Chapter 97
RAVEL
THREE YEARS AGO
The relentless messages from the anonymous sender were escalating the tension, leaving me exasperated. Raymond entered my office, his expression mirroring my own frustration. As he pulled out a chair and settled into it with a frustrated sigh, his face tightened with annoyance.
“You wouldn’t mind if I helped myself to a drink, would you?” he asked, nodding toward the glass on my desk. I shook my head, granting silent permission. He seized the glass and downed its contents in one swift gulp, his irritation palpable.
“I can’t recall the last time I felt this infuriated,” he muttered angrily, running his fingers through his hair as he struggled to make sense of the disturbing messages.
“I am taking your reaction as you didn’t find anything tangible on who that ba stard is right?”
Observing his weary nod, it was clear that Raymond had hit a dead end in his pursuit: “The sender is crafty, operating from a gaming center,” he confirmed, his frustration echoing my own. “But interrogating college and high school students seeking refuge from the rigors of life and school is neither practical nor ethical.”
“Have you checked the CCTV footage?” I inquired, hoping for a breakthrough.
He nodded solemnly. “I’ve reviewed the footage thoroughly. There’s no discernible pattern. No new faces showing up when the messages are sent, nor any recurring visitors to the gaming center at those times.”
My frustration intensified, and I rubbed my temples, pondering the motive behind this relentless harassment. “What could this person possibly gain from driving a wedge between Hazel and me?” I mused aloud, shaking my head in disbelief. “I don’t have any crazed exes, and the ones from my past have long moved on to families of their own. Who could be behind this juvenile game?”
Raymond’s uncertainty hung in the air like a heavy cloud. “I wish I had the answer to that question, boss,” he admitted with a heavy sigh. “Rest assured, someone is actively investigating this, and we won’t rest until we uncover the identity of the culprit.”
Returning to my work on the laptop, I sensed Raymond’s lingering gaze upon me. Raising an inquisitive eyebrow, I prompted him, “Is there something you’d like to share?”
He cleared his throat before cautiously speaking, “What if, just a big ‘what if, it’s Mrs. Southwark?”
I couldn’t hide my astonishment. “My mother?” I echoed, the idea seeming almost absurd.
Raymond nodded earnestly. “It’s no secret that she has reservations about Hazel being your wife, and we haven’t heard much from her since that accident,” he leaned in closer. “For all we know, she could have arranged for someone to harass you through those texts, hoping you’d become so concerned for Hazel’s safety that you’d contemplate divorcing her.”
My skepticism regarding Anne’s involvement remained evident in my scoffing response. “Anne can’t be that naive,” I retorted, my disbelief in her capacity to think I’d divorce Hazel over such trivial messages apparent. “I’ll arrange for someone to discreetly keep an eye on her. If she is truly the mastermind behind this, she’s bound to slip up one day.”
Acknowledging my decision, Raymond began to rise from his seat, ready to depart. However, as he made his move, my phone emitted a distinctive ping. Reacting swiftly, I picked up the device and noticed the familiar sender’s name, prompting me to halt Raymond in his tracks. “Wait!” I called out, causing him to pause and pivot back towards me. “Hold on a moment, they’ve sent another message.”
Raymond’s curiosity was piqued as he slipped his hands into his pockets, waiting for details. “What does it say?” he inquired.
Expecting a similar text to the previous ones, I opened the message, only to be confronted with an unexpected surprise: a video. My brows furrowed in perplexity. “It’s not a text,” I informed Raymond, who promptly closed the gap between us, eager to witness the content of the video.
Clicking on the video, we watched it play out. The video contained when Hazel was screaming at her ex-boss Harrison. That ba stard is already dead, why am I watching a video of him?
<<<“What the fuck is your problem?!” she spat at him. The fool tried to approach her but she glared at him, grabbing the artifact next to her. “If you dare come close to me again, I am going to smash your head with this artifact and I am going to crush your balls with it after slicing your throat.”>>>
Raymond cast a quick, knowing glance my way. “Could this possibly be what I suspect?” he queried, his eyes reflecting a mix of concern and curiosity.
