters, and I'd prefer not to talk about that."

Zion didn't press on as another officer approached to whisper in his ear that Damien's lawyer had arrived. Zion had no choice but to allow Damien to leave for the time being.

Damien stood up and straightened his clothes. He seemed to never be flustered, as though nothing ever alarmed him.

When he reached the door, Damien suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Zion. "I've said this before. If you want to solve the case of the serial killer, focus on anything but Sophia."

"She's smart. Smarter than you think. This is just a ploy of hers to get me to marry her. But she has no idea that she's misleading you from getting to the bottom of things."

Zion kept silent.

"She's stubborn. I'll give her a good talking to once we find her. But if you're misled, Officer Landon, then that's on you. There's no one else to blame for that, am I right?" Damien asked meaningfully.

Zion tapped lightly on the table with his fingers, still not saying a word. I had no idea what was going on in his mind.

But at that point, I clearly heard the threat in Damien's words. He was actually threatening a police officer.

I knew he hadn't said that for me but for Juliet. He was worried that she might be implicated because of this, for the next person to be interrogated was none other than Juliet.

I sat on an empty chair and watched as she walked in. That was a perk of being dead. I could see just how heartless and evil the people around me were.

"Ms. Juliet Turner, I heard from Mr. Coleman that you've got some disputes with Sophia. Please talk to me about them in detail."

Zion wasn't a fool. He knew how to trick Juliet into telling him what he needed to know.

"Sophia…"

Juliet's eyes reddened. "She was a good girl, just a little wilful, that's all. I'm sorry that she's caused you all such trouble. She's Damien's sister, which makes her my sister too."

"It's our fault for not guiding her properly. When we find her, we'll discipline her well."

Juliet sure had excellent acting skills. I almost thought that I was watching a movie for a second. How did she manage to lie without so much as batting an eyelid?

"Sophia likes Damien. You must be aware that they aren't siblings related by blood?" Zion could see that Juliet was trying to change the topic, so he prompted her back on track.

"It's true that they aren't related by blood, and I knew from the start that Sophia had feelings for Damien. Because on the day Damien introduced me to her, she warned me that she was Damien's fiancée and that I should stay away from him"

"She even threatened me. She said if I continued hanging around Damien, she'd get people to teach me a lesson." Juliet lowered her head, her eyes very red by now.

But soon,

she broke out in a smile. "She's just childish like that. She doesn't mean what she says. She's not a bad person, really."

I clenched my fists tight as hatred and fury rose within me. I nearly lost control of my emotions. When had I ever threatened her? In fact, she was the one who got me killed!

"Liar! You liar!" I rushed over and tightened my hands around Juliet's throat, trying so badly to end her. But it was all to no avail.

"About two or three months back, I can't recall the exact date when Damien brought me home. I had a disagreement with Sophia, which led to her pushing me down a flight of stairs. I ended up in the ICU and almost didn't make it."

Juliet sighed as if she felt bad about the incident.

Zion's brows knitted together. "Sophia tried to harm you. Why didn't you file a police report?" "She's Damien's sister! She was just being wilful and meant no harm, so I thought I should give her at chance. If I filed a report against her, she'd be sentenced.

"She's still so young. I really couldn't bring myself to ruin her life, so I gave her a chance." Juliet made herself sound like a saint.

I lost it at that point. I yelled, I cried, I struggled, I tried with all my might to hit her, but nothing worked.

She was a liar! Nothing but a liar!

Zion seemed lost in thought, but I had no idea what he was thinking. Fear started taking a grip on me. I was afraid that even Zion might be fooled by Juliet.

From what I could remember, Damien changed after he knew Juliet. He started taking her side and trusting only her. Even all my friends turned their backs on me and became her friends after knowing her.

She seemed to have a spell that could somehow make the people around her like and trust her, whereas I ended up becoming the one they hated and insulted.

"Don't trust her. Please, I'm begging you, don't believe what she says. She's the one who led me to my death. Please," I cried as I begged Zion and the other police officers not to believe Juliet's lies.

But no one took heed of me.

"Where were you, on the nights of the 13th, 14th, and 15th, Ms. Turner?" I couldn't read Zion's expression.

"Damien thought that Sophia owed me as much, so he made her go and lure the murderer on behalf of me. But we were only there for two days, on the 13th and 14th. I'm not quite sure about the 15th," Juliet answered.

"Alright. Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Turner. Phil, will you please escort Ms. Turner out?" When Zion stood up once more, his attitude toward Juliet was much better than before.

