Then Amara led us into the villa.
Just like the outside, the interior was equally luxurious. Although it couldn't compare to The Martinez Villa, it was still of a high standard, beyond what an average family could afford.
Seeing this, I couldn't help but wonder how much Brian had embezzled over the years.
Then Amara led us to the bedroom but didn't dare to open the door. "My husband is inside. Last night, while I was working in the studio, I heard him calling outside, but I was too scared to come out."
"The studio is upstairs?" I asked.
"Yes, the studio is on the third floor. It's quieter there, and I usually lock myself in to paint." Amara was an illustrator who often worked for publishers.
Last night, while she was working, Brian came back from a social event. She heard the car engine but was too busy to check, focusing on her painting.
At midnight, she heard Brian screaming in the bedroom, sounding particularly miserable, as if something terrible had happened. In such a situation, it was uncertain if he was still alive.
As an experienced exorcist, Aiden wasn't afraid of bloody scenes. He had everyone step back and stood alone at the bedroom door, gently pushing it open.
Inside the bedroom, Brian lay on the bed in a bathrobe, his appearance eerie. His arms and legs were spread out, the robe slightly open, revealing his naked body, which was covered in bloody scratches from sharp nails.
The long nails immediately made me think of the ghost Pearl. As I was about to take a closer look, a pair of large hands suddenly covered my eyes. "Aren't you scared at a time like this, looking so closely?" Howard's slightly displeased voice came, as Brian was naked and looked extremely unsightly.
I pulled his hand down and glanced at him. "He might be dead, and you're still jealous."
But I was wrong; Aiden checked and confirmed that Brian was still alive.
"Is he still alive?" For some reason, I felt Amara sounded a bit regretful when she said this.
Aiden explained calmly, "He's just fainted from fright, his soul has left his body. If we don't retrieve his soul before dark, he might really die."
Hearing this, Amara immediately rushed forward, shaking Brian's body vigorously. "Honey, wake up!"
Her tears made her look pitiful, but Aiden stopped her. "Mrs. Scott, calling him won't wake him up in this condition. Only when his soul returns will make it."
"How do we retrieve his soul? Mr. Martinez, you can do it, right?" Amara looked at him with tearful eyes.
Aiden sighed lightly, his expression serious. "I can't guarantee success, but I'll try my best. His soul has been out for a while and might have drifted far. Plus, this house feels haunted, and with his past misdeeds, there might be ghosts seeking revenge." He spoke tactfully, but I understood Brian's situation was self-inflicted.
Amara's face turned pale. "Didn't you already suppress that woman at the school, Mr. Martinez? Who else could it be?"
I was stunned to hear this. So it was Aiden who had suppressed Pearl. No wonder Howard said there was a master around Brian; the master was Aiden.
Aiden glanced at the naked Brian. "Where's the Novice Talisman I gave him? Is he still wearing it?"
Amara looked slightly guilty. "I accidentally tossed the Novice Talisman in the washing machine while doing laundry, and the writing has all smudged. My husband mentioned that whenever you have time, he would like to request your help in drawing a new one."
A cold snort suddenly came from the side.
I instinctively looked at Wesley. His face showed a mocking expression, clearly not believing Amara's words.
I was also skeptical; it was too coincidental that the Novice Talisman was gone before Brian had an accident. Moreover, Amara had heard Brian's screaming but didn't rescue him immediately, using fear as an excuse to stay upstairs. All these coincidences seemed like a premeditated murder.
"Karena, go to the car and get my things." Aiden suddenly turned, interrupting my thoughts.
I was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded.
Amelia wanted to come with me, and I didn't refuse, pulling her out the door.
"Don't you think it's strange? It feels like someone did this on purpose." As soon as we stepped out, Amelia shared her suspicion.
"I think so too. Do you think Mrs. Scott hates Professor Scott's and deliberately ignored him?" I said.
After all, Amara knew the Novice Talisman was Brian lifeline. Such an important item got washed, and she didn't immediately ask Aiden for a new one, which didn't make sense.
"If it were me with such a troublesome husband, I'd rather he be dead." Thinking about it, I felt a bit sorry for Amara, having such an unreliable husband.
Amelia hesitated, looking at me. "Do you suspect he did other things besides the Pearl incident?"
I smiled and asked, "Do you think he could change?"
Judging from the bribes he had taken over the years, he didn't appear to be a virtuous person, let alone one who would mend his ways. Besides the issue with Pearl, he probably did other shady things, just well-hidden.
"If you want to know if she did it, just call her out." Howard, who had been following us, suddenly spoke.
"She's here?" I thought Pearl would disappear after venting her anger. Surprisingly, she was still here.
Howard didn't answer, speaking to the air. "Come out, you've been following us for a while."
As soon as he finished, a familiar figure appeared before us, the crazy ghost Pearl from last night. Ddifferent from her craziness last night, now she looked calm and somewhat quiet.
I couldn't wait to ask, "Did you do it last night?"
Pearl sneered, her voice eerie. "I did want to kill him, but that old man put a restriction on me, so I couldn't get close to Brian."