TAJ 37

Chapter 37

It was earlier than usual to be at work, or so Joan thought, when the door suddenly burst open and JC, the math teacher, walked in.

JC also seemed surprised to see someone already there, her eyes widening when she saw Joan seated.

“Joan? Are you just getting to work?”

Joan wasn’t emotionally ready to face her colleagues yet, so a bit of fear tightened in her chest.

But JC greeted her warmly, clearly glad to see her again.

Behind her thick glasses, JC’s eyes scanned Joan up and down.

“You’ve had a rough time, haven’t you? You’ve lost so much weight.”

JC approached without hesitation and gently grabbed Joan’s thin wrist, fiddling with it.

“It looks like it could snap!”

“I’m fine. It won’t.”

Joan had braced herself the entire way here—reminding herself she must stay composed, even if people looked at her like a murderer. She had steeled herself for that.

But the moment she heard the door open, she was suddenly overcome with fear.

Yet, seeing JC worry about her made her tear up.

Joan forced the tears down and managed a smile.

“Was it hard without me around?”

“Of course it was. You owe us a nice dinner.”

JC released her wrist and noticed the lesson plan booklet on Joan’s desk.

“Ugh. Did you come in early just because of the lesson plans?”

“No, not really. I just missed it. What about you? Why are you here so early?”

JC began rummaging through her bag. She pulled out a small piece of paper.

“Today’s the day they started selling tickets for the play I’ve been waiting for since last year. I went early to grab front-row seats—and I succeeded!”

Looking proud, she carefully put the ticket back into her bag.

The play was about the First Saint—a well-known story in Kaliba, something every citizen had heard of or seen.

This year, it was especially popular because a rising star was cast in the lead.

JC had been eagerly waiting for the production to come to Shudehill for some time now.

“Nelly kept asking if Miss Pope was really sick.”

Nelly was a shy, chubby-cheeked boy—so shy he barely spoke to adults. Yet he’d asked about Joan multiple times.

Her name hadn’t been printed in the newspapers. Only that a teacher from Gareth’s school had been put under house arrest.

So when Joan stopped showing up, the school told the students she was unwell. But everyone had a rough idea of what had really happened.

Still, at least one student had waited for her return.

Joan thought she must give Nelly a warm greeting when she saw him. He’d probably freeze up in embarrassment when he saw her, but she would take the first step.

While Joan was lost in that thought, JC’s gaze dropped to the bottom of the lesson plan where the approval section was still blank.

“It’s been a while, but the principal will understand this time.”

JC had an odd fixation on getting the lesson plans signed daily. She didn’t necessarily read them, but they had to be stamped.

At most, you could delay a day, but any longer and you’d risk her wrath. Everyone tried to avoid her hysteria over late plans.

As JC sat at her desk, she briefly furrowed her brow.

“The mood at school’s a little tense. She’s been more hysterical than usual lately. Be careful.”

Screeech. The sound of a chair being pushed back echoed. JC looked up in surprise.

Joan had stood up, pale.

She scolded herself—how could she have forgotten?

She quickly pulled her coat back on.

“Where are you going?”

“To the security bureau.”

Meanwhile…

Claire had just woken up. She got up slowly and sat at her desk.

She opened the top drawer and pulled out a thick notebook. It was a gift from Isabel, and Claire used it as a diary.

She turned the pages delicately, revealing beautifully dried flower petals pressed between the sheets.

Pink tulips, yellow gerberas and sunflowers, and purple statice.

Claire selected the prettiest ones in terms of color and shape and spread them out on the desk.

After studying them for a while, she chose to keep a few petals of the gerbera and statice, returning the rest to her diary.

Then she opened the second drawer and pulled out stiff paper.

She cut it into smaller pieces and stored the rest back in the drawer.

Carefully, she arranged the yellow and purple petals on the paper, experimenting with the layout until she was satisfied.

Unconsciously, her lips parted slightly in concentration.

She glued them down gently to avoid damaging them. By the time she was done, the sky had brightened outside.

