NovelEnglishChapter 0423 +25 BONUS After helping Valerie in the bathroom and holding her until he fell completely asleep, Marcus found himself unable to rest. He decided to head to his study to tackle spending work. While diligently sorting through emails, his phone lit up with an incoming call from Frederick. Without hesitation, he answered.
"What's up, my friend?" Marcus asked calmly.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I thought I wouldn't catch you awalte," Frederick replied, his tone tinged with nerves.
"I couldn't sleep. It's been an emotional day. But tell me, what's on your mind?" "Do you remember the briefcase I gave you when you first erived in Valentia? "Yes. Why?" "Have you gone through the information on the USB drive assyou haven't, since you've made no mention of IL. Am I right?" "To be honest, I only skimmed through the first folder. All found was that Catherine was involved with Albert- Valerie's grandfather." "Okay. It's crucial that you review the entire contents. Back when we conducted the investigation, we were working quickly to ensure no one knew we were digging into them. That was months ago, though. Now it's important you look at folder seven." "Why? What's in it? Tellstraight." "It's about Peter." "What about him? Does the folder mention his accident?" "You'll need to see it for yourself. Go through the folder thoroughly and callwhen you're done. Something happened today that brought it all back to mind." "Understood. I'll check it now." After hanging up, Marcus retrieved the briefcase from his safe and inserted the USB into his computer. The familiar screen with twelve folders appeared, waiting to be explored.
The topic of Peter-his death, and the lingering guilt Marcus felt for being married to Valerie, Peter's former fiancée always unsettled him. He avoided thwelling on it, choosing instead to push the thoughts aside. But now, faced with Frederick's urgency, the unease returned.
Lighting a cigar, Marcus opened the window of his study and poured himself a glass of cognac-habits he reserved for moments of true discomfort. As he sipped and smoked, he navigated to the folder Frederick had mentioned. Inside, he found more subfolders, and he donned his reading glasses to begin sifting through the files. Starting with the accident reports, Marcus noted meticulous details. Among them was his own directive forbidding photos or videos of Peter's body in the morgue. Those images, he'd ordered, were to be strictly for himself and the lead investigator.
Page after page, Marcus read through the official documents, his anxiety growing. Then something caught his attention-a surveillance photo from a city camera. Enlarging the image, he stared at it, his pulse quickening Peter wasn't alone on the day of the accident. Someone else had been with him, someone who bore an uncanny resemblance to...
"Peter? What the hell?" Marcus murmured, zooming in further to examine the face of the man accompanying his late friend in what were supposedly his final moments.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm12 +25 BONUS Chapter 0423
Continuing through the files, Marcus found a report mentioning the presence of two sets of fingerprints at the scene. Yet only one body had been identified: Peter Palmer. The second individual was unaccounted for, though their fingerprints were noted as not belonging to Peter. Feeling overwhelmed, Marcus paused and dialed Frederick "Frederick... are you thinking what I'm thinking?
"I knew you'd reach out once you saw it," Frederick said, his tone grim. "This morning, you'll recall, I returned from a trip to Florentia. At the airport, I bumped into someone... someone I can't quite explain. Callcrazy, or maybe I'm losing my vision or my mind, but I cface to face with a man identical to "Don't say it. Peter?" Marcus interrupted, his voice tight.
"Exactly. I swear it was him. I'm old, but I'd never forget that face. And it wasn't Alden. The man saw looked n. The man slightly bider than Alden. To be sure, I called Alden's office phone immediately, and he answered. It couldn't have been him." Marcus ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady his nerves. "I need you to investigate everything related to this. But not a word to anyone-not yet. We can't be certain of what you saw.
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