Chapter 335
Cameron had been on an exhausting quest to find Kristina for days, but his efforts were in vain. Greta couldn’t help but voice her frustration. “She’s not some little kid, Cameron. She can take care of herself. If she’s gone into hiding on purpose, we could search every corner of the earth and still come up empty–handed.”
With limited resources and his social network in shambles, Cameron’s initial fervor waned, and he was left with no option but to give
- up.
Then, a week later, he got a call from the police.
“Cameron?” The voice on the other end was firm and no–nonsense.
Annoyed, Cameron replied, “Yeah, it’s me. Who’s calling?”
“This is Officer Jenkins from the local precinct. We need you to come to the East Bridge over the river right away.”
meron sighed, “I’m swamped right now. If it’s not urgent, I’d appreciate it if you could call back later.”
“We need you to identify a body–does that qualify as urgent enough for you?” The officer’s patience was clearly wearing thin.
A chill ran down Cameron’s spine. “What did you say? Identify a body? Whose body?” His calm demeanor finally shattered.
“Come here, and we’ll discuss it,” the officer said before abruptly hanging up.
Cameron stumbled down the stairs, his mind racing.
Greta hurried after him. “Cameron, I’m coming with you.”
As Cameron slid into the driver’s seat, Greta quickly climbed in beside him, her eyes full of worry. “Cameron, I’m really worried about
you.”
Cameron tried to reassure both Greta and himself and said, “It’s probably just a mix–up. The police could have it wrong.”
Greta nodded. “Yeah, that must be it. Your mom’s always been tough and optimistic. She’s always facing challenges head–on and never backs down. I just can’t see her taking such a drastic step.”
Greta’s blunt words had a ring of truth to them. Cameron found some comfort in them as he drove steadily to the East Bridge. When they arrived, they saw a crowd gathered and police tape cordoning off the area.
Cameron overheard snippets of conversation from the bystanders, “A woman’s body was found… it bloated from the water… it looks like she’s in her fifties. I heard she used to be a wealthy lady. What a tragedy.”
Cameron’s heart nearly stopped; he went pale and rushed forward. “Officer,” he addressed the officer on the scene.
He couldn’t bring himself to look at the body lying there.
The officer gave him a stern look. “Took you long enough to get here. Take a look. Is this the mother you’ve been searching for all this time?”
Cameron summoned every ounce of courage he had and glanced at the body. Once he did, he couldn’t tear his eyes away. He swayed slightly, then collapsed to his knees beside her.
“Mom!” His voice cracked, unable to cry, but his face was contorted with grief.
“Why, Mom? Why would you leave me like this?” Cameron sobbed, his whole body shaking.
The officer let out a heavy sigh. “Your mom’s been in the water for days, meaning she’s been missing for quite a while. Didn’t you notice she was gone?”
Cameron turned to Greta, his expression blank with shock. Greta looked back, terrified and pale. She had been the one to discourage Cameron from searching for Kristina.
“Officer, we did try to find her. We just… didn’t succeed. I thought she was strong. She was always so optimistic. I didn’t think she’d do anything drastic. I assumed she was just hiding out. Officer, please, you have to find out what really happened. My mother–in–lawy would never take her own life,” Greta pleaded, tears streaming down her face.
The officer replied, “There were no signs of violence on her body. The medical examiner confirmed she drowned. She had water in her lungs. It’s been ruled a suicide.”
