Penance - Uncovering the truth, Secrets and confessions, and Twisted pasts

Chapter78

Gabriel was talking to the police while Mason sat inside a police car, his eyes looking more lifeless than Hudson's.

Grayson took a quick glance at Alison, who sat beside him on the school's entrance. She seemed completely drained, much like himself. Their clothes were stained with Hudson's blood, and Alison had smudges of it on her face. Her dress was torn at the edges, while Grayson's jacket had a big hole on his side. Alison struggled to get up, a pained expression crossing her face, probably from her stitches hurting.

They stood silently, watching as Hudson's body was put into the ambulance. Alison turned to Cora with a worried expression and asked about William. Her concern wasn't just about his well-being; she feared William might face Hudson's fate. Cora assured her that William was fine, attempting to provide some comfort. However, Grayson could sense that Alison wasn't entirely convinced by Cora's reassurance, and neither was he. So Grayson suggested asking Gabriel for answers.

They both walked up to where Gabriel was talking. The man Gabriel was talking to looked older, maybe in his 50s. He was slightly over weight, regardless of his clothing, wore a badge on his chest and had a sidearm holstered at his waist.

Grayson had no particular interest in talking to Gabriel and was grateful when Alison spoke up first, demanding an explanation, beginning with, "Who's he?"

The man beside Gabriel chuckled despite the recent grim events. "This is the team leader of the Crime Scene Investigator, Rupert," Gabriel introduced, gesturing towards his companion.

"Alison Emrys, I presume?" Rupert shifted his attention to Alison. "Tell me, Ms. Emrys, how do you feel about inheriting your brother's mess now that he's gone, along with Mason's?"

Who in their right mind would ask such a question? Grayson felt a surge of anger welling up within him, as he fought the urge to lunge at Rupert and bring him down, just as he had done with Mason.

Rupert shifted his gaze from Alison to Grayson, perhaps sensing Grayson's discomfort. "What part do you play in all this, Mr. Hawth-"

"How about you enlighten us with some answers for a change, Rupert?" Alison retorted sharply, clearly expressing her dislike for him.

Rupert nodded at Alison and then turned to Gabriel, his expression unreadable.

Gabriel fetched a folder, presumably containing the social contract, and handed it to Alison. She stared at it for a while, and Grayson wondered if she would ever find the courage to open it.

"What you're holding is The Social Contract," Rupert explained. "But it's only half of it. We believe Mason foresaw this situation and hid the other half. We have reason to believe you might possess that missing portion."

Alison's eyes remained glue on the folder as if it held the answers to the questions that had haunted her for so long. Seemingly ignoring the conversation, she then asked, "When did Hudson hire you?"

Rupert, growing annoyed with Alison, and perhaps with Grayson too, replied curtly, "Six months back."

Alison paused, her gaze still on the folder. She asked further, "Why did Hudson hire you?"

Rupert seemed baffled, glancing at Gabriel in disbelief. "Is this some kind of joke?" he retorted, shifting his gaze back to Alison.

Alison finally tore her gaze away from the folder and looked up at Rupert, her eyes sharp and calculating. "You've been working for Hudson for six months, and as far as I can tell, you've found nothing," she remarked with a hint of mockery. "What makes you think that I, Alison Emrys, would have the second half of the Social Contract? Especially when I'm the very person Mason was trying to hide it from."