Chapter 352 Rainy Days
ADRIANA
The weight of what we'd just discovered pressed down on my chest like a physical force, making each breath a conscious effort. My hands trembled as I unlocked the car door, the metal cold against my sweaty palms. Hazel slid into the backseat without a word, her movements stiff and unnatural. We both sat there for a moment, the engine idling, neither of us daring to speak first.
The drive back was suffocatingly silent, the city lights blurring through the rain-streaked windows. I kept replaying the conversation in my head, each word twisting like a knife. How could we have been so blind? All this time, we'd been chasing shadows while the truth stood right in front of us, wearing a familiar face.
"Now are you finally going to arrest him?" Hazel's voice cut through the silence, sharp and brittle. She leaned forward, her fingers digging into the back of my seat. "Make him tell you everything?"
I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white. "Oh, I'm going to do a whole lot more than arrest him." The thought of Tobias in a cell, facing Tim, brought a bitter smile to my lips. "Maybe I'll arrange a little reunion. Put Tobias in the same cell as Tim and mention how Tobias knew who killed Lucy all along. Let's see how our grieving father reacts to that."
"Jesus, Adriana." Hazel fell back against the seat, but I could see the reflection of her own dark thoughts in the window. "Do you think he knew? About Alisha being the mother of his child? How could he not know?"
I shook my head, unable to reconcile the man I once loved with this new, monstrous version. "I don't understand how she could look him in the eye every day and lie like that." My voice cracked. "There was a time when that man was my entire world. Now... now I look at him and feel nothing. How could she do it?"
Hazel shifted behind me, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "And you don't think he knew? Come on, Adriana. It takes one look, one moment of recognition for someone like him to figure it out. I bet he knew exactly what was happening. He just couldn't admit it to himself." She paused, then added, "But I don't think he killed her. If he'd been searching for her all this time, finding her just to kill her doesn't make sense."
I nodded reluctantly, tapping my fingers against the wheel. "You're right about that. He probably begged her to come back, to help raise their son." The thought made my stomach turn. "All this guessing is getting us nowhere. We need answers, not theories."
I made a sharp turn, the tires squealing in protest. "Call Tobias. Tell him to meet me—" I stopped myself. "No, scratch that. We're going to see him now."
The city skyline loomed ahead, a forest of steel and glass against the darkening sky. "It's still early enough. If we hurry, we can catch him at the office."
By the time we reached the precinct, my anger had cooled to a cold, calculated determination. I parked across the street, watching the lights on in Tobias's office window. "I can't go in there," I said suddenly, the words surprising even myself. "I'll lose it. You get him."
Hazel raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Fine. But if he gives me any trouble, I'm dragging him out by his perfect hair."
I watched her cross the street, her shoulders squared like a soldier heading into battle. Minutes stretched into an eternity before I saw them emerge—Hazel walking briskly, Tobias following with a confused expression. As they approached the car, I slid over, making room in the backseat.
The moment Tobias got in, the air grew thick with unspoken accusations. Hazel slipped into the front passenger seat, and I gave the driver a sharp nod. The car pulled away from the curb, trapping Tobias between me and the door.
"Good day, My Queen." His voice was smooth as ever, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him. How easily the lies flowed from his lips, even now.
"Tobias," I said, my voice dangerously quiet. "I didn't come here for pleasantries. I came here because I want to arrest you and throw you in jail."
He actually laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that vibrated through the car. "That's a good one, Adriana. Really." His amusement died when he met my eyes in the rearview mirror. The color drained from his face, leaving him pale and shaken.
"W-Why? What have I done? What is my offense?"
"I'm going to be very direct with you." I turned to face him fully, watching every flicker of emotion cross his face. "At what point did you know that Alisha was your missing girlfriend?"
His reaction wasn't what I expected. Instead of guilt or fear, I saw genuine confusion. "What?! What do you mean? Alisha isn't my girlfriend—I told you I was only with her to make Lucy jealous. There's nothing else between us."
"Stop playing games," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the mother of your son. The girlfriend you've been searching for all this time. You know she's Alisha. We know you know. Stop denying it."
He shook his head, his eyes wide with what looked like genuine shock. "I swear, I don't know what you're talking about." Tears welled in his eyes, and for a moment, I almost believed him.
I was about to call it off, to apologize for the misunderstanding, when Hazel twisted around in her seat, her face like thunder. "Tobias, cut the crap. We know you knew about her getting her face changed. We know about the abuse, everything. We know she was running away from her abuser and that she was schizophrenic. Alisha is loco!"
"She's not!" he shot back, his voice cracking. "Well, not at first. I didn't know what was happening. I tried to help, but she wouldn't let me. I thought it was because of the baby, but after she left, I started looking for her with no help. That's when I involved Lucy. That's when I met Alisha." He took a shaky breath. "The first time, I had a feeling she was familiar. Her mannerisms, the way she spoke... I asked her name, and she was so hostile. I told myself it couldn't be her."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "At what point did you know?"
His gaze dropped to his hands, clasped tightly in his lap. "The first time we had sex." His voice was barely audible. "There was a mark on her pelvic bone—her stepfather had given her a scar. It was there. I didn't have the guts to ask her about it, so I never mentioned it. But I knew. Even if I had asked, she would have denied it." He looked up, his eyes haunted. "Just as I'd found out, I think Lucy found out too. And that's why Alisha killed her."
The car fell silent, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Outside, the city lights blurred into meaningless streaks of color. I had my answer, but it brought no comfort—only more questions, more pain. And somewhere in this sprawling metropolis, a killer was still walking free.