Chapter 46 Chapter 46
It was almost 8:20, and Grace didn't have time to grieve. She had to make it to roll call on time. Fortunately, there were spare clothes in the room. She changed quickly and rushed over. Though she wasn't late, most of the students had already arrived. To her surprise, the department chair was there, too. He glanced at her but didn't drag her out for a scolding.
The forum was set to open that afternoon, and Grace and her team were busier than ever. It wasn't until late afternoon that they could finally catch their breath. Grace checked the time, swapped shifts with a colleague, citing a headache, and returned to her room alone. She used the landline to call the young woman from the day before, gave her her room number, and asked, "Can you come now? If not, I'll contact you another day."
"Yes!" the girl replied. "I'll be right over."
Within twenty minutes, the girl arrived. She knocked, then hesitated to enter, peering inside. Seeing only Grace, she finally asked, "Ms. Hill, do you know who I am?"
"You're Officer Meyer's daughter." Grace answered. The photos on the girl's phone showed her and Officer Meyer together. They were intimate, and the backgrounds and clothing were repeated across multiple pictures. Few people outside of family or friends would take photos like that. Considering their age difference, Grace could easily guess the girl's identity. She motioned for the girl to come in and said, "We don't have much time. We need to talk quickly."
Surprise flashed in the girl's eyes, but she obediently followed Grace inside. She sat down at the window-side coffee table, pulled out a worn black notebook, and took the sticky note pad Grace had given her yesterday out of her backpack. Opening the notebook, she took out a piece of paper and placed it alongside the sticky notes in front of Grace. "Ms. Hill," she asked, "do you recognize this?"
Grace recognized it. It was the personal information about Benjamin that she had left with Officer Meyer when she went to verify his identity. She had taken the details from Benjamin’s ID card: his name, date of birth, and address.
Seeing her nod, the girl continued, "My name is Wendy Meyer. Carlo Meyer was my father. He died in a car accident on October 21. I found this note while sorting through his belongings. Ms. Hill, you wrote this to my father, didn't you?”
Grace nodded again. "Yes, I did."
Wendy stared at her, pressing, "Why did you give my father this note?"
Grace didn't answer. After looking up at her for a moment, she countered, "What are you investigating? Why approach Benjamin just because of this note?”
"No," Wendy shook her head, her face showing a calmness beyond her years. "It's not just because of this note. As for why I'm investigating Benjamin, Ms. Hill, you need to tell me why you wrote this note to my dad first." She held up the small black notebook and added, "This is my dad's case notebook. Everything in here relates to his investigations. He tucked the note you gave him inside.”
She was a very sharp young woman. Grace looked at her, avoiding her questions, and asked in a low voice, "How old are you? Does your family know what you're doing now?"
Despite her growing irritation at Grace's evasiveness, Wendy, clearly well-mannered, answered patiently. "I'm eighteen and just got into college. As for my family..." She paused, her eyes reddening, before continuing. "Only my grandmother remains. She's seventy and hasn't been well lately. She rarely leaves her room anymore.”
Grace was somewhat surprised, but she felt more sympathy for the young girl in front of her.
Seeing her reaction, the girl said, "Ms. Hill, you don't need to feel sorry. I don't think there's anything pitiful about my situation. Though I never had a mother, my grandmother has been very good to me. And my father treated me like his precious treasure before he passed away. With the two of them, I was very happy.”
"You're a good girl," Grace nodded. After a pause, she added, "But studying hard and taking care of your grandmother are all you need to do now—not to investigate Benjamin. Even if your father were alive, I believe he wouldn't want you doing dangerous things.”
"If he were alive, he'd only want me to be strong, not a coward!" Wendy seemed to have lost all patience. She stuffed her notebook and sticky notes back into her backpack, stood up, and said coldly, "Ms. Hill, if you don't want to answer my questions, I'll find the answers myself. I don't need you telling me what I should."
In stark contrast to Wendy's outburst, Grace remained composed. Even as Wendy turned to leave, Grace merely lifted her gaze and watched her impassively. "Wendy, I need a smart partner, not an impulsive girl. If you can't even muster this patience, I don't think you should be investigating Benjamin. Before you pursue this, perhaps you should arrange for your grandmother's care so she can live out her days in peace."
Wendy halted and turned to face her. "What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said." Grace replied, adding, "If you still want to avenge your father, then tell me—how did you come to suspect Benjamin?"
Wendy pressed her lips together and tilted her head to study Grace. After a moment, she turned back and sat down across from her. "Why should I trust you?" she demanded. "Yesterday, I saw you sitting with Benjamin. He was holding your shoulders with both hands."
Grace watched her for a moment, then curved her lips into a mocking smile. "Were you in the lobby yesterday?" she countered. “Did you see the video that replaced the one on the display screen?”
Wendy had seen it, of course, but she hadn't paid much attention because she had focused on Benjamin at the time. "That porn video?"
"That porn video?" Grace repeated softly, letting out a self-mocking chuckle before speaking calmly. "Yes. I was the female lead in it. It happened just days after your father's accident. Benjamin kidnapped me, injected me with drugs against my will, and directed the filming of that video.”
Wendy's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Grace in disbelief.
Grace merely smiled. "Do you still think Benjamin's actions toward me were intimate? Do you still think I can't be trusted?"
Wendy couldn't respond. After a moment, as if finally gathering her resolve, Wendy said, "Ms. Hill, the truck that hit my father belonged to a company under Norman Science. It seemed like a simple accident until I found your note while sorting through my father's belongings. That's when Grandma and I realized his death might not have been so straightforward—he might have been murdered.”
Grace, however, was concerned about something else. She frowned slightly and asked, "After you found the note, did you tell anyone else? Since you suspected it wasn't just an accident, did you report it to the police or seek help from your father's colleagues?"