Chapter 52 You're Not Welcome Here
Daniel rocked a buzz cut, casual threads, and clutched a notebook and pen.
He was the cop who'd cleared out the reporters from the ground floor of The Hughes Group building and had once handed her some ointment.
Daniel grinned, looking both rugged and polished without his uniform. "The case ain't wrapped up yet. I'll be back once it's all sorted."
Margaret raised an eyebrow. "Did she work as a nurse at Silverbrook General Hospital?"
Daniel nodded. "Yeah, the records say she did, but she quit three days ago."
Margaret frowned, puzzled. "Why? Such a good job. She bails when others are dying to get in?"
Daniel replied, "Turns out she had depression. Quitting and coming to Ironwood Lane was probably her way of planning to end it all."
"I talked to her a few times. She didn't seem depressed. She was pretty normal when she was working at the hospital," Margaret shook her head.
"Ms. Hughes, Ashley's life was way different from yours. We talked to her family and friends. She once dated a rich guy who tricked her, got her pregnant, then ditched her. She ended up in debt and a single mom. Her family wasn't well-off, and her parents were prideful, so things were rough. Her having depression makes sense; her life was pretty bleak," Daniel said, handing over the investigation report to Margaret.
Margaret opened it and read it carefully.
The info he gathered seemed legit.
Earlier, Emily's grandma had also been cursing Emily, saying she shouldn't have been born.
Margaret remembered the text where Ashley thanked her for seeing her off on her final journey.
It was clear Ashley had suicidal thoughts.
Maybe thinking Ashley wanted to kill her was just her own paranoia?
Margaret looked at him. "Is it possible she planned to kill me but changed her mind last minute?"
Daniel thought for a moment and shook his head. "Doesn't add up. Ms. Hughes, you and Ashley didn't have any beef. Why would she come after you? If she really wanted to kill you, she wouldn't have swerved towards Eldoria."
Raymond also worried Ashley wanted to kill Margaret. But his guys had been watching and saw nothing solid.
Daniel said, "I get why you're confused since the wrecked car initially headed your way. There was a heavy snowstorm last night, the road was icy, and tire skidding was normal. Our inspection showed the wrecked car's brakes failed, and only the accelerator worked. It's likely Ashley saw you as a friend and wanted you to see her off. That fireworks display was her final goodbye."
Most of Margaret's doubts melted away. So, the wrecked car's brakes had failed.
She hadn't meant to kill her.
Daniel grinned, "What's next on your agenda, Ms. Hughes?"
The morning light hit Daniel just right, making him look even more handsome.
She answered honestly, "Heading to the airport."
Daniel said, "I'll give you a lift."
Margaret waved it off. "No need, I'll grab a cab."
He smiled casually. "It's on my way. Plus, it's rush hour, and cabs are a pain to get."
Daniel hopped into the police car and honked. "Come on, it's not a free ride; you gotta pay the fare."
Hearing that, Margaret felt less awkward. She wasn't one to mooch off others.
Daniel drove her to the terminal entrance.
She unbuckled her seatbelt, holding her phone, and asked, "What's your name? We've bumped into each other twice, and I still don't know it."
Daniel smiled mysteriously. "Just call me Officer."
He did want to tell her his name and thought it wouldn't hurt to make a friend.
But considering she was Raymond's wife, and these run-ins were all because of Raymond, he wasn't interested in married women.
Margaret knew he didn't want to tell her, so she didn't mind.
She pursed her lips. "Then I'll add your WhatsApp to pay."
Daniel chuckled at her serious tone and took out his phone.
Her friend request popped up instantly.
Margaret waited for him to accept, then thanked him, opened the car door, and got out.
After boarding, she found her seat and settled in. The flight attendants were guiding the passengers.
Margaret pulled out her phone again and found Daniel's WhatsApp profile picture, which was an eagle.
Margaret transferred the money and sent a thank-you message: [Thanks for the ride.]
The flight lasted three hours.
Margaret left the airport and didn't head back to The Hughes Manor. Instead, she took a cab to Silverbrook Starlight Medical Center to see Marlon.
Sitting in the cab, she was bored and opened WhatsApp. Daniel still hadn't replied to her message.
Maybe he thought the money was too little?
Margaret got out of the cab and walked to Marlon's hospital room.
Nancy was pushing a curly-haired woman in a fancy fur coat out the door. "Take your stuff and scram! You're not welcome here!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
