The next day, Bella went to B school. She called Alice and asked her out.
At the café across the street from the school, Alice was surprised that Bella returned suddenly, “Why did you come back?”
“Last time I asked you whether Kevin got into trouble, why you didn’t say anything?”
Alice looked weird, “He asked me not to tell you, didn’t want you to worry about it.”
“So what’s the matter with your mother-in-law? Why she chose to kill herself?”
“Isn’t that still unknown whether she killed herself or not…”
“Alice!” Bella was shocked, “Even you think that my husband has something to do with your mother-in-law’s death?”
She repeated what Kevin had said to her and realized that this sentence was that hurt.
“Bella, I believe you but it doesn’t mean I believe Kevin. You’re my best friend, but I don’t know him.”
Bella felt frustrated, “I ask you out today just to ask you whether your mother-in-law had seen you and Louis before? Did she said anything to you?”
“Not me.”
“Then what about Louis?”
“I don’t know about this.”
“Haven’t you asked him?”
“He is so heartbroken right now, why should I ask him about this?”
Bella frowned, “Can I go to your home tonight? I want to talk to Louis, he doesn’t pick up my phone.”
“He asked me not to hang out with you and your family, I’m afraid…”
“Alice, you are on the side of the truth, not family, aren’t you?”
Alice bit her lips and paused for a moment, “Alright, I won’t tell him. You come over tonight. If I told him, he wouldn’t see you.”
“Thank you…”
Seven o’clock at night, Bella asked the driver to take her to Hunter’s home after dinner. Alice had received her call in advance, so she waited for Bella at the door. Bella got off the car and walked right to her friend, whispering, “Is he at home?”
“Yes, come with me.”
Bella followed Alice to the living room. After the bend came to Louis’s study. Knock-knock, “Louis, a guest wants to see you.”
Alice gestured to Bella with her eyes, “You can go inside now.”
Bella pushed open the door and walked in, seeing a man sitting in front of the computer. Only a few months without seeing, he looked haggard. Her heart couldn’t help going out for him. Celeste’s death did crush him.
“What are you doing here?”
This was the first time that Louis talked to her in a distant and almost apathetic tone.
“You know why I’m here.”
“If you want me to provide some clues to clear your husband’s name, sorry, I don’t have any.”
“I didn’t want you to provide any evidence, I just want to tell you that human can’t come back to life again once they die. One shouldn’t harbor grudge just because he can’t take the fact. Yes, that’s right, the result that your mother would kill herself has something to do with Kevin. But have you ever thought that why Kevin would fight against your mother? Did you know what your mother has done? Put it bluntly, her death can’t offset her evilness. In my opinion, she wasn’t murdered, nor killed herself out of guilt. She killed herself to remove her sin. Only by that can she counteract the sins she committed. But even before she died, she wanted to frame up Kevin. What a shame.”
“Go out.” Louis looked avid, asking her to leave.
“Think it over. I believe you know what is right and wrong.”
She turned around and heard Louis smashed glasses once the door was closed. Bella and Alice were both shocked. Alice said anxiously, “Louis will definitely take his anger out on me late.”
“I’m sorry to get you into trouble.”
“It’s ok.”
Alice shook her head frustratingly, “Right, hold on, I got a present for your babies. I was going to give it to you after you return, now you’re back, I’ll give it to you now.”
Alice walked into the bedroom and took out a red gift box, mumbling, “You aren’t short of money, so I thought it would be cheesy to give your money. I hope you would love this present.”
Inside the box were two fine jades. One was star-shaped, one moon-shaped. Putting them together, they made up of a sky with star and moon.
“Thank you. I really love it.”
Bella looked away to Alice’s abdomen, “Alice, are you pregnant?”
Alice nodded, “Yeah, I’m.”
“Great. Congratulation.” Bella was truly happy for Alice.
“Actually this news came at a bad time. After my mother-in-law died, I found myself pregnant the next day. I was supposed to be happy but my father-in-law and Louis are all in melancholy, totally forgetting me and the baby.”
“Don’t worry, he was just a bit distressed. After he walks out of the sadness, he will love you and the baby very much.”
“Yeah.”
