Chapter 230 Murder
Nancy was laid to rest, and Elizabeth moved around like a lifeless puppet.
For three days straight, Elizabeth didn't eat or sleep. No matter how much Louis tried to talk to her, she just wouldn't listen.
Louis sighed, feeling helpless, and decided to let her be.
He stayed by her side to pick up Nancy's urn and was there for the burial.
He also handled all the arrangements with the funeral home and hosted the service.
After the funeral, Louis took Elizabeth back to Whispering Pines Estates.
Elizabeth, looking like a zombie, went straight to her room, collapsed on the bed, and slept for a whole day and night.
The next evening, Dean went to wake her up. "Elizabeth, get up and eat something. You can't starve yourself."
Elizabeth didn't move, her eyes blank and distant.
Pearl and Nolan came over and gathered around her bed.
Dean's eyes were red. "Elizabeth, no one can come back from the dead. Nancy is gone. Pearl and Nolan have lost their grandmother. Do you want them to lose their mother too?"
Tears welled up in Elizabeth's eyes as she started to get up with his help, but then she suddenly collapsed to the floor.
Dean shouted, "Elizabeth!"
Pearl and Nolan screamed in fear, "Mom!"
Dean quickly picked Elizabeth up and turned to Pearl and Nolan. "You two stay here. I'll have Sarah come over to take care of you."
Nolan nodded. "Dean, take Mom to the hospital quickly. I'll look after Pearl."
Dean nodded back. "Nolan, it's time for you to step up."
Meanwhile, Daniel reported the investigation results to Michael. "Mr. Thomas, the truck driver involved in the accident was drunk."
"Is that all?" Michael asked.
Daniel shook his head. "No, there's more. The truck was empty that night."
Michael frowned. "Trucking is expensive. Why would they waste money driving an empty truck?"
Daniel nodded. "Exactly. Plus, I looked into the driver's background. He has cancer, three kids, and elderly parents to support. His wife couldn't handle it and divorced him. But now, she's back living with him."
Michael speculated, "Someone must have given him a lot of money. He probably told his ex-wife because he was worried that if he died, she'd be the only one to care for their kids."
Daniel agreed. "Exactly."
"This wasn't an accident; it was murder," Michael concluded.
At the hospital, after examining Elizabeth, the doctor turned to Dean. "Has she not been eating for several days?"
Dean nodded. "Yeah, she hasn't eaten in four days, just drinking water."
The doctor sighed. "Young people these days, neglecting their health to lose weight."
Dean, a bit angry, responded, "Her mother just died. She couldn't eat because she was too heartbroken."
The doctor quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood. Her blood tests show malnutrition and low blood sugar. She needs an IV."
After the first IV drip, Elizabeth woke up.
She opened her eyes with difficulty and saw Dean leaning on her bed.
Feeling the need to use the restroom, she shifted her body.
Dean, a light sleeper, noticed and quickly straightened up. "Elizabeth, you're finally awake! You had me so worried. How are you feeling? Do you want something to eat? I can get you something."
"No need, Dean. I just need to go to the bathroom. I can manage on my own," Elizabeth croaked out.
But Dean still helped her to the bathroom door. "Go ahead. I'll wait outside. If anything happens, call me immediately," he said.
After using the bathroom, Elizabeth returned to bed, still feeling utterly exhausted. She picked up her phone, which opened to a photo they had taken together on Christmas Eve. Staring at the screen, Elizabeth began to cry again.
Dean was worried. "Talk to me. Don't keep everything bottled up inside. It's not good for you."
Yet Elizabeth didn't respond.
Dean anxiously said, "Elizabeth, don't go on like this. Nancy is watching you from heaven; she'll be worried about you."
But Elizabeth still ignored him. Desperate, Dean played his trump card. Leaning in close, he whispered in her ear, "Elizabeth, you have to pull yourself together. Nancy needs you to seek justice for her. You can't let her passing go unresolved."
Elizabeth's expression finally changed. "What do you mean, Dean?" she asked.
Dean whispered in her ear, "Daniel called me. He investigated the driver's background. He suspects Nancy's accident wasn't an accident but a murder."
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "Murder?"
Dean responded, "Yes, it was a hired murder. The driver was instructed by someone."
Elizabeth's eyes turned fierce. She was nearly grinding her teeth to pieces. "Jennifer."
The hatred in her eyes was unmistakable. She yanked out the IV needle. "Dean, arrange for my discharge. We're leaving. I'm fine now."
Night fell over Whispering Pines Estates.
A black Rolls-Royce was parked by the roadside near the entrance of Elizabeth's house. The window was open, and a faint glow of a cigarette could be seen. And by the next morning, the car would be gone. This had been happening frequently lately.
Today, Michael didn't go to work. Eloise knocked on the door before walking into Michael's room. "Michael," she said.
"Eloise, do you need something?" Michael asked.
Eloise sat on the sofa, hesitant to speak.
Michael smiled. "Eloise, are you keeping secrets from me now?"
Eloise lowered her head, thought for a moment, and decided to ask. "Michael, I heard that Calla is pregnant with your child. Is that true?"
Michael responded weakly, "Yes."
Eloise said, "So, you will definitely marry her, right?"
Michael closed his eyes in pain. "Yes."
"You and Elizabeth can never be together again, right?" Eloise asked.
Michael responded, "Yes."
"I'm going to have a nephew, right?" Eloise asked again.
Michael's eyes snapped open. "Eloise, do you know what a 'nephew' is?"
Eloise answered matter-of-factly, "Yes, it's my brother's child. He calls me 'Aunt Eloise,' and I call him by his name."
Michael was shocked. "Eloise, who taught you these words? How do you know them?"
Eloise asked, "Does Nolan have to call me 'Aunt Eloise'?"
Michael replied, "Technically, no. Because I divorced his mother, we have no blood relation."
Eloise said, "Why does Nolan hate you so much?"
Michael said, "I don't know."
Eloise said, "If Calla gives birth to your child, will Nolan hate you even more?"
Michael nodded. "That's possible."
Eloise said, "Michael, aren't you sad?"
Michael's eyes were steadfast as he looked at her. "Eloise, no one in this world can compare to you in my heart. You mean the most to me. Calla will soon start a new round of treatment for you, so you need to be prepared."
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