6
“Officer Liam? Do you know me?” I hesitated as I sat down.
“Nora, I’ve seen you before.” He smiled.
“You’re good friends with my sister. I saw you at home during my vacation. And don’t call me Officer Liam, just Liam is fine.”
I racked my brain to remember when I saw him, thinking there was no way I could forget such a handsome guy.
“You always went straight to my sister’s room when visiting, and I had to leave for work before I could say hello. So, you probably didn’t notice me.” He shrugged.
I didn’t expect Cora’s young and talented brother, the chief, to be so handsome.
I steadied myself, clearing my throat.
“So, why did you want to meet?”
He showed me a photo of a man in black, but his face was obscured.
“This is from the surveillance at Heath Manor. He’s the one who sprayed paint on your house. Unfortunately, we haven’t caught him yet.”
“Is he the serial killer?”
10:00 AM
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www.my up.
“Yes, but he’s skilled at evading capture. We barely tracked him, and he’s tied to a major case. Don’t go home for now.”
Liam looked up, his deep concern surprising me.
Maybe it’s because he’s a police officer, genuinely caring for the people, going out of his way to tell me in person.
“This footage was taken from the surveillance at the entrance of Heath Manor. The man in the video is the one who vandalized your house with spray paint… Unfortunately, we haven’t apprehended him yet.”
“Is he the serial killer?” I asked, feeling a chill creep up my spine.
“Yes, but he’s incredibly elusive. We’ve struggled to track him down, and there’s a major case tied to him. For now, it’s best you stay away from your home.”
Liam looked up at me, his eyes filled with deep concern, catching me off guard. Perhaps it’s because he’s a police officer, genuinely invested in the safety of the community, that he made a point to tell me in person.
“Alright, but this isn’t my house; my brother bought it. I’ve tried to convince him to move, but he won’t listen, and I’m at a loss.”
“It’s not yours? Then why is your name listed on the foreclosure home buyer’s record?” His voice suddenly sharpened.
“How could that be? My brother never discussed buying a house with me, so why would he use my name?”
I was just as shocked.
“Could it be that the property deed is under his name? Maybe he used your name on the buyer’s record to avoid risks, like a company owner
would?” Liam proposed, watching my reaction closely.
“Of course, this is just speculation. We only saw your name on the buyer’s record during our investigation, so I asked Cora to remind you.”
I couldn’t believe it. I quickly grabbed my phone but couldn’t reach Logan. It wasn’t until I called my parents that I confirmed the property deed only had my brother’s name.
No wonder he ignored my advice to report the risky foreclosure property to the police. Logan had planned to use me as a shield all along.
“Did you know Logan used my name on the buyer’s record?”
I still held onto a sliver of hope.
After a brief silence, I received confirmation.
A bitter laugh escaped me as a wave of frustration surged up.
“So you all knew and let Logan use me as his scapegoat.”