Reborn In a Murderer’s Embrace

I blinked, shocked, and bolted upright. “I… didn’t get any missed calls from you guys.”

“Last night, Melody and Dexter went rogue trying to lure the murderer. Melody almost got herself killed, and Dexter wound up getting stabbed trying to save her. He’s in critical condition now…” Stella sounded frantic. “Did that witch Melody call you? Thank God you didn’t show up, or else…” NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

Stella didn’t finish her sentence, but the implication hung heavy in the air. I would’ve been walking right into the same nightmare that had claimed Phoebe.

I gasped, the cool realization hitting me. Melody and Dexter had conspired against Colin, and it had backfired, bringing a real murderer onto their trail and leaving Dexter injured?

“I’m on my way.”

Regardless, Hailey was still in the hospital, and according to Stella, she had just woken up. And now Dexter was in trouble.

“Did they catch the murderer?” I found myself asking instinctively.

I had called Robin right away last night. Dexter, the scumbag he was, frequented the gym; it wouldn’t have been easy for the murderer to take him down.

Robin and the team were stationed at Tangle Lane, a stone’s throw from the orphanage. They could make it in five minutes. Surely, the murderer couldn’t have gotten far?

“They caught him.” Stella’s voice relaxed over the phone, then turned emotional, almost tearful. “Phoebe… they got the murderer.”

She was speaking to Phoebe, her best friend, her confidante.

My eyes unexpectedly moistened, and I covered my mouth with a trembling hand.

Had they finally caught him?

Perhaps it was the shock, but my fingers were shaking uncontrollably.

It all felt so sudden.

“As much as Dexter deserved to die… this time, he actually played a part in drawing out the murderer. Robin said the guy was smart, left no traces, and had a knack for evading detection. Dexter had been staking out the orphanage since yesterday, using Melody as bait, making her atone for her sins.”

The murderer was too clever for the cops to use Melody as a lure. He would’ve seen through it right away. Inside the police’s watchful eye, the murderer wouldn’t bite.

But if Melody went off on her own, acting crazy at the orphanage, that was a different story. A fish jumping right into the net. The murderer wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

“Who… who is the murderer?” My voice was hoarse as I asked.

Stella was silent for a long while before she finally spoke. It’s that Dorian. After we let him go. he struck again.”

I was stunned, frozen in place.

Dorian?

I’d always suspected something was off about him. A minor, fifteen or sixteen, but with eyes too cold for his age.

After hanging up, I hurried to the hospital eager to get the police’s take.

It wasn’t a solo act; the security footage had caught at least three different suspects.

Among them, Dorian was definitely one.

With Dorian caught, it was only a matter of time before the others would be interrogated and found.

As I descended the stairs, Colin was in the yard, trimming flowers. He picked a few white roses and handed them to me.

I took the flowers, my vision blurring. Sniffling, I managed a smile at Colin. It was a relief; the murderer wasn’t him.

Although I couldn’t completely rule him out as a suspect yet, I realized I was starting to hope it wasn’t him.

“Colin, come with me.” I reached out to him. “They’ve caught the murderer. Dexter’s in trouble. Let’s go to the hospital”

Colin’s hand stiffened, and then he looked up at me. “Really?”

“Yeah.” I nodded, my excitement making my hands tremble. “The police got him. It was Dorian. We were all fooled by him.”

I hoped Colin had been fooled, too. The police knew about Colin asking Eric to fund Dorian: I feared Colin might also become a suspect.

On the way to the hospital, Colin was silent, lost in thought. Just before we got out of the car, he shook his head abruptly. “No… something’s not right.”

I paused, puzzled, looking at him. “What’s not right?”

“It’s not right; the timing isn’t right. He wouldn’t let himself get caught now.”