I responded with a subtle nod, affirming his suspicion. “I believe this is the video capturing the day Harrison attempted to sexually harass her.” My voice quivered with a potent blend of anger and frustration. “If only that vile individual were still breathing, I would have personally administered justice. But why, in the name of reason, would this im becile send me such incriminating evidence?”
Raymond, just as bewildered, raised his shoulders in a helpless shrug. “We’ll need to get to the bottom of this enigma. I’m certain the sender’s motives will be unveiled in due time.”
Almost as if anticipating Raymond’s declaration, my phone emitted a subtle ping, heralding the arrival of another message. from the mysterious sender. Raymond leaned in closer, eager to decipher the incoming text.
Raymond’s gaze remained unwavering as we both stared at the chilling image displayed on my phone – a case report detailing Harrison’s gruesome demise. According to the report, he had met a brutal end with his head crushed by a familiar object. Next to the text was a photo of that very artifact, the same one Hazel had once used to threaten him. The document continued, detailing how Harrison’s assailant had subjected him to further horrors, smashing his genitals with that same object before ultimately ending his life by slicing his throat open with a butter knife.
Silence hung heavily between us, no words necessary to convey the grim understanding that had settled upon us both. The implications were clear.
My phone pinged once more, breaking the eerie stillness. This time, a new image emerged, depicting Hazel holding the very butter knife mentioned in the report, accompanied by a chilling message.
HARRISON DIED ACCORDING TO HOW HAZEL THREATENED HIM AND THERE IS A PICTURE OF HER HOLDING THE MURDER WEAPON THAT SAME DAY. THIS WILL MAKE A VERY GOOD CASE IF TAEKN TO THE COP. YOU HAVE THREE DAYS TO GIVE HAZEL THOSE DIVORCE PAPERS OR I WILL TAKE ACTIONS. P.S I KNOW YOU WERE THERE THAT NIGHT WITH YOUR BODY GUARD. I AM SURE THE AUTHORITIES WILL ALSO WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING THERE AND WHY YOU DELIBERATELY STAYED AWAY FROM THE CAMERA.
A cold sweat drenched me, mirroring the ominous weight of the situation. Raymond, equally defeated, found his way around the table and sank into a chair. He voiced the unease that had settled upon us both. “What’s the plan, bossman? He’s got a pretty dam ning case.”
I ran my hand down my face, struggling to make sense of this twisted web. “If Hazel claims he tried to assault her, they’ll question why she never reported it to the authorities. Their assumption will be that she’d already taken matters into her own hands.” The situation was a nightmarish tangle, a real possibility that she could be wrongfully convicted. “I need you to track down that ba stard, Raymond. They’re out to destroy our happiness.”
Raymond’s shoulders slumped as he absorbed my decision. “I’m truly sorry, boss, but given the circumstances, it’s going to take considerably longer than three days to track down that individual. We need to come up with a more comprehensive plan.”
I leaned back in my chair, my mind racing with the implications of what I was about to do. “Give my lawyer a call,” 1 reiterated, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. “Instruct him to prepare the divorce papers, starting the process with
Hazel.”
Raymond’s eyes widened, disbelief etched across his face. “You’re really going through with this? Divorcing Hazel?”
With a heavy sigh, I confirmed my decision, determination burning in my eyes, “I have no choice, at least for now. But once we locate that despicable person, I’ll do everything in my power to reunite with my wife.”
Raymond’s expression darkened, and he shook his head with a heavy sigh. “Boss, you know Hazel won’t sign those divorce
SEND GIFT
papers
without a solid reason. She’s not going to let go easily.”
A sense of remorse and pain surged within me as I realized the harsh truth. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make her sign them,” I declared firmly, my resolve unwavering. “Even if it means resorting to things that will make her despise me. We have to protect her from this threat, no matter the cost.”