One Hundred and sixty six

CHAPTER 166

The roar of cars echoed as Noel took Nicholas' car out of the police station area. He took the car out after the patrol car driven by Peter and Elden left at the beginning. Noel immediately turned the wheel, once he got onto the larger main road. The streets of New York City were not as busy as usual, probably because it was the weekend. So everyone was busy in their respective homes, spending time with their beloved families.

"You know, we should be at home enjoying hot chocolate with someone in front of the fireplace. This cold air is making my bones hurt," Noel complained.

Nicholas, however, turned Noel's complaints into jokes. Nicholas put his hands in his coat pockets and replied. "Your bones hurt because they're old, you're old, Noel."

"Shit, I'm not even forty yet!"

"It's not about age," Nicholas said. He let out a long breath, then looked at Noel who was driving. "I'm taking Alicia on vacation. Do you think it's a good idea?"

Noel looked at Nicholas with a surprised look, he raised both eyebrows and said, "Are you serious?"

"I told her to find some entertainment for a while, she needs to forget about all these horrible events. I'm starting to worry about her mental state, she's not okay, is she?"

Because Nicholas was talking about Alicia, the atmosphere in the car changed quickly. If they had started the conversation with funny jokes, or subtle sarcasm that didn't hurt, Noel found Nicholas looking downcast and uncomfortable. Now and then Nicholas would sigh, he must be tired. And Noel was quite understanding of his partner's attitude. They had been friends for so long, what was Noel so insensitive about?

"If you're asking me if your idea is good or bad, it's definitely a bad idea. I think Alicia will still need time to herself during the mourning period. You can't force a family that has just been left behind to laugh happily. Their minds will be out of focus."

Nicholas looked at Noel, his face was serious and Noel could see it in his small eyes. "Kuras aini it was my mistake to involve him in the first case. At first, I just wanted to quickly find out who Mrs. Portman's murderer was, which Alicia accidentally came into contact with. Alicia is so curious, I couldn't help it."

Hearing Nicholas blaming himself for everything that happened, Noel sympathized. He looked around, at the streets of New York City that were beginning to be dusted with snow. Christmas was approaching, everyone should be gathering with their families, enjoying warm gingerbread cookies, hot chocolate and dinner together.

"We're going to Alicia's house, are you able to check in when your heart condition is unstable?"

In answer to Noel's question, Nicholas nodded his head. "I need to know if we're missing something or not. I left this task to you, when I should have been involved." Nicholas pointed ahead. "Up ahead we will turn right, right?"

"Yes, we'll be there in a minute and check out the burnt house."

Just as Nicholas had said, they arrived at Alicia's parents' house, which had been the victim of a gas cylinder explosion. Nicholas' gaze was drawn to the ruins of the house and the charred remains of the house.

"It's a purposeful fire and it's very obvious, isn't it?"

The two detectives stood in front of the remains of Alicia's childhood home, blackened wood and charred memories. Snowfall began to cover the destruction, creating an eerie sensation of purity against the backdrop of tragedy.

Nicholas clenched his fists, frustration etched on his face. "This wasn't an accident, Noel. Someone wanted to erase every trace, every connection he had."

Noel nodded in agreement. "It looks like we found something bigger than we thought. Alicia may be more entangled in this mess than we anticipated."

As they sifted through the ashes, a flash caught Noel's attention. Kneeling down, he found a partially melted locket. Opening it revealed a picture of Alicia with her parents, a happy family frozen in time. Noel handed it to Nicholas, who scanned the picture with a serious expression.

"We have to find out who did this and why," Nicholas said, determination replacing his earlier hesitation. "Alicia has been through enough. I won't let her face this alone."

Noel, who was behind Nicholas, nodded in agreement. "We'll help her, she's not alone. Isn't the police force here to help all civilians who need help?"

"We'd better go inside," Nicholas invited, he stood up and started to walk through the ruins of the abandoned house.

The police line was still there, as per Nicholas' orders after the fire incident. