Chapter 35 DARKNESS
\[ARIA POV\]
The screen turns dark.
Yet that picture’s stuck in my head.
My brother. That old chair. Then - someone in dark clothes, just there, behind his back.
Then the knife.
The blood.
His body started to go slack.
People inside the press room are yelling nonstop. Lights pop from cameras everywhere. Questions fire out fast from journalists.
Yet my ears catch no sound.
Just white noise.
Just hearing my heartbeat.
Marcus takes hold of my arm.
"Aria—"
I step back - then dash off. Off I go.
Left the meeting space. Then headed down the corridor. Finally slipped out through the rear door.
I reach the parking lot just in time before falling down.
Hands resting on my knees. I’m struggling to catch air.
He killed him.
The murderer took my brother’s life.
On live television.
In full view of all.
Before my eyes.
Sarah chases behind right after I leave.
"Aria, I'm so sorry—"
"Don't."
"We're going to find him. We're going to—"
"He's dead. You saw it. Everyone saw it."
"We don't know that for sure. The feed cut out. Maybe—"
"Stop."
I sit up. Then I rub the sweat off my skin.
"I need to go home."
"You shouldn't be alone right now."
"I need to see Ethan."
Marcus shows up by the doorway.
"Aria, we need you to stay. Answer some questions. The captain—"
"I'm leaving."
"Aria—"
"I said I'm leaving."
I hop into my ride. Then fire up the motor.
Drive.
I can’t recall the trip back. Not sure how I parked. Can’t think about reaching the door.
Then outta nowhere - I’m through the door.
Ethan’s just there, hanging out in the living room.
"Aria." He moves toward me. "I saw the news. I'm so—"
"It was you."
He stops.
"What?"
"It was you. You killed my brother."
"Aria, what are you talking about?"
"The video. The voice. The way he stood. The way he moved. It was you."
"You're not thinking clearly. You're in shock—"
"Don't tell me I'm in shock. I know what I saw."
"You saw a masked figure kill your brother. That's all. You didn't see me."
"The voice—"
"Was distorted. You can't identify anyone from that."
"But the storage unit. The evidence. Everything pointed to you."
He moves a bit nearer.
"What storage unit?"
I freeze.
"The one James found. Your storage unit. With all the photos. The notebooks. The victims."
His face shifts - goes stiff.
"James showed you a storage unit?"
"Yes."
"And you believed him?"
"I saw the evidence."
"Evidence that anyone could have planted. Evidence that James could have planted."
"Why would James—"
"Because he's obsessed with me, Aria. He's been following me for months. Dressing like me. Studying me. And now he's trying to frame me."
"That's insane."
"Is it? Think about it. He shows up out of nowhere. Claims to be investigating the killer. Gets close to you. Feeds you information. Leads you to a storage unit that conveniently has my name on it."
I move it from side to side.
"No. James is helping us."
"James is manipulating you. And you're falling for it."
"You're lying."
"Am I? Then why would I kidnap your brother? What possible reason would I have? We live together. I love you. Why would I hurt you like that?"
"Because you're sick. Because you're a psychopath."
He jerks back - like I’d hit his face outta nowhere.
"Is that what you think of me?"
"I don't know what to think anymore."
"You think I'm capable of murder. Of kidnapping. Of killing your brother on live television."
"The evidence—"
"The evidence was planted. By James. To make you suspect me. To destroy our marriage. To get you for himself."
"That's ridiculous."
"Is it? He's been watching you. Following you. Haven't you noticed? The way he looks at you. The way he talks about you."
I recall those days. Talking with James stuck in my mind. Nights dragged on while we chased leads. He’d show up outta nowhere - like he had a radar.
"No," I say. "You're twisting things."
Ethan grabs his phone from his pocket.
"I have proof."
"What proof?"
He taps a program. Video from cameras.
"I installed cameras around the house last month. After the second victim. I wanted to make sure you were safe."
He hands me the device.
There’s a video taken near our home. It shows it was recorded two weeks ago.
A shadowy shape. Over on the other side of the road. Just standing there. Keeping an eye out.
"That's James," Ethan says. "He's been watching us. Watching you."
"He was investigating—"
"He was stalking."
He flips to a different video. The same person again. But seen from another side. Another day, though.
"He's been here dozens of times. Just standing there. Watching our house. Watching you."
My stomach turns.
He moves his hand once more. "This too.".
Footage from three nights back. A shadow moving down the drive. Testing the knob on the door. After that, vanishing into the dark.
"He tried to break in, Aria."
"Maybe he was trying to warn me—"
"About what? About himself?"
He shows me a different clip. One that’s from the day before.
The person wore dark clothes, a hood pulled over their head. Then headed toward a doorway. Entered without stopping.
"That's the warehouse district," Ethan says. "Where they found victim number seven."
"That doesn't prove—"
"It proves he's been at multiple crime scenes. It proves he's been lying to you."
I look at the screen. Watch how that guy acts. The manner he shifts from side to side.
Looks kinda like James.
"And one more thing." Ethan swipes again.
A guy hits play on a sound clip.
A sound. Twisted. Robotic.
"You have forty-eight hours, Detective Cross."
The very same tone heard in that clip.
Next, Ethan hits play on a different track - this one’s clean. No tweaks, no filters.
"You have forty-eight hours, Detective Cross."
James's voice.
"I ran it through a voice analysis program," Ethan says. "It's a match. The distorted voice is James's voice with a filter."
My legs buckle. So I drop onto the couch.
"No."
"I'm sorry, Aria. I know you trusted him."
"This can't be real."
"It is. James is the killer. He's been playing you this whole time."
Tears roll down my cheeks.
"My brother—"
"I know. I'm so sorry."
He takes a seat beside me. Then pulls me close, wrapping his arms around.
I cry against him, my body trembling - each breath comes hard. He holds me while everything feels like it's breaking apart.
"We'll get him," Ethan whispers. "We'll make James pay for what he did."
He wraps his arms around me - then gently runs his fingers through my hair.
Beside me, out of view, his mouth tilts up slightly.