The next morning marked exactly one month since Richard's death.
Racheal forced herself to act as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn't just been chased through the woods by a gunman the night before. She moved through the house, her body aching from the night's escape, her mind swirling with questions.
Who was following them? Who wanted Richard's secrets buried so badly that they were willing to kill for it?
At breakfast, she quietly picked at her food, barely tasting it. Harriet and Anthony sat across from her, sipping coffee,oblivious to the storm raging inside her. That was until the sound of a car pulling into their driveway caught their attention.
A sharp knock followed.
Harriet frowned. "Who could that be so early?"
Anthony stood up to answer the door, but before he could move, the butler had already opened it. Standing there was Inspector Jones.
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. George," he greeted formally.
Harriet and Antony exchanged a confused glance. "Inspector Jones? We didn't call for you," Anthony said.
"I know. I did." Racheal pushed back her chair and stood up.
Both parents turned sharply to look at her. "You called the inspector?" Harriet asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"Yes. I have something important to discuss with him." Without another word, Racheal walked out of the house, signaling for Jones to follow.
As soon as they were outside, she wasted no time. "Inspector, we found something, David and I," she said, lowering her voice. "But I don't want my parents to know I left the house again."
Jones's eyes sharpened. "What did you find?"
"I was going through Richard's old messages, and he mentioned a car he parked on the outskirts of Festac. David and I went there last night, and we found it, but we were chased. someone shot at us."
Jones's expression darkened. "Where exactly is this car?"
"Near Fox Forest."
Without hesitation, the inspector pulled out his phone and made a call. "We need to check out a location. Send two units. Now."
He turned to Racheal. "You'll need to come with us, Miss George, to show us the exact location."
Racheal hesitated and glanced back at the house. Through the window, she could see her parents watching her, their expressions unreadable. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.
The ride to Fox Forest was tense. As soon as they arrived at the location, a thick, acrid smell filled the air.
Racheal's entire body went numb.
"Oh no..." she whispered, her finger trembling as she pointed. "That's the car!"
Flames licked the sky, the vehicle engulfed in fire. The evidence, everything Richard had left behind, was being destroyed before their eyes.
Jones immediately ordered his team to secure the area. His men ran toward the scene, but it was too late. The car had been torched beyond recognition.
"Someone's covering their tracks," Jones muttered grimly.
Racheal clenched her fists. This was no coincidence. Someone had been following them. Someone knew they were getting close.
She turned away from the burning wreckage and whispered, "I need to see Kate."
Jones's ears perked. "Kate? Who's Kate?"
Racheal hesitated.
Jones gave her a hard look. "Miss George, are you still hiding something, common speak up."
She exhaled sharply. "Kate... she's Richard's girlfriend. And she's pregnant with his baby."
Jones's eyes widened slightly. "Where is she now?"
"Safe. But she's in hiding. No one else can know where she is. If I take you to her, it has to be just you."
After a long pause, Jones nodded. "Alright. Just me."
That evening, Racheal arrived at the small apartment Kate had been hiding in. The moment she stepped inside, Kate rushed into her arms, clinging to her tightly.
"I thought you weren't going to come again," Kate said, her voice trembling. "I've been so lonely."
"I know," Racheal whispered, squeezing her tightly. "I'm here now."
After a moment, she stepped back and gestured to Jones. "Kate, this is Inspector Jones. He's the lead investigator on Richard's case."
Kate's face paled slightly, but she nodded.
"Miss Kate, I just need to ask you some questions about Richard," Jones said gently.
Kate sighed, sinking onto the couch. "Okay. I'll tell you everything I know."
After the intense interrogation with Inspector Jones, night had fallen, draping Kate's apartment in an unsettling darkness. The tension in the air had lessened slightly, but a lingering unease remained. Racheal and the inspector had left not long ago, and for the first time in a while, Kate felt somewhat relieved, and decided to make dinner. But just as she was chopping vegetables, something made her freeze.
A sound.
Footsteps.
She turned her head slightly, listening. The sound wasn't from inside, it was outside. Circling the apartment.
Her breath caught in her throat. Her heart skipped a bit as she silently set the knife down and crept towards the window. She pushed it open, and a sliver of moonlight illuminated the dark figures lurking in the shadows. Armed men. The sight sent a chill coursing through her veins.
One of the men growled in a low, menacing tone, "Search the place. If she's hiding, flush her out. And if she doesn't come out..." He paused, letting the threat hang in the air. "Burn it down."
Panic seized Kate. She barely had time to react before heavy footsteps stomped toward the front door. Thinking fast, she grabbed her phone and slipped into a closet, making herself as small as possible.
The door burst open.
Kate's breath caught in her throat. Her hands shook violently as she texted Racheal, her fingers flying across the keyboard. Help! Armed men are here.
Just as the men were about to make their move, the night air was shattered by the wail of sirens. The men's heads jerked up, their eyes darting wildly as they scrambled to their feet.
Red and blue lights bathed the street in an eerie glow, casting an otherworldly pallor over the scene. Tires screeched as police cars took the corner, surrounding the area with a swarm of officers.
Racheal burst out of one of the cars, her face twisted with worry, her eyes scanning the scene frantically. "Kate!" she shouted, her voice piercing the chaos.
Kate collapsed into her arms, shaking. "They were going to burn the place down," she sobbed.
