Chapter 6

My mind raced at lightning speed.

Yesterday afternoon, I was at the police station. But I could never let him know that.

"Oh, an old friend invited me out for coffee," I lied, keeping my voice steady. "We hadn't seen each other in forever, so we lost track of time."

"Which friend?"

"You don't know her. A girl from college, Sarah."

"Where did you guys meet up?"

My heart rate began to climb. He was pressing. The old Julian would never interrogate me like this.

"Just at that new coffee shop downtown... what was it called again..." I pretended to struggle to remember. "Anyway, it's on the first floor of the shopping mall."

"What did you talk about?"

"Just life. She's trying to get pregnant and was complaining about her mother-in-law."

He stared at me, his eyes wide and completely unblinking.

I felt his gaze cutting through me, analyzing my micro-expressions, calculating whether I was telling the truth.

"I see," he finally said, breaking his gaze and taking a sip of his coffee. "Next time, invite her over for dinner. I’d love to meet your friends."

"Sure."

I looked down, quickly finishing my food, my stomach churning with anxiety.

At exactly ten o'clock, he dropped me off at the train station.

He carried the heavy gift baskets into the waiting area and walked me all the way to the security gate.

"Text me when you get there," he said gently. "And don't stay too long. I don't want you getting exhausted."

"I will."

He reached out to adjust my collar. The moment his fingers brushed against my neck, I instinctively flinched.

"It's cold out today," he said, slowly retracting his hand into his coat pocket. "Stay warm, and have a safe trip."

I turned and walked through the gate. After walking a safe distance, I couldn't help but look back.

He was still standing in the exact same spot, watching me through the crowded terminal.

I turned back and hurried toward my platform.

Once I found my seat on the train, I clutched my bag tightly to my chest and let out a massive breath of relief.

The recorder in my pocket was still silently running, its tiny light blinking.

I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Detective Miller:

"Detective Miller, I've left the apartment. I'm on the train to my mother's place now."

"I recorded everything from last night and this morning. He did ask me to go abroad with him, and I refused."

"He gave me an address in Penang, Malaysia, claiming it's a logistics office. Also, he interrogated me about where I was yesterday afternoon. I lied, but I'm not sure if he bought it."

Detective Miller replied almost instantly: "Understood. I will verify the address. Stay safe, and let me know when you arrive."

I put my phone away, leaned my head against the window, and closed my eyes.

The train slowly chugged to life, and the station began to slip away.

Just then, I felt someone sit down in the seat right next to me.

I assumed it was just another passenger and didn't open my eyes.

But whoever it was didn't rustle any bags, didn't pull out a phone, and just sat there in absolute, eerie silence.

Then, a familiar scent drifted into my nose.

It was a sharp, citrusy cologne. The exact one I had bought for Julian.

My eyes snapped open, and I whipped my head around.

Julian was sitting right next to me. He was wearing the same dark blue wool coat from this morning, a small duffel bag resting on his lap. He was smiling warmly at me.

My blood instantly froze.

"You..." My voice caught in my throat. "What are you doing here?"

"Did you forget?" he asked, his tone as calm as a summer breeze. "I bought your train ticket, Amelia."

He tilted his head, his smile widening just a fraction. "I knew exactly which car and which seat you were in."

My brain went completely blank.

"I got to thinking," he said, adjusting himself to get comfortable in the seat. "It’s been years since I’ve visited your mother. I’ve been a pretty terrible son-in-law, being away for ten years. Since I have some free time today, I figured I should come along."

He reached over and gripped my hand.

"And," he turned his head, locking his eyes directly onto mine, "I suddenly remembered something. The place you went yesterday afternoon... it didn't look like a coffee shop."

My heart hammered violently against my ribs.

"I happened to be out running errands yesterday afternoon," he whispered. "And as I passed the local police precinct, I saw you walking out the front doors."