REMI HOOD

Chapter 30

Remi

I knock on the door of the apartment dad is supposed to be in. He had sent me the address yesterday, asking me when I'm coming to live with him again.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming... This better be important! It's 2 in the morning for God's sake!" Dad's sleepy voice yells inside the apartment.

The door opens. "Remi? What are you doing here?" He asks me, somewhat stupefied.

"We came to ask you some questions." I tell him coolly.

"We?"

Will comes out of the shadows to meet my father. "Yes. We have some questions that need to be answered immediately."

"Um, okay, sure. Come in, come in," Dad says as if he has nothing to hide. "How are your bones healing up, Will?"

"They're fine." Will says monotonously.

He's a psychopath... He probably planned out what to do in these types of scenarios.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Dad asks him politely as we walk in.

He's good, almost believable.

Almost.

"No." Will replies.

We all sit down on the couch, dad facing me and Will. "May I ask why Remi is staying at a hotel while you're staying at an apartment?"

"I don't know. I asked Remi to come live with me but she refused." he replies back and gives a look at me.

Will nods his head and notes down something on a notepad that he just took out from his pocket. "Can I confirm that you had alibi the night Anaya Ahmed was murdered?"

"Yes. You can ask my boss, Lisa Grey." Dad says without even a stutter.

"Can you tell me about Anaya?" Will asks, his face expressionless.

"She was the most beautifulest, funniest and bravest woman I ever met. I fell in love with her the moment my eyes set on her," Dad says happily. "She was cannonballing into the sea when I walked past her, we got along so well, we met each other everyday for dates," His smile drops as he glumly looks to the ground. "She didn't deserve what happened to her."

"Are you aware that your house was intentionally burned?" Will continues asking questions.

He's in full FBI agent mode.

"No. It was? Who would do such a thing?" Dad exclaims.

"We don't know yet, but we suspect they left a photoshopped photograph and forged Anaya's handwriting on it in the ashes." Will says coldly.

"Really?" Dad is surprised.

Will continues. "We also searched Anaya's house and found a letter that was meant for Remi to find."

"A letter?" Dad asks, looking like he was genuinely curious.

"The letter was written in Dhivehi from Anaya and dates back to the 17th of September 2001, Remi's birthday and the day after Anaya was killed. We are not sure if the letter was forged or not."

Dad looks sincerely shocked. "That can't be right... Anaya is dead! Can you show me the letter?"

"I don't think it'll be appropriate to show it regarding what Anaya had written about you." Will tries to bait him.

"What exactly did she say?" Dad asks a bit slowly, clenching his jaw.

"She mentioned she found something about you and that she ran away to America."  Will says frigidly.