If Only She Knew

40. The Truth

Two months ago, Cluj-Napoca...

"Come inside, Ariana. Alone. Tell the cops that if they interfere, something bad will happen to missis." And he attached a photo to the message.

It was a picture of her father and paternal grandmother, Vera, tied up to a chair, back to back. Vera looked terrified and her father had a very angry look on his face, and the photo made Ariana feel sick to her bones. With her hands trembling, she dragged herself towards the comissioners and showed them the picture, and the message.

The Big B. killer was inside that house.

"We don't really have a choice but to let her go in, alone," the London comissioner looked to Michael and then to Ariana.

"No. What if what he wants is to take her prisoner too?" Joseph interfered immediately, looking at all three. He grabbed Ariana's hand and begged her: "Ariana, don't go. It's too dangerous, please baby. Don't listen to him, he's manipulated you too much. Please." He said. But Ariana snatched away her hand from his hold, looking into his eyes.

"He could kill my grandma if I don't go. I have to go guys, I'm sorry. Don't worry, I'll be alright," Ariana said as she looked at all of the cops, her colleagues, fellow investigators, strangers, and her fiancé. Her eyes connected with Lily's, Michael's, the comissioners, Jacob, Carla, William, Adrian. Jacob gave her a worried look, thinking of how much she had grown as a detective from the scatily-dressed easy woman she seemed at first. His green eyes seemed to want to say something, but he stood back.

And Joseph... He seemed to barely hold himelf back from touching her. Was she leaving him? Would she be back? Her arms trembled and her legs were weak.

Was that the day of her death?

"Are you sure Ariana? You don't have to go, we'll find another way to do this," Michael said, worry and regret in his voice. He stretched his arm forward in a gesture as if to stop her, but soon he let it fall, as she was shaking her head. There really was no way of stopping her from herself.

Ariana smiled at all of them, some small, hidden prickling tears in her eyes, as she beheld them.

"This man is a man who killed so many people, and he wouldn't mind putting a knife through grandma's heart the next minute",  Ariana started her speech, this time looking, without courage, at the grass. "I have to go, everyone. But I will come back unscathed, soon. And we'll all celebrate," Ariana said and sprinted away just before anyone could hold her back. In that instant, Joseph started walking after her, but Michael grabbed his hand, shaking his head as he watched the mysterious blonde woman who conquered all of them vanish through the main door of the villa.

"No, Joseph. Let her go. If something bad happens if we don't let her go, she'll regret it for the rest of her life," Michael said.

Joseph didn't know it, but that was all he had had.

*

Ariana stepped inside the house. The main door was left, of course ,purposefully unlocked. She was met by a perfect, spotless entrance salon, that was separated by the rest of the house by white, perfect french doors. She passed through them, too.

She looked in all directions all the time, and couldn't ignore the creepy vibes she had crawling up her skin, in the perfect stillness and silence of the house, knowing the killer was somewhere in there. Would she really get to meet the killer today? After all this time? She couldn't believe it. She stopped once to check her phone but there was no new message from the killer, so she pursued her search. He had to be somewhere in there.

She turned around the corner and was met by a long hall with wooden doors lined up on both sides. She walked as if she was walking on glass or nails. Her mind was frozen. She heard her phone ringing with a message notification and looked to see a message from Michael asking her what was up. She didn't reply.