Chapter 102 Bryce's Visit and Dilemma
The news quickly spread like wildfire across all social media platforms, but Bryce and Devon had not yet seen it because these two were mourning Patricia, whose body was still lying in the cold room of the hospital. Marcus was with the other guards when he saw the news of Angela's arrest. He quickly made a call to someone after reading the news.
"Find out which police station Ms Angela was taken to. I need the information as soon as possible," Marcus said on the call and proceeded to the main house.
Angela was moved towards one of the holding cells at the station in handcuffs. The officer pushed her into the cell after taking the handcuffs off. Angela fell to the floor. The chief stood before the cell as soon as the officer locked it.
"Ms Angela Anderson, murderer of two Moore family members," the chief said. "Tell me, why?" he asked, staring at Angela, who was still sitting on the floor, her hair loose and covering her like a curtain.
"I didn't do it?" Angela whispered on her lips, still sitting on the floor.
"That is what they all say until the undeniable evidence stares them in the face," the chief said and went down, coming to the same level as Angela, who was still sitting on the floor. "Look, I can help you get a reduced sentence with possible parole. All you need to do is plead guilty. Don't let them go through all that trouble of getting evidence to nail you. It pisses them off and makes them apply a drastic punishment. I am going to write what happened on paper, and all you need to do is sign and plead guilty. You will be out in no time," he added and smiled.
"I didn't do it," Angela repeated and folded her legs under her, lowering her head.
Tears streamed down her face.
"If you didn't do it. Why were you running? Huh!" the chief questioned, his voice laced with anger.
Angela didn't have an answer to the question, so you remained silent.
"I want to help you, but I see you are not interested in helping yourself. So I will make sure you get punished for the lives you destroyed," the chief said through gritted teeth and left the place.
He was hoping he could get Angela to plead guilty, and there would be no need for further investigation. It was not easy for him to tamper with evidence found to make Angela look guilty. He already knew Angela was innocent, but Susan had made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Sex and money.
Inside the cell, Angela's head remained lowered as tears streamed down her face.
Back at the Moore family house, Marcus went to see Bryce.
"What is it?" Bryce asked, still sitting on the floor in front of the library.
"Sir, Ms Angela has been arrested," Marcus informed him, and Bryce lifted his head to stare at Marcus.
With the new evidence confirming Angela was the murderer of Elena, Bryce had thought the news of Angela's arrest would make him happy, but it rather made his heart skip multiple beats, and he tensed up quickly.
"When?" Bryce asked, standing up from the floor.
"It appears that happened an hour half ago. I have the name of the station where she was sent to," Marcus informed him.
"Let's go," Bryce said and stood to his feet.
Marcus and Bryce left the house for the police station. It was now past 9 p.m. After a couple of minutes' drive, they arrived at the station. Marcus parked the car, and Bryce got out of it. He walked towards the police station, closing the button on his jacket.
"I want to speak with the chief. Tell him Mr Moore is here," Bryce said to the lady at the reception.
After the lady confirmed with the chief, Bryce walked toward the chief's office. He knocked and entered.
"Ah, Mr Moore, you are here," the chief said with a smile and offered Bryce a handshake, but Bryce did not accept it.
"My men caught the murderer. I thought you would be happy your sister is getting justice, and if we confirm she killed your mum too, then your mum is also getting justice," the chief said.
"I want to see her. Can I?" Bryce asked, ignoring everything the chief said as it was annoying him.
"Sure," the chief replied.
"Is it possible to get some alone time with her?" Bryce asked.
"I can make some arrangements for you," the chief said realizing Bryce looked a bit different. "Give me a minute," he added, picked up the receiver of the phone on his table and dialled an extension.
"Hello, come to my office," he said and put the receiver back.
"Sir, you called," the officer who entered announced.
"Get the prisoner that was brought in this evening, Ms Angela, to one of the interrogation rooms. Mr Moore would like a word with her. Stay guard at the door and return Ms Angela to her cell," he instructed and shifted his gaze to Bryce. "Please go with him," he said, and Bryce thanked him.
