Chapter 254

Chapter 254

Audrey told her to approach Stefan under the guise of collaboration.

The day Arabella left, Audrey reminded her, "Act natural. Don't rush into asking questions. Let him trust you first."

After Arabella departed, Audrey knew Cameron wouldn't just sit back and do nothing. She needed to prepare herself.

Sure enough, that very afternoon, as Audrey left the hotel, she noticed something was off.

Across from the hotel lobby, on the opposite side of the street, a gray van sat parked beneath a row of trees. When Audrey passed by, she caught a glimpse of it from the corner of her eye—the same van that had been there five minutes ago when she'd gone down to grab coffee.

She kept walking without breaking stride, her pace natural, as if she hadn't noticed a thing.

Instead of heading straight back to the hotel, she turned into a bustling commercial street nearby. After weaving through the crowd for a moment, she slipped into a large bookstore that was still open. Through the display window, she spotted a man in a dark jacket across the street, stopping to pretend to tie his shoelace.

Audrey pulled her gaze away and selected a magazine from the shelf, flipping through it leisurely.

She deliberately stayed in the bookstore for nearly half an hour. Once she'd confirmed her tail was still there, she finally walked back out and hailed a cab, giving an address far from the hotel.

The gray van followed, keeping its distance a few cars back—not too close, not too far.

The cab stopped in an old residential area on the west side of the city. Audrey paid the fare and got out, walking briskly into a narrow alley.

The person behind her didn't follow too closely, but never lost track of her either.

Audrey wove through the alley, turning this way and that, until she finally stopped in front of a building.

She pushed the door open and walked inside. The person behind her hesitated for a few seconds before slipping in after her.

The lobby was empty and dimly lit. The moment he crossed the threshold, he heard a soft click behind him—the door had closed.

He spun around sharply to find Audrey leaning against the door. "Are you one of Cameron's people, or Eagle Eye's?"

The man's expression flickered. He clearly hadn't expected to be counter-tracked. He didn't answer. Instead, he instinctively took half a step back, his right hand moving toward his waist.

Audrey glanced at his movement, her tone still calm. "I suggest you don't. First, you can't beat me. Second, I've already sent my location to the police. Even if you take me down, you won't make it out of this building."

The man froze. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Mr. Wheeler sent me to confirm whether you're investigating in the direction he told you to."

"How thoughtful of him." Audrey raised an eyebrow. "Go back and tell Cameron I'm looking into the mole in the Turner family. Tell him to sit tight and wait."

The man hesitated, unsure whether to move. Audrey didn't give him time to think. "Still here?"

The man silently passed by her and disappeared quickly around the corner of the alley.

Audrey watched the direction he'd gone and let out a quiet breath. This round of probing hadn't revealed anything suspicious on her part. Cameron shouldn't suspect her again—at least not for now.

By the time she returned to the hotel, it was already dark. Audrey sat down on the couch and checked her phone. There was still no word from Arabella. She was probably still on the road.

She leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. The image of Bronte at seven years old, hiding behind a pillar with those watchful eyes, kept flashing through her mind.

Audrey suddenly remembered what Cameron had said that day: "Some truths, when known too clearly, only make life harder for those left behind."

Maybe he was right. But Audrey would rather be exhausted and awake than comfortable and clueless.

The next evening, Arabella finally contacted her.

"How's it going on your end?" Audrey answered the call.

"The family's easier to approach than I expected. After I got to the town, I first reached out to someone at the local arts and culture department. I told them I was working on a project about coastal folk crafts and wanted to do oral history interviews with local elders."

"They recommended several families. I deliberately avoided Stefan's household at first. I spent two days with other families until everyone in town thought I was legit. Only then did I mention I'd heard about an old security equipment shop that had been around for decades and wanted to check it out."

"The old man's still alive, but he's hard of hearing and doesn't get around well. His son basically runs the shop now."

"His son's name is Theron Hensley. He's in his forties, not much of a talker, but he was pretty polite to me. I spent the whole afternoon in the shop, saying I wanted to photograph some old security equipment for reference material. He didn't think much of it and even volunteered to tell me about how the area has changed over the years."

"And then?"

"Then, as I was leaving, he said something that really caught my attention. He said his father used to work in Suncrest City, but after something happened there, his father felt uneasy and moved here."

Arabella paused. "I didn't ask anything at the time. I just casually mentioned that I knew Suncrest City, that there were a lot of old mansions there, some still preserved in their original style."

"He said yeah, his father used to guard a really big old mansion. After that place burned down, his father always said it was such a shame."

"Then, before I left, he said something else. He said his father told him to keep a letter safe—something his father had taken from the old mansion. He said if anyone ever came looking for it, that letter could save their lives."

Audrey's heartbeat quickened. "Did he say what was in the letter?"

"Not directly. But I asked if it belonged to the owner of the mansion. He didn't deny it—just gave a vague acknowledgment and didn't continue the topic. But he did mention one thing: the letter was written by someone else, not by the mansion's owner."

Audrey fell silent for a moment. That letter could very well be the promise Eagle Eye had written to the mole back then. If she could get her hands on it, it would prove Eagle Eye's direct connection to the Turner family massacre.

"What are you planning to do next?" Audrey asked.

"The family still trusts me for now. I'm thinking of staying a couple more days and finding a way to get that letter."

"Good." Audrey didn't offer much more advice. She simply said, "Stay safe."

"Don't worry."

After the call ended, Audrey put down her phone. She could feel it—she was getting closer and closer to the answer.

Cameron was temporarily placated. Arabella had made a breakthrough. Now, all Audrey had to do was wait for that letter to arrive, and then find the direct link between Eagle Eye and the Turner family massacre.