Chapter 15: Disguised Concern

As soon as the bank came up, Lucy's calm demeanor shifted to a bit of anxiety.

"Aurelia had a bunch of bank cards, each with some cash on them. She wanted to get twenty grand for her son, so she hit up a few banks," Lucy said.

"And the money? Did she give it to her son?" Olivia asked.

Lucy went quiet.

Olivia didn't rush her; she just waited.

"I... don't know. It's her money. How would I know who she gave it to?" Lucy finally said.

Lucy probably knew that sounded fishy, and Olivia just gave her a cold stare.

"Lucy, do you know where you are? Do you think we'd call you in here for a chat if we didn't have any evidence?" Olivia pressed.

Lucy looked down, like she was making some kind of decision.

"I really don't know!" Lucy insisted.

"Aurelia drowned. You seriously have nothing to tell me about that?" Olivia asked.

Lucy burst into tears, sobbing, "I didn't mean to. It was an accident!"

Olivia raised an eyebrow. Was Lucy finally going to spill?

"What accident? Explain clearly!" Olivia demanded.

"Actually, that day we went for a walk by the river. We were sitting on the steps by the riverbank, and I accidentally bumped her with my arm. She fell in. I didn't mean to, really!" Lucy cried.

Olivia couldn't take this lame excuse anymore.

"Lucy, what was the exact time and place? Did anyone see you two?" Olivia asked.

Lucy took a deep breath, like she was ready for this. Olivia stared at her hard.

"We went for a walk by the river on Serenity Lane after dinner because we had nothing else to do. Aurelia was upset; her son had asked her for money without even a kind word, and it made her feel really unappreciated; her previous husband treated her like a stranger, which made her very sad," Lucy explained.

Olivia sneered, "So you were having a deep conversation by the river late at night, and she accidentally fell in?"

Lucy nodded, and Olivia slammed the table in anger.

"Lucy, do you think we're that easy to fool, or do you think we're all idiots here?" Olivia said angrily.

Lucy lowered her head and started crying, unable to say a word. Olivia was so mad she almost threw her notebook.

After leaving the interrogation room, Olivia went to Henry's office.

"Mr. Phillips, I didn't get anything out of her!" Olivia said.

Henry raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a deep gaze. "Are you sure you didn't get anything?"

Olivia's eyes shifted. Actually, it wasn't a complete loss.

"Lucy's story is that she and Aurelia went for a walk by the river that evening. They sat on the steps, and she accidentally bumped Aurelia with her arm, causing her to fall into the river. She didn't report it because she was afraid it would implicate her," Olivia recounted.

Henry snorted and said unkindly, "Does she think we're all fools at the police station with such a lame excuse?"

"Mr. Phillips, I'll go check the surveillance footage with William. We're bound to find something!" Olivia suggested.

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Henry nodded slightly.

"Breaking her psychological defense isn't hard, but getting her to willingly confess requires solid evidence. Go ahead!" Henry instructed.

Olivia nodded and spent the night reviewing the surveillance footage. She started looking near Lucy's rented house and actually found footage of her and Aurelia together. They seemed to be getting along well, laughing and talking.

But if Lucy really did something to Aurelia, how did she pull it off, and how did Aurelia end up in the river?

With that question nagging at her, Olivia watched the surveillance footage over and over, from February 15th to now, not missing a single frame. She was determined to find something.

For two days straight, Olivia camped out in the computer room. When Henry got back from a meeting, he found the office empty.

"Where is everyone?" Henry asked the duty officer.

The officer replied, "William and Floyd are out on a case. Olivia's in the computer room. She hasn't come out for two days!"

Henry frowned and headed to the computer room. As soon as he opened the door, he caught a whiff of food.

On the nearby sofa, Olivia was asleep in her clothes, her hair a bit messy with a few strands covering her cheeks. Food containers were scattered on the table next to her, explaining why she hadn't left the room. Henry felt a mix of anger and concern.

He hated when people didn't take care of themselves. But seeing the dark circles under Olivia's eyes, his anger turned into a helpless sigh.

Henry didn't get it. Olivia was attractive and could've taken an easier job in the department. Why choose the toughest one as a detective?

His gut told him she had a story behind her choice.

Quietly, Henry cleaned up the food containers, opened the window for some fresh air, and then draped his jacket over Olivia.

He then sat at the computer desk and started watching the footage. When he saw the clips Olivia had flagged, a slight smile crept onto his face. She definitely had skills.

When Olivia woke up, it was already afternoon. She got up from the sofa and felt something covering her. It was a police uniform, and though she couldn't see whose it was, the scent was familiar.

Looking at the badge, it was Henry's. But why was his uniform covering her?

Olivia quickly folded the uniform and went to the bathroom to wash her face. Then she took the uniform to Henry's office.

"Mr. Phillips, thanks for the jacket!" Olivia said.

She had just washed her face, and her hair was still damp, with a few drops of water on her face. Her cheeks were a bit red, probably from just waking up. Her eyes were bright and very alluring.

Seeing Olivia in front of him, Henry clenched his fists secretly. Olivia was simply too alluring.

But with strong self-control, Henry suppressed his desire and looked at Olivia seriously. "No eating in the computer room from now on. That's an order!"

"Yes, sir!" Olivia replied. She didn't quite get why Henry gave that order, but as a junior officer, she had to follow the captain's orders.

"We have a case analysis meeting tomorrow morning. We've made progress on Lucy's case. This time, we must nail her, but we still need to confirm how she did it," Henry stated.

Olivia was acutely aware of this. She had spent two sleepless nights trying to trace Lucy's actions, but after repeatedly watching the same footage, she hadn't found anything unusual.

Early the next morning, Henry chaired the case analysis meeting. William reported all the info he had gathered.

"Lucy's son is named Gabriel Kim, twenty-seven years old. He works as a security guard in Shadow City. His monthly salary isn't high. According to his colleagues, he recently got a girlfriend and might be getting married soon," William reported.