It has been three hours since Ryan dropped her at home. Roseline was being worried about Ryan since he wasn't replying to her messages. She knew how Ryan was close to Liam. Even though they were cousins, they both were like brothers who lived in one house. At the same time, she couldn't let go of her mind about the time she spent with him, in the evening. She buried her face in his shoulder from behind when the strong wind blew against them. Roseline smiled internally, when she reminisced about the time she first sat on Ryan's bike. It was almost three months ago, when he took her to his cousin's house so that she could meet her sister. It was the time when she started to accept her feelings for him and that day was something she would never forget. She never thought that she and Ryan would get into a relationship one day; and everything that happened seemed magical to her. "Why did you stop the bike?" she asked Ryan and looked around. "This place looks like it has been abandoned since ages," she said and got down from his bike. "You don't remember this place, do you?" he questioned her. "Do I have to remember?" she shrugged. "Hold my hand," he said. She gave her hand and blushed when he reached out to her hand to hold her tight. Roseline followed him silently without asking him any question. After walking to a certain distance she realised, it was the same place where they spent time under a tree on a Rainy day. Roseline's face was lit up with glee to see that he brought her to the place where it all began. "The place isn't bad," she said to see him chuckle. "It was a beautiful place before," she heard him say. "What happened to this place?" she asked him. "It was three months ago. The rain was pouring down heavily that night and someone took a shelter there, under that tree" he pointed out at a tree," since then this beautiful place changed and the leaves withered," he sighed heavily and released his hand from her.
"I hate you, Ryan. Is that how you talk to a girl?" Roseline tried to reach him out to teach him a lesson for indirectly saying that it was because of her, the leaves withered and fell down. "This is Autumn and leaves will obviously fall. You idiot," Roseline gritted her teeth when Ryan burst into laughter. "Your phone is ringing," she said rolling her eyes. Ryan took out the phone from his pocket to attend the call from his mother. "How's your vacation, mother?" he asked his mother with a smile which died down
. "Okay," he said and ended the call. "I need to leave now," said Ryan keeping his words short. "Did something happen?" she asked him but there was no answer from him. Roseline followed Ryan to his bike and since the time she got on his bike till he dropped her, none of them exchanged words between them. After dropping her a little away from her house, "I'm sorry that I have to leave. Liam met with an accident and he is in a critical state," his voice sounded low. Roseline was shocked, "No. You don't have to be sorry for that, everything will be fine. Don't worry," she replied after getting down his bike. Without delaying, Ryan rushed to the hospital and reached a few minutes before Aaron and Elizabeth reached.
"Elizabeth?!"
Elizabeth, who was in the hospital, was startled when she heard Fiona's voice. She looked at Fiona in shock and stared at her. "The visiting hours are over," Fiona informed Elizabeth. Elizabeth had a quick glance at Liam's family members who were little away from them, she inhaled heavily and wiped the tiny drops of sweat that formed on her face. "What about his condition?" Elizabeth asked her mother-in-law.
"He is still in critical condition," answered Fiona. Elizabeth nodded.
"Aaron is here," said Fiona. "I wanted him to come so that at least when he comes for you, I would get a chance to see him," Elizabeth heard her mother-in-law say to her where there was full of sadness in Fiona's voice. "Was I the reason he came to the hospital?" Elizabeth asked herself. She looked at her mother in law who looked pitiful. "Why does he avoid his parents? Is he on the wrong side or did something happen before?" she asked herself.
"I thought you didn't come since I didn't see you earlier," she heard Anthony's voice and turned her head to her shoulder.
"How can I not when my friend is hospitalised," replied Elizabeth with a smile.
"What about the man who hit Liam's car?" Fiona asked Anthony. "He is under police custody," replied Anthony. "I heard that he is a drug addict?!" said Fiona. Elizabeth was extremely shocked when she came to know the man was a drug addict.
"Yes. He is a drug addict," answered Anthony to Fiona. "Where is Marcus?" asked Anthony. "He couldn't come," answered Fiona with an awkward smile. Anthony looked at her suspiciously but didn't bother to ask her further questions. "Aaron is waiting for you at the parking lot," said Anthony. "I can stay for a while, Mr. Whales," answered Elizabeth with a heavy heart. She wanted to know if Liam was out of danger. "Even if you want to stay, you cannot. The visiting times are over," replied Fiona.
