Chapter 189
If I ever harbored doubts that Colin and I had a past together, those doubts have now crystallized into certainty.
It was not just Colin I knew–I was also acquainted with Carter.
The fact that Carter’s sister had hung this photo in such a prominent place suggested that my relationship with Colin and Carter was once quite significant.
“What’s the connection between those three?” I turn to Zoe, seeking answers.
She curled up a bit more, fear etched on her face, and whispered, “My brother’s… friends.”
My gaze settled on Colin’s photo for a long, drawn–out moment.
Colin, in his youth, seemed colder, more aloof, with that distant air of genius about him. Yet his eyes were like those of a bashful fawn, skittish and darting.
“The police have been to see you, haven’t they?” I pivoted back, lowering my voice to a hush.
Of course, they must have questioned her at the first opportunity, but the fact that they didn’t detain her indicated a lack of evidence–or something that cleared her of suspicion.
“She deserves to die…” Zoe muttered under her breath, hugging her knees. “She’s the worst…”
“Did you send Hickey to kill Melody?” I edged closer to the bed, my question direct.
Zoe looked dazed, clearly not all there mentally.
Yet, she confessed, “Yes…”
No matter what you asked, she would confess.
The police probably had no grounds to hold her accountable.
“What poison did Hickey use on Melody? Where did you get it?” I pressed on.
Zoe looked up at me, her voice faint. “Roundup… kills weeds, pests.“,
She was taking all the blame upon herself, but with her intellectual challenges and the lack of concrete evidence, plus the absence of a legal guardian, Zoe’s admission brought the police’s investigation to another dead end.
“Who gave you the Roundup?” I continue my inquiry.
“Roundup, no cure, enters the bloodstream, no hope…” Zoe hugged her head, mumbling as if repeating someone else’s words.
It was clear as day–this was incitement to murder.
Someone had manipulated Zoe into bribing Hickey to kill Melody.
“Who told you about this?” I challenged her. Zoe’s mental capacity wouldn’t allow her to know
10:02
Chapter 189
that once Roundup entered the bloodstream, the victim would be doomed, that it offered pain and regret but no chance at life.
Survival after ingesting Roundup was nearly impossible.
Once it was injected into Melody, her blood would be swiftly contaminated, her organs slowly fibrosing until she could no longer breathe, dying in agony.
Zoe just shook her head, repeating. “It was me, it was me.”
She refused to reveal her instigator.
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