A Moment in Destiny

Chapter 829 The Traces

Marcel did not say anything while Easton held his breath.

Rae said, "I'll investigate it as soon as possible."

Marcel glanced at Rae. He frowned and remained silent.

The group of people arrived at the dormitory building of Melody Knox again. They were allowed to go in after showing their identity documents to the administrator.

Perhaps because of the death of Melody, the dormitory was quiet.

When they knocked on the door, a tender girl opened it.

Rae remembered her name was Shayla Anthony. Rae had questioned her in the afternoon.

Shayla was stunned when she saw Rae. Then, she realized that three people were standing behind Rae. She took a step back, “Hi, madam.”

Shayla looked Marcel up and down, who was standing behind Rae. Marcel was such a handsome guy. Shayla was colored slightly at the thought. She allowed them to go into the room and stood quietly with her head hanging.

Marcel keenly swept around the room where four girls had been living here.

Each of them had a loft bed. The mattress was on the top while the computer desk and cupboard were below it.

Marcel knew which one was belonged to Melody when he saw it at a glance.

Police officers had taken the belongings of Melody away for investigation, while the belongings of three other girls remained there.

There was only Shayla in the dormitory.

Rae swept around the room and looked at Marcel. She did not dare to question without his utterance.

Marcel went straight to Melody's computer desk. The desk was empty.

He asked thoughtfully, “Where are the other people of your dorm?”

“They...” Shayla was about to talk but blushed in a flash.

Rae could tell how shy the woman was. Rae thought that every woman would blush facing Marcel, a man who was good-looking and attractive.

However, Captain Hopkins seemed to be unaware of it. Shayla had reminded her of a memory. In those days, Marcel had driven many girls crazy when he went back to school, and Rae was one of them.

Marcel was irresistibly handsome.

Shayla wanted to speak but said nothing. Marcel narrowed his eyes and looked at Shayla up and down with a stern sight.

“Why were you lying?” Marcel asked in a cold, deep voice with a firm tone that left people nowhere to hide.

Shayla raised her head and looked at Melody's bed in a flash. She had tears in her eyes. She could not help but sob when Marcel keenly stared at her.

“Alondra, Piper, and I were scared because of Melody’s death, but the university didn’t allow us to move to another dorm. So, two of them went to live off-campus, but I had no place to go. I had promised Melody to keep the secret, so I didn't mean to lie.”

They were stunned after Shayla spoke. She seemed to know more details.

“What did you promise Melody?” Rae asked. She felt a little chagrined that she had not caught Shayla lying during the earlier questioning.

“I...” Shayla pursed and whispered, “You have to keep it a secret. I don't want someone to hum around after her accident.”

“Don't worry about it, tell us all that you know!”

“I knew that Melody fell in love with a man who is much older than she is. She had moved out of the dorm and lived with the man, but I don't know him. Perhaps Alondra knew about this since she was on the best of terms with Melody.”

Marcel slightly frowned and smiled. His gaze became soft. He stared at Shayla's eyes and had caused her face to flush.

Marcel remained silent and stared straight at Shayla as if to test whether she spoke without reserve.

Shayla could not stand his look and wailed, “These were all I know, sir. I did not lie. I had always wanted to keep Melody's secret, so I lied to madam this afternoon. Three of us knew that she cohabited with the man, and we promised her to conceal it. That’s all!”

Marcel did not answer her.

Shayla raised her head and met his gaze. She trembled and reiterated, “I’m not lying this time!”

Marcel lifted the corners of his mouth, and he looked graceful and attractive. He said in a deep, agreeable voice, “Don't be afraid. It’s not like we don’t trust you.”

“Really?” Shayla’s eyes lit up after Marcel said he trusted her. She wiped her eyes with embarrassment and obediently stood by.

Marcel looked at her again. After that, he searched every corner of Melody's mattress, computer desk, and cupboard himself, and he discovered a trace.

In the compartment of the mattress, there was a CD without any markings. Rae did not discover it earlier.

Marcel took a glance at Shayla casually once he took the CD, and she did not have any strange expression.

Marcel issued an order to Rae and Easton in front of Shayla, “Inform the counselor of Piper and Alondra to call them to come to the dorm. We've to find out something more about Melody!”

After that, Marcel did not immediately leave the dormitory but waited for them to come.

