Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)

RYAN

Since we were already in New York, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to speak to the detective in person about the case. I hadn't had much direct conversation with him on this matter, and today felt like the right day to finally get it done.

I offered to bring Lily along, but she declined. She said she wanted to take the chance to sit down with Mum and discuss what had happened the last time they were together. She wanted to smooth things out, which I thought was a great idea. I genuinely hoped they could work things out and go back to how things used to be between them.

After arriving at the detective's office, I parked and headed straight in. Since he knew I was coming, I didn't have to go through the usual protocol at the front desk. I walked directly to his door, knocked, and, hearing his voice inviting me in, pushed it open and stepped inside.

"Welcome, Mr. Williams," he greeted, gesturing toward the cream-colored sofa. I took a seat, grateful for the informal welcome.

"Any progress on the case?" I asked, eager to hear if there was any new development.

Instead of answering right away, he picked up the phone, called his secretary, and requested two coffees. Then, he walked over to the sofa and settled down beside me.

"No major progress, unfortunately," he responded with a heavy sigh, crossing one leg over the other and settling back into his chair. "I've been able to speak to a few people connected to your father, including his secretary, and what I can tell you so far is that he left the office early on that particular day. He made the unusual decision to dismiss his security team, insisting on driving himself instead of using the usual car and driver."

I frowned, feeling a prickling unease at this information. "Drove himself? But to where exactly?"

He shook his head slowly, clearly just as puzzled as I was. "That's the mystery. We don't know yet where he went after leaving the office. Unfortunately, the CCTV footage from his usual routes and nearby locations hasn't provided any clues. The cameras didn't catch much, so we're left with more questions than answers at this point. But I did reach out to your mother a few days ago. She was kind enough to give me access to the CCTV footage from your parents' house. I went through it, and it seems your father returned home around three in the afternoon on that day. But here's the curious part-he left his office at around one."

The timelines are not quite adding up in my mind. "Wait, that would mean it took him two hours to get home, right? Normally, it shouldn't take anywhere near that long."

He nodded. "Exactly. The drive should have been much quicker, under typical circumstances. That two-hour gap suggests he made a stop somewhere along the way. And based on what we know so far, that stop might have been where he was poisoned."

I ran a hand over my face, struggling to process it all, wondering where on earth my father could have gone during that gap of time. My mind raced, trying to imagine every possible location or person he might have visited. "Have you questioned all the security personnel who were on duty that day?"

He nodded. "They all insisted they went home immediately after he dismissed them." I could tell he was feeling just as frustrated as I was. "They claimed no one would ever consider going against your father's instructions. When he told them to go, they left-no questions asked."

I thought about that. If I had been in New York that day, I wouldn't have just walked away because he told me to. But that's hindsight now. I rose to my feet, straightening my suit as I prepared to leave. "Take all the time you need with this case," I instructed. He stood as well, mirroring my actions. "Just understand this case doesn't close until we find the person responsible."

"I understand that," he agreed. "And I have no intention of closing it until the killer is brought to light."

He seemed to notice I was about to walk out and glanced toward the door. "The coffee hasn't arrived yet."

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow as though he had just suggested something completely absurd. "Do I look like someone who came here for coffee?" I didn't come here to drink coffee and make small talk; I came here to find out what's being done about my father's murder. If I wanted coffee, I knew exactly where to get it.

"Just make sure you find the killer," I said, my voice hard. "So we can put an end to this."

"I take promises seriously," the detective said. "And I'm making one to you right now: I will find whoever is responsible."

Giving him a curt nod, I turned and walked out of his office.

************

As I pulled up to the house, each step toward the front door felt automatic, my mind still turning over everything the detective had said. I pushed the door open, hardly aware of my surroundings, until I felt a hand grab my wrist, pulling me back into the present. Blinking, I found myself face-to-face with Lily. Her brow was furrowed, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay? I've been calling your name for a while now."

Clearing my throat, I gave her a nod. "Just... lost in thought about the case," I said, trying to offer a reassuring smile. I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Where's Mum?"

She tilted her head toward the stairs. "She's asleep in her room."

"Did you manage to talk things through with her?" I asked, curious about how her conversation with Mum had gone.

Lily nodded. "Yes, we talked. It didn't

go as well as hoped, but it wasn't

terrible either. We were able to get some things out in the open." She reached out, intertwining her fingers with mine, and gently guided me toward the sofa in the living room. "How about you? Tell me what exactly you discussed with the

detective."

I was just about to go into it when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw that the family lawyer was calling, which was unusual, especially since we'd already finished the will reading. With a quick look of apology to Lily, I answered. "Mr. Williams," he greeted as soon as the call connected.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. Calls from him typically didn't happen without a pressing reason.

"Yes, everything's fine. I was just working alone in my office this evening, and something occurred to me that I thought I should mention."

Taking a seat, I noticed Lily's curiosity heighten. She watched me intently, her gaze fixed on my lips, not out of any particular attraction but out of pure curiosity, wanting to catch every word I was exchanging with the lawyer. "What thought came to you?" I asked, intrigued. "It's about the day your father died," he began. "At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but ever since the news of his murder made it into the news, I've started to question it."

His words made my pulse quicken. "Can you just get to the point?" I said, more sharply than intended. "If you have information that could help the case, then say it already."

He cleared his throat, clearly choosing his words carefully. "Some years back, your father came to me with a new will he had written. But he left it unsigned, saying he would sign it when the time was right."

What could have been in that unsigned document? Why had he written a new will but held off on making it official?

"Then, two years ago, he came to me again," the lawyer continued, "with yet another unsigned will. He instructed me to destroy the previous one, which I did. Again, I reminded him that the will wouldn't be legally binding until he signed it, and he assured me that he was well aware of that." "How is this related to his death?" I asked, feeling my patience slip.

"The day he died, he came to my office and, out of the blue, signed the will," the lawyer revealed. “He

didn't look well. When I asked if het

was alright, he told me he just

needed to go home and rest. And a few hours after he left, I heard on the news that he had passed away in his home office."

My eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Did you offer him anything while he was there? Something to eat or drink?"

The lawyer let out a shaky breath. "I

actually did offer him tea, but I've never been so relieved that he declined. He emphasized he didn't want to stay long, almost as if he had somewhere else to be." He paused, his voice softening as if he were lost in thought. "Thinking back, it was almost as though he knew... he knew he was dying and didn't want it to happen in my office."

"So, what you're saying is that the very day he signed his new will was also the day he died?" I asked for clarity sake.

The lawyer took a moment, before he finally replied. "Yes."

"I will pass this information along to the detective," I said, my mind racing with the implications of what I had just learned. "And just so you know, you might be summoned to the station for questioning." "Of course," he agreed readily. "I have nothing to hide."

"Thank you." Disconnecting the call, I dropped my cellphone on the sofa and stared at Lily.

No matter how hard I try not to, I can't help but suspect them.

I think they were the ones who killed my father, and if my suspicions are right, then they are far more dangerous than I believed them to be.