Amber had no clue of how much time she spent staring into empty space, as she sat behind of an ambulance. Still in shock, she shivered at the thought of what she faced just 15 minutes ago.
Medics performed basic examinations on her, as one cop asked her to recite the whole incident. She tried her best to state everything, but in her mind it was a lot more horrifying.
At the corner of her eye, she saw someone approaching nearer in a hurry. He was not stopping.
"Amber... are you okay?!" Ray hugged into her tightly as he finally closed upon her. She was taken by surprise, but she needed this so much... someone to embrace.
She didn't want him to know that she did though, and after he admitted that he didn't trust her. She whispered, "Yeah.. yeah, I'm fine.."
He lifted his head, his hands holding her from her shoulders. He turned to face a medic near by. "Is she okay? Is she lying?"
"She is alright... just a little bruise on the left temple ...." Medic answered, smiling.
" What.. you still don't trust me? "Amber rolled her eyes, almost pushing Ray's hands away.
" No , no... "Ray murmured, as he cupped her face from one hand. Then his fingers touched the area on her face where it was light purple. Amber let out a tiny gasp as the pain turned though an itch into healing as he lightly rubbed it. He looked into her eyes.
" I'm so sorry...."
Ray sat next to her, as the police men finished searching throughout the apartment building. They were examining with their search dogs and torches in haste.
" There's no sign of the attacker... He must have escaped through the fire escape, just before police got here." Moby said, looking at Amber.
Mokshit was surely feeling a bit guilty for accusing Amber earlier today. He had apologised, saying it was all Finlay's idea and that he was just pointing out the odds. Amber told him that she totally understood and she would've done the same if she was in his shoes.
Ray squinted as he mused. "Why didn't he use a gun this time?... Most of the times he did..."
"And he tried to choke you...." Moby too was perxpled. He tilted his head, "... Was trying to stage a suicide?"
***
They were at the police station. Moby had informed Ray that another two kids from the Newcastle High had replied to their massages and that maybe through them, they might gain some new details.
Moby dialed one number and put it on speaker for everyone to hear.
"Hello ... Mr. Quillon Zacharias? This is detective Mokshit Singh from Cheyenne police station... "
"Yes.. detective... What can I do for you?" a deep voice asked.
After asking some basic information from the caller and about the foster house case, Moby moved to some unanswered questions.
"Mr. Zacharias... Tell me about this Kiara... were you a close friend of her?"
Quillon hesitated. "No ... not at all..."
"Can you remember who her allies were?" Moby looked at Amber as if for an approval. She nodded in acceptance. " What was her relationship with Amber Chapman ?"
"Amber.." Quillon mused for a second. "Amber, yeah I remember her.." he muttered. "...they were like best friends... Lived in the same house and stuff... But we got to know later, that they had been in a relationship as well.."
"so were they in a relationship when it happened?"
"No , I don't think so...." Quillon sighed, his voice sounded tuning to disappointment. " then Kiara got in the pants of one of my best friends... just about 2 weeks prior to the incident. I mean... none of us supported it.. 'cause we exactly knew who Kiara was and what she wanted... But this guy fell into her trap...."
Moby was astounded. So were the others in the room. "Can you remember his name?"
"Yeah .. Sebastian.. Sebastian May.... a very peaceful, bright guy... he used to top the class..."
Ray hurriedly took out the almost ruined year book of Newcastle as he flipped through pages, searching for the name with Amber. They sighed as they found it... a light haired guy, with glasses.. and Amber read out his full name.." Sebastian Joaquin May... "
Zacharias was still talking on the phone. "that was until he started being with Kiara... he became so different and alien to us then... No talks, no contact... he was becoming more like that wench....we tried to explain to him... but was of no use..."
"So what happened to him after the crash..?"
"...I really don't know...." Quill murmured. "some said he started acting crazy just after Kiara died and his parents sent him to a mental institute... Some said he ran away after he lost his mind....." he sighed.
Moby nodded, rubbing his head, trying not to indulge in confusion. He thanked the caller before cutting the line. "Okay Mr. Zacharias... Thank you so much for your cooperation...."
He sighed exhausted. But without wasting single second he dialed the other number.
"Hello is this miss... Lily Reed?"
A high pitched female voice answered. "Yes, hello.... Are you the detective who wanted to contact me? About the foster house case?"
"Yes... That's me...can you please explain how you remember the incident?" Moby asked some basic details about the case, about Kiara and Amber. But suddenly woman interrupted, her voice worried.
"Actually , there is something I wanted to say... I know I should've told this a long time ago.... But I didn't understand it then..."
Moby was perplexed. He muttered, "Sure... go on...."
"Kiara and I were not much friends and I know that there was a illegitimate relationship between her and our foster dad . I lived in the room next to his... And I was just to young to understand what Kiara was doing in his room...but I knew that she did come to his room most of the nights... "
".. Then after the incident... I realised what happened.... There had been something so disturbing and disgusting going on for years in the room next door. I couldn't belive it... I was so worried and sad. Everyone was putting the blame on Kiara..., saying she was with Owen 'cause she liked it... and I didn't say anything about what I heard, I was afraid and embarrassed... But I wish I'd have said this earlier to the cops... "
She paused. And then sighed. Lily's voice became deeper as she mumbled." I work as a sex therapist now and I realise that all they talked about Kiara was untrue..I don't think what I heard those nights were done with her approval.... They were submissive....forced.. ."
