What Lies Beneath

Twenty

The second time Rahim said it, I still thought he was messing with me. I thought, maybe, he had the wrong person. I'd clear up the understanding and this would all be resolved. But no, he'd been adamant that Mrs. Carol's husband was Emerald's biological father. The connection was crystal clear when I thought back to the anger in Cecilia's eyes while looking at those pictures. It made no sense though. Mrs. Carol had no idea Emerald was dead. But Cecilia did.

Perhaps, it was my own bias coming out to play. I mean, seriously, how much damage could a blind person do? Mrs. Carol couldn't have been a suspect, could she? She was sweet. As innocent as could be. And blind. She loved Emerald. She treated her like a second daughter. She treated her like a second daughter, the thought repeated in my head.

Shit, she sure did.

That could have meant anything though. Hell, but the interactions between Mrs. Carol, Cecilia, and Emerald made things a lot harder to push aside. It also made Cecilia's distaste for both Iris and Emerald seem a lot more justified. The last words Rahim and I exchanged was a goodbye and thank you before he told me to make sure I got home safe. Gosh, now if only my legs would move faster.

My nerves were playing mind games with me and I didn't like that. If she had known that Emerald's father was her own husband, what could that have meant? That meant she had a motive. Duh Tyler. Though, that didn't explain why the hate was reciprocated from Iris' end when it was her who slept with Mrs. Carol's husband. Yet again, I needed more answers.

I hoped Rahim was wrong. I hoped Mrs. Carol was as innocent as I thought she was. Right now, I couldn't be so sure of anything. Man, where was a vision when it was needed? Dammit. I'd appreciate this ability a little bit more if the dead could talk.

The tremors in my hands increased as the library came into view ahead. On the train ride back to Lake Bellinor, I'd lost track of time. I'd lost track of the missed phone calls and text messages. I tried to dodge every cop car I saw while speeding down the sidewalks. By now, Christian had to be out searching for me. Which meant, there was no doubt he'd asked for help. For all I knew, Lake Bellinor's entire police force could've been out here looking. I was an easy target to spot.

The acceleration in my heartbeat sped up again as soon as my feet touched the concrete steps in front of the library. I pulled out my phone and pressed the power button, urging the screen to glow already. Someone must've known I was frustrated and decided to punish me because it took longer than I'd anticipated.

"Come on, come on," I growled. Finally, 6:50 PM appeared before me.

The library was set to close in ten minutes. Perfect timing.

I bolted through the doors, spotting a young man I'd never seen before at the reception desk. He looked to be around college age. Dirty blonde hair, green eyes, and dark brown glasses were the first things I noticed about him. A temporary replacement for Cecilia? Maybe.

"Excuse me, do you know where I could find Mrs. Carol?" I asked, approaching him.

He wearily eyed me over the computer screen, then gestured towards the stairs. "She's on the second floor. Do you need help? We're about to close."

"Ah no. I just need to talk to Mrs. Carol," I said.

"M'kay, well just head upstairs. She should be hanging around one of the back shelves."

"Thanks." I nodded and began walking in that direction.

The tension in my spine was starting to make its way to my stomach. I didn't know how to bring up a sensitive topic having to do with her husband without overstepping my boundaries. After all, how could I? I'd either make myself look suspicious or like an asshole. What if she threw me out? What if she confessed? Her reaction could've been the opposite of what I'd seen from her thus far; the calm and collected Mrs. Carol.