Chapter 6

I watched him with a sarcastic smirk. “Chase, do you remember what I told you on the phone? I was asking for help! Why didn’t you come to my rescue? What’s the point of this charade now? Who are you trying to fool?”

Nicole interjected sharply. “That’s impossible! There must be a reason for my sister’s disappearance. Her wedding dress was worth a fortune, adorned with real diamonds. Why wouldn’t the culprit simply keep it if it was about money?”

“If it was about lust, the murderer would have destroyed the bloodstained dress, not tossed it in the water. Besides, who goes to the trouble of removing a dress from the victim and making the body vanish? It doesn’t add up.”

“Exactly,” Chase said, a spark of understanding in his eyes. “Did you find any other clues at the scene? Personal items—a phone, shoes, socks? Or perhaps the murder weapon, any bloodstains?”

“Nothing yet.”

Nicole speculated, “I think my sister deliberately removed her wedding dress, stabbed it, smeared some of her own blood on it, and threw it in the water to create drama.”

My mother chimed in, “My daughter is out of line. Pulling stunts to get attention is one thing, but involving the police is too much.” The Kennedy family had arrived after a call from the police and overheard the conversation. From that moment, my parents and brother maintained a consistent narrative.

Officer Robert interrupted, “Please, ma’am, calm down.”

“Calm down? Officer, you likely have a family. If your cherished daughter became an ungrateful brat and hurt her siblings, could you remain calm?”

My older brother glanced at his watch. “Officer, we’re busy people. We’re here to tell you not to involve us in petty squabbles again.”

A knot of pain tightened in my chest. I stared at my family, who had loved me for years. Why did they feel like strangers now? What had I done to make them hate me so much?

The officers were taken aback. One asked, “She’s your family. She’s missing. Maybe she committed suicide, or worse, been murdered. Aren’t you even a little worried?”

“I know my daughter. She’s too shameless to commit suicide. Plus, she’s Mrs. Reyes. Who would dare touch her? Don’t waste your resources. She’s probably hiding somewhere, watching us.”

“I have a meeting. I’m leaving.”

The Kennedy family departed hastily. I even heard my mother mutter, “Seriously, I didn’t even finish my manicure, and I’m dragged here for this nonsense.”

“Mom, where did you get your nails done? They look fabulous,” Nicole chimed in.

“I’ll take you later, and we’ll get some beauty treatments too. If only your sister were as well-behaved as you, I wouldn’t have these extra wrinkles.”

Soon, everyone had left except Chase, who hadn’t spoken.

“Mr. Reyes, did your wife contact you before she vanished? We heard you left the wedding yesterday, and she was devastated. There’s a chance she might have done something drastic. If you know anything, please cooperate…”

Chase’s temper flared at the officer’s implication. He slammed his hand on the table and stood. “Officer Robert, you haven’t found a body or a crime scene. How can you be so sure she’s dead?”

“She’s your wife!”

Fed up, Chase stormed out. “Then you can investigate once you actually find a body!”