Alice walked Bella to the outside of the door, With the driver opening the door for her, Bella took Alice’s hand before she got into the car, “I’m sorry that our friendship becomes so complicated. It must be very difficult for you to be in the middle of Louis and me.”
“It’s ok, don’t blame yourself. Whether my mother-in-law killed herself or was murdered, our friendship won’t change a bit. As Louis is very important to me, so are you. We are best friends for life!”
“Yeah, best friend.”
Alice patted Bella on her shoulder, watching her get into the car and drive away…
The fourth day after Bella return, she met Robert, Kevin’s lawyer. That day, Kevin didn’t go to the company so Robert came to Kevin’s home directly, taking out some files and saying in anger, “See, this is the record of Celeste’s phone call and text on the seventh of last month. One of the text said, ‘Louis, mom loves you. I’m sorry, take care of yourself in the future.’ Obviously, she had prepared for suicide. She sent her last note. But Kemp Hunter ignored the essential evidence and referred to the case to the procuratorate. Hasn’t he, as Louis’s father, never asked his son about the inside story?”
“It’s not enough to prove that Celeste had prepared to suicide with just one text. We need more solid evidence.”
“Now we have to get it from Louis.”
“I have visited him before. He was resolved not to say anything. It’s not easy to get evidence from him.”
Sitting beside him, Bella chimed in, “I think, one person might work.”
“Who?”
Robert asked in curiosity.”
“Mr. Brent Jobson”
“Him? Does he has any special connection with Louis?”
“Nothing special, but Louis respects him a lot. And Mr. Jobson is good at psychology. I want Mr. Jobson to have a conversation with him, Louis might be willing to tell the truth he knows.”
“Let’s give it a try?”
Kevin asked Robert. He agreed to Bella’s proposal.
“Let’s make every possible effort. I guess the procuratorate will summon you for the court in the next two days. We’ve gotta hurry up now.”
That night, Bella and Kevin came to Brent Jobson’s place. It’s been a while since the last time they saw him. Mr. Brent seemed not to get any better. He was coughing the whole time when they were talking.
Kevin manifested his purpose, Mr. Brent agreed immediately, “Ok, I’ll ask him to come to my place and talk to him.”
“Thank you, Mr. Brent. Hope it won’t trouble you much.”
“You’re welcomed, it’s my pleasure.”
After the small talk, Kevin and Bella then left Mr. Jobson’s home. As the lawyer said, Kevin received the court summons two days later, asking him to go over for investigation.
Mr. Jobson has talked with Louis. But the result remained unknown. And what was the most worrisome was that a piece of negative news about Kevin came out on the Internet at this critical moment.
An anonymous person provided that news attached with a picture that Kevin almost pushed off Celeste at the Pegasus rooftop two months ago. Though he didn’t do it, his behavior corresponded with what Celeste wrote in her last letter.
This news was able to prove that Kevin had the thought to kill Celeste.
But misfortunes never came single. The Jones-Sharp all frowned upon this unfavorable news about Kevin, looking very frustrated.
A month later, this case was getting more complicated. Bella’s due date was around the corner. It concerned Kevin that Bella would get too anxious, so he proposed to send her to deliver the babies in Vienna. But this time, Bella was fiercely against it.
If it had been for avoiding Celeste’s scheme, she would have listened to him. But Celeste was dead now and Kevin was bothered by the lawsuit. She wanted to be with Kevin no matter what happened, even though she couldn’t help much.
That day, She was napping at home and suddenly received Kevin’s call.
“Hello, honey?”
“Bella, tell you good news. Celeste’s case has settled now. The procuratorate declared I’m innocent.”
“Really? You are not lying?!!” Bella got up from bed excitedly.
Kevin seemed very excited, too, “Yes, I just took my lawyer’s call, and I call you first.”
“Great, excellent. You come home earlier today, we’re gonna celebrate it.”
“Ok, great!”
When Kevin got home at night, he saw a fire-burning basin placed at the door, asking in astonishment, “What is this for?”
“Come on, cross over it, then everything ominous will be removed.”
Blanche urged him in delight. Kevin crossed it and said in slight anger, “Superstitious.”
“Honey, tell us, how is the case settled?”