That was when I knew. He trusted her. They all did.

I sat on the interrogation chair and stared at Zion in despair, who was arranging his notes. "It wasn't like that," I said in a hoarse voice, feeling I was about to lose my last and only hope.

I desperately hoped that the police would find out the truth about Juliet and clear my name so I could… rest in peace.

Yet, based on the current situation, not only would the truth never be known, but my body would never be found.

"Officer Landon, she's lying. She's a liar," I whispered in a hoarse voice.

Why didn't you believe me?

Why wouldn't anyone believe in me?

Why did everyone believe in Juliet?

"Officer Landon, we've spoken to the people who knew Sophia Milford. None of them had good comments on her. Sounds like Sophia had a terrible personality," said Phil Jeffers as he walked into the interrogation room.

"On the other hand, Juliet Turner seems like a kind person. She almost got killed when Sophia pushed her off the stairs. But she chose not to report it to the police and forgave Sophia instead."

Phil was obviously siding with Juliet.

Zion stopped writing his notes and said, "What you have heard or seen may not be the truth."

"What is the truth then?" Phil was puzzled.

"Evidence." Zion pointed at his notes. "I only believe in evidence."

Humans might be complicated and unpredictable, but evidence would never lie.

I stared helplessly at Zion, not putting much hope on him anymore.

No one would believe me, not until my body was found.

A female officer, Lily Reyes, suddenly entered the room. She said solemnly, "Office Landon, Dexter's examination report's out. There are some old electrocuted burns on his body. Apparently, he had suffered long–term abuse when he was a child."

Zion frowned and took the report from her. I managed to take a peek at the photos from where I was sitting.

There were old burns caused by electrocution and cigarettes, as well as hideous scars caused by repetitive whipping on Dexter's body.

"Dexter might have a pretty face, but his body is fully covered with scars. Some sick psycho in the orphanage might have taken advantage of him since he's got the looks and was mentally ill. Those sick bastards!" Lily couldn't help but sympathize with

Zion read through the examination report in silence, and then he said, "He has nothing to do with this case. Besides, his mental illness history could pardon him from legal responsibility. And he has no guardians whom we could talk to"

Lily understood what Zion was getting to. He wanted them to release Dexter

"But Officer Landon, this grry's crazy and aggressive. He might hurt ordinary civilians if we release him…" Phil was concerned

"He's a murderer! A murderer!" I shouted at Zion.

Why was he letting Dexter go?

He was mentally ill. So what?

Didn't he need to pay for what he had done? He's a murderer!

No matter how unfortunate his life was, that didn't change the fact that he was a murderer!

He had killed so many innocent women.

"Has he ever attacked anyone else besides Jack Lopez?" Zion asked.

"Not that we know of." Phil shook his head.

"Then those people asked for it. No one asked them to go to that abandoned orphanage to find Dexter." Zion was defending Dexter.

Apparently, he didn't think Dexter was guilty.

I was done explaining, so I angrily left the interrogation room.

Zion was such an idiot! The murderer was right in front of him, yet he let him go again and again.

More innocent women might die because of his stupid kindness.

I stood at the front of the police station. For some reason, I could feel the bone–chilling wind, cold and desperate.

Dexter had been released. He couldn't help but lift his shoulders as he felt cold in the wind.

As winter drew near, there was a notable difference in the day and night temperatures. Yet, Dexter only had a ragged sweatshirt, ill–fitting pants, and tattered shoes on him.

"Someone bailed you out, Dexter. So wait here." Zion came out for a cigarette.

He seemed to be surprised that someone actually bailed a psycho from an orphanage out.

This at the entrance and stared at Dexter, feeling a little scared.

Dexter, who had been keeping his head low, suddenly raised his head and glanced in my direction in disbelief.

I was so shocked that I quickly hid behind the door. For an instant, I forgot that no one could see me since I was dead.

Nevertheless, Dexter stared at me as if he could see me.

Soon, he turned away and lowered his eyes in disappointment.

A black Maybach stopped before the police station. A middle–aged man got out of the car and stared at Dexter gently.

"Mr. Black, it's time to go home. No more hide–and–seek. You're the scion of the Black family, after all."

Dexter glanced at the man alertly, reluctant to go

Two bodyguards came out of the car and shoved Dexter into the car, regardless of how he had struggled. After they entered the car from both sides, they drove off.

The cigarette in Zion's hand flickered. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Perhaps he was as dumbfounded as I was.

A scion?

How was it possible that a mentally ill homeless man who had grown up in the orphanage turned out to be a scion?