The evening sky outside had succumbed to darkness, casting a somber mood. Barbara, restless and evasive, rose from the sofa and drifted towards the window, her back turned to Ethan and Jennifer, her silence a heavy veil of secrets.
Ethan, decisive in his approach, instructed Jennifer, "Find the hospital's number. We need to unearth whatever we can about Madelyn's time there." Turning his attention to Barbara, he closed the distance between them, his voice a low murmur. "Madelyn vanished from the central hospital two years ago, didn't she? 'Vanished' seems a more fitting term than 'left.'"
Barbara, her fists clenched in silent turmoil, remained transfixed on the world beyond the glass. Ethan, respecting her silence, waited. Jennifer, perched on the sofa, had just connected the call to the hospital when Barbara spun around, her voice firm. "There's no need for that call."
As Jennifer disconnected, Ethan, arms folded, regarded her intently. "Will you break your silence?"
Barbara, resigning to the inevitable, returned to her seat. "It appears I can no longer hide the truth. Better I confess than have you chase shadows." She took a measured sip from her glass, her eyes lost in the room's far corner. "Your earlier assumption was accurate. Trevor and I share more than just acquaintance."
Ethan, choosing to remain by the window, inquired softly, "How did your paths cross?"
"It was four years ago," Barbara began, her voice a blend of nostalgia and regret. "I was looking to invest in property and found myself at Sundown Real Estate. Trevor, fresh in LA, was a new salesman there. It was business as usual until one fateful day. I was inspecting a property when I twisted my ankle on the stairs. Trevor, ever the gentleman, tended to my injury. It was in that moment, perhaps, that my heart began to veer towards him."
Barbara's voice was tinged with a blend of nostalgia and melancholy as she delved deeper into her past. "In an effort to prolong our interactions, I repeatedly rejected the houses Trevor suggested. I was acutely aware of the impossibility of our relationship, given our age difference and my commitment to Charles."
Jennifer, perceptive and direct, observed from across the room, "Your thoughts were quite convoluted then. To sever ties with Charles would've been akin to losing a part of yourself."
Barbara continued, her voice dropping a notch. "I began fabricating reasons for him to visit - a broken computer, a malfunctioning TV, a faulty fridge. Trevor always responded eagerly, setting aside his commitments to assist. Gradually, our bond deepened into friendship. He confided in me about the challenges of adapting to city life. Then, at Sundown Real Estate's annual gala, Trevor invited me. That night, emotions overwhelmed me after a few drinks. Post-event, I asked him to join me for a stroll, during which I unexpectedly broke down."
A fleeting smile crossed Barbara's face before it vanished. "Trevor, unsure how to console me, simply held me tight. In his embrace, I poured out my heart - my miscarriages, my husband's choices in critical moments, the misery in my marriage. Trevor, empathetic and incensed, and slightly inebriated himself, comforted me, promising protection. His muscular frame offered a sense of security I had longed for."
Jennifer, intrigued, asked, "Was that the beginning of your relationship?"
Barbara shook her head. "No, I resisted, fleeing back home. Trevor sent numerous messages, which I ignored. But he persisted, showing up at my doorstep. His embrace and words of longing, his disregard for my marital status, my infertility, our age gap - it was overwhelming. It was here, in this room, that we first became intimate, solidifying our relationship. The membership at Sophie Fitness Center was acquired around that time. Hannah, my confidante, suggested using her details for the membership to leverage against Charles's infidelity in the divorce, while ensuring no evidence of my own indiscretions could be used against me."
Ethan, cutting through the discomfort with a firm tone, interjected, "Let's skip the particulars of your encounters with Trevor. The core of the matter is what concerns us."
Barbara exhaled deeply, her eyes reflecting a mix of fear and resolve. "Since Trevor came into my life, I felt rejuvenated, alive in a way I hadn't for years. We frequented the gym together, and afterward, I'd often stay over at his place. But then, a few months into our affair, Trevor sent me a chilling video. My heart stopped when I recognized the woman bound and gagged in it."
Ethan leaned forward, his detective instincts honed in. "Was it Madelyn?"
Barbara nodded solemnly. "Yes, it was Madelyn. Her eyes were blindfolded, her mouth gagged, tied to a chair. The shock was paralyzing. I immediately confronted Trevor. He claimed it was a misguided act of defending me. He had taken her to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of town, holding her captive for two days. It was there he extracted information about Charles's clandestine clinic and his secret operations in the old building."
Ethan's brow furrowed, sensing there was more to the story. "So Trevor abducted Madelyn, but there's more to it, isn't there?"
Barbara's expression darkened. "The night Trevor released her, Madelyn was found dead near that factory." She paused, the weight of her words hanging in the air.
Jennifer, visibly shocked, asked, "Did Trevor kill her?"
"I initially thought so," Barbara admitted, "but Trevor vehemently denied it. He insisted she was alive, albeit weak, when he let her go. I believe him, but his involvement is undeniable, and explaining it to the police would be impossible. We lived under a cloud of fear, expecting the police to come knocking, but they never did."
