Chapter 4I Was the Only Witness to My Mother’s Murder. Now I’m the Suspect.

In the interrogation room, Leo showed me a photograph of the victim.

He was dead, and ten years had passed.

But the sight of his face still made me shake with fear that reached into my bones.

He was the man who followed and raped me ten years ago.

It took me a long time to calm down.

“Do you know him?” Leo asked.

I nodded.

“How?”

There was no point hiding it.

I picked up a pen to write my answer, but Leo cleared his throat. “You can stop pretending. Your father told us you can speak. You don’t have aphasia.”

I gave a bitter smile, set down the pen, and said, “He raped me.”

“Why didn’t you report it?”

“My mother wouldn’t let me.”

Leo’s voice turned stern, and his gaze sharpened. “So, you took revenge and murdered him?”

I shook my head. “I didn’t kill him.”

“You’re still denying it? We couldn’t solve his murder ten years ago because we didn’t have the technology. After your father came to us, we examined the evidence again. We found traces of your skin on his frozen remains. The DNA matched yours exactly!”

Before I could answer, Leo stood and leaned over me. “Confess, and I’ll ask for leniency. You were a minor ten years ago, so your sentence won’t be too severe.

“But if you keep resisting, you’ll face the harshest sentence possible. You could spend the rest of your life in prison!”

I blinked. My expression barely changed.

I wasn’t afraid of prison.

Ten years ago, I was already prepared to spend the rest of my life there.

It just wasn’t time yet.

Leo was bluffing. His evidence wasn’t enough to convict me.

I took a deep breath and met his eyes. “I told you. I didn’t kill him.

“Then why were traces of you found on his body?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. There’s a lot I can’t remember from ten years ago. If you have proof, charge me. If you don’t, let me go.”

After that, I refused to answer anything else.

Forty-eight hours later, they made no progress and had to release me.

But as soon as I came out, Dad and my uncle took me to their car.

Leo pretended not to notice. He stayed nearby to make sure things didn’t get out of hand.

In the car, Dad fixed his bloodshot eyes on me. “You spoke to Detective Lane. Stop pretending you can’t talk!

“I’ll ask you one last time. What happened the night your mother was murdered?

“I’m warning you. If you hide anything else, there’s no telling what I’ll do!

“If you could hire someone to kill, so can I. I’ll find a way to make you talk!”

He looked as though he had lost his mind.

Ten years passed without an answer to Mom’s murder.

For ten years, she couldn’t rest in peace.

It drove too many people to the edge.

I was almost there myself.

But I could finally see a glimmer of hope.

“Wait a little longer. Give me one last month. After that, I won’t hide anything from you.”

Dad clenched his teeth. “Why a month? What are you planning?”

I didn’t answer. I looked out the car window.

A spirit floated there, visible only to me.

She had stayed with me for ten years, but she would soon disappear.

I smiled and waved. “Goodbye, Mom. I’ll be good and listen to you.”

But I wouldn’t.

I kept the truth from Dad for ten years.

I lied to her for ten years too.