Chapter 2

2: 2

I stepped out of the room.

"It's me."

"What?!"

The words had barely left my mouth when four voices went off at once.

Besides my father-in-law, there were three others.

My mother-in-law, my husband's brother Maurice Henson, and his sister Stella Henson.

All four of them stared at me like I was insane.

I ignored the four pairs of eyes.

I turned to the officers. "The dead man is my husband. His name is Grayson Henson, and he was murdered. His body is somewhere in this house. Please search it right away."

"She's lost it! She's lost it!"

Before the officers could say anything, Stella jumped in, practically leaping off the floor.

She pointed at me and turned to the officers.

"My brother ran off with his old flame, and it broke my sister-in-law's nerves. Her mind isn't right anymore."

She went back inside and returned with the note Grayson had left, pressing it into an officer's hand.

The captain's name was Alvin Finch. He glanced at the message on the note and asked me.

"Ms. Larson, is this your husband's handwriting?"

"Yes."

"Look carefully. Could someone have forged it?"

I shook my head.

"No. It's his writing."

I'd already checked, long before this.

It really was Grayson's hand, especially that careless scrawl of a signature. No one could have copied it.

Finch's brow furrowed.

I knew what he was thinking. How could a man who'd walked out on his family end up murdered inside this house?

I had my doubts too, of course. But I chose to believe my mother.

Stella sneered.

"Come on, so a man walked out on you. Is it really worth all this? You want me to take you to the hospital, get your head looked at?"

"That's no way to talk to your sister-in-law." My mother-in-law shot Stella a glare, then explained to Finch, "My daughter-in-law gave her whole heart to my son, and that ungrateful boy threw it away. God, it's my fault. I raised him wrong."

My father-in-law jumped in, furious.

"Better if he'd died overseas. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have that son."

But Maurice offered comfort. "Dad, Mom, don't get worked up over this. It's not worth ruining your health. Everyone has their own path, you can't force it. My brother's gone, but you've still got me, don't you?"

My mother-in-law, eyes rimmed red, said to me, "Marcella, forget about that wretch. You're my daughter now. Once the divorce goes through, we'll find you a good family to marry into."

Captain Finch looked at me, his face serious.

"Ms. Larson, do you know what happens to someone who files a false report?"

Before I could answer, Stella cut in.

"My sister-in-law's just in shock. Her mind's gone hazy for now. I'm sorry, officers, sorry to have troubled you."

It caught me off guard. She was usually such a quiet person, but today she kept throwing herself out in front.

Just then a text came in on my phone.

【Whatever you do, don't let the police leave. If you do, you'll die right away.】

From my mother again.