"Let me drop you till the parking lot," said Fiona and Elizabeth couldn't find any other excuse so she followed her. Elizabeth didn't want Aaron's family to know about the things that happened between them, the previous night. Elizabeth silently got into Aaron's car and spoke to his mother," Take care of her Aaron," she said to her son. Aaron looked at Fiona who smiled at him and nodded looking at her and then at Elizabeth before starting his car.
"Drop me at the bus stop. I can go home by myself," she said as Aaron was driving the car.
"Either I will drop you at your apartment or take you to our home," replied Aaron. "Our home?" she said in her mind and snorted.
"Apartment?!!" Elizabeth paused for a second and looked at him. Before her marriage, Elizabeth lived in an apartment since she was twenty two years old, because she didn't want to live with her uncle's family as she used to feel like an outsider. Neither did she vacate her room nor did she go there after her marriage. Elizabeth shifted her luggage from Liam's house to her apartment in the morning, before going to her office. Elizabeth didn't bother to ask him how he knew about her apartment since it was obvious that he could get information about her but she didn't like the fact that she was being watched by him. "I don't want you to hire someone to follow me," she said.
"I didn't," came an instant reply from him.
"Then how did you know that I would go to my apartment?" she asked looking at him while his eyes were fixed at the road.
"I just knew it," he answered without any detail.
Elizabeth stayed quiet and felt it would be better to not talk to him until she reached her house. After reaching her apartment within twenty minutes from the hospital, Elizabeth alighted from his car.
"If you want, we can talk about the things which we couldn't," she heard him say. "What is even left to talk about? It's too late, Aaron. You better go home," she replied and left without looking at him. As soon as she opened her door, for some reason, Elizabeth started to feel Liam's accident was related to her mother's case. There was an instant pain of guilt in her heart which was formed when Fiona's words echoed on the back of her head. It was something she speculated a while ago; but never wanted it to be true and she still hoped that the accident was not because of her mother's case but a mistake. Elizabeth was startled when her phone started to ring. It was from an unknown number. She picked up the call, "Who is this?"
"Elizabeth!! it's me, Anthony, Liam's uncle. I wanted to talk to you in the hospital privately but I couldn't because Fiona was there too."
"Mr. Whales, what is it?" she asked.
"It is about Liam," he said. "Could you please tell me when was the last time you had a conversation with Liam?" he asked her.
"In the af_fternoon. Liam said, he had something to talk to me about the people who were related to my mother's case. He also told me that they were the people whom he doubted before," said Elizabeth in shiver.
"Which means he met with an accident while he was on his way to meet you?"
"Yes, Mr. Whales," she answered.
"Elizabeth, did you tell any other person that you are reopening the case unofficially?" he asked her.
"I didn't tell anyone. Not even Aaron," she replied.
"Looks like Liam alerted the culprit," he said thoughtfully, from the other side of the phone.
"Can I ask you a question?" Elizabeth asked him.
"Yes?"
"Why do you doubt that Liam's accident was because of the culprit. It could've been a normal accident too," she said.
"Because even I was almost killed at that time, Elizabeth," he answered.
From Anthony's words, Elizabeth was not mistaken in her conjecture. The accident was preplanned and Liam was the target. Tears rolled down onto her cheeks which she has been trying to control since the moment Anthony called her.
"Elizabeth? Are you listening to me?" said Anthony when there was no response from Elizabeth.
"I am," she replied, wiping her tears silently.
"If you need more information about Margaret's past, you can ask Aaron's father as they both were good friends once upon a time."
"Friends?" Elizabeth asked in shock.
"Margaret was Aaron's father's personal doctor," Anthony's words blew her mind.
"What?" she asked in shock.
"Yes. But Marcus has nothing to do with her murder. I have already investigated him at that time," answered Anthony.
"One more thing, whatever I said now might be correct or incorrect. But I suggest you be careful and be alert."
"I will, Mr. Whales," she answered.
"If there's anything you want to know. You can call me anytime," he said.
"Thank you, Mr.Whales," she said and then Anthony ended the call. Elizabeth's head started to ache when the conversation of Fiona and Marcus, Anthony's words and Liam's words echoed in her mind. All this while, she was determined, no matter what might happen to her, she wouldn't step back in solving the case but not even once did she think about another person. The sight of Liam's mother, Grace Winscet, crying for Liam, made Elizabeth regret. She blamed herself for being obstinate and selfish for the things she has done to find the real culprit to prove her mother's innocence but never in her dreams did she think that she would be the cause of another mother's misery. Elizabeth wiped her tears and got up from her couch to go to her bedroom but her movements halted when she heard the principal door open with a creak. Elizabeth's breath slowed down and she could feel her heart race out of fear.