Chapter 6

Yet, Mom had never once tried to understand what I was feeling.

It always felt like we were just a step away from each other. One step away from making things right, and one step away from her realizing the victim was me.

Officer Zane’s tone grew firmer. He was clearly dissatisfied with her attitude. “Moira, you fell seriously ill back then. Before you came back to work, Kara treated the entire task force to dinner just so they’d take care of you.”

Mom knitted her brows together in suspicion. “Wesley, don’t joke around. You don’t need to make things up just to speak well of Kara.”

“You keep saying she doesn’t care about you, but when you were hospitalized and unconscious last year, she was the one running herself to exhaustion, bringing you homemade meals every single day!” Officer Zane snapped in frustration.

A trace of self-mockery flickered in my eyes. All these years, everyone could see how much I cared about Mom. However, to her, I was nothing but cold and heartless.

Mom finally gave in under Officer Zane’s earnest persuasion.

Masking her irritation, she dialed my number. Still, all she got was the cold, mechanical voice repeating over and over that the phone was switched off.

Annoyance crossed her face as she muttered, “Not picking up my calls? Fine. It's better if you never contact me again. Honestly, I wish I had never had a daughter like you.”

Officer Zane brought Mom and the team to the boutique. A surge of excitement I could not suppress rose within me. The case was finally about to move forward!

As for Mom, I no longer expected her to react to my death at all.

The shop owner was an elegant middle-aged woman.

After hearing the police officers explain their purpose, she checked the records using the receipt.

“Oh, this one. That pretty girl ordered it. She said it was a birthday gift for her mother and even asked me to make sure the craftsmanship was extra fine.” The shop owner pulled up the surveillance footage. The video began to play.

Officer Zane stared at the screen in shock.

On it, I walked into the shop with a smile, chatting with the owner as we picked out styles for the dress.

The owner sighed. “You’re not here about that brutal murder case that’s been all over the news, are you? I remember this girl clearly. She was gentle and meticulous. She spent a long time choosing the perfect color for her mother. I can’t imagine how devastated her mom must be.”

Mom stood frozen, staring at the screen. The air seemed to freeze in place. The cicadas outside and the shop’s heavy silence blended into something eerily harmonious.

“Check again. How could it be her? Kara is probably off somewhere having fun!” Mom grabbed the shop owner’s hand.

The owner was startled for a moment and sounded a little aggrieved. “The order matches exactly. It’s the same piece and the same date. It’s actually the most expensive one in my store. Hardly anyone ever buys it.”

Mom’s breathing grew ragged. Veins bulged on the back of her hands. Her nails dug into her skin.

She kept muttering under her breath, “The head hasn’t been found yet. It can’t be Kara. People like her don’t die easily.”

Just then, Officer Zane’s phone rang. It was the medical examiner. The voice on the other end was urgent, almost sharp with tension. “Officer Zane, is Moira with you? The DNA results are back. The victim is her daughter—Kara Summers!”