Ethan, connecting the dots, queried further. "Caroline mentioned you once went to the old building to confront Charles, and he later appeared at the hospital injured. What transpired?"
Barbara's demeanor shifted as she recalled the events. "I suspected Charles might be linked to Madelyn's death. His behavior had changed; his room, usually unlocked, was now constantly secured. Driven by suspicion, I hired a locksmith to gain entry. Inside, I discovered a blood-stained garment hidden in his wardrobe. It was the same clothing he wore the night he came home late, after Trevor had released Madelyn. His sudden change in habits coincided with her death."
She sighed, the burden of her confession lifting slightly. "I confronted Charles at the old building. Initially, he denied everything, but when I threatened to take the bloody clothing to the police, he became frantic. He self-inflicted injuries in a desperate plea for my silence. I realized the complexity of the situation; exposing Charles would also implicate Trevor in the kidnapping. As his wife, I was caught in a web of deceit and danger."
Jennifer's expression deepened into a frown. "You chose to keep all this hidden?"
Barbara's eyes reflected a complicated mix of fear and determination. "I believed that by holding evidence of Charles's infidelity, his involvement in murder, and his unauthorized medical practices, I could dominate him. He'd be at my mercy. But the irony was, by knowing too much, I became a threat he couldn't ignore. He feigned reconciliation, offering wine as a peace gesture. I never suspected it was laced with a drug."
Her voice trembled slightly as she recounted the harrowing experience. "I awoke to a nightmare – bound to my bed, the window sealed, my phone gone. It was then Charles discovered Trevor. He saw Trevor's calls, messages, even the video of Madelyn's abduction. Charles saw an opportunity to shift the entire blame onto Trevor, using my absence as a cover. He impersonated me, telling Trevor I was dealing with family matters, expertly mimicking my tone in texts."
Ethan, leaning forward, interjected with a question. "Did Trevor not sense something was amiss during this period?"
Barbara shook her head. "Initially, no. Charles was cunning, convincing Trevor of his loyalty by coercing a confession – 'I'm willing to kill for you.' Then, Charles planted the incriminating clothing in Trevor's apartment, framing him. His plan was to erase me from the equation, but he hadn't figured out a discreet way yet. And fate intervened – Charles was murdered before he could act."
A cold smile flickered across Barbara's face. "You might say it was retribution."
Jennifer, empathetically, pressed on. "How did you escape those bindings?"
"It was Trevor," Barbara admitted. "Unaware of Charles's demise, he couldn't reach me and came to check. Finding no response, he broke in. The storm that day concealed his actions. He discovered me, not Charles. By the next day, Charles's body was found by the police. Our greatest fear was the discovery of my phone, which would implicate Trevor in Madelyn's kidnapping and make him a prime suspect in the murder."
Barbara's sigh was one of both relief and resignation. "That's why I had to hide my affair with Trevor. After Charles's death, our caution intensified. We planned to leave Los Angeles, to start anew once the dust settled, but..." Her voice trailed off, leaving a haunting silence in the room, filled with the echoes of their unfulfilled plans and the shadows of a twisted past.
Ethan pulled out a receipt and laid it on the coffee table, his gaze locking with Barbara's. "On the night of Trevor's death, he withdrew five thousand dollars from a nearby ATM, presumably for you, correct?"
Barbara, her eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and regret, nodded. "I was cornered by a looming loan repayment. With Charles's recent demise, his accounts were frozen, and I was left with no alternative. I reached out to Trevor in desperation. He altered his business trip plans to assist me. If not for that call, Trevor might still be alive." Her voice quivered with guilt. "I can't help but feel responsible for his death. I initially thought the killer was after Charles, but Trevor's death suggested a link to Madelyn. Perhaps the killer found the kidnapping video on my phone and traced it back to Trevor."
Ethan, absorbing her words, nodded thoughtfully. "Your theory holds water. It's a plausible connection." He then shifted the conversation. "Have you ever heard of someone named Donna Summers?"
Barbara pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't recognize that name."
Ethan, his mind racing, considered the possibility that if Barbara's theory was correct and the killer was motivated by a connection to Madelyn, then this Donna might be a key piece in this intricate puzzle.
Finishing the last of his water, Ethan checked his watch and stood up. "We've gathered what we needed. We won't impose on you any further." He signaled to Jennifer, who quickly rose, acknowledging it was time to leave.
As they stepped out of Barbara's house and descended the stairs, they were met unexpectedly by Captain Bowen and two officers from the Serious Crime Unit. The captain's surprise mirrored Ethan's own, but Ethan quickly masked his reaction with a smirk. "Captain Bowen, it seems you're a bit late to the scene."
Jennifer, sensing the tension, stepped in front of Ethan and addressed Captain Bowen. "Boss, what brings you here?"
Captain Bowen, ignoring Ethan, focused on Jennifer. "We've just discovered that the call compelling Trevor to change his travel plans originated from Charles's wife, Barbara." His tone implied a deeper suspicion. "There's been talk of Trevor being financially supported by a wealthy woman connected to Sundown Real Estate. Could this woman be Charles's wife?"