Angela was still sitting on the floor in her cell when the officer came in.
"Just a couple of minutes here, and you already have a visitor. You must be a VIP criminal," the officer teased and giggled, but Angela still had her head lowered. "Stand up and come to the gate, let me put the handcuffs on you," he said, but Angela remained on the floor like she didn't hear.
The officer studied Angela for a while, and he opened the cell. He entered and locked it. He walked up to Angela and pulled her hands to her back. It was at this moment that he realised she was crying. The part of her dress covering her legs was wet with tears. He still pulled her up to her feet and put the handcuffs on her. He opened the cell, held Angela by the arms, pulled her out of the cell and headed for the interrogation room.
"Sir, you have ten minutes with her," the officer said after bringing Angela to the interrogation room.
"Thank you," Bryce said with his back facing the entrance of the interrogation room.
The officer left Angela standing right behind the closed door, facing Bryce's back with her hands still in cuffs. Bryce turned around and faced Angela. She had her head lowered. She was wearing a straight dress, and her hair was loose and freely flowing down her body to her waistline. Bryce's eyes shifted to her belly, knowing she was carrying his child.
"Why?" Bryce spoke, and Angela lifted her gaze to meet that of Bryce, hearing the familiar voice.
Her face was stained with tears, and Bryce read the surprise look in her eyes amidst her tears.
"You were not expecting to see me, right?" Bryce said and walked up to her.
He pulled her by the arms and made her sit on the chair behind the table. He was careful with her, knowing she was pregnant.
"Start with why you ran away from the hospital, and tell me why you killed my mother and sister. How did they wrong you?" Bryce questioned, his voice laced with anger.
Angela remained silent. She could not tell Bryce, she ran away from the hospital because she suspected his family somehow had something to do with her parents' murder. She has nothing to back her claims.
"Answer me, dammit," Bryce yelled, slamming his hand on the table.
Angela let out a scared cry and jumped on her seat.
"I didn't do it," Angela spoke, her voice laced with sadness and pain.
Bryce's heart ached hearing Angela's sad voice. All the evidence gathered so far points to Angela as the criminal, yet Bryce was hurt seeing her in prison in such a condition. Staring at her, Bryce wanted to get her out of the place, take her to a safe place, and make her feel safe. His heart was breaking seeing her tears and reading the sadness in her voice.
He calmed himself and sat down realizing his anger towards her was hurting him too. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted her head to stare at his face. Angela lowered her lashes, so her eyes looked like they were closed. Bryce stared at her face, and for a blink second, Bryce found himself inching closer to her. He snapped out of it before he could kiss her tempting lips.
"What is happening to me? How is it that I lose all my control around her? Focus, Bryce, she murdered your sister," Bryce thought and quickly retrieved his hand.
"We will get you the best lawyers not to defend you but to make a request before the judge to have you kept in a guarded place because of your condition. Once you have the baby, you will be transferred to prison to serve your sentence. Whatever that will be. I will take full custody of the child," Bryce said in his deep voice.
Angela lifted her gaze to stare at Bryce when she heard what he had just said. The pain in her eyes further broke Bryce's heart. He turned around and headed for the door, unable to look at her anymore. He opened the door and exited. He knew a minute longer ,and he may do the unthinkable. Kiss her and try to console her and probably get her out of the place. She is a criminal, and yet he still wants her.
Bryce left the station and was soon in the back seat of his car heading home. He could not shake off the desire built in him for her when he saw her again. His anger and the fact that the evidence makes her guilty of the crime committed were also there.
"She killed my sister, and I still want her as my woman. What kind of strange feeling is this?" Bryce thought as he dealt with his desires, which were now on the surface.
He has met a lot of women in his life, including Susan, his childhood friend, but none has been able to capture his attention, let alone build this kind of chemistry with him.