Chapter 177
Chapter 177
Robert sat at the table, deep in thought, scouring for clues.
"Hey, check this out," Robert said in a hushed tone, keeping his cool. "Dana's high school class started with 50 kids, but only 48 graduated."
He paused, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "And not long after she dropped out, a boy also transferred schools. His last name is Carter."
He slowly handed the file about Jim to Ethan, his fingers lightly brushing over the paper as if contemplating its contents.
"Jim has an uncle who used to be a high-ranking officer in the local police department. And guess what? The boy was also a nephew of a high-ranking official."
Ethan's eyes widened, connecting the dots. "So, this dude is the supposed rapist? And Beckett's taking the fall?"
Robert nodded, his face serious. He turned to the missing persons' records, fixating on a name.
Robert's eyes widened briefly, then darkened. "Ethan, you gotta see this."
Ethan moved closer, seeing the name on the list, a sinking feeling in his gut.
"Yeah, the boy is on the missing list." Robert's voice was strained, emotions bubbling beneath the surface.
"He's gone," Robert murmured. "Something's off about all this."
Robert had pieced it all together.
"Remember that lady driver?" Robert's voice was steady but tinged with emotion. "Gary's child died in her crash. She vanished on Christmas three years ago, right?"
Ethan's heart raced, his expression grave. "Yeah."
Robert handed him the police report, his fingers trembling, eyes reflecting a mix of emotions.
"The boy's fam says they last saw him on Christmas, chatting in a group text. No one's seen him since."
Ethan paled, a sense of dread creeping in. "It fits perfectly."
Robert looked down, deep in thought. "If we follow this, Gary and Asher went after the rapist first."
He spoke with weight, "Gary made the boy vanish, and Asher took out the lady driver, swapping targets for revenge."
He paused, then added, "After that, Gary made Dana and Turtle vanish one by one. So, what's Asher been up to in Aurelia, Gary's hometown, all this time?"
Ethan's brow furrowed, grasping the complexity. He exhaled slowly, saying, "We thought Gary's next move was the rapist, but he's already taken care of that."
Robert's eyes sharpened, his voice certain. "So, who's Gary after now?"
His tone turned analytical. "Why snatch Sophia and Joseph suddenly? What's his end game?"
Ethan pondered deeply, a flicker of worry in his eyes. "If Gary's done with revenge, why keep going?"
Robert breathed in, composed. "Gary and Asher have a method. To predict Gary's next step, we need to see what's changed with the folks involved in the lady driver case. Any cops losing files, experts vanishing."
His gaze intensified, "Ethan, get Aurelia PD on this, fast-track it with the bosses' okay."
Ethan nodded, resolute. He acted swiftly, getting a response in minutes.
"Officer Davis," Ethan said gravely, "The cop who lost the files got canned post-incident. No ties to either side, just a slip-up. The lady driver's kin had no vanishings. And the old expert team? All still kicking."
Robert's brow furrowed slightly, doubts lingering.
"Nothing fishy?" he asked quietly, his expression serious.
Ethan paused, then murmured, "But the lady driver's folks got hit with cancer—liver, cervical. Her hubby's got stomach cancer now. One expert battles depression since last year."
Alive but suffering, as if fate had a cruel streak.
Robert's unease deepened.
"Is this Asher's revenge twist?" he mused softly, suspicion in his voice. "Can he cause cancer somehow?"
His inner turmoil grew, a puzzle unfolding.
"If Asher's into this swap game, why only two deaths by Gary? Why's Asher making more sacrifices?"
He exhaled, eyes clouded with doubt.
"There must be something we've overlooked," he said, lost in thought.