She checked that the petals were properly stuck before picking up a pen.

“To Clive.”

He wanted her to call him Clive, but she always added a title. Still, this was just a bookmark—just a note.

But the sentence didn’t continue.

Claire rested her chin in her hand, staring blankly at the bookmark.

“Thank you.” “Best of luck.” “Have a nice day.” All the usual phrases came to mind.

None of them felt right. She sank into thought, when she heard Isabel moving downstairs.

Claire placed the unfinished bookmark inside her diary and closed the drawer.

Tap tap tap. She walked downstairs, and Isabel turned around at the sound.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.”

As Isabel fried eggs and mushrooms, Claire brewed tea.

“Did you say goodbye to Lord Norton right after yesterday?”

“He escorted me home.”

“On foot?”

“By carriage.”

As she flipped the egg, Isabel chuckled.

“Still a gentleman, even with everything going on.”

“Maybe because he’s a noble,” Claire murmured.

Isabel found her words so innocent and endearing that she laughed.

“Oh!”

Claire, pouring tea into a cup, suddenly remembered Daisy.

“Sis.”

Isabel plated the egg and mushrooms and added bread rolls to a basket.

“Remember when you asked if Russell had any romantic entanglements?”

“Yeah.”

“I actually saw him walking with a woman.”

“Really?”

Claire’s tone didn’t sound angry or upset, so Isabel brushed it off casually.

“She said her name was Daisy Walker. A noblewoman staying at the Selsmore Villa.”

But at the mention of the Selsmore Villa, Isabel’s eyes sharpened.

“Selsmore Villa?”

Claire, oblivious to the implication, nodded and slid the teacup toward her.

“You mean the Selsmore Villa in the Hailing District?”

Claire finally caught on to Isabel’s tone. Russell lived in that district.

But Claire knew something that would clear the misunderstanding.

“It’s not like that. Miss Walker liked Lord Clive—she even confessed to him.”

Isabel glanced at the violet necklace hanging around Claire’s neck and replied confidently,

“It’s fine. You’re prettier.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the prettier one.”

Claire said it sincerely, and Isabel couldn’t help but find her utterly lovable.

Late at night

Clive signed the documents putting Max under house arrest.

Linden Sterling tucked the signed papers inside his uniform.

With Neil Taylor and several other officers, he headed to Rodney Street, where Max Davis lived.

At No. 14 Rodney Street stood a three-story, reddish-painted building.

Linden rang the bell. No one answered, so he rang again. This time, there was a faint sound of footsteps.

He looked up, waiting for the door to open.

Max was said to be living on the third floor.

The man who possibly killed Gareth, kidnapped and assaulted Gemma, and maybe even killed Dolores.

Yet he still posed as a kind teacher, teaching children every day.

Footsteps approached, and the door opened.

A man, freshly woken, looked irritated at first but changed his expression when he saw the officers’ black uniforms.

Why were so many officers at his home so late?

“Does Max Davis live on the third floor?”

“Uh, yes, he does.”

“Would you mind showing us the way?”

“Uh… may I ask what this is about?”

“I’m afraid we can’t say yet.”

The man scratched his head and turned to lead them up. He climbed the old wooden stairs and pointed to a door on the left.

“That’s the room.”

Linden walked up to it and knocked. Silence.

He waited, then knocked a bit harder. Still no response.

He knocked even more firmly. Something didn’t feel right.

He tried the doorknob—it wasn’t locked. That only made the feeling worse.

Inside, the room was completely empty.

Neil asked the landlord, “Did he come home today?”

Now fully awake but confused, the man tried to recall.

“He had dinner with my family earlier, but after that… I’m not sure.”

Linden told Neil to take two officers and immediately check the new house Max had recently purchased.

Gemma had been found there, and repairs had been delayed, so he might still be using the old place—but they needed to check.

At Linden’s signal, the remaining officers began searching Max’s room for evidence or signs of escape.

Following protocol, they checked the closet, drawers, under the bed, and bookshelf.

No direct evidence was found.

But they did find a large quantity of sleeping pills.