Chapter 2

"Dad, honestly, it's only natural that Willow feels jealous. All these years, I've had you and Mom's love all to myself. It really hasn't been fair to her. Actually, Willow called me, too. She told me to take good care of myself, said she's been busy with work and couldn't visit just yet."

Riley's words made Garrett's expression turn colder.

"I knew it! I knew it was all her lies! I was just starting to wonder if maybe I'd been wrong, thinking her call to me might've actually been a cry for help. But now it's clear. Riley, you should keep your distance from her. Don't let yourself be fooled by her act!"

I screamed with all my might, my voice tearing through the air. "No! That's not true, Dad! I didn't lie to you! I didn't call her! She's lying to you! I'm already dead!"

"Riley, why are you lying? I'm dead! How could I possibly have called you?"

"Garrett! We've got something new! Come quick, and check out this bloodstain!"

Hearing the discovery, Garrett reluctantly ended the call and walked over to where my blood had left its mark. His face grew stern as he stared at the dried bloodstain, now barely visible.

Unfortunately, even the clues I had deliberately left behind had been tampered with by Victor Slade.

"This looks like something the victim left while trying to escape," one of the forensic deputies deduced after photographing the scene. "But a lot of the traces here have been deliberately destroyed."

I was growing desperate. "Dad, look more closely! Look around! You might find the secret I'm trying to tell you!"

But he couldn't see me. My spirit, my voice—it was all invisible to him. He glanced briefly at the area and then left with the other deputies.

It was just like that cold case from years ago. He could sketch the outline of the killer but never the details of the face.

The floor of his office was littered with crumpled sketches. I could see it—he was trapped again, like he'd been with that unsolved case from the past.

"Garrett, it's late. Why don't you call it a night and start fresh tomorrow? Maybe once the body's fully recovered, we'll find new leads," suggested one of his colleagues.

Garrett closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, finally nodding in agreement.

All these years, and he still couldn't draw the killer.

---

Over the next few days, pieces of my body were found one after another. The sudden speed in locating them made it obvious—Victor Slade wanted them to be found. Otherwise, given his cruelty, I might've remained hidden forever.

The forensic pathologist, Dr. Ford, was incredibly meticulous. He recorded everything in painstaking detail—where I'd been stabbed, how many pieces I'd been cut into. Every note felt like being killed all over again.

It was during one of these examinations that Garrett entered the lab. The stench of decay hit him immediately. Covering his mouth and nose, he fought the urge to vomit.

"How… how is there so much? Is all of this from the same victim?" he asked, his voice strained.

"Garrett," said Dr. Ford, "after re-examining, these remains belong to two different women. The DNA matches blood samples from the scene. We're still searching for the skulls of both victims."

"Can these remains be restored?" Garrett asked, his voice tight with a mix of hope and dread.

Riley Voss, the repair technician, looked at the mess of remains and let out a heavy sigh. "The remains of the two victims are completely mixed together. On top of that, they're already in an advanced state of decomposition. It's nearly impossible to separate them."

"But," they added, "we'll do everything we can to reconstruct the victims and give them some dignity. The blood samples are already being tested and matched against missing persons. We should have results soon."

Garrett nodded, but as soon as he stepped out of the lab, he stumbled to the nearest trash can and vomited.

Even in death, I made him sick. Sorry, Dad.