CHAPTER 003.

“You are under arrest, Mrs. Hart, and whatever…”

“What? W… wait, no!”

I cut off the man who approached me slowly with caution like I was a danger or something.

“T… that is my husband!” I hollered.

“You are arrested for the murder of Mr. Hart.”

“W… What?” I glanced at my husband who lay lifelessly on the cold floor and then breathed heavily.

T… Do they think I have killed my husband?!

Me?!

I shook my head vigorously and took a step back, waving my hands at the man.

How could I have killed Kevin? He was my husband and even though he had wronged me beyond words, I never would have killed him or anything.

“Y… you must be mistaken. I would never kill my husband and that is the truth!”

But he didn't listen to me. He covered the space between us, grabbed my wrist rather roughly, and before I could mutter another word, he had cuffed my wrists together.

“Hey! Do you know what you are doing?! I didn't kill Kevin! Hey!” I cried profusely as he dragged me out of the room.

All my pleas fell on his deaf ears as he dragged me along with him like I was some criminal while some police rushed inside.

As I settled in the car, I bit my fingers wondering where it had all gone wrong.

I had just seen him yesterday. With Katherine.

Who could have killed him? Did he fight with Katherine? Had she killed him?

I asked myself as the car drove away from the house.

Was I going to be framed for his death?

The police rushed in and called out his name like they had been informed ahead of time.

~~~~

“I swear… I swear, I don't know anything…” I cried out, palmed my face, and shook my head.

“Your fingerprints are everywhere in the crime scene and…”

“That is because it is where I live! Of course, my fingerprints are there!”

“And it explains why your fingerprints are found on the knife too? Your DNA was found on his body too, so, how do you explain that too?”

I breathed out heavily, shook my head, and then palmed my face.

Someone had framed me on purpose.

I had not even set my eyes on him all day!

“Katherine! She was with him all through yesterday. She must have an idea of what is going on so you should…”

“Katherine Cooper? She has not been in the city for the past two weeks,” he cut me short and then turned the screen at me.

It was footage of Katherine by a beachside in a bikini.

“W… what is this?”

“This is footage of her at the exact time of your husband’s death.”

I shook my head, buried my face in my palms, and then shook my head.

But something was off no matter how much I tried to disregard it.

These people in the interrogation room with me, including the officer that was interrogating me, were off.

However, I could not place my finger on what was amiss.

“I… I need my lawyer,” I mumbled and shook my head.

“You killed your husband, Mr. Kevin, because you thought he was cheating. Is that not true?”

“I didn’t think so! He cheated! But that is that, I need to contact my lawyer!” I slammed my hands on the table.

“Return her to her cell,” the interrogator snapped and then stood up.

“What are you doing? You cannot deny me of my lawyer… Hey!” I hollered as one of the police grabbed my arm.

“Are you a thug? What are you doing?!”

A thug!

They all seemed like one.

They had no warmth that seemed like a police’s.

“Where am I?”

I asked skeptically and tried to move back but the man was holding me tightly.

“Get me a lawyer! Who are you, people!”

I cried profusely.

“You are no police, are you? You all are imposters, are you not?! Get me a lawyer and…!”

I was still crying before I felt a stroke at the back of my head and I slipped into oblivion.

~~~

Opening my eyes to the lingering pain behind my head, I squinted my eyes open and then groaned gently.

As the series of events of the past day till now rushed through my head, I closed my eyes shut again and then whimpered.

My hands were tied together, and so were my legs.

Again, I wondered where things had all gone wrong.

Yesterday, I found out that my husband had killed my unborn baby just because he was together with my best friend.

And today, I found my husband in the pool of his own blood.

That was not all… someone was trying to kill me too because there was no way this was a proper police station.

What police officers whack a suspect with a rod at the back of their head and tie them like they were some chickens?!

I was in danger, and I knew it.

It didn’t take long before I heard the sounds of footsteps and I hurriedly closed my eyes again, then, I heard. “Ms. Henderson.”

That was the unmistakable voice of my lawyer, Mr. Davis, and I sat upright immediately.

“Mr. Davis!"

He had been my lawyer since the death of my parents ten years ago.

He was my father’s lawyer, and then mine.

He was in charge of handling the inheritance my parents had left for me, stating that I must not be given till I was twenty-five. And truly as started, I had received my inheritance three years ago, a few weeks just before I married Kevin.

“Are you okay, ma’am?”

“Please, get me away from here! Everyone is so weird, please!” I cried profusely as I sat upright.

“Madam, calm down. Please,” he said.

“They said I killed him. I swear…” I choked on nothing and then hit my chest gently.

“I… I didn't do… it," I stammered.

“I know,” he dipped his hand in his bag and then brought out a table of water.

“Have a sip, please. You look so pale! Have you been crying?”

“Please, get me out of here!”

“I will. I have gathered all necessary documents that could prove your innocence and your alibi has been proven to, so, please…”

He said, pointing the water at me.

I could trust him.

He has been working for our family for several years.

Dehydrated, I snatched the water from him, gulped it down my throat, and then breathed out.

As I raised my head to look at him in order to continue the conversation, Mr. Davis removed a document from his back and then pointed it at me.

“W… what is…” I drawled as I collected it from him.

“Stamp it,” he said.

I sapped my brows together even though I hadn’t read the context yet, and he was pointing the thumbprint ink at me.

“Mr. Davis?” I raised my brows and then dropped my eyes on the document.

“Sign it, and there will be no problem, Lyra.”

It was a transfer of inheritance agreement.

“Mr… Mr… Davis," I coughed.

But the warmth in his eyes had disappeared.

He no longer smiled at me like the sweet man that I knew.

“Place your thumb here and stamp it, Lyra.”

I coughed again, and this time, longer, that my throat started to hurt me.

“Mr. Davis. You…”

I coughed again and then the water in my hand dropped.

I kept coughing till I finally spat out blood and I panicked.

And then it dawned on me.

“W… why?” I dropped my eyes on him, released the file from my hand, and then grabbed my neck which was hurting so bad like it was going to rip off.

I felt my organs burning and I recoiled to the ground in an instant.

“W… why?” I asked again as tears dropped from my eyes.

But he didn't answer and only stood up.

God… why?

I have not even done anything wrong, so… why?

My heart broke at the realization that I was going to die unjustly and at that moment, I felt the presence of another person in the room and everyone acknowledged their presence by greeting them.

Slowly, yet, painfully, I rolled my eyes upward to see who it was while I grabbed my stomach in pain.

Blood wouldn't stop gushing from my mouth either and I knew deep down that I wouldn't survive this if first aid was not registered.

That is if there was even an antidote for the poison.

And then, our gaze met.

But, have I seen a ghost?

Why was my supposedly dead husband standing with Katherine in the midst of those people, snickering?