POV: Raphael
“You wouldn’t dare, you won’t do that!” He told me, his voice shaking as he stared at me with his eyes glistening with unshed tears. I wondered if he was so scared of her because of the way he treated her or if there was something about her that we didn’t know about.
“I will do everything you ask, I will give you anything you need to find her. Just keep her away from my family, Raphael. And whatever you do, you have to be very careful because she is always one step ahead of everyone. She has had twenty-four years to think about this and prepare for anything you might think of.
Do not believe one word from her mouth, and never underestimate her. Do not ever turn your back on her!” he warned me sternly, giving me the scary look I’ve gotten from anyone, ever. He wrote everything I asked for, his hands shaking as he did. But I couldn’t shake off the feeling that there is more to this than he is letting on.
“Why do you think she would hurt her sister, is it because you married her?
Don’t you think she would have gotten over it all this while?” I asked him, looking at his face as he got so scared of my questions and turned to look at me as if I was some crazy person. Then all of a sudden, he burst into fits of laughter, laughing at me like a fucking madman.
“You are dead, Raphael. You are fucking dead!” he lets out hilariously, laughing like a jackass. I sat there looking at him as he laughed until there were tears in his eyes. Each time he stopped laughing and stared at me, he just got triggered again, and he continued laughing at me as if I was a comedian performing in a show for him.
“When you are done laughing like an idiot, can you please finish up your write-up so I can get the fuck out of here!” I told him furiously because I was getting pissed with his unending laughter. My outburst did not make him stop laughing. He kept laughing as he wrote down what I requested, laughing as he did,
“I will write down everything you need Raphael, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are a dead man walking. You clearly have no idea who you are dealing with and that is your biggest mistake. She will kill you before you have the chance to make any move on her.
She is always one step ahead, Raphael, and here you are thinking she will forgive my mistakes and move on with her life as if it never happened. Eloise never forgets or forgives, she gets whatever she wants, she always has. She killed her parents to get the inheritance because she knew they would give it to Vera. She made them sign everything over to her, and they did it because they thought she would let them leave alive.
They underestimated her, and they turned up dead. Claire’s family underestimated her, too, and they turned up dead. Anyone who defies her or dares to challenge her ends up dead without evidence, with no traces. You, Raphael Hawkins, you are a dead man walking because you have no idea who you are up against.
Severally, I’ve tried to get rid of her, and I was called man and wicked. I got the chance to kill her when her illness got serious and she was hospitalized. But you foolishly paid her bills and put the psychopath on the street again. That was your first mistake, Raphael. I hope you don’t make another mistake because it will cost you your life and the girls too.
Kill that bitch the first chance you get, take her out, Raphael, kill her!” he told me fiercely, his face looking mean and scarred. All signs of his initial laughter have disappeared, he now looks worried and scared again.
“If you think she will spare the girls because they are like daughters to her, I want you to think again, Raphael Hawkins. She will get more chances to steal more babies and get rid of their families this time. I think she has always known that she would kill the girls someday, it’s always been a part of her plans.
That’s why I left her, she was going crazy and becoming uncontrollable. She mentioned that she prefers babies she can have all to herself and control their lives. She wished the girls would never grow up and start asking questions about their background. She had that dreamy look in her eyes that told me that she would hurt the girls someday.
I tried to take them away from her, but she came after me and threatened to hurt me if I didn’t stay away from her perfect family. The only reason I made their lives miserable was because I wanted them on the street so they could be picked up by social services. But somehow, she always managed to pull through; she always made them love her, and they would never leave her for anything in this world.
Her one mistake is letting Victoria’s family leave. And it’s not as if she let them leave; she couldn’t do anything to them because they are wealthy, and she couldn’t get rid of them so easily. Claire’s family, on the other hand, were not so lucky. They are rich and famous, but they let their guard down, and they made the mistake of trusting her, and now they are dead too.
It’s quite a pity that the girls have no idea what she is capable of, and neither do you. That means you are all easy prey for her to kill. Just do me a favor and keep her away from me and my family until I figure a way to get us out of this mess.” He told me sadly as he pushed the paper towards me and looked away in regret.
The door to the interrogation room pushed open from the outside and Miguel walked into the room, his glare fixed on Austin Kendall. I’d asked him to stay outside and observe while I spoke with Austin because I didn’t want him upsetting the man or saying too much. For all I know, he could still be in contact with Eloise, and he could use whatever we say to him as a bargaining chip to get anything he wants from Eloise.
“I told you to stay out, Miguel, what are you doing here?” I asked him furiously, trying to stop him from glaring at Austin Kendall. He did not budge, he still glared at him for a few minutes before turning to me,
“Carl got something he wants us to see, we need to wrap it up and get to him as soon as possible.” He responded firmly, using a harsh tone to caution me for speaking to him that way. I scoffed at his ego, this guy is so annoying. I don’t think we will ever get along, we may probably end up throwing punches at each other each time our paths cross.
“You act so pitiful and sad because you are behind bars and you know the monster you have been shielding is coming back for your head.” He lets out angrily, scolding Austin as if he were a child.
“You seem to forget that you are to be blamed for this issue as well. Twice we came to you to help me find my sister and tell us who is responsible for her kidnapping. But you kept the truth to yourself and chose to make money out of it because of your greed and selfishness. If it were left to me, I would sell you and your family out and let you face the monster you shielded from the law.” He told him angrily, his gaze filled with rage as he turned to walk away.
“You will die at the hands of that monster I shielded if you do not learn to be smarter than her,” Austin responded angrily, turning to him with anger in his eyes. He turned to me with that same angry look and glared at me, looking so angry.
“I have nothing else to lose, Raphael. Even with my greed and selfishness, I still got played by her, and I didn’t get anything out of all this, not a dime to my name. I know I may sound stupid now because I lost everything, but I’ll give you this advice for free. Ditch this moron before he gets you all killed.
He is unstable; his emotions are his weakness, and that is what Eloise would use against him. Read my lips, Raphael. This guy is a loose cannon, and he will get you and his sister killed.” He told me firmly, ignoring the glares he was getting from Miguel.
“Someday, when this is all over, Austin, I will find you myself and I will make you take back these words. Let’s just hope she doesn’t get to you before I do!” he assured him, smirking evilly as he walked out of the room, leaving me with Austin again. I shook my head as he left; truly, he will get me killed someday if he cannot control his emotions.
“Are these all her properties close to the sea?” I asked him, just to be sure. He nodded affirmatively, his eyes looking sadly at me.
“Remember, kill that psychopath the first chance you get, do not let her get away, else we will all be living in fear for the rest of our lives. No prison can keep her away from her vengeance, keep that at the back of your mind.” He advised.
I left that station with a lot in my mind. If Austin is right and Eloise killed her parents and some other murders that he spoke of, why has her sister Vera been quiet all these years, why are the cops letting her get away with all her crimes every damn time. Is someone covering up for her in the police department?