Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Damon's POV

I got an invitation from the state police inviting me to the funeral service of Detective Adrian Cross. He had died in a terrible traffic accident, and even though I had not known him for a very long time, his death affected me deeply.

There were still so many questions I wanted to ask him, especially about my father's murder case. Detective Cross had been one of the people connected to the case, and I had hoped that one day he would tell me everything he knew. Now that he was dead, I felt as if some of my answers had been buried with him.

I sat quietly in my office, staring at the invitation in my hands. My mind was filled with different thoughts when Uncle Sebastian walked into the room.

He looked at me for a moment before speaking.

“Damon, did you get an invitation to Detective Adrian's funeral?”

I nodded.

“Yes, Uncle. I did.”

He sighed and sat down.

“I don't think I should attend,” he said. “After everything that happened, especially after I was removed from your father's case and transferred to another state to become a sheriff, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to go.”

I understood what he meant. There were still many painful memories surrounding my father's murder, and I knew my uncle had his own reasons for staying away.

“I understand, Uncle,” I replied. “If you don't want to go, then I will go in your place. I'll pay my respects to Detective Cross and represent our family.”

A small smile appeared on his face.

“That's good, Damon. Thank you for doing that. I appreciate it.”

“You're always welcome, Uncle,” I said.

Not long after that, Marco came into my office. He looked serious, and from the way he stood at the doorway, I could tell that he wanted me to follow him.

“Damon, come with me. The car is ready.”

I nodded and followed him outside.

We got into the car and drove toward the funeral. Neither of us spoke much on the way there. The silence inside the car made me think even more about Detective Cross and everything that had happened.

When we finally arrived, I could already see how large the gathering was. Police officers, military personnel, family members, friends, and members of the public had all gathered to pay their final respects.

There were men and women from different branches of the military, including the police, army, navy, and air force. The press was also present, recording the event and reporting on the funeral.

As I walked into the area, I could feel the sadness in the air.

Everyone seemed quiet.

Everyone seemed to be mourning.

The funeral ceremony began, and everyone stood as a sign of respect for Detective Adrian Cross. I watched as his coffin was carried forward. Seeing it made my heart heavy.

It was strange to think that someone who had been alive only a short time ago was now lying inside a coffin, surrounded by people who had come to say goodbye.

After the religious service was completed, the priest prayed for Detective Cross and his family. He spoke about his life, his work, and the people he had left behind.

Then his family came forward.

His wife walked slowly toward the front with their children. The pain on her face was impossible to hide. She tried to remain strong, but I could see how difficult it was for her.

When she began reading her tribute to her husband, her voice shook.

She tried to continue, but tears began rolling down her cheeks.

For a moment, she stopped.

She looked toward the coffin as though she was hoping he would somehow answer her.

Then she tried again.

But the sadness became too much for her.

She could not finish the tribute.

She turned toward her husband's coffin and cried.

Watching her broke something inside me.

I suddenly remembered my own father.

I remembered the day he died.

I remembered how much pain filled our family and how helpless I had felt. The memories came rushing back so quickly that I could barely control my emotions.

I felt tears gathering in my eyes.

I tried to hold them back, but it became harder with every passing second.

Marco noticed me.

He immediately handed me a handkerchief.

“Here,” he whispered.

I quickly wiped my eyes, hoping nobody had noticed that I was crying.

As I turned to my left, my eyes suddenly met Elias's.

He stared at me for a few seconds.

There was something strange about the way he looked at me, almost as if he understood exactly what I was feeling.

I looked away and tried to focus on the funeral again.

Everyone continued paying their final respects.

One by one, people stepped forward to place flowers near the coffin. When it was finally my turn, I slowly walked forward.

I held the flower tightly in my hand.

For a moment, I stood there without moving.

I thought about Detective Cross.

I thought about my father.

And I thought about all the questions that would now remain unanswered.

I finally placed the flower down.

“Rest in peace, Detective,” I whispered.

As I walked back, I could not stop thinking about how quickly life could change. One moment, someone could be standing beside you, talking and laughing. The next moment, they could be gone forever.

That thought frightened me.

It also reminded me that I could not give up on finding the truth about my father's murder.

Even though Detective Cross was gone, I still had to keep searching for answers.

I had to find out what really happened.

And I promised myself that I would not stop until I discovered the truth.

After the funeral, I set to get back home so I approached my car. As I was about to get into my car, I heard my name being called out. 

I was called the last person who I thought will never have the mind to approach me.

It was Elias.