Chapter 4

After the concierge spoke, his legs nearly gave out.

No one spoke. Everyone in the funeral hall looked at Emmett.

Emmett's expression had gone ice cold. "Who told you to come in?"

The concierge trembled. "I... I couldn't reach Enrique."

"It's sealed outside. The driver's stuck in the underground garage."

"He said according to regulations, the organizer must confirm, so I came."

The officer immediately asked, "What driver?"

The concierge swallowed. "Airport shuttle driver. He was originally supposed to deliver Miss Claudia's luggage to the airport."

"Who arranged it?"

The concierge instinctively looked at Emmett.

"Enrique."

Enrique, Emmett's most trusted assistant.

I looked at Emmett.

"Three hours after Claudia's death."

"Her casket is here."

"But her luggage is going to the airport."

I paused. "Emmett, how did Claudia's funeral arrangements also include airport drop-off?"

Emmett stared at me, his eyes frighteningly cold.

"Iris, stop with the sarcasm."

"Then you explain."

He didn't answer immediately.

Lydia said urgently, "Maybe it was arranged by Claudia before her death. The staff didn't have time to cancel it."

"Fine." I nodded. "Then let's check the records."

The officer had the concierge pull up the storage records.

A tablet was handed to the officer. I also saw the information on it.

Storage Name: Claudia.

Storage Time: Last night, 8:37 PM.

Items: Two suitcases, one handbag.

Notes: Tonight at 11:50 PM, deliver to Chicago International Airport VIP access.

Contact: Enrique.

The funeral hall fell silent.

Last night at 8:37 PM.

Claudia's supposed time of death was tonight at 9:58 PM.

In other words, the day before she "jumped," she had already stored her luggage at the venue and arranged in advance for it to be delivered to the airport.

I smiled slowly. "Stored a day in advance, delivered to the airport the night of her death."

"Emmett, did Claudia have a premonition she would die, or did she book herself to leave?"

Emmett said nothing. His silence made the funeral hall colder.

The officer asked the concierge, "Where is Enrique now?"

The concierge shook his head.

"I don't know."

"I've always followed his phone instructions."

"Just now after the driver was stopped, I called again and couldn't get through."

I said calmly, "Looks like your assistant has gone missing."

Emmett stared at me, his voice very low.

"I'll have someone find him."

"Don't trouble yourself." The officer said. "We'll find him."

Emmett's expression completely darkened.

Just then, the Simpson Group lawyer seemed to finally find an explanation.

"Officers, this might just be Miss Claudia's travel arrangements from before her death."

"After the sudden incident, the staff didn't have time to cancel, which caused this misunderstanding."

I looked at him. "Misunderstanding? Then let Enrique come explain."

The lawyer's lips pressed tight.

Mira spoke quietly, "Claudia was planning to leave anyway."

Everyone looked at her.

Mira clutched her skirt, her eyes red-rimmed.

"She'd been in bad shape lately."

"She said she wanted to leave Chicago and recuperate in Miami for a while."

"The luggage and car—I asked Enrique to arrange them."

"Mr. Emmett doesn't know the details."

Emmett's head whipped toward her. Mira's words immediately stopped.

I laughed softly. "Mira, just now you said you didn't know where she was going."

"Now you even know about Miami recuperation?"

Mira's breathing faltered. She quickly bit her lip.

"I'm her agent. Of course I know some arrangements."

"Really?" I looked at her. "Then when did she give you the suicide note?"

Mira froze.

"Yesterday."

"What time yesterday?"

She couldn't answer.

I looked at her, enunciating each word.

"She was going to Miami tonight—you knew that."

"But when asked about the suicide note's origin, you can't remember."

Mira's face went paler and paler.

The officer also looked at her.

"Miss Mira, you'll need to cooperate with explaining the suicide note's origin."

Mira's lips moved, but she didn't dare speak further.

Emmett said coldly, "Iris, don't interrogate her here."

I turned to look at him. "Then I'll interrogate you."

The air in the funeral hall instantly tensed.

The officer looked at Emmett.

"Enrique is your assistant?"

Emmett was silent for a second. "Yes."

"Were you aware of these arrangements?"

Emmett's gaze landed on my face. His voice was very low."Claudia already had plans for overseas treatment."

"I just had Enrique preserve her original itinerary."

"Preserve?" I asked. "Preserve it until three hours after her death, and still have the driver continue delivery?"

"Emmett, are you preserving an itinerary, or an escape route?"

Emmett's jawline tightened.

The officer spoke quietly to his colleague.

Soon, they contacted the airport.

A few minutes later, the feedback came back. The lead officer looked at Emmett.

"The airport confirmed there is indeed a VIP access reservation for 11:50 PM tonight."

"The reservation notes also include one accompanying female."

"The registered luggage information matches Miss Claudia's stored luggage exactly."

Emmett's expression darkened. Lydia's head snapped up. Mira swayed on her feet.

I wasn't surprised at all. I only asked, "What's the destination?"

The officer glanced at me. "Miami."

My chest tightened slightly.

The Simpson Group's charity fund had a treatment project there, one of the accounts Emmett had always refused to let me touch.

I looked up at Emmett.

"Claudia was going to Miami tonight."

"Enrique made the reservation."

"The destination is Miami."

"Emmett, you still claim this is just preserving an itinerary?"

Emmett's gaze bore down.

"There's a treatment center in Miami. She just wanted to go for treatment."

"Treatment?"

"The person is already dead, but the treatment itinerary is still active."

"The body is supposed to go to the funeral home, but the VIP access wasn't canceled."

"Emmett, where exactly did you want her to go?"

Lydia couldn't sit still anymore. She lowered her voice to Emmett.

"Emmett, don't let them drag this to Miami."

"If things blow up there, where will the Simpson family's reputation go?"

I looked at her. "Lydia, Claudia is dead, and you're not worried about finding the killer. You're worried about protecting Miami first?"

Lydia turned her face away. Mira also lowered her head at that moment.

Just then, the officer's phone rang again.

He answered, and a few seconds later, he looked at Emmett.

"Airport feedback again. Enrique has already used the VIP access reservation."

"There's a woman with him wearing a hat and mask. Her build resembles Claudia's."

"Airport police have temporarily detained them and are verifying identification."

The funeral hall went deathly silent.

I looked at the casket, then at Emmett.

"Emmett. There's one Claudia lying in that casket. The airport detained someone who looks like Claudia. Who exactly died tonight?"