When Racheal returned home that night, her thoughts were in disarray. The words Andrew had uttered at the wine house lingered in her mind like a haunting melody.
"Richard wasn't who you thought he was."
She tossed and turned, gripping her pillow as if it could ground her spiraling thoughts.
Could Andrew be Richard's killer? Her rational mind argued that if Andrew had wanted her dead, he could have easily done it at the river. But he hadn't. Instead, he had offered pieces of the puzzle.
Racheal sat up, running her hands through her tangled hair. Why hadn't Richard told her about Kate? Why had he kept so many secrets?
The weight of it all pressed against her chest. Her hands trembled as she reached for her phone and dialed David's number.
"Hello?" David's voice was groggy with sleep but instantly filled with concern.
"David," Racheal whispered, her voice shaking. "I need to see you tomorrow morning. It's important."
"Racheal? Are you okay?" His tone sharpened, now fully awake.
"I don't know," she admitted, tears threatening to spill. "There's just so much I need to tell you, but… not over the phone. Please, come to my house tomorrow morning."
"Can't you just tell me now?" David pressed, worry seeping into his voice.
"No, David," she replied firmly. "It's not a phone conversation. I need you here in person." There was a pause, then he said, "Alright. I'll be with you tomorrow".
"Thank you," Racheal murmured before ending the call.
Racheal woke up early and began pacing back and forth in her room, lost in thought. But her mother's voice interrupted her,
"Racheal! Breakfast is ready. Come downstairs right away."
Racheal felt uncertain, torn between spending time with her family and continuing to worry about her brother's death. With a deep breath, she reluctantly headed downstairs.
Anthony sat at the head of the table, his eyes heavy with concern as he sipped his tea. "Racheal," Anthony began, his deep voice breaking the silence. "You worry too much, and frankly, you look like you barely got any sleep. Were you out again last night?" Racheal's stomach clenched.
She turned to her mother, her glare sharp. Harriet met her gaze head on, unflinching.
"No, Daddy," Racheal said quickly, forcing her voice to sound steady.
Her father sighed, shaking his head. "You don't have to lie, Racheal. Your mother already told me you've been sneaking out at night."
Racheal lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry, Dad. It won't happen again."
A knock on the door broke the thick atmosphere. Racheal sprinted to the door, yanking it open.
David stood there, his eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay?"
Racheal nodded quickly, grabbing his wrist and pulling him inside. "Come upstairs. We need to talk."
The moment the door closed behind them, Racheal took a deep breath and blurted it out.
"I met Andrew,"
David's entire body went rigid. "You what?"
"I met Andrew," she repeated, her voice unwavering. "The one Richard circled in his notebook. That's what I wanted to tell you."
David stepped closer, "did he hurt you?" he asked, his eyes scanning her for injuries.
Racheal shook her head, pushing him back gently.. "No, David. He didn't hurt me. I met him at the Silent River. He then told me to meet him at the old wine house. David… he told me things about Richard, why he was murdered."
David's hands clenched into fists. "What?"
Racheal took a deep breath. "Richard was selling drugs in Festac."
David staggered back, like she had physically hit him. "What? No. That's impossible. Richard wouldn't."
"He did, David!" Racheal cut in, her voice rising. "Andrew and Richard worked together. And Richard was killed because he met their boss and wanted to quit."
David shook his head violently. "No. Richard wasn't like that. He wouldn't"
"David, there is one thing I am sure about, he was still alive after the boat ride," she snapped. "Someone knew about the boat ride. Someone wanted him dead."
A heavy silence fell between them.
Finally, David muttered, "Where is Andrew now?"
Racheal swallowed hard. "I have no idea, i should have asked where he lived"
David ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "So what do we do now?"
"We need to find the woman you talked about the other day. Her name is Kate. Andrew mentioned her. They were lovers. In fact, she is pregnant with Richard's child. We must find her and protect her before Richard's killers do."
But before they could even think of a plan, a loud knock echoed through the house.
Racheal's heart slammed against her ribs.
Her mother's voice called out sharply. "Racheal! Come downstairs! Now!"
David and Racheal exchanged panicked glances before hurrying down.
In the living room, Inspector Jones stood, his face unreadable.
Behind him, two uniformed officers.
"Miss George," Jones started, his expression unreadable. "Maybe you should explain to your parents that you've been meeting with a mysterious man for the past few days. And, in case you weren't aware, you've been under surveillance since Richard's body was found." He paused, his eyes locked on hers. "You're our number one suspect."
Harriet turned to Racheal, her face filled with shock. "Is that true?"
Racheal's gaze dropped, shame etched on her face. "Yes, Mom," Racheal admitted, her voice steady. Her eyes darkened, a mix of fear and determination swirling within them. "I am guilty, and I am ready to tell the truth."
David, Harriet, and Anthony stared at her, stunned.
"Guilty of what?" David demanded. "Do you even know what you're saying, Racheal?"
Before Racheal could answer, Jones stepped forward and handcuffed her and she was whisked away.
