Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Following Robert's lead, Ethan delved into his investigation. He grabbed his phone and started dialing the numbers of students who shared classes with Dana in the past.

After the first call was picked up, Ethan wasted no time and brought up Dana's name right away.

"Dana? Can't say I remember her much. We lost touch after graduation," the voice on the other end sounded distant and impatient. Before Ethan could dig deeper, the person abruptly hung up.

Frowning, Ethan hung up feeling a bit disheartened. He quickly shook it off and dialed the next number.

As the second call connected, the friendly tone turned cautious and chilly at the mention of Dana's name, as if wary of trouble.

"Oh, Dana? I have no clue how she's been lately, and I ain't looking to find out. Don't drag me into any mess," the voice said firmly.

Ethan ended the call, leaned back in his chair, gazed up at the ceiling, and tapped his fingers on the desk, muttering, "Why's everyone acting so weird about her?"

He dialed the third number.

"Dana?" The person hesitated, then with a touch of disdain, remarked, "Hey, steer clear of her, she's nothing but trouble."

Ethan's frown deepened as he grew more puzzled. Why were his classmates either dodging Dana or showing animosity towards her? What had she done?

Finally, in one call, he got a different perspective.

"Dana, huh? She's cute, but she used to bully folks at school, especially those she didn't like, all because of her troublemaker boyfriend."

This piqued Ethan's interest, and he jumped in, "Troublemaker? Who? Can you recall his name?"

After a brief pause, the person hesitated, "I don't really know his name. Why not ask a dude called Monkey? He might have the scoop."

"Who's Monkey?" Ethan's voice carried urgency.

"Well, I forgot his real name, but his last name's Hayes. He bailed in his senior year. Dana's crew gave him a hard time, poor guy."

Ethan hung up the phone and looked down at the roster, but he couldn't find anyone with the last name Hayes.

Ethan ended the call, circling "Monkey" on a piece of paper.

After pondering, he turned to Robert, "Officer Davis, this man with the last name Hayes, nicknamed 'Monkey,' could be crucial. Let's hit up Dana's former guidance counselor."

Ethan and Robert strolled into the school and found a spacious yet somewhat empty office. The former guidance counselor, now the principal, sported reading glasses, sifting through files.

"Monkey?" The principal paused, furrowing his brow, "Can't quite recall. I have the grad pic, but if he split early, he might not be in there."

Ethan's curiosity peaked, "Any memories of Dana back then? Or who she rolled with among the troublemakers?"

The principal shook his head, "There were too many students back then, and every day was a whirlwind. No one brought up such things voluntarily. Can't recollect."

Robert and Ethan left the principal's office, heading to the school's security guard station.

An elderly guard sipped tea in the duty room. When they mentioned "Monkey," he adjusted his glasses, a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

"Monkey? Rings a bell. For the deets, hit up Zane Anderson, ex-security guard here, he's got the lowdown."

Following the lead from the security guard, they swiftly located Zane.

Zane's dimly lit house was hazy with smoke. As he recounted the past between puffs, a touch of sadness colored his voice.

"Monkey's real name is Beckett Hayes. He bailed in the first semester of his senior year. Rumors swirled, saying it was academic stress, but the truth is, the school booted him."

Ethan perked up, "Why'd they kick him out?"

Zane hushed his tone, exhaling, "Ten years back, on a Sunday, a rape case hit the school. The perp got nabbed but leaped off a building and croaked while the cops weren't looking. That perp was Beckett."

Robert's gaze hardened, "Who saw it go down?"

Zane flicked cigarette ash, "I recall a girl and two guys. The girl was Dana. One guy, a troublemaker, went by Turtle. He seemed like an orphan; I never knew his real name."

"And the other guy?" Robert probed.

"Dunno about him. But after that mess, our ex-principal's career skyrocketed."

Exiting Zane's place, Robert's brow furrowed deeper, connecting dots in his mind.

Meanwhile, Ethan puzzled over it. He murmured to Robert, "If Turtle's the buried body, this case ain't simple. But how's it tie back to Ada?"

Deep in thought, Robert mused after a beat, "If we can confirm Turtle's identity and find the woman who was victimized back then, maybe we can unravel all of this."

Ethan nodded, gazing out the window with a mix of emotions, "But we're missing key proof."

They headed to the local cop shop, only to hit a dead end – no records of Beckett's case from a decade ago!

"How come there ain't no records?" Ethan shot a disbelieving look at the reception officer.

The officer scratched his head, looking lost, "We've searched high and low, but there's zilch here. Could it be this whole thing's a ghost?"

Storming out of the station, Ethan muttered curses, "What a waste of time! What's our move now?"

But Robert stayed cool, "Let's hit up the education department. Maybe the ex-principal knows something."

Arriving at the department, they learned the person was out on a business trip.

Forced to circle back to the police station, Robert decided to give Ada another shot. Maybe she had info on Beckett?

"Back when you ran the bookstore, remember a dude called Monkey?" Robert probed.

Ada, looking worn out, replied, "What's the deal? I've come clean, just cuff me already."

Robert knew she still mistakenly believed her daughter had killed her husband. To protect her daughter, she was trying to take the blame herself.

"Ada, you and your daughter ain't guilty. There might be another creep lurking. Cops need your help to clear your names. So, think hard on my question," Robert pressed.

After a pause, Ada exhaled and started to recall.

Ada mused, then exclaimed, "I recall now. Monkey's last name was Hayes, skinny and picked on. If I saw him, I'd let him hide in my shop."

"Any idea who was bullying him?" Robert prodded.