The Apple of My Eye novel Chapter 1809

As Nick walked, he noticed several police officers in plainclothes standing in and around the station. He strode over to one and asked him the same question he had been asking everyone.

When the officer heard that Nick was looking for Sheryl, he tensed up and looked at Nick from head to toe. "What's your relationship with her?" the policeman asked curtly.

"I'm her younger brother. I've come here from China. What has happened to her? Is she okay?" In Nick's concern, he did not notice the grim expression on the officer's face.

"Go in and wait there. We're currently investigating the matter." After speaking, the officer gestured for the man next to him to take Nick into a nearby room. The other man stood up, not needing further instructions.

Meanwhile, in another room, a different officer was interrogating Leila.

"What's your name?" came the man's first question.

Throughout the interview, he knew that it was of utmost importance to follow correct procedure. No question, no matter how seemingly easy or difficult, was left out, and to achieve this, the officer was willing to take his time.

Leila, however, was not. Anxious, she interrupted the officer, and exclaimed in one breath, "My name is Leila Zhang. I'm a tourist from China. Charles and I came here for the party. I saw Sheryl push Charles into the sea!"

After gazing at her intently, the policeman drew in a deep breath and scribbled away on his notepad. When the sound of pen on paper had ceased, he asked her, with more intensity this time, "Did you see it happen yourself?"

"Yes, I have said so several times. Why do you ask me the same questions over and over? Don't you believe me?" The investigation was driving Leila mad. It frustrated her to no end that she had to answer the same questions again and again. Moreover, when she finally did, the officer seemed to doubt her honesty.

The policeman, no longer surprised by these outbursts, said calmly, "I understand your frustration, Ma'am. It's just that we have to double-check the information we gather. Plus, we cannot charge anyone with intentional assault based only on one person's story."

"What else do you want then? Am I not a witness?" Leila asked. There was a slight tremble in her voice. Upon hearing what the man had said, she realized that the evidence they currently had against Sheryl was not enough for a conviction. This made her nervous.

"Answer the questions and leave the rest to us, Ma'am. You don't need to worry about the case. That's all for now. Please, give me some time to prepare your account of what happened. Once the report is ready, please, read it carefully and sign where your signature is needed. It'll only take a short while. Then, you're free to go." Just like the man had said, it didn't take long. After compiling his report, he asked Leila to review the document and sign it once she deemed the information in it correct.

The pen swept across the surface of the paper in the form of Leila's signature. Once she had signed the document, she looked up at the officer and opened her mouth to speak, but the unfriendly look on the man's face deterred her.

Offended with what she thought was unjust treatment, Leila kept quiet and stormed out of the room.

She had insisted that Sheryl had done it—that woman had pushed Charles into the sea. Leila had phrased it as clearly as she could for the police, yet they didn't seem to take her seriously. Meanwhile, in another room, Sheryl remained silent. She didn't say even a single word to defend herself.

The police had assumed it was due to shock, which they saw all the time in witnesses, victims, and even in perpetrators. Following protocol, the officers kept Sheryl in the room overnight, waiting for her to calm down.

They didn't get a peep out of her.

Somewhere in the same building, a grainy video was playing on a monitor. The investigators had acquired video footage of the night in question. In it, Charles and Sheryl could be seen quarreling moments before Charles fell into the water. It was unclear, however, if Sheryl had pushed him overboard or if the whole thing was an accident.

"Ma'am, we've reviewed the video. You'll be happy to know that there's not enough proof on there that you pushed Mr. Lu into the sea. If you're feeling better now, you can help us by telling us what happened." The officer in charge of Sheryl's interview spoke gently now. The barrage of questions the previous night had rendered Sheryl speechless. It was clear now that acting tough wouldn't get the police anywhere.

Sheryl looked at the policeman. Her pale face and sunken eyes had an unsettling quality to them. She also reacted sluggishly and seemed detached the whole time.

When it became clear that she wasn't ready to cooperate with the police, the officer nodded his head slightly and rose from his seat. He decided that this strange woman needed a break. Maybe he needed one, too.

At that very moment, one of the other officers barged into the room. He held a stack of papers in one hand.

"You'll want to see these papers from China," he said, almost out of breath. As he spoke, he handed the documents to the officer who had been interviewing Sheryl. Upon realizing that he had caught the first officer just as he was leaving, the new officer couldn't help but smile. The interviewer needed to see this information before he left the room.

Sheryl's interrogator, who had planned to step out of the room mere seconds earlier, now studied the documents carefully. As he read, he stole the occasional glance at Sheryl.

After a while, he sat back down on the chair opposite hers.