Lullaby 342

Chapter 342

As she finished speaking, Elissa wrenched her wrist free and was the first to step inside the house.

Tanya Foster was in the middle of a video game, sneaking a glance at the entryway. When she saw Elissa walk straight into the living room without even bothering to close the door, she couldn’t help but look puzzled.

“Why aren’t you closing the door?”

“Frank’s coming over in a minute.”

Elissa had never intended to keep this from Tanya.

Tanya paused her game, tossing her phone aside. “What’s he coming here for?”

“He’s helping me look into…”

Elissa walked over and sat down, rubbing her chest, which ached for reasons she couldn’t explain. “My parents‘ cause of death.” Fresh chapters posted on find{n}ovel.net

Tanya’s expression turned serious, but just as she opened her mouth to say something, a knock sounded at the door. Frank was standing outside.

Even though he lived just one floor up, somehow, it felt like ages since they’d last seen each other.

He stood on the threshold, crisp white shirt and black slacks, looking as gentle and polished as he always had. Still, there was something different–a faded spark in his eyes, a quiet air of defeat that clung to him.

Frank glanced down and saw the pair of disposable slippers left out for him by the door. He bent to put them on.

Once inside, he walked over to the living room and handed Elissa a folder.

He moved carefully, always keeping a polite distance, as if afraid any sudden movement might drive her further away.

“There was a semi truck driving the wrong way that night,” Frank began. “It crashed into the taxi your parents were in. All three–your parents and the driver–died instantly. The truck driver was drunk; he got seven years in prison. There wasn’t much more evidence, so the case was ruled an accident. I’m guessing you already knew all of this?”

Elissa nodded. She had been young, but the memory had never faded.

As they spoke, she took the manila envelope Frank handed her and pulled out its contents: a photograph.

“But the taxi your parents were in had faulty brakes.”

Frank spoke up at the right moment. “What you’re holding is a picture of the brake pad taken as evidence back then.”

Elissa’s fingers whitened as she gripped the photo. “So it wasn’t just an accident, was it?”

Tanya gently patted her on the shoulder. “But without more conclusive evidence, the authorities

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would have to call it an accident.”

“She’s right,” Frank agreed. He nodded at the stack of documents. “The taxi driver died too, and there wasn’t much surveillance back then. No way to prove the brakes were tampered with ahead of time.”

“But here’s the thing: although the driver seemed to have no family, he actually had a child. His ex–girlfriend, pregnant with his baby, married someone else. The child was born with a congenital heart defect, and the surgery cost a fortune. They kept postponing it.”

“But six months after your parents died, the child got the operation. Not only that–the family suddenly bought a new house and a car.”

Elissa felt as if her heart had been ripped open, the pain nearly suffocating.

So her parents‘ lives had been traded for a fortune.

Tanya frowned. “They waited half a year to touch the money–were they really that careful?”

“Even more than that,” Frank said quietly. “The money came to them through a lottery win. Clean as could be. No matter how hard the police looked, they couldn’t find a single trace of direct evidence.”

Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing.

Elissa took a deep breath, trying to soothe the tightness in her chest. “So… do you know who was behind it?”

“The Murphy family.”

Frank had already decided to tell her everything, so his answer came without hesitation.

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