Chapter 66
Frozen in shock, and eyes wide with horror, Asher stared at the video displayed on his laptop.
10 minutes ago before the private investigator walked in was arguably the best time of his life, now everything as he had known it had shattered right before his very eyes. When he went through the documents currently sprawled out before him, he refused to believe his eyes, but now… After watching this video, it was undeniable.
His hands curled into fists, his lower lip trembled as he re–watched the video. His fist collided with the screen the second that particular scene played again, and the shreds of glass pierced his hand, but the pain that shot up his arm felt like a pinch compared to the gut wrenching pain he was in mentally.
His body shook, and his hands palmed his face. It felt like he was 15 once again, watching them wheel out his mother’s dead body from their beloved pool, and his father’s from the car accident.
He wanted to scream and gnaw out his heart from his body if that would stop it from hurting, but all he could do was shed a tear. A miserly teardrop that did nothing to placate him.
For a whole minute, he stayed in that same position, his body trembling till he managed to get it together. He caught a glimpse of himself when he finally sat up, and his eyes were bloodshot red from all the unshed tears. He stared at his battered laptop screen, then picked up the flash drive that was connected to it, packed up the document and left.
“Marie,” he called when he walked into his house and Marie came rushing out with a smile on her face, which instantly disappeared the second she got a proper view of Asher’s face. “Is the key to the room with you?”
Her lips turned downward and she slowly nodded, then reached into her apron bag and brought out a single key. “It is clean, sir.”
Asher wanted to muşter a smile, but he couldn’t, so he just nodded, took he key from her and walked away. The room was the last one at the end of the hallway, it was hard to tell that it was there thanks to the structure of the house. It was an easy minute walk, but Asher dragged his feet as he walked there. Each step he took closer, felt like he was drawn back 3 steps.
He badly wanted to go, to see the things he has shut off from the world, and from himself, for the past 14 years.
His hand trembled as he tried to insert the key into the hole. He dropped his hand and took a shaky breath after he had tried for the 5th time and had failed, tears clouded his vision and he turned to leave, but stopped right in his tracks when he saw Marie staring at him.
“It’s difficult the first time, Asher. Try again.”
He shook his head, and she smiled at him giving him an encouraging nod. Asher glanced back at the door, then at Marie, who was still smiling and gesturing to the door, and he threw his head back, and exhaled loudly. His hand tightened around the key, and he walked back to the door. His hand shook again as he raised it up to unlock the door, but this time around, he was successful.
“I will leave you to it now,” Marie said and instantly walked away.
Asher waited till she was gone before he walked into the room, and breath was instantly knocked out of him. It was just like he imagined it, a room that will take him back to the days he longed for but wished would stop tormenting him.
Pictures of his parents littered round the room. The fake plants his mum bought, his dad’s collection, the piano he got on his 10th birthday. The room was a jarring reminder of his life when it was best.
His heart tugged painfully inside of him, but he couldn’t muster any tears to cry anymore. He dropped his stuff on the floor, and made himself comfortable there as well, his eyes glancing around the room and taking in all of that which he wanted to forget.
Finally, his eyes caught the jars holding their ashes, and a smile tugged slightly in the corners of his lips. “Hey mum, hey dad,” he said for the first time in 14 years, and his vision blurred from all the tears. He reached out to his side and pulled closer the file and the flash drive, “I finally got it, I’ve finally gathered evidence to bring your killer to justice.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, bringing out the documents in the file, “I’m so sorry for keeping you guys waiting for justice. I’m very sorry for not seeing through his facade earlier, I’m so sorry for giving him a place in your company again, dad. I’m so sorry for not identifying your assaulter mum. I’m sorry I didn’t kill Nicolas Morgan earlier, but I promise, everything he stands f
