Lindsey didn't speak for a moment, lost in thought as she tried to decide whether to trust Riley. She hesitated because she didn't understand his motives.
If I agree to it, he might use it against me later, she thought.
Her mind started racing, but there wasn't any time to think about it. She had to make her decision quickly.
"Yes, please help Alex," she said, nodding.
An indecipherable expression flashed across Riley's face.
**
Meanwhile, Alex was sitting in a cell. After he had been brought there the previous night, he had been left by himself while the police had continued to investigate the crime scene and gather witnesses.
Alex didn't know whether it was a psychological tactic to make him confess, or if they were busy consolidating evidence. Whatever the case, no one paid any attention to him all night.
If he wanted to escape, he could do so easily. But he decided to stay in his cell so that he could prove his innocence.
Besides, if he escaped from prison and went into hiding, there were many things he wouldn't be able to do, such as practice at the clinic.
He eventually managed to get some sleep. Then, when he woke up, he began thinking about the whole incident.
When he recalled how Michael had deliberately let go and fallen to his death, he knew Michael had done so to frame him for murder.
Alex frowned as he thought about the events of the previous weeks.
He realized his troubles had begun from the moment he had taken over the Woodside Clinic. Ever since then, someone had been setting a trap for him.
Michael had repeatedly tried to cause trouble for Alex at the Woodside Clinic, and it was clear he had wanted to settle a score with him. He had wanted to provoke Alex, get him into a fight, and then kill him.
Alex concluded that Michael must have been suffering from a terminal illness and had taken the opportunity to kill himself and blame Alex for his death. Otherwise, Michael wouldn't have taken such drastic action.
Alex had always thought the Murdoch family was very strange, and he had never understood them.
Instead of fighting it out properly, they did things awkwardly. For example, when Melanie had tried to shoot Alex, but had almost ended up killing Michael instead.
From that moment on, they had started to plan more carefully.
From the old man committing suicide by drinking poison, to the dismissal of the doctors at the clinic, and finally to the driver ramming his car into the clinic and injuring Celeste.
There had already been bad blood between Alex and Michael, but each of those incidents had infuriated Alex even further.
Then, finally, Michael had killed himself, and the police had arrested Alex for his murder.
Knowing that Michael's death was inevitable, the Murdoch family must have planned his suicide, thought Alex.
It seemed the Murdochs understood a lot about Alex. They knew him well enough to know he wasn't a fool, and that they had underestimated him, so they had set out to make him suffer. They also knew that Alex's response would be brutal, so this time, they had been careful to cover their tracks.
As Alex was lost in thought, when someone knocked at the door of his cell.
Moments later, he was led into the interrogation room, where he waited for a few minutes. Then the door opened, and two male officers and a female officer walked in.
"You're young to be in such serious trouble," remarked the woman, sitting opposite him.
"My name's Tamara Knox," she said. "I'm also Lindsey Marvel's former classmate. Just before I came in, Lindsey asked me to go easy on you." She shook her head. "You've brought her great trouble, and yet she still wants to help you. I wonder what kind of relationship the two of you have." She frowned. "Lindsey's club just opened a month ago, and now, because of your actions last night, it has been temporarily shut down. So, if you have any conscience, you should be honest with us and confess to your crime."
Alex looked at Tamara and gave her a faint smile. "Well, I will be honest. I didn't kill Michael. He committed suicide."
Tamara was stunned by his response. "We have several witnesses who saw you push Michael out of the window," she said incredulously. "Are you telling me that they're all lying?"
"Not lying," Alex said, shrugging. "Just that they didn't have a good view, so they didn't see what happened."
"You're still protesting your innocence?" asked Tamara, exasperated.
"You can choose to believe me or not," Alex said indifferently. "I have a clear conscience."
"A clear conscience?" repeated Tamara, her eyebrows shooting up. "All the witness testimonies are the same; they all say you pushed Michael out of that window. Lindsey also witnessed the conflict, so you're wasting your time denying it."
She started getting impatient. "Alex, you're guilty of a terrible crime. If you don't take this opportunity to own up, you'll regret it."
Alex was frustrated. The police knew Alex and Michael were from different backgrounds, and they were holding it against him. They would never believe Michael and his family would go to so much trouble to frame someone like Alex.
He didn't bother trying to convince Tamara. "I want to make a phone call," he said.
Tamara looked down her nose at him. "You're being interrogated, and you want to make a phone call?"
"I've already told you; Michael jumped out of the window voluntarily," Alex insisted. "I didn't push him. I'm telling you the truth, and it's up to you whether you believe it."
Tamara shook her head.
"I have the right to make a phone call," said Alex, crossing his arms. "You can't deny me that right. If you refuse, I will make a formal complaint against you."
Tamara smiled. "So, you know the law, but you think it's okay to break it whenever it suits you?" She shook her head. "No matter how well informed you are about your rights, Alex, you can't get out of this. Lindsey has asked me to protect you, but let me make this clear. I won't defend you. In fact, I will make sure you're severely punished, unless you take full responsibility for your actions."
She wanted to ensure Alex gave up on the idea of her helping him to walk out of there as a free man.
"I'll ask again," Alex said. "Can I please make a phone call?"
Tamara snickered. "I'd like to see who you think can get you out of this mess."
She put her phone in front of Alex, thinking, How ridiculous that a person about to be convicted is acting tough in front of me.