Moby narrowed eye brows. He could see everyone's expression was as astonished as his." What do you mean...? Do you think she was raped...? "
" Yes..." Lily's grunted." I felt terrible since the day I realised that.... She was actually raped and forced to do it.... I've heard her crying and protesting.... But I didn't realise why then... Now I do.... I should have told the police sooner...." she broke down, crying now.
Moby bit his lip, astounded. Despite the shock he felt in his guts, he thought for a second and asked." So what about her best friend Amber Chapman...? Do you think she knew it too? "
" Her girlfriend?" she coughed. "Of course, I think she knew that.... She was Owen's daughter as well... She surely must have known... I really don't understand why she didn't say anything after the accident.... Maybe because she didn't want anyone to know what her father 'really' did to those poor girls... She must have wanted Kiara to take all the blame for what her father did..... "
Moby looked at Amber, as he saw her eyes swell with tears. She stared into the empty space, while everything became clear in her mind. Every strange coincidence thing that took place in her, had suddenly started making sense.
***
" Oh my god.... She was raped...." Ray exhaled, shocked. "...all this time we thought she did that, voluntarily...."
"... I can't believe this..." Amber nodded, wiping her eyes. She sat on the chair, covering herself in a blanket. She couldn't help herself from sobbing. " I can't believe I had known about Kiara being abused... And not said a word about it.... "
" Look... We can't be sure if you really knew about that or not..." Moby assured. "It was just that lady's opinion..."
"So could the masked man be ... Sebastian?" Amber stammered. Not only the fear and shock made her shiver, ironically, the air conditioner at the police station was broke as well. " Oh my god...that's what this is all about... Revenge... He must have thought I betrayed Kiara by not telling cops the truth.... Not telling about my dad raping her.... And he is coming to take revenge from me for that.... That's why he tried to kill Daniel.. And me... .."
Ray and Moby was too in deep thoughts, deciphering this perplexity. Ray opened his mouth. "Could be... If he showed signs of mental instability after the incident, he does have the potential to do all this...."
Amber nodded, as she stuttered. She was an expert in the field of Psychology. " Maybe he built up schizophrenia... They tend to experience hallucinations which urge them to do bad things... They even spend whole their time planning them, as if it's their only purpose....."
Moby sighed. " that's true... whoever planned all this... And is willing to do anything for it... should totally be a maniac.. "
It was about 7 o' clock at night. Darkness was shadowing outside the windows.
After a few minutes, the land phone shrieked. Moby picked it up as he got up. "Hello ? "
His narrowed his eye brows as he listened to the caller." Oh okay..."
He lifted his head to look at Ray. He muttered, covering the phone speaker with one hand. "The labotory technicians say the bullets which hit Daniel Chapman was shot from a 38J plus-P...
" A 38J plus-P... ? " Ray raised his eye brow as he gasped. " that's the gun I gave to Finlay.."
***
" Do you think someone stole it from him?" Amber asked Ray, who was attempting hard to contact Pete Finlay.
" Yeah ... should be.." Ray answered." It was a very rare edition... Nobody use them now... So it should be the same gun... "
Amber narrowed her eyebrows as she folded her arms to her chest. Her voice sounded too serious. "Oh my god... What if it wasn't stolen.... But it was his? "
"What do you mean? Like he himself did it?.... And planned all this?...." Ray shook his head. "No.. I don't think so... He's a police officer... He's not that stupid to do such a thing..."
"Ray, I think Amber's right..." Moby exclamied as he came through the office door. In his hands were a piece of paper. He put it down on Ray's desk. " This came from the fax just now... It's the DNA report from the safe house we found in down town....there's one from an unidentified person, possibly the imposter of Kiara.... Others are of cops... but there should one from the masked man too..."
"Shit..." Ray realised what Moby was trying to say ".... So it got to be one among the cops..." He whispered, biting his lip, "Finlay... "
Ray asked an inspector to bring up Peter's report, files and certificates immediately. All the things were adding up. There was only one fact to be proven.
" He said he worked in the tax department..." He turned through pages in a hustle till he finally found it. He read out pointing his finger at Pete's previous workplace. " Tax department... Newcastle...."
***
Ray didn't wait anymore. Night time had dawned, tonight was not a time to rest.
"So he is Sebastian?" Amber asked, looking at Ray who was ordering the cops on duty to ambush Pete Finlay's house. Amber could see the defeated look on his face... his own intern had become the culprit. She muttered, "but he doesn't look like the person we saw in the year book..."
Ray sighed.. "He planned all this.... surely he might have changed the photo too... "
"God.... That's why he wanted to frame Amber...." Moby hissed, his hand over his head. "made up a theory and all... to keep his butt from getting caught......"
"And all the information.. He got it.....from us...."Ray muttered.
" Maybe he killed the lawyer for revenge.... 'cause the lawyer too could be involved in the foster house case.... And wanted to stage it as a suicide.... " Moby said. " But why did he murder Mrs. Norman ......and he wasn't going to be caught although she told us everything ..... she hadn't known him to recognise him...."
" She may have .... "Ray murmured. " Finlay used to work in the tax department.... The only problem Mrs. Norman had was the same thing... She must have met him when she went there....." Ray sighed, his hands clenching inside his pockets.
"....That day, when Mrs. Norman came the station.... He was behind the one way mirror, recording the interrogation. She didn't see him... but he did....And saw how she betrayed him by revealing everything... That's why he killed her ... maybe in fear or revenge.... And staged that as an accident.... "
" I can't believe that asshole did all that, just under our noses..... all while being a 'police officer' .... "Moby cursed, with a huffy sigh. His eyes stared into space, as he could now see each and every moment Finlay had used them. Guilt shadowed over him, as he wondered how blind they had been.