Chapter 6
Tobey picked up the photo, his gaze unfocused as he looked at Henry and opened his mouth.
“Dad…”
But the rest of his words got caught in his
throat.
Henry took the photo from him, his body trembling slightly.
He knew how much I cherished this picture. Once, it had been faded and blurry, and I’d gone to great lengths, paying a pretty penny to restore it. Henry had teased me then, suggesting I had too much time on my hands.
Now, all the fragmented pieces rushed into Henry’s mind–unreachable phone calls, the ring extracted from beneath my tongue, the bloodstained photograph. It all started to make shocking sense. But even so, he remained obstinate.
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Chapter 6
“It could be that she just lost it,” he muttered, his voice indifferent.
As I heard his cold words, my frustration
bubbled over.
Henry, is it that hard to admit I was murdered? Am I really so horrid that even in death, you doubt me?
I bit my nails in despair, never feeling more inclined to walk away from the two of them.
Then, a call from the assistant shattered the tension. As he heard the voice on the other end, Henry’s expression turned
grave.
“Mr. Hawke, the DNA results are in. We should drop Tobey home first. Please accept our condolences.”
On the drive back, Henry was silent, while Tobey seemed lost in thought, gripping that photo so tightly it began to warp in his hands.
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Chapter 6
“It could be that she just lost it,” he muttered, his voice indifferent.
As I heard his cold words, my frustration.
bubbled over.
Henry, is it that hard to admit I was murdered? Am I really so horrid that even in death, you doubt me?
I bit my nails in despair, never feeling more inclined to walk away from the two of them.
Then, a call from the assistant shattered
the tension. As he heard the voice on the
other end, Henry’s expression turned.
grave.
“Mr. Hawke, the DNA results are in. We should drop Tobey home first. Please accept our condolences.”
On the drive back, Henry was silent, while Tobey seemed lost in thought, gripping that
photo so tightly it began to warp in his
hands.
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Chapter G
Henry appeared much calmer than I expected; at least he maintained his composure while notifying the assistant.
“It’s probably just a case of a common name. Rachel is quite popular. But as her relative, I never even reported her missing. How could she be on their radar?”
The assistant answered cautiously, “Mr. Hawke, there’s no way the results could be wrong.”
Despite Henry’s denial, his eyes were unfocused, his thumb rubbing against his pinky a nervous habit he couldn’t shake.
It was only when he dropped Tobey home and headed to the precinct alone that Tobey cried out in desperation, “I want my mom!”
“What’s wrong?”
Sophie rushed out, her face a mixture of confusion and concern as she saw the two of them standing outside, locked in a silent. standoff.
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Chapter 6
“Give me the photo. It’s evidence; I need to
take it with me,” Henry insisted, trying to pry it from Tobey’s grip.
But Tobey pressed his lips together tightly, refusing to let go.
Neither of them was willing to budge, locked in a battle of wills.
“Tobey, be a good boy and give it to Dad. I’ll take you to KFC afterward. Henry, what on earth are you doing? Don’t fight with the child.” Sophie said, reaching out as if she could diffuse the tension.
Maybe it was true–my words wouldn’t sway them, but Sophie’s had a way of working.
Yet this time, both father and son leaned away, leaving her hand hanging uselessly in the air.
“I overstepped. I’ll leave now,” Sophie said, her voice thick with emotion.
Without anyone stopping her, tears spilled
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Chapter 6
down her cheeks as she retreated inside.
The two were still at an impasse–one desperate to take the photo, the other gripping it tightly as if it were a lifeline.
It turned out they could see through Sophie’s manipulations after all; they had just been too busy indulging her before.
Ultimately, with a tearing sound, the photo ripped in half. Perhaps it was fate trying to erase every last trace of me.
Both their eyes glistened with unshed tears. as, in the end, Tobey reluctantly got into the car bound for the precinct.
Henry sped through a string of red lights, the tension in the car palpable and suffocating.
“Henry, you shouldn’t have brought the kid along,” Paul said, seeing the strain etched on their faces, but Henry waved it off, insisting Tobey didn’t need a ride home.
“Alright then, you three should have a
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proper farewell,” Paul sighed heavily, allowing them to head inside.
I drifted alongside them into the autopsy
room.
Finally, Henry, Tobey, and I could share the same space peacefully, which had never been possible before.
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