Chapter 61

Chapter 61

“Alright, that’s enough hugging,” she said, pulling Micheal off.

“Oh my God!” She puffed out her hair, glaring at him. “Were you planning on suffocating me? I might just disappear for real,” she scoffed.

Micheal laughed lightly. Ariel felt dumbstruck.

He looked almost otherworldly laughing in that manner. She quickly turned her gaze.

“Get in and come help with the dishes.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Micheal said dramatically.

Ariel rolled her eyes and walked back in to finish what she was doing.

She finished making the pasta while Micheal arranged the plates on the dining table. Ariel dished out the food and then settled down to eat.

The hot steam rising from the pasta was irresistible. Micheal could not ignore the aroma— it smelled incredible. He looked at Ariel, who gave him a look that clearly said, you’re going to be surprised.

Micheal, liking the challenge, twirled his fork into the pasta, rolled it over the cutlery, and slowly brought it to his mouth.

As if struck by lightning, he paused, slowly chewed, and then licked his lips. He noticed Ariel staring at him with a mocking gaze and quickly covered his mouth with his hands.

“How did you do it? You suddenly got better overnight,” Micheal said.

Ariel smiled. “I was determined, watched a few videos online, and then I made it,” she explained as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Micheal nodded, taking bite after bite of the pasta.

Ariel stopped eating, staring at him. Micheal looked up as he was about to dip another spoonful in his mouth, then he dropped it.

“I—I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I’m sorry, I’ll just—” she said, already standing.

“Tell me. What is it?”

Ariel looked at him, unsure.

“Please,” Micheal added.

She sat back down. “I stayed up all night working on the case. Don’t be mad I didn’t call you. I just saw you fast asleep, and it really looked like you needed it, so I couldn’t disturb you,” she quickly explained.

She continued, “I compared Freya’s murder to the other five that happened after hers. Two were journalists, and three were women who lived around the club that caught fire.”

The five pictures were spread out in front of them. She separated the girls accordingly: journalists on one side, and residents around the club on the other.

“Freya was also a journalist, and one thing these journalists have in common is that they were working on the case, searching for answers about the girls who went missing before the club fire. The girls who lived around the club… I did some digging and found out they worked as waitresses and were at the club when it caught fire but happened to escape.”

Micheal listened attentively. “So, the murders are centered on the club fire.”

Ariel nodded.

“But there’s something else,” she continued. “Just last night, Mrs. Jones sent me a message— another murder happened. She was killed in her home.”

Micheal furrowed his brows. “Does it have anything to do with the club fire?"

Ariel sighed. “The woman’s husband is a cop. He frequented the club and probably saw when the fire started. To silence him, the murderer killed his wife.”

She showed Micheal a video on her phone—how the killer continued to tear the woman’s body, her internal organs were almost visible while she was still breathing, forcing her husband to watch. His face and body were fully covered, making it difficult to identify him.

Micheal couldn’t watch any longer. He paused the video, closing his eyes tightly in pain.

“Anyone would go crazy after witnessing that,” he muttered.

Ariel collected her phone. “Well, the man has been in fear ever since and has refused to talk.”

“But the killer could have just killed the man. Instead, he went after the wife.”

“I think he goes after women only, just like SK,” Ariel replied.

“But if we figure out the reason for the club fire, we might understand why all this started and how to stop this killer—to get justice for Freya,” she added.

“Let’s see Mrs. Cole first. She arranged her husband to be in the club and killed him. She must know something,” Micheal suggested.

Ariel gave a subtle nod.


At the prison, they spoke with the warden and immediately left for Mrs. Jones’s office.

Just as they entered, Mrs. Jones was finishing a call.

“Detective Ariel, I was just about to call you,” she said.

“Mrs. Cole got released?” Ariel asked in disbelief.

“I just finished speaking with the commissioner,” Mrs. Jones replied.

“Ma’am, how is that possible? She’s a murderer. Her sentence was death by hanging,” Micheal said, annoyance in his voice.

“You both should calm down,” Mrs. Jones said, settling into her chair.

“She—”

“She…?” Ariel prompted, leaning forward.

Mrs. Jones sighed, steepling her fingers. “She struck a deal.”

Micheal’s jaw tightened. “A deal? What kind of deal lets a murderer walk free?”

“Apparently, she provided vital information— about the origins of the fire and the identity of the person behind it. The commissioner agreed to commute her sentence in exchange,” Mrs. Jones explained.

Ariel frowned, exchanging a glance with Micheal. “You’re telling me that this woman, who watched people die and caused so much pain, is free because she… talked?”

Mrs. Jones nodded. “Yes. She claims she knows who orchestrated the fire and why. If what she says is true, it could lead us to the person responsible for all the killings.”

Micheal rubbed his temple. “This doesn’t sit right. People like her… they manipulate, they lie. How do we know she’s telling the truth?”

“We don’t,” Ariel admitted softly. “But if she’s lying, at least we’re no worse off than we are now.”

Mrs. Jones gave a small, tight smile. “She’s in the visitor’s room. I’ll let her speak with you, but be careful. She’s cunning and knows how to twist things in her favor.”

Ariel nodded, her heart pounding. “We’ll handle it.”

They walked into the visitor’s room. The sterile scent of the prison lingered in the air. At the far end, a woman sat calmly, posture perfect, fingers interlaced on the table. Her eyes flicked up to meet Ariel’s, a faint, unreadable smile on her lips.

“Detective Ariel. Micheal,” she said, her voice smooth, almost hypnotic. “I was wondering when you’d come to see me.”

“Mrs. Cole,” Ariel said, keeping her voice steady. “You’re free now?"

The woman leaned back slightly, her eyes gleaming. “Because I gave them what they wanted. Information. The truth about the fire. About who really set it… and why.”

Micheal exchanged a look with Ariel. “And why should we believe you?”

Mrs. Cole’s smile widened, faintly malicious. “Because, Detective… if you don’t, more people die. And trust me, you don’t want that on your conscience.”

Ariel’s pulse quickened. She leaned in. “Start talking. Every detail, from the beginning.”

Mrs. Cole placed her hands on the table, her tone calm, almost clinical. “Very well. Let’s begin with the night the fire started…”