An Unusual Affair

Chapter 27

'Yes, how can I help you?' said the man sheepishly.

The officer looked at him and then at Richard. 'We are here to discuss Vanessa Sterling. As you might already know, she is no longer in this world.'

The man's eyes widened slightly. 'I am sorry to hear that, but who is Vanessa Sterling?'

The officer glanced at Richard, who was speechless. 'Can we come in?'

'Erm, yeah, sure.' The man stepped aside. 'My girlfriend is in the room, so I hope you won't be here long. Sorry about the mess. We arrived just last night,' he continued, gesturing at the scattered bags and wrappers.

Richard looked around, disbelief washing over him. The chaotic state of the house contrasted sharply with his memories of Vanessa's meticulous nature.

'Were you on vacation?' Richard asked, struggling to mask his shock.

'Actually, we are on vacation now. I don't live in Rivertide,' the man replied.

Richard studied him, feeling an odd sense of unfamiliarity. 'You are not Robert. Right?' 

'I am Karl. Karl Hook,' the man replied.

'How are you related to Robert?' Richard pressed.

'He is my twin brother. Oh, now I see. You mistook me for Robert. He left Rivertide a few days ago. So I borrowed the keys to this house to spend time with my girlfriend,' Karl explained, smiling broadly.

'Call your brother back. An investigation is going on regarding the murders of his girlfriend, Vanessa Sterling,' the officer said firmly. 'We will send him a court summons if he does not cooperate.'

Karl paled, his smile disappearing, 'I will tell him to come as soon as possible.'

As they exited the house, the officer said, 'It is suspicious how Robert has left without a word. We have to bring him back and ensure his brother doesn't leave until Robert returns.'

'You should deploy some people here,' Jake suggested.

'Yes, we will do that today,' the officer replied.

'It's already lunchtime. Let's go eat somewhere. Or do you have to go home?' Jake asked as they headed to the car.

'No, I'm going to my office. I have an important meeting today. I'll see you then,' Richard said. 'Come, I'll drop you off at the courthouse; your car is there.'

Emily, on the other hand, grabbed her mask and hat that Jake had given to her the other day. She went to the kitchen to look for Mrs. Swan.

'Mrs. Swan, I am going out for a while. Lily is upstairs doing her schoolwork. I'll be back in some time,' Emily said.

'Where are you going? Should I call Peter? He can take you wherever you want to go,' Mrs. Swan replied, sounding worried.

'No, no, please don't bother anyone. I will be back soon, don't worry.' Smiling at Mrs. Swan, Emily left the kitchen.

She put on her mask and hat and left the house. The reporters were not around the house anymore. Or maybe they are good at camouflaging, Emily thought to herself.

She kept walking. The weather was nice, and being out after so long made her feel good. She could feel her mind freshening up. She hailed a taxi, gave the driver her home address, and got in.

After about twenty minutes, she got off outside her home. Looking around, she did not see any reporters. Without waiting any further, she quickly entered her house and locked the door behind her.

It felt safe. It felt familiar. It felt cozy to be back in her house. She took off her mask and hat and went around the whole house, taking in everything as if she had been seeing it for the first time. Everything around the house was the same, yet it all looked different.