Free Web NovelChapter 72: Chapter 72: Younger Brother Kills Two Girls
The sun shone brightly outside the window, but the room was unlit. The curtains were drawn tight, not letting a sliver of light through.
Roland Larkin stayed in the gloom, completely enveloped by darkness. His heart was filled with a thick sense of unease and fear.
Eileen Coleman had been dead for five days, Daphne Dalton for three.
For the past five days, aside from one trip to the 13th floor, he had stayed home.
He’d killed two people and was terrified, plagued by nightmares even in his sleep.
He dreamed the police caught him...
"No, they can’t." Roland Larkin patted his furiously pounding heart, trying to console himself. "They can’t. I’ll be fine."
’I took the stairs, and the security camera in the 13th-floor hallway was broken. It didn’t record my visit.’
’Besides, I mopped the floor of the apartment until it was spotless. I didn’t miss a single strand of hair.’
’Most importantly, Daphne Dalton, the one with the evidence, is dead.’
’No one else knows about this. There’s no way the police can trace it back to me, so I’m safe now.’
At this thought, Roland Larkin’s ragged breathing began to even out, and the fear churning in his heart slowly subsided.
"Todd," Lana knocked on the door. "Time to eat."
Roland Larkin answered quietly, "I know."
During the meal, Lana asked him, "When are you going to start looking for a job?"
"I’ll get to it later." Roland Larkin scowled, annoyed. He shoveled down a few bites of rice and set his bowl on the table. "I’m full."
Just as he stood up, the doorbell rang.
"Who could that be?" Lana mumbled around a mouthful of food. "Todd, go see who it is."
"Get it yourself." Roland Larkin was not in the mood and turned to walk back to his room.
Lana sighed, got up, and walked to the door.
She opened the door to find two strikingly handsome men and a woman. "Who are you looking for?" she asked, surprised.
"Police." Henry Stark and his team showed their IDs. "Is Roland Larkin home?" he asked coolly.
After looking at their IDs, Lana asked nervously, "Officers, why are you looking for Todd?"
"Don’t be alarmed. We just have a few questions for him." Henry Stark softened his stern expression. "It won’t take long."
"I see. Wait here, I’ll get him." Lana went to Roland Larkin’s room, opened the door, and said, "Todd, the police are here to see you."
The color instantly drained from Roland Larkin’s face. Panic and fear flashed in his eyes.
’How could this be...’
’I was so careful. How could the police have possibly tracked me down?’
Seeing that he wasn’t responding, Lana called out again, "Todd?"
"I... I know." Roland Larkin’s nails dug into his palms as he struggled to remain calm.
’It’ll be fine. Don’t freak yourself out.’
He walked out of the dark room and met the cold, scrutinizing gaze at the door. A sudden chill ran down his spine, and an inexplicable sense of foreboding washed over him.
Roland Larkin suppressed his fear and approached Henry Stark, speaking timidly. "Hello, Officers. I’m Roland Larkin. What can I do for you?"
Henry Stark said coolly, "Hello, Roland Larkin. Do you know Eileen Coleman?"
Roland Larkin nodded. "I do. I pursued her for a while, but she turned me down."
Henry Stark: "Are you aware that she fell to her death?"
Roland Larkin raised a hand to scratch his messy, curly hair. "I heard. I never thought she’d commit suicide."
Henry Stark: "When was the last time you were in apartment 1303?"
Roland Larkin’s eyes instinctively flicked up and to the right. "Last month."
Henry Stark: "Do you know her roommate, Daphne Dalton?"
Roland Larkin shook his head. "I know who she is, but we’ve never met."
Henry Stark raised a dark eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
Roland Larkin: "I’m sure." freewebnoveℓ.com
Henry Stark: "Daphne Dalton fell from the building in the early hours of February 5th. Did you know that?"
Roland Larkin: "I heard someone fell, but I didn’t know it was her."
"Why are you asking my brother all these questions?" Lana, who had been listening from the side, looked completely baffled. "What does this have to do with him?"
Renee Jennings and Kyle Morgan glanced over at her. Her face was etched with anxiety and concern.
A frosty look seemed to cover Henry Stark’s handsome face in an instant, and his voice became cold and heavy. "Through meticulous investigation, the police have obtained key evidence from apartment 1303. After analysis, all signs indicate that Roland Larkin is connected to the truth behind the falls of Ms. Keller and Ms. Dalton. We need you to come with us to the station."
"Impossible!" Lana shrieked. "Todd wouldn’t do something like that!"
"Ms. Larkin, please calm down," Kyle Morgan said placidly. "Rest assured, if Roland Larkin has nothing to do with this, he can come home right after giving his statement."
"Really?" Lana’s brow furrowed.
Renee Jennings said softly, "Yes. The police don’t frame innocent people."
Lana looked at Roland Larkin. Seeing his pale face and trembling fingers, she assumed he was scared and quickly reassured him, "Don’t be afraid, Todd. The officer said you just need to give a statement. You’ll be home as soon as you’re done."
Roland Larkin stared at his sister for a long moment. His lips trembled, but in the end, he said nothing.
His face ashen and his eyes red, he followed Henry Stark and the others into the elevator with stiff, slow steps.
Lana shouted at the closing elevator doors, "I’m making soup! It’ll be ready when you get back!"
Renee Jennings saw this and sighed to herself.
’I can’t imagine how devastated his sister will be when she learns her brother murdered two young women.’
「Interrogation Room.」 ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Roland Larkin sat alone for an hour.
His heart raced. Every second was an agonizing eternity of suspense.
’What exactly did the police find?’
Just as he was wondering, the door opened from the outside.
Henry Stark and Sawyer sat down across from him.
Roland Larkin met Henry Stark’s gaze, and the terror in his heart intensified.
"An hour has passed. Have you had time to think things over?" Henry Stark asked coolly.
Roland Larkin’s eyes darted nervously. "Think what over?" he asked quietly. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Henry Stark watched him, his dark eyes as sharp as a hawk’s. "Don’t get your hopes up. Good always triumphs over evil. Confessing is your best option right now."
"What are you talking about?" Roland Larkin grew agitated. "I don’t understand a word you’re saying."
Henry Stark said coldly, "Still playing dumb? Did you think that just because you took the stairwell and the hallway camera was broken, we wouldn’t find any evidence of your crime?"
His words sent a jolt through Roland Larkin’s heart. "I... I really don’t know what you’re talking about..."
"The evidence on Daphne Dalton’s phone was backed up," Henry Stark said slowly. "Do you understand now?"
Roland Larkin’s pupils constricted. He muttered in agitation, "How is that possible? It can’t be..."
"The video is on this flash drive." Henry Stark pulled a silver flash drive from the pocket of his Rush jacket. His voice was calm but carried immense pressure. "Confess now and cooperate with the investigation, and you might have a chance at a reduced sentence."