Piper came earlier by herself instead of coming with Alondra.

She was stunned when she noticed Marcel. She blinked her eyes and looked at Rae, and said, “Is there anything else I can help you, madam?”

Rae was surprised by her calm. Piper had always been calm, even when she knew that Melody died.

Rae recalled the appearance of the three girls. Shayla was a little middle-class girl, and Piper was full of power. Alondra was calm as well when she heard the news that Melody died.

Rae could not forbear to admire three of them. Were they frightened of staying in the dormitory, as Shayla said?

Rae calmly looked at Piper up and down, and she saw Marcel out the corner of her eyes. Marcel did not seem to have the intention to talk. Rae did not know if she would disrupt his plan, but she questioned at this moment.

“You told a lie this afternoon!” Rae cut to the chase, “I want to know why were you lying.”

She questioned in front of Shayla.

“Piper,” Shayla shouted.

“Shayla!” Rae interrupted her quickly and gave her a warning with eyes, “It's not your turn!”

Shayla kept silent for a moment.

Marcel was satisfied with Rae's wit, and his eyes were resting on Shayla's face. He found that Shayla was flushed with embarrassment and lowered her head since nobody allowed her to talk.

“Are you talking about the matter of Melody moved out of the dorm and lived off-campus?” Piper blunted and moved to a seat. She sat down and said, “I was not lying. I'm not interested in talking about it since it was something rotten that would spoil her reputation.”

“Is that so?” Rae did not believe in her.

“Believe it or not!” Piper did not care about it. She looked at Marcel in an appreciative gaze and then asked Rae point-blank, “Hey, by the way, is the cool guy your colleague?”

Rae was speechless. She wondered why every woman was interested in Marcel. Did she have to ask Marcel to hide his face in handling future cases?

Rae ignored Piper and asked anything she wanted, “Why did you move out?”

“The dorm was ominous!” Piper answered.

People there were surprised by her answer.

“Put frankly. I didn't get along well with Melody. I was surprised by her death but not gloated. I thought that it was bad luck to live here after that. However, the university didn’t allow us to move to another dorm. So, I had to find my way,” Piper said at ease.

They appraised her with eyes, but she did not care about them.

“I knew that you would come to the dorm again to investigate more. I should've said it out at that time but didn't like to get involved. It was better to save trouble. That was all I know. I'm not lying this time!”

Rae looked at Piper's natural expression, and she wondered whether Piper told the truth this time.

Marcel remained silent. Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

Then, Alondra opened the door and entered the dorm along with the counselor.

Three of the girls were stunned at the moment they saw the counselor.

Rae and Marcel caught their slightest movement. Then, everyone looked at the counselor calmly.

Rae looked in the direction where the counselor was. The counselor looked ordinary in a shirt, but his low-pitched luxurious cufflinks had caught the eyes.

She was surprised that a counselor of SC Normal University would have such a pair of exquisite and luxurious cufflinks.

The counselor was calm and unreadable in his eyes.

Rae took a glance at the man in front of her and believed that he was by no means ordinary.

He even looked genteel.

“Hi, my name is Braeden Walls, and I’m the counselor of these girls,” Braeden walked over, but he did not reach out his hands to shake. He looked calm and at ease with a sorrowful appearance, “I'm sorry for the loss.”

Braeden said in a humble and regretful tone.

Marcel raised his eyebrows, and his gaze was unreadable. Marcel was handling a murder case of an adolescent girl expressionless. At this moment, his expression could not be more suitable. Indeed, he felt sorry for the girl.

Marcel nodded when he met Braeden's gaze, “Mr. Walls, thank you for your cooperation and understanding. We still have some questions to ask the girls.”

“We will fully cooperate with the investigation,” Braeden not being polite.

Marcel glanced meaningfully at him, then turned around and asked Alondra, "You had provided us with false information this afternoon and had obstructed the investigation. What do you have to say about this?"

Alondra was pale at these words, and others did so.

Alondra would be subject to legal responsibility if she been to put the label of obstructing the police investigation.

"I didn't mean to do it!" Alondra glanced at Braeden to look for help before she spoke.

Braeden calmly stood by and remained silent.

Piper looked out through the window, and her eyes were full of emotion.

Shayla pursed and looked at Braeden out the corner of her eyes again.

Rae thought that there was something fishy about this.