Chapter 4 The Suspicion
I fixed my mocking gaze on Kaleb,
“Kaleb, do you even remember what I said when I called?
“I was begging you to save me.
Why didn’t you?
“Who are you even trying to convince with this reaction?” My words hung there, unheard.
“Impossible.” Alena shot back. “There’s gotta be a reason for murder, right? If it’s about money, her dress alone is worth a fortune. It’s got real diamonds on it. So why wouldn’t the killer keep it?
“And if he just wanted to rape her, why not get rid of the bloody dress. instead of dumping it in the river? What kind of killer takes the time to remove the dress but only takes the body? It just doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s right.” Kaleb’s eyes lit up with hope. “Did you find anything else at the scene? Her phone, shoes, anything personal? Or maybe a weapon, or more blood?”
“Not yet,” Luke replied.
Alena concluded, “So Vannah probably staged the whole thing. Took the dress off herself, stabbed it for effect, splattered some blood on it, and tossed it in the river.”
“She’s always been out of control. Stirring up drama for attention is one thing, but now she’s brought it here.” Shelby’s voice cut into the room.
My family came after getting a call from the police.
Both my parents were cold and dismissive when they talked about me.
Luke chimed in. “Mrs. Brook, please calm down.”
“Calm down?” Shelby fired back. “Officer, you’ve probably got kids too. How would you feel if one of them turned into an ungrateful wretch and hurt their siblings? Would you still be calm?”
My big brother. Luigi, checked his watch and said, “Sir, we’re busy. We just came to tell you guys not to waste our time again with this childish
nonsense.”
Their words cut deep, leaving me frozen in place.
I looked at their faces, the ones I had known my whole life. Somehow, they felt like strangers.
What had I done to make them despise me so much?
The officers exchanged looks of disbelief before one finally spoke up. “Ms. Savannah is family. She’s missing and could have taken her own life -or worse. Don’t you worry about her?”
“I know my daughter too well. She’s thick–skinned and shameless. Suicide? Not a chance. And marrying into the Harrington family means no one dares hurt her. Honestly, you’re just wasting time. She’s probably hiding somewhere, laughing at us,” Shelby scoffed.
“I’ve got a meeting.” Luigi muttered then left.
They hurried through the formalities and rushed off. I heard my mom complain, “What a waste of time! I didn’t even get to finish my manicure.”
Alena leaned closer and said, “Your nails look great, Mom. Where’d you
get them done“”
“Come with me. We’ll get facials too. If only Savannah were as sensible as you. She’s given me two more wrinkles already.”
Soon, only Kaleb was left. quiet and still.
“Mr. Harrington.” Luke said, breaking the silence. “Did your wife contact you before she went missing? You left her at the altar yesterday. She was clearly upset. There’s a chance she might’ve taken her life. If you know anything, we need you to speak up.”
Luke’s words annoyed him, and he slammed his hand on the table and stood abruptly. “Officer Russell, you don’t even have a body or a crime scene. Why are you so sure she’s dead?”
“She’s your wife,” Luke said sharply.
“Then wait until you’ve got a body,” Kaleb snapped and turned to leave.
