novelraw Chapter 443 - 445: This Is Murder
Chapter 443 - 445: This Is Murder
Naomi Kenway walked forward.
The waves churned, crashing against the rocks.
Her hand slowly clenched into a fist, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
’Some tragedies just happen so suddenly. Neither of them knew it would be their last time seeing each other...’
Ethan Shaw stepped forward and pulled Naomi Kenway into his arms, gently patting her shoulder in silent comfort.
The detective continued, "This location is remote, and there were no security cameras back then, so we know nothing about what truly happened. However, we’ve spoken to many people, and we have a growing suspicion that there’s more to this than meets the eye. It’s said your mother was traveling late at night for a business partnership. According to company records, the partner at the time was Wyvern Media. People from Wyvern Media stated that the meeting had originally been set for two days later. They didn’t know why your mother insisted on changing the time but agreed anyway, never expecting an accident to occur."
"Furthermore, we managed to contact a maid who worked for the Kenway Family ten years ago. She was very tight-lipped, but the lure of money got her to talk. She said that on the day of the incident, your mother returned to the villa. A very heated argument could be heard from upstairs. The maid heard your mother’s voice, as well as Jackson Kensington’s. She wanted to go up and see what was happening but was stopped by Jackson Kensington as he hurried downstairs. He threatened that if she poked her nose into things that didn’t concern her, she’d be packing her bags."
"The maid was timid and didn’t dare go upstairs to investigate. She was eventually fired anyway. By that point, Jackson Kensington was already calling the shots in the Kenway Family. She was terrified of bringing disaster upon herself and her relatives, so she kept her lips sealed. Only now that Jackson Kensington has lost much of his influence did she finally dare to speak the truth."
"This doesn’t look like an accident. It looks more like a premeditated... murder."
Naomi Kenway’s voice turned ice-cold. "Murder..."
"Yes. There are parts of the story that are clearly illogical. For your mother to rush off to discuss a business deal right after a heated argument with her husband simply doesn’t make sense."
As Naomi Kenway was lost in thought, she suddenly heard a scream. An old man in ragged clothes was holding an apple, his mouth open in a terrified shriek.
A bodyguard said, "I’ll go handle it."
"Wait."
Naomi Kenway drew closer. The old man was trembling like a leaf. The apple fell from his hand and rolled onto the ground. He scrambled to pick it up, wiping it on his filthy clothes. When he saw Naomi, he started screaming again, as if looking at something utterly terrifying.
’He’s terrified because he saw me,’ Naomi realized, ’but I’ve never met him before.’
The old man looked at Naomi Kenway, then glanced at the sea in the distance. He clutched his head, seemingly in great agony.
Naomi Kenway’s eyes narrowed. As the old man turned to flee, she shouted, "Stop him!"
The bodyguards quickly brought the man over. He kept his hands clasped over his head.
"Be gentle. Don’t frighten him."
Naomi Kenway asked again.
"Do you know me?"
The old man acted as if he hadn’t heard, a hoarse, tuneless sound rattling in his throat.
Communication was impossible like this, so Naomi Kenway contacted the chief of a nearby village. Seeing her imposing presence and bodyguards, the village chief hurried over and asked anxiously, "Did Sam do something to offend you? Oh dear, I am so sorry. You’re magnanimous people, please forgive him! He’s a deaf-mute with a low IQ; he doesn’t know any better!"
"He’s deaf-mute?"
"Yes, he’s a poor soul. He’s been deaf-mute since he was a kid. He still wasn’t talking by the time he was three, so his parents didn’t care for him, and his older brothers and their wives looked down on him. His parents passed away a couple of years ago, and his brothers took the house, leaving him to live in the family cowshed. He’s not a bad person, really. He may have a low IQ, but he’s not a bad man. He often helps the neighbors with chores for a bite to eat. When he’s bored, he just likes to wander. Who else would come out to these desolate wilds? If he’s offended you in any way, I apologize on his behalf!"
"Chief, it’s not like that. I called you over because... I think he seems to be terrified of me..."
"Huh? There’s no reason for that. It’s not like he ever gets the chance to meet important people like you."
The chief patted Sam’s shoulder, only to see him tremble and shrink back, not daring to look at Naomi Kenway. He cowered behind the chief like a frightened quail.
"Strange..." the chief murmured. "You’re right."
He reached out and patted Sam’s shoulder. "Sam, what’s wrong with you? Sam, snap out of it."
But Sam remained just as terrified.
The chief said, puzzled, "He... he shouldn’t be like this. He’s not even this scared when his older brother beats him. Come to think of it, I’ve only seen him like this once before, about ten years ago. Someone beat him bloody and dumped him out here in the wilds. Luckily, Errol Clementine Coleman was returning to the village and found him just in time. We don’t know what kind of animals did it. He was barely breathing, and the clinic doctor said he was a lost cause, that even a big hospital couldn’t save him. None of us had any hope, but who knew, Sam is tough as nails. He ran a high fever for a few days but actually pulled through! After he woke up, though, he was terrified of everyone, just like he is now. It took him a few years to get over it."
"Ten years ago?" Naomi Kenway’s ears perked up at the time frame. "What was the exact date ten years ago?"
"Uh, I don’t remember exactly." The village chief suddenly clapped his hands. "Wait, I remember! It was the same day Quentin Lewis got married. I’ll give him a call and ask."
"Thank you for your trouble."
The chief waved his hand. "It’s no trouble at all."
A moment later, the chief put his phone away. "He says it was July fifth."
Only after he spoke did he realize that the expressions of the people before him had all turned grim.
Naomi Kenway tentatively took out photos of Jackson Kensington and Lorraine Warren and showed them to Sam.
"AAAAAAAAGH!" Sam shrieked hoarsely. He grew even more agitated, his limbs flailing as he tried to gesture something.
"This... this..." The chief looked completely baffled. "Sam is saying he’s seen these two people... at night. It was very dark... a sack... and blood..."
The chief frowned. "What is Sam trying to say?"
Naomi Kenway asked urgently, "You recognize them, don’t you? Did you also see me back then? Can you remember what happened?"
Sam’s face contorted in pain as he pointed to his own head.
The chief said, "He probably can’t remember. It’s been so long, and his mind was never very sharp to begin with. It’s gotten even foggier since he was sick."
Seeing the pained look on his face and the way he kept shrinking back, Naomi Kenway didn’t press him any further. In her heart, an answer was already beginning to take shape.
Naomi Kenway thanked Sam and the village chief. After she and Ethan took their leave, Naomi instructed her assistant to buy some groceries and a few sets of clothes and have them sent over.
Naomi Kenway turned, her mind weighed down by heavy thoughts.
"That man, Sam, must have witnessed something firsthand. The timeline and the people involved line up. The reason he was so agitated when he saw me is because he mistook me for my mother."