The night grew deeper. A gentle breeze whispered through the air. Branches swayed and leaves rustled. Azora hugged herself as she continued walking into the darkness.
It was already eleven o’clock, and no cars passed by the road anymore. She thought it was the right time to escape from Robert’s house. He wouldn’t give her a chance to approach Clasiso anyway.
All she wanted was to explain herself.
She knew Clasiso’s trap in spreading the case, but her conscience wouldn’t let her stay quiet. She spent day and night replaying the night Anthony died, unable to sleep soundly. She couldn’t bear her conscience anymore. That’s why she needed to confront them.
She wanted to explain to Anthony’s father that it was all a misunderstanding. That her father didn’t mean to kill Anthony.
Her feet suddenly stopped. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. Was her escape plan right? Should she explain to Anthony’s father? Was it the right thing to do?
She bit her lower lip and looked up at the moonless, starless sky. It was an endless darkness, much like what she felt at that moment. She didn’t know, but she couldn’t rest until she explained everything to Anthony’s father.
Maybe… she just needed to show up in front of the Clasisos. Or maybe she needed to lie that she wasn’t Anthony’s girlfriend and had nothing to do with his death.
She took a deep breath. Yes. Perhaps the second option was what she needed to do. She would lie that she wasn’t his girlfriend, to end the suspicions from the Clasisos and her father. Maybe it would ease the tension over her disappearance and the truth behind Anthony’s death.
Yes. That’s what she would do.
A smile curved her lips, and Azora let out a chuckle. She continued walking lightly, heading towards the center of Alcantara.
By her count, she had been walking in the endless darkness for almost two hours. She didn’t bring her cellphone. She didn’t bring a flashlight.
She brought nothing but herself, and she didn’t know why. She hadn’t realized how far the center was. Why? Why didn’t she think it was far? Was she suddenly stupid?
Azora chuckled.
…
Midnight. Terano quietly drank his coffee. He sat on the chair he brought outside the police station. He could only hear crickets and occasional gusts of wind.
Before long, he heard footsteps approaching. The policeman was alert. He quickly set his coffee cup aside and stood up, gripping the gun hidden at his waist.
He scanned the darkness for the source of the footsteps. Soon, a woman in a white dress emerged from the darkness. He furrowed his brow. He didn’t believe in ghosts, but she seemed like one.
Her skin was pale, as if untouched by sunlight for days. Her lips were pale, her black hair loose, and her face emotionless.
A woman he didn’t know where she came from. She looked fragile, so he didn’t alert the companions inside the station.
“Miss, did you get lost?”
The woman stopped walking a few meters from him. The solitary light outside the police station illuminated her hair. When she looked up at him, he furrowed his brow even more.
Her face was familiar. In a moment, she slowly opened her mouth in surprise. Standing in front of him was the woman a businessman was looking for in the city! Alibata Briones!
“If this happens, he’ll be a millionaire.”
She bit her lip and squinted at the woman. “Are you Azora Briones?”
A few seconds passed before the woman nodded. She nodded. “Did you know that your father is looking for you? Where did you come from?” she asked.
“Take me somewhere,” the woman said.
He was stunned by the coldness of her voice. The furrow in his brow deepened. “Are you okay, daughter?” he asked again, and he gestured for her to follow. “Come inside. It’s cold outside.”
The woman didn’t protest. She quietly followed him into the station. He saw his colleague reading inside. He was sitting behind the office, and when he heard a few footsteps, he looked up at him.
He shrugged. “Do you have a jacket?” he asked.
“Are you cold?” the companion asked, reaching under the office. After a while, he took out a jacket. “It’s not allowed to get sick,” he joked.
“No,” he denied and reached out the jacket. “I will put it on the woman. She looks like she’s gone. Come on. Look at her and tell me if I’m just dreaming.”
His companion laughed, but he didn’t protest. He stood up and they went to the big chair for the visitors.
He saw the woman sitting there, staring at the floor. He was more worried.
He first looked at the woman, she seemed to have a problem. She was alone and went to the police. Maybe she was assaulted, but he noticed she didn’t react when he approached earlier.
“Miss,” he called out.
The woman remained silent, so he had to call her several times before she finally looked up at him and his quietly surprised companion standing beside him. He knew they were both thinking about the reward.
“Why?” she asked weakly, her voice trembling.
He handed her the jacket. “Put this on. Would you like me to make you some coffee? Or milk?” he asked.
The woman took the jacket and put it on slowly. She shook her head. “Just take me to Clasiso.”
“Huh?” They exchanged glances, then he looked back at the woman who was now staring up at him. “What did you say?” he asked.
“Clasiso. You don’t know them?”
His companion scratched his head. “It seems like she’s referring to the family of the teenager who committed suicide,” he said.
He furrowed his brow. “We don’t know where the Clasisos live, but I can ask at another station along the route.”
“Sure. But don’t let my Dad know that I am here.”
“What?” they both asked. He subtly signaled his companion who immediately caught on. He smirked. “We’ve been instructed to take you to your father as soon as we find you.”
Azora raised an eyebrow. She swallowed and awkwardly smiled at the woman. “How about this? We’ll take you to a nearby hotel, and tomorrow we’ll travel to the city.”
Azora fell silent for a few seconds. Then she nodded after a few moments. “Okay. But you need to drop me off first at Clasiso’s mansion. Is that a deal?”
He saw the smile widen on his companion’s face from the corner of his eye. He smirked again and smiled faintly to hide his eagerness. “You can count on it, Miss.”