Chapter 20

"Her dad's the only one left at home. I'll go see him tomorrow."

"You're going?" Elaine looked at Travis, puzzled.

Travis nodded and explained the situation to Elaine.

He picked up the documents on the table. "Take these. You might need them tomorrow."

"Thanks."

Back at his place, Travis sprawled lazily on his bed.

He looked at the photos Kian had taken at the scene.

There were no clues except for the men's razor.

He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning.

Charles showed up in Travis's office, looking exhausted and holding Aurora's laptop.

"Captain Smith, this woman is definitely a computer whiz."

"What do you mean?"

Charles placed the laptop in front of Travis. "Look, all the data is encrypted. I spent all night trying to crack it."

"Those videos weren't found by me; she deliberately put them out there."

Travis squinted his eyes. "Deliberately put them out?"

Charles nodded. "She used the videos to hide this file."

He opened a folder with no labels.

Inside were names, quantities, and contact information.

"Based on my analysis, these are likely Aurora's clients."

"I also checked Aurora's accounts. There are large transfers in her bank account."

"All the money was deposited into Ethan's café's communal account."

Travis's face changed. Drugs!

"Contact Jerry and have him check the membership list."

"I need to see Aurora's supervisor."

Charles nodded and left with the laptop.

Travis rubbed his forehead, not expecting such a big mess even after Ethan's death.

About half an hour later, Aurora's supervisor arrived at the interrogation room, looking uneasy.

Before Travis could ask anything, the supervisor hurriedly spoke, "Officer, I have nothing to do with Aurora!"

Kian slammed the table. "You say you have nothing to do with her?"

"Our investigation shows you had a close relationship with Aurora, and we found a men's razor at the scene."

"Are you sure you have nothing to do with this?"

The supervisor was startled by Kian's words and anxiously replied, "I did have a few sexual encounters with Aurora, but that was it. I ended it afterward."

"As for the razor, I have no idea. I've never been to her place."

Travis stepped in front of the supervisor. "Did you know Aurora was using drugs?"

Upon hearing the word "drugs," the supervisor's face turned pale.

He slumped in the chair. "No... no way... drugs! Then I..."

He had just slept with Aurora a few days ago.

"How was Aurora's relationship with others at your company?"

The supervisor stammered, "It was... okay, but everyone knew Aurora had a boyfriend, so..."

He was clearly nervous.

Kian glanced at Travis, who nodded slightly.

"Alright, you can go for now. We'll contact you if we need more information."

Before leaving, the supervisor asked, "Officer, if Aurora was using drugs, will my health be affected?"

"I suggest you get checked out. Who knows what else Aurora might have had."

The supervisor looked like he was about to cry.

Kian watched him with disdain. "Captain Smith, are we just letting this guy go?"

"He has nothing to do with this," Travis said, changing the subject. "Did you find Aurora's father's address?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Let's go."

They grabbed the case files and drove off. It wasn't too far, about a five-hour drive.

In a town in the mountains, the temperature dropped, and they didn't need the air conditioning. The mountains were in full view.

After the long drive, Travis and Kian finally arrived. The first thing they did was stretch.

"Captain Smith, this is the place."

Travis approached the yard and knocked on the door.

A man in his fifties looked at Travis with confusion. "Who are you?"

Travis showed his badge. "We're police officers investigating your daughter Aurora's case."

The man's face immediately turned cold. "I don't know any Aurora. I don't care if she's dead or alive. Do whatever you want, just don't bother me."

He slammed the door shut.

"What do you mean, old man? You're just abandoning your daughter?" Kian shouted.

"Yes, abandoning her! Get lost!" The man's angry voice came from inside the yard.

"Are you here to see Orion?" A helpful neighbor approached Travis and Kian.

Travis nodded. "We're looking into his daughter's situation."

"I thought so."

The neighbor glanced at the yard and lowered his voice. "You don't know, Orion's daughter is no saint..."

The neighbor was about to say more when the door suddenly opened.

Orion stood at the door, pointing at the neighbor. "Damn you! Get lost! You have no right to talk about my daughter."

Before Travis and Kian could react, Orion pulled them into the yard. He sat down husking corn with a grim expression, ignoring them.

Kian spoke sternly, "Orion, about Aurora..."

Travis interrupted, "It's about the drugs, isn't it?"

Orion's hands paused, but he didn't speak. His movements became quicker.

No one spoke for a while. Finally, Orion said slowly, "She was using drugs."

"I sent her to rehab twice. Each time she came out, she went back to her old ways."

"She sold everything in the house. She even stole the retirement money her mother and I had saved."

"When did you find out she was using drugs?" Travis asked.

Orion looked up, and only then did they notice his eyes were red.

He struggled to control his trembling voice. "Five years ago, she said she was going out with friends."

"When she came back, she was out of it. I thought she was drunk, but..."

Orion's hands shook uncontrollably, his voice choked. "She was high on drugs."

"That was her first time in rehab."

"I thought she would quit, but she got worse."

"She stopped coming home, and when she did, she stole our money."

Orion's eyes were red. "Aurora deserved to die. She should have died long ago."

"Her mother didn't die in a car accident; she was driven to death by Aurora."