At the station, the cold metal handcuffs were removed from Racheal's wrists, and she was escorted to a drab interrogation room. Inspector Jones gestured for her to take a seat across from him, his expression unreadable. Racheal sat down, her eyes fixed on the inspector as she tried to compose herself.
"Miss George," he said calmly. "You will tell me everything about Richard's death. Here and now."
Racheal took a shaky breath, "To clarify, I didn't mean I was guilty of killing Richard. I loved him more than I loved myself. But I am guilty of lying about what happened on August 5th."
Jones cut in. "The autopsy puts his death around August 12th. When was the last time you saw your brother?"
"It was August 5th. I don't know what happened after that."
"Miss George, in your own words what happened at the silent river?."
"Richard wanted to leave Festac and never come back. He asked for my help to stage a tragic accident so that our mom and dad wouldn't come after him. Our story would be that we went for an early morning boat ride and the boat tipped and capsized, and Richard drowned. In fact, we made it to the other side of the river dry as bones and even took a picture."
"Where is the picture?" Jones demanded.
"On my phone," she said, pulling it out and showing him the image.
Jones studied it carefully before looking back at her.
"He promised he'd call me as soon as he was in a place where he couldn't be reached or pulled back by our parents, one month at the most. Everyday, I waited for him to call, for an email at least".
Jones raised an eyebrow. "And you have no idea why your brother wanted to run away, fake his death, doesn't that seem cruel".
"No, he wasn't," Racheal whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled to maintain her composure. She took a deep breath and continued, "Richard wasn't cruel. Everything I said about him acting weird before he suggested the boat ride was true. He was distant, secretive... I didn't even know my brother anymore." Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands, overcome with grief.
Inspector Jones's eyes narrowed. "So maybe this is all just a web of lies you're spinning to cover your own tracks."
Racheal's face contorted in anguish, her eyes welling up with tears. "I didn't kill Richard!" she protested, her voice cracking with emotion.
"But why didn't you tell us the truth earlier, Miss George?" Jones pressed, his tone firm but measured.
"I was upset, my brother was murdered," Racheal slammed her hand on the table, her voice rising.
Jones's expression remained skeptical "So upset that you were meeting with a mysterious man at your dad's old wine house?"
Suddenly,The door swung open, Harriet and Antony stormed in, their faces a mix of rage and heartbreak.
"Mom, Dad…"
"Don't say another word, Racheal," Harriet fumed, her voice trembling with anger. "Get up."
Racheal's parents took her by the arm, leading her away as Jones watched.
"You're telling us everything when we get home," Anthony said sternly, his voice firm and laced with a mix of anger and rage
Back at the Georges' house, chaos erupted as Racheal narrated the whole truth to her parents
Anthony's voice thundered through the house. "You helped Richard escape from Festac?!"
Harriet trembled with fury. "You led your brother to his death! You wicked girl, my son would have been alive if not for you!"
"No, Mom! I didn't kill him!" Racheal pleaded, but Harriet shook her head.
"You were jealous because Richard was supposed to inherit the family business," Harriet spat. "So you got rid of him!" "I hate you!" Harriet screamed, storming off to her room in tears.
Anthony's gaze was cold. "So all this time, we were living with the person who led Richard to his death?"
Racheal gasped. "Dad… you think I wanted this?"
Anthony didn't reply. He turned and walked away.
Racheal collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Her parents' words cut deep, and the weight of guilt crushed her chest.
Just as she thought things couldn't get worse, she heard a soft tap against the window. Racheal froze, her breath hitching. Slowly, she wiped her tear streaked face and crept towards the window, careful not to make a sound.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the curtain aside. A shadowed figure stood outside. Racheal's stomach clenched in fear
"Andrew?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "What are you doing here?"
His eyes darted around the yard, scanning for movement. "I think it's time we finished our conversation," he murmured, his voice low and urgent.
She hesitated. "You shouldn't be here. If my dad sees"
"I don't have much time." Andrew's expression hardened. "Richard made me promise to keep Kate and his baby safe if anything ever happened to him, but my boss's men are after me now. I don't know how much time I have left."
"I'm giving you this," he said, slipping a crumpled piece of paper into her trembling hand. "In case I can't protect her, I need you to."
Racheal's fingers tightened around the note. Her pulse thundered in her ears. "Where is she?" Before he could answer, a voice cut through the silence.
"Who are you talking to?"
Racheal gasped. She spun around, her heart nearly stopping. She quickly shoved the paper into her pocket and forced a weak smile. "No one, Dad," Anthony's eyes narrowed, scanning the room suspiciously. Then, he stepped towards the window.
Slowly, Antony peeked outside, his gaze sweeping over the dark yard. After a long pause, her father exhaled and turned back to her. His expression was unreadable.
"You should go upstairs and sleep now, Racheal."
She nodded quickly. "Okay, Dad."
With shaky legs, she hurried out of the room and up the stairs. As soon as she reached the safety of her bedroom, she locked the door and leaned against it, her heart still hammering.
With trembling hands, she reached into her pocket and unfolded the paper.
Her eyes scanned the words, her pulse quickening.
Greendale Town. Clinton Lodge. Room 006.
One name stood out at the bottom.
Kate.