Jones caught up to them, his face grim. "This has gone too far. We need to move you somewhere safe."
Kate clung to Racheal. "I can't keep running. Where can I go?"
Racheal took a deep breath. "Enough of the hiding. You're coming home with me. My house is the safest place for you."
Kate pulled back. "But your parents... they might not want me there."
Racheal held her gaze firmly. "I'll talk to them. You're carrying my brother's baby. I won't let anything happen to you."
Kate swallowed hard, then nodded.
Racheal wrapped an arm around her, guiding her toward the car.
"Let's go home."
That night, Racheal led Kate into her parents' sitting room. Harriet and Anthony were mid chess games, but they froze at the sight of Racheal and the stranger beside her.
Harriet's eyes narrowed. "Not only did you stay out late, you brought a stranger home."
Racheal stepped aside, revealing Kate's swollen belly.
Harriet's mouth opened, then snapped shut. "She's... pregnant?"
"For Richard," Racheal said firmly.
Harriet looked at Anthony in disbelief, then back at Racheal. "Is this some sick joke?"
"It's the truth Mom," Racheal shot back. "And I don't care if you believe it. For weeks, all you've done is blame me for Richard's death while I've been out there trying to find his killers. What have you done? Nothing."
A tense silence followed. Racheal took a deep breath. "If Kate leaves, I leave too. Then you really will have no children."
Harriet's breath hitched. Her face crumpled, and for the first time in weeks, the steel in her eyes melted into pain and regret.
"No, Racheal…" Her voice cracked. "Don't leave."
Before Racheal could react, Harriet closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around her daughter in a fierce, desperate embrace.
"I'm sorry," Harriet whispered, her voice shaking. "I was so angry… so lost."
A lump formed in Racheal's throat. She hadn't expected this. Slowly, hesitantly, she raised her arms and hugged her mother back.
Harriet pulled away, turning to Kate with eyes still glassy with tears. "Come here, dear."
Kate hesitated, but when she saw the warmth in Harriet's expression, she stepped forward. Harriet took her hands, her touch gentle, motherly.
The three women embraced. Anthony, shaken, watched in stunned silence before awkwardly joining them. At that moment, they felt complete again.
The days that followed were a blur of emotions, but one thing was certain, George's household was transforming. The weight of their grief still lingered, but Kate's presence had brought a glimmer of hope. She was carrying Richard's child, a tangible piece of their beloved son that would live on.
One afternoon, as they sat together in the sitting room, Harriet turned to Kate. "Why don't we go to the hospital? We could find out the baby's gender."
Kate hesitated, glancing at Racheal.
Racheal grinned. "I think it's a great idea. I want to know if I'm getting a niece or a nephew."
Anthony nodded in agreement. "Yes. We should go."
Kate's lips parted in shock. She had expected them to care, but not this much. Not so soon.
That evening, they made their way to Festac Private Hospital.
When her name was called, they all followed her inside. The ultrasound room was dim, the cool air sending a shiver down Kate's spine. She lay down as the doctor applied gel to her stomach and moved the probe across her skin.
Seconds passed, then the screen flickered to life.
Harriet gripped Racheal's hand tightly. Anthony stood rigid, his eyes locked on the monitor.
The doctor smiled. "Well… I hope you're ready for a surprise."
Kate's breath hitched. "What do you mean?"
"You're not just having one baby," the doctor said gently. "You're having twins. A boy and a girl."
The room fell silent.
Then Harriet let out a soft gasp. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hand.
"A boy and a girl?" Kate whispered, barely able to comprehend it.
Anthony cleared his throat, blinking rapidly as he looked away, trying to compose himself. "Twins," he muttered, a joyful smile spreading across his face. He turned to Harriet and wrapped her in a warm hug.
Harriet wiped a tear from her cheek, turning to Kate with a watery smile. "You've Made up happy again Kate." Her voice was thick with emotion. "I lost my son… but now, I'm getting two grandchildren."
Kate let out a small, broken laugh. "I still can't believe it."
Racheal squeezed her hand. "Believe it. They're going to be so loved."
For the first time in a long time, the Georges felt something beyond grief. They felt joy.
The room, once filled with cautious joy, fell into silence as Racheal's phone vibrated against her palm. Everyone froze.
It was Inspector Jones.
A cold shiver ran down Racheal's spine.
She hesitated. Then, with trembling fingers, she answered and put it on speaker.
"Hello, Inspector Jones," she greeted, trying to keep her voice steady.
The line crackled for a second before his voice came through—calm, authoritative, but edged with something dark.
"We have Richard's killers."
The air in the room thickened instantly. Racheal felt her entire body go cold.
The words echoed in her mind, bouncing around like shards of glass, cutting deep.
She tried to speak, but her throat felt too tight.
"Who?" she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
A long pause. Then Jones' reply came, grave and heavy.
"Meet me at the station, Racheal. I think you'll want to see him person."
The call ended.
A deafening silence followed.
Kate's lips trembled. "Richard's… killers?"
Racheal swallowed hard, her mind spinning. "I need to go."
Antony stepped forward. "Racheal, listen to me"
But she was already moving.
She grabbed her coat and turned to the door, her heartbeat hammering so loudly in her ears that she could barely hear Kate calling after her.
"Racheal, wait!"
She didn't stop.