Chapter 7
"What happened to the money?" I pressed.
Patrick let out a heavy sigh. "He spent most of it buying a house for a woman named Fiona Lowell. She's the mistress he kept on the south side of the city.
"He lost whatever cash remained at the casino shortly after that. He only sold his old house to dodge his bookies and keep up the act of looking for you.
"He played the part of a devastated father who went bankrupt searching for his daughter. He managed to fool everyone, including your mother."
The entire truth finally came to light.
The confession matched almost exactly what the crippled man had told me.
The reality of the situation felt even more filthy and despicable than I had previously imagined.
"Where are Fiona and Corbin right now?" I asked the question that was most on my mind.
Patrick's eyes glinted with a sharp, hard light.
He said, "Based on what Edward told us, Fiona has been living in that house all these years."
"As for Corbin, Edward says the guy quit the company the moment the job was done and vanished. The two of them haven't been in contact since."
I refused to believe Corbin had disappeared. Accomplices bound together by such a massive conspiracy never severed ties that cleanly.
"Edward is definitely holding something back," I stated firmly.
Patrick nodded his agreement. "We suspect the exact same thing. We just have to handle this one step at a time and arrest them one by one."
He looked directly at me. "We are heading out right now to track down this woman named Fiona. Do you want to ride along with us, Lauren? We need you to look at her and tell us if you recognize her from back then."
I absolutely wanted to go. I needed to see the exact face of the woman who had purchased her comfortable house with my stolen childhood and my blood.
The police cruiser navigated through the city streets while the urban landscape blurred past my window.
Everything outside looked entirely new and deeply unfamiliar to me.
Thirteen years provided more than enough time to completely transform a small town.
High-rise apartment complexes had replaced the old residential blocks, and wide paved avenues now covered the muddy back alleys.
The deep, agonizing hatred festering inside me was the only thing that had survived the passage of time unchanged.
Helen had not joined us for this trip. Learning the complete truth had caused her to suffer a total physical collapse, so a female officer had taken her directly to the local hospital.
That outcome was for the best because I wanted to spare her from witnessing whatever happened next.
The cruiser eventually parked in front of an older apartment complex on the south side of town.
The neighborhood lacked the busy energy of downtown but offered peaceful silence.
The buildings showed their age, yet the exterior walls boasted fresh coats of paint, and meticulously maintained flower beds lined the concrete walkways.
It felt entirely surreal to realize that such a perfectly tranquil community harbored a woman who had financed her comfortable existence through the lifelong suffering of another person.
Patrick led two other officers and me into the apartment complex.
We quickly located the building using the address Edward provided and headed straight up to apartment 402 in Building Three.
Patrick signaled for us to stay quiet before he stepped forward and knocked on the door. The heavy knocking echoed down the silent hallway.
A long moment passed before a sluggish female voice called out from inside. "Who is it?"
"Police. We have a few questions." Patrick's voice was steady and firm.
The person behind the door clearly hesitated.
A few seconds later, the lock clicked, and the door cracked open just a sliver.
A woman peered through the gap. Her skin was well-kept for her age, and she looked to be in her early forties, with fashionable curls and light makeup.
The woman was Fiona.
She eyed Patrick warily. "Officers, what do you need from me?"
Patrick flashed his badge. "Ms. Fiona Lowell? We're with the city's criminal investigation unit, and we'd like to ask you a few questions about Edward Warren."
The moment she heard Edward's name, Fiona's expression shifted. "Edward Warren? I don't know anyone by that name. You've got the wrong person." She moved to shut the door.
Patrick was quicker. He braced his hand against it and held it open. "Ms. Lowell, the fact that we found you here means we already have enough on our end. I'd strongly suggest you cooperate, or we'll have no choice but to bring you in for obstruction."
His tone had turned sharp.
Fiona's face flushed, and then went pale, and panic flashed in her eyes. She clearly realized she could not hide from this situation anymore.
She reluctantly pulled the door wide open. "Fine. You can come inside."