Chapter 66 Framed

Chapter 66 Framed
I screamed. My voice tore from my throat like a wounded animal.

My heart stopped beating. Everything went silent except for the pounding in my ears.

"Matthew! Matthew!" I called his name over and over.

I dropped to my knees beside his small body. I was afraid to touch him. Afraid to hold him too tight. My heart was breaking into a million pieces.

I wanted to kill those kidnappers. I wanted to hunt them down and make them pay.

My vision blurred. My hands shook as I pressed them against Matthew's throat. I tried to stop the blood. So much blood.

"Morrison, find them! Kill them! Kill them!" I must have sounded insane.

"I'll do everything I can!" Morrison promised.

Morrison put his arm around me. He patted my shoulder gently. Then he suddenly grabbed me and shook me hard.

"Ashley! Look! Matthew's hand just moved!"

Goosebumps ran up my arms. I put my trembling hand under Matthew's nose. My fingers shook.

Weak breath touched my fingertips. So faint I almost couldn't feel it.

"Morrison, Morrison..."

Morrison understood immediately. He checked Matthew's breathing. Then he yelled.

"Doctor! Get him to the ambulance!"

Matthew!

Matthew wasn't dead!

My breath caught in my throat. I couldn't breathe. My vision went black. I waved my hands frantically, trying to grab something to help me.

"Ashley, listen to me. Breathe out! Breathe in!" Morrison covered my mouth with his hand. He helped me control my breathing.

I followed Morrison's commands. I slowly adjusted my breathing rhythm. The tightness in my chest got better. My breathing became steady again.

As soon as I felt a little better, I grabbed Morrison and asked about Matthew.

"How is Matthew?"

"Matthew's in the ambulance. You need to get over there right now. I can't come with you. I have to investigate the scene." Morrison helped me stand up.

I knew he'd already helped me so much. He was a cop with his own duties.

"I can handle it. Thank you, Morrison."

I followed the ambulance to the hospital. The doctors worked on Matthew during the ride.

I sat outside the operating room waiting. James showed up soon after. He was breathing hard and looked panicked.

"Ashley, how is Matthew? I finished giving my statement and heard they'd rescued Matthew."

Seeing James, my tears finally came. I threw myself into his arms and sobbed.

James was family. I didn't have to be strong anymore.

"They cut his throat. The doctors are operating, but we don't know the results yet. James, I'm so scared."

I looked toward the operating room. Tears kept falling down my face.

James held me tighter. He didn't move. I could feel his muscles tense up. He must be worried about Matthew too.

"Did they catch those two kidnappers?" James asked.

"No. They were already gone when we got there."

"Damn! They got away!" James's voice was full of anger.

"How long has Matthew been in there?" James asked.

"Almost an hour."

"I hope Matthew will be okay." James looked at the operating room door.

We held each other and waited outside the operating room. I don't know how I would have gotten through that long time without James.

I don't know how much time passed. The operating room light went out. I stood up immediately.

I looked at the doctor with hope in my eyes.

"The patient is out of danger now. He'll be moved to the ICU in a moment."

I lost all my strength. If James hadn't caught me, I would have collapsed on the floor.

I put on isolation clothes and went into the ICU to see Matthew for a while. He was still unconscious. The doctor said if he could make it through tonight, his chances of survival would be much higher.

I knew I wouldn't sleep tonight. I would stay with Matthew.

Visiting time was over, so I left. But I didn't go far. I stood outside the ICU window looking at Matthew.

Morrison came then. He asked about Matthew's condition.

"We found some of Julio's fingerprints at the crime scene." Morrison's eyebrows were furrowed when he said this.

"I knew it was him! It has to be Julio!" James shouted excitedly.

A nurse came over and told him to be quiet. He angrily sat back down in his chair.

"It's Julio, that crazy bastard!"

"James, calm down. This can't be Julio's doing." Morrison tried to calm James down.

"You want to protect Julio too? Did he buy you off too?" James grabbed Morrison by the collar and questioned him.

I pulled them apart.

"James, you're being too impulsive!"

"Ashley, why are you saying that too?" James looked disappointed.

"Julio has been restricted to that house since he got back from the cruise. How could he leave fingerprints at the crime scene?" I explained patiently to James.

Even though I hated Julio, law enforcement required evidence. I wouldn't frame him just for revenge.

"But that doesn't mean this has nothing to do with him." James kept insisting.

"Julio was watched by our people all night after questioning at the station yesterday. He had no way to contact those two kidnappers privately. How did the kidnappers get Julio's fingerprints? From this angle, it's more likely someone is framing Julio." Morrison analyzed calmly.

I agreed with Morrison. Julio had too many enemies. Many people wanted to frame him.

But why did they choose Matthew? Did someone else know about Matthew and Julio's relationship?

"Fine, you all believe him." James was unhappy.

I hugged James. I told him that even if Julio wasn't the mastermind behind this crime, it couldn't make up for the crimes he'd committed before.

James felt better then.

About three days later, Matthew woke up. Morrison's investigation had results too. They found the two men who kidnapped Matthew.

"They're already dead." Morrison told me.

"In another empty factory building ten meters away. The person who killed them must be the mastermind. And judging from their time of death, the killer was in that factory committing murder while we were rescuing Matthew."