Detective Cheng pushed away from the wall she had been leaning against and took a seat at the table between Mr. Grier and Mrs. Rosewood. Marissa stood behind Mr. Grier, her hands resting on his shoulders. From his corner of the room, Detective Silva observed silently.
"Neither Juliette nor Hunter are to blame for any of this," Detective Cheng began. "Victims are never at fault, but we need to understand what might have driven someone to target them."
Celine pulled herself up onto the counter and filled her glass again, determined to stay this time. She was more than old enough to hear what the detectives had to say, having watched enough crime shows to visualize the various possible scenarios more than she'd like.
"We recovered surveillance footage of the abduction," Detective Cheng continued, speaking with a practiced calmness that hinted at rehearsed dialogue. "Based on that, we have strong reason to believe Hunter was the actual target, not Juliette."
Mrs. Rosewood turned pale. "What could possibly—well, why take her then?"
Detective Cheng cast an apologetic glance towards Mr. Grier and Marissa before also acknowledging Rachelle and Celine with sympathetic eyes, finally settling her gaze back on their father. "She appeared to be... if you'll excuse me, a means to an end."
"To what end?" Mrs. Rosewood asked faintly, pressing a hand to her heart as if trying to steady herself.
"At this point, we're not sure."
"You're not sure?" Rachelle echoed angrily. "You can say Hunter was targeted but you don't know what that means?"
"It's early in the investigation," Detective Cheng assured her. "As soon as we figure out the motive, we'll make sure everyone's informed."
Celine pondered several possible motives—jealousy, money, revenge? She could only hope it was about Mrs. Rosewood's money and that a ransom demand would come soon. It was the only scenario she could think of that didn't necessarily mean Hunter's death.
As if reading Celine's thoughts, Detective Cheng added, "Typically in cases like this we'd expect a ransom demand by now, but given how much time has passed and considering the surveillance video, I can say with confidence this was a personal attack against Hunter."
Mrs. Rosewood lowered her hand from her heart and sat up straighter in her chair. "I want to see it—the footage."
Detective Cheng shook her head slightly. "I understand you think you do, but it's best if you don't see it. You don't want that image as your last memory of your son."
"I don't—"
Detective Cheng extended a hand to gently, yet firmly, silence Mrs. Rosewood. "Trust me. This is for the best. My team and I won't rest until we find them."
Mrs. Rosewood began to protest but quickly reconsidered. "I—oh god." She collapsed back into her seat, and for a moment, Celine thought she might slide off completely. With hands covering her face, she lost all composure and broke into sobs.
The sight of Mrs. Rosewood displaying such raw vulnerability was so unusual that Celine's own grief momentarily waned. Overcome with surprise and discomfort, she almost forgot her own misery.
Celine poured another cup of water and placed it in front of Mrs. Rosewood, who glanced up with eyes filled with such anguish that Celine nearly pinched herself to remember who she was looking at.
Yet moments of intense emotion can humanize even the harshest individuals, and in that moment, heartbroken over Hunter, Mrs. Rosewood appeared more human than ever before. It was hard for Celine to reconcile this woman with the one who had mercilessly tormented her and her sisters as children. She looked anything but intimidating; instead, she seemed like she could use a comforting hug just as much as Celine could.
Still, hugging Mrs. Rosewood felt too extreme. Offering the water had been a decent enough gesture. Taking too many sudden steps towards solidarity with Mrs. Rosewood might not be good for anyone's health.
"I know this is difficult," Detective Cheng said softly. "But it's crucial that I ask you some questions. Is that okay?"
Mrs. Rosewood emptied the glass of water in one gulp before nodding. Mr. Grier nodded too, though it seemed Detective Cheng had mainly been addressing Mrs. Rosewood.
"Think carefully," Detective Cheng urged again, "is there anyone you can think of who might want to harm Hunter?"
"No, he's liked by ev…" Mrs. Rosewood stopped abruptly, her already pale face losing even more color as blood drained from her cheeks. She gripped the armrests of her chair tightly, eyes wide with realization. "Oh my god."
Detective Cheng pulled out her notepad and clicked her pen expectantly. Celine exchanged worried looks with Rachelle.
"It's my husband!" Mrs. Rosewood exclaimed so rapidly that the words blurred together into one frantic burst. "We've been separated for over a month because he pushed Hunter down the stairs."
A loud outcry erupted from each Grier in the room at this revelation. Celine replayed every recent conversation she'd had with Hunter in her mind, wondering how she'd missed any signs of trouble.
Mrs. Rosewood continued, "He attacked him; that's why I asked for a divorce. He blames Hunter."
Nolan had arrived unnoticed. "He threw Hunter down a flight of stairs and blames his divorce on him?" Nolan's face was a mask of fury. "Son of a bitch." He turned to Rachelle. "Ella is looking for you."
Rachelle slipped away quietly, but Nolan stayed, seemingly deciding to stand in her place.
"This is our neighbor, Nolan Moorehouse," Marissa quickly introduced. "He drove us here."
Mrs. Rosewood was far from interested in introductions. She rocked back and forth, muttering frantically, "Oh my god, he's going to kill him. He said he would. He's going to kill my baby!" She didn't even glance at Nolan.
"Mrs. Rosewood?" Detective Cheng tilted her head to meet her gaze. "Mrs. Rosewood, what is your husband's name?"
"Derick Staples," Mrs. Rosewood replied before standing up and vomiting into the sink. She turned on the faucet to wash it away and drank directly from the tap with little concern for decorum. She collapsed back into her seat, sobbing once more in what seemed to Celine as agony laced with guilt.