08
But despite my attempts, I couldn’t seem to touch Derek.
“Dead? How could that be? What happened to her? Was she targeted for something big?”
Derek shook his head. “I don’t know, but… they found her body hidden inside a statue in my
office.
“What?! How is that possible?”
Vanessa gasped, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief, the panic in her eyes replaced
by a strange curiosity.
“Darling, how could she be in a statue? This must be some kind of mistake or a cruel prank!”
“No, it’s true. The statue broke, and her body was revealed. The police confirmed it was Eva.”
Vanessa covered her mouth, eyes wide. “Oh my God! Who could be so twisted to kill
someone and stuff them into a statue? Have the police found the killer?”
A flicker of fear crossed her face as she considered her next move.
Derek shook his head again. “They suspect me, but I was held by loan sharks when Eva died,
so they cleared me.”
“Of course I believe you, darling! You’d never do something like that!
“I have a feeling it might be one of your old rivals who killed Eva and stuffed her in the statue to mess with you. Or maybe Eva got on someone’s bad side. You know how irritating she could
- be.
“Listen, if the police keep questioning you, just tell them the statue was a gift from me! Let them come talk to me. I’m innocent, so they can’t pin this on you!”
Her fierce loyalty banished the last shred of doubt from Derek’s heart.
What a treasure she was, willing to risk everything for him!
He realized he needed to protect her, too.
He decided he absolutely couldn’t tell the police that the statue was from her not wanting to
1050
THE TUDI GOR
The following days passed in a haze for Derek
Meanwhile, Vanessa sensed that things were going south and began quietly selling off some
real estate.
Although she had been careful to cover her tracks, her anxiety lingered. It was safer to loave
the country.
She had plenty of other admirers, so there was no need to stick with Derek.
And as the days went by, it became clear that he didn’t have the energy of the younger
men.
Instead of worrying about being caught cheating, she could just break things off with him. and enjoy life abroad.
With Derek’s money, she could have her pick of handsome men without a care in the world. While Vanessa was busy unloading her assets, Derek received yet another call from the police station.
This time, they wanted his help identifying the murderer, and he was more than ready to go. He was desperate to find out who was responsible and clear my name.
These days were torturous for him. Every night brought nightmares filled with my
accusations.
Waking up to find Vanessa beside him, he couldn’t hold back the tears.
He felt like a failure, betraying me while marrying Vanessa after I’d been wronged.
He wondered if I was selling my belongings to help him.
Was it over that money that I had met my end?
Did he somehow contribute to my death?
“We’re here because we found a recording from before your ex–wife’s death. It’s old and a bit blurry, but we need you to help identify if it’s someone you recognize.”
