Chapter 277 Alerting the Other Party
“What do you mean by this?” Freya pressed her lips tightly together. She knew Melissa’s disposition too well.
The young girl didn’t lie, and whenever she did, her eyes would wander. She was never one to be enigmatic.
“Miss, please believe us,” said the investigating officer to Freya. “The police don’t arbitrarily apprehend people. We found a knife at the crime scene with your cousin’s fingerprints on the handle. The blood on the blade, after analysis, indeed matches Benjamin’s!”
Freya was taken aback. “How is that possible? Didn’t Benjamin drown?”
The officer sighed. “Benjamin was a young man in his twenties, and he wasn’t under the influence of alcohol. How could he drown in a 4 feet deep pond? He was stabbed and fell into a coma, then thrown into the water!
“The knife found at the scene matches Benjamin’s wound, and microscopic particles of Hannah’s skin were found on the handle.”
The officer looked at Freya. “Do you understand now?”
“I don’t believe it. There must be a conspiracy here. My cousin is being framed. Freya asserted firmly.
The officer seemed helpless. “Since Melissa Marshall has been brought in, we’ve investigated her background as well. Whether it’s your cousin or Hannah Monaghan, they are the only daughters of prominent families. I know your families have great influence, but everyone is equal before the law. If you harm others, you must face the consequences. In the face of solid evidence, a few words of defense won’t be enough to escape!”
Freya wanted to say something, but the officer had already gotten up and left.
At that, she clenched her fists and forced herself to calm down.
According to the police’s account, it was indeed strange.
Melissa went to Swan Lake that evening and left without seeing Benjamin.
If she had come into contact with the knife that night, she would definitely remember it.
Freya turned around, thinking of returning to reassure Melissa, when the door opposite swung open.
Two tall figures strode in briskly.
Freya was startled. “Radley…”
Radley saw Freya and walked over quickly. “How are you holding up?”
“I just went to see Melissa. She said she went there for a moment and didn’t see anyone before leaving. But the police found a knife at the crime scene with Benjamin’s blood in it! The handle had fingerprints and skin traces of Melissa and Hannah!”
At this moment, Freya couldn’t concern herself with her past with Radley.
In such a major situation, having more people trying to find a solution meant having more hope.
Radley looked toward the officer’s desk. “Where are the investigators?”
Freya forced a bitter smile. “I might have been too impatient with my questioning earlier. The police probably assumed we wanted to use our status to pressure them because we’re from influential families.”
Radley frowned and thought for a moment, then turned to Connor. “Are the visiting procedures in place?”
“It’s all set,” Connor replied.
“Are you going to see Hannah?” Freya immediately followed. “I’ll go with you.”
Radley nodded and took Freya’s hand.
Freya’s mind was in chaos. She could have remained calm in the face of such a situation, but she knew better the police’s evidence was overwhelmingly strong now.
There were surveillance videos, physical evidence–everything!
Usually, cases like this would be quickly brought to trial. If she couldn’t keep up with the investigation speed, Melissa and Hannah were likely to be convicted.
Freya followed Radley to another detention room.
Peering inside, she saw Hannah sitting on a chair in the corner, playing with her hair. She seemed calmer than Melissa.
“Hannah, come here.” Radley’s voice was low.
Hannah looked up sharply, and after spotting Radley and Freya, she rushed to the railing.
“Radley, are you here to take me out?” Hannah’s voice was cheerful. However, Radley’s gaze was profound. “It seems that you don’t know how serious the matter is.”
“How serious can it be? Melissa and I haven’t done anything wrong. The police will investigate and clear things up.”
Her statement was obviously quite naive!
Freya took a deep breath, which also indicated their innocence even further.
Radley relayed what Freya had just told him, word by word, to his little sister.
In the end, he summarized, “Now, with the evidence of the murder weapon and the surveillance footage, Melissa is the main suspect. You’re an accomplice.”
Hannah stood dumbfounded in the room for a few seconds before widening her eyes. “Impossible!
“How could there be a knife or anything? Melissa and I went to Swan Lake that night, but halfway there, I ran into a friend and didn’t go with Melissa anymore. But when we went, Melissa didn’t have a knife on her at all.”
As Hannah spoke, she looked at Radley’s solemn expression and Freya’s tense face, and her complexion gràdually grew pale.
“Radley, someone must be framing Melissa and me. The police will find out, right?”
“The police are currently investigating,” Freya reassured her. “So right now, both of you are just suspects, not convicted criminals.” /
“But the evidence is all there. Where did the evidence come from?” Hannah thought she would go mad.
“Does that mean I won’t be able to leave today, Radley?!”
Radley sighed deeply, feeling a pang of heartache as he looked at his dear little sister.
Indeed, this time, it wasn’t Hannah who had caused trouble.
“You can’t…”
“Since they’ve detained us, brother, can you tell the police to let me and Melissa stay together? I’ll be scared alone at night!”
Freya sighed softly. Seeing Radley’s tense expression persisting, she stepped forward and comforted Hannah. “Don’t worry. As long as you two haven’t done anything, we will find a way to prove your innocence!”
Hannah had by now realized the gravity of the situation. She bit her lip and remained silent.
Freya thought for a moment. With such solid evidence, there’s no room for any loopholes. What could the other. party gain by implicating Hannah and Melissa?
She turned to Radley and thought of that group of people. The guys who had been searching for “The Compendium of Medical Wisdom!”
They had been trying to disrupt the Kaufmanns and had now dragged Hannah into this mess.
At that, Freya became troubled. If it’s really those guys, these two girls had fallen victim to unjust accusations:
After comforting Hannah, Freya finally managed to explain that the police absolutely wouldn’t let her and Melissa stay in the same cell, as that could lead to collusion between suspects.
Hannah protested, but ultimately, she had to reluctantly let them go.
Radley and Freya walked into the courtyard outside the police station. Under the starry sky, she took a deep breath. “Radley, I suspect this might have been the work of that group that’s been secretly investigating me. And this time, I might have implicated your sister.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said with a touch of tenderness and a profound gaze.
“If it really is them, I won’t let their trail go cold this time” His voice turned icy, laced with a sense of malice.
He looked at Freya, who appeared conflicted and troubled, biting her lip, lost in thought.
He knew that Freya believed she had implicated the Monaghan family, but he knew full well what was up.
He had been lurking in the shadows, investigating the people who were investigating Freya.
It seemed very likely that his recent investigations had alerted them, and they framed Melissa while involving Hannah, sending him a warning: mind your own business!
Freya stood with Radley for a while before deciding to return to the police station.
“I have to go back and see Melissa.”
“Let me take you home,” Radley spoke softly, his gaze gentle.
Freya shook her head. “I came with my mother. We’ll go back together later. Thank you.”
After seeing Freya reenter the police station, Radley turned his head and gazed into the night, his eyes becoming cold as he ordered, “Connor, send someone to Evergreen University! Find a way to seal off the campus; no student is allowed to leave! Conduct a thorough search, and scrutinize everyone’s background information!”
