Chapter 502

It was Cedric Sawyer, the police officer. We’d set up a meeting before, and now he was calling, probably to arrange it. I used to feel this rush of excitement at the idea of finally finding out the truth about my parents’ accident. But somewhere along the way, that excitement turned into a weird, uneasy feeling—like that nervous flutter you get coming back home after a long time away.

I glanced at Jace, who immediately stepped back, catching on. I walked a few steps away before answering. “Officer Sawyer.”

“Are you free to meet right now?”

I looked around at the heavy rain pouring down. Definitely not the best day for a meeting. But since he’d picked today, it had to be important. I took a steadying breath. “Alright. Where?”

As I got ready to leave, Lindey’s disappointed face tugged at me—she’d just made gnocchi, and I hadn’t even tasted it yet.

“Come back soon, and I’ll make it for you again,” she said, trying to sound cheerful.

I promised her and drove out of the Johnston residence into the rain. Jace had asked who was so important that I had to leave right then, but I just told him it was someone I needed to meet.

Cedric had chosen my parents’ cemetery. Thinking of the flowers I’d sometimes seen left at their graves, I had a feeling I knew why he’d picked this spot. Through the sheets of rain, I finally saw him, standing by their headstone with a black umbrella. The closer I got, the more my stomach twisted.

I stopped on the steps beside him, but with the umbrella shading his face, I still couldn’t see him clearly.

“Officer Sawyer?” I called out.

He shifted his umbrella just enough for his face to come into view, and I froze—it really was him.

“Hello, Keira,” he greeted me.

Flashes of our last encounter came rushing back, back when he’d handed me my parents’ death reports. Now I understood why he’d asked for my phone number that day.

“You’ve probably come to visit my parents a lot over the years, haven’t you?” I glanced at the fresh flowers resting by their graves.

“A few times.” He had that serious, no-nonsense look about him, like he’d been carved from stone. But knowing he’d quietly visited them all this time—holding onto this small, hidden warmth—stirred something deep in me. “Thank you.”

“No need for thanks. I visit them because of a debt, not affection.” His words sent a chill through me.

I knew that “debt” likely had something to do with their accident.

Chapter 502

I waited, expecting him to go on, but he just stared at their photos on the headstone. All around us, the rain fell steady and endless.

“Officer Sawyer,” I finally broke the silence, unable to hold back.

“You’ve been living with a family friend of theirs all these years, haven’t you?” His question confirmed he’d done his homework.

“Yes, with Matthew Johnston of RiverwaveCorp,” I replied, watching him, wondering why the Johnstons were on his mind. After all, I’d wrestled with my own doubts about Matthew before.

“They’ve treated you well?”

“Yes,” I said honestly. “Like their own daughter.”

Cedric nodded. “If your parents’ spirits are watching over you, I think they’d feel at peace, knowing you’ve been in good hands.”

His words sharpened my unease. “Are you saying this has something to do with my parents’ accident?”

He looked directly at me. “You’re pretty perceptive.”

I pressed my lips together, waiting.

“Listen, there’s something I need to say before I hand you the investigation report.” Standing so close, tall and solid, Cedric almost seemed…fatherly. Maybe I was just craving that kind of presence.

“Go ahead,” I replied.

Chapter 503