Andy woke up from his slumber feeling refreshed, he proceeded to use the bathroom. After splashing some water on his face and looking at himself in the mirror, he rubbed his hands over his stubble and realized he needed a good shave. Before attending to that, however, he felt an urgent need to call Mrs. Cody. With that in mind, he picked up his phone and dialed her number.
"Hello, Mrs. Cody, it's Andy," he said when she answered.
"Yes, Andy, I know it's you. Any new developments with the investigation?" she inquired.
Andy hesitated, feeling the weight of the news he had to deliver. "Yes, umm... sorry to say, but..." He struggled to find the right words, stammering slightly.
"Talk to me, is there a problem?" Mrs. Cody's concern was palpable.
"Yeah," Andy finally managed, "a little mishap."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Mrs. Cody responded, her tone shifting to one of anticipation. "What happened?"
Andy took a deep breath, steeling himself for the difficult conversation ahead. "I'm sorry to say this, but John is dead," he finally blurted out, closing his eyes.
There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the line before Mrs. Cody spoke again, her voice cracking with emotion. "How... what happened?"
Andy felt a pang of guilt for having to deliver such devastating news. "It was an accident the reports says," he explained, his own voice trembling slightly.
An incredulous laugh escaped Mrs. Cody's lips. "An accident? John wouldn't just be in an accident," she scoffed. "Find out who killed my son. I want them to pay."
Her voice rose to a roar, overwhelming Andy's senses. He instinctively held the phone away from his ear as she continued to demand answers.
"Find out everything," Mrs. Cody commanded, her tone unwavering. "How did he die? When did he die? Which hospital? Did he have any relationships, any issues with anyone?"
Andy listened to her barrage of questions, feeling a sense of responsibility to uncover the truth. "He had a wife and daughter," he interjected, hoping to provide some small comfort in the midst of tragedy.
As Mrs. Cody processed the news of John's death, her initial shock gave way to confusion and disbelief. The mention of a wife and daughter seemed to catch her off guard, prompting a flurry of questions. "Wife? Daughter... huh, when? How?" Her voice trembled with a mixture of incredulity and suspicion, struggling to reconcile this new information with her understanding of her son's life.
In her distraught state, Mrs. Cody's thoughts spiraled into a dark realm of accusation. "Then she killed him, right?" she exclaimed, her tone laced with bitterness and accusation. Each word carried the weight of her grief and suspicion, as she grappled with the possibility of foul play in her son's death.
Andy listened as Mrs. Cody continued to voice her suspicions, her accusations becoming more frantic with each passing moment. Sensing the need to diffuse the situation, he intervened gently, "I will find out more. I will call you back," he assured her, hoping to offer some semblance of reassurance in the midst of her turmoil.
With a heavy heart, Andy ended the call and leaned against the wall beside the window, gazing out at the world beyond. His mind whirled with thoughts of Mrs. Cody's reaction, grappling with the complexity of her emotions. "No, no, I'm sure she's just in shock," he murmured to himself, seeking to rationalize her outburst.
Recognizing the need to give Mrs. Cody time to process the devastating news, Andy resolved to grant her space and allow her emotions to settle. He knew that unraveling the truth behind John's death would require patience and persistence, but for now, he focused on providing Mrs. Cody with the time and space she needed to come to terms with her loss.
Back in her office.
As Andy delivered the heartbreaking news to Mrs. Cody, her voice cracked with raw emotion, betraying the depth of her grief and shock. Initially composed, her tone faltered, trembling with disbelief and anguish. Each word she spoke seemed to catch in her throat, straining against the weight of the devastating revelation.
At first, there was a slight hitch in her voice, a subtle tremor that hinted at the turmoil brewing beneath the surface. But as the reality of John's death sank in, her composure shattered, and her voice wavered uncontrollably. It cracked audibly, like fragile ice giving way beneath the weight of unbearable sorrow.
With each successive word, the cracks in her voice deepened, mirroring the fractures in her heart. The emotions she had been trying to contain spilled forth, cascading in a torrent of pain and disbelief. It was as if her vocal cords could no longer bear the burden of her anguish, breaking apart with each syllable uttered
As Mrs. Cody's world shattered with the news of her son's death, she found herself consumed by a whirlwind of emotions. She screamed, clutching her chest as if the weight of her grief threatened to topple her. Anderson ran into her office, witnessing this rare display of vulnerability from the typically composed woman, rushed to her side with concern etched across his features.
"Ma'am, are you alright?" Anderson's voice was laced with worry as he guided her gently to the couch, his hands steady as he tried to offer her support. Tears streamed down Mrs. Cody's face uncontrollably, her usually stoic demeanor crumbling in the face of her overwhelming grief.
Anderson's own shock was palpable as he beheld the sight before him. He had never seen Mrs. Cody so vulnerable, and the sight filled him with a sense of fear and unease. Hastily, he fetched a glass of water, offering it to her with trembling hands. "Ma'am, what happened?" he asked, his voice laden with concern.
Between sobs, Mrs. Cody managed to articulate the devastating news. "It's John," she choked out, her words barely audible amidst her tears. "He's dead."
Anderson's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? How?" he exclaimed, struggling to comprehend the magnitude of the tragedy unfolding before him.
Mrs. Cody shook her head, her anguish evident in every trembling breath. "I don't know," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
As Anderson handed her the glass of water, he offered a feeble attempt at comfort. "I'm so sorry," he said softly, his heart aching for the woman before him.
A fierce determination ignited within Mrs. Cody, fueled by grief and suspicion. I learned that John has a wife and a daughter.
"I want to get to her first before Andy does," she declared, her voice dripping with anger. "I have an inkling that she knows something."
Desperate for answers, Mrs. Cody's thoughts turned to the surveillance team "Any news from them?" she inquired, her voice tinged desperation.
Anderson shook his head sadly. "No, ma'am, nothing yet," he replied, his expression mirroring her own sense of frustration and helplessness.
With a sense of purpose, Mrs. Cody rose from the couch, her gaze fixated on the window as she contemplated her next move. Her eyes, wet with tears, held a dangerous glint, revealing the depth of her resolve. "I can't show weakness," she whispered to herself, her words laden with venom. "I need to find her. I'm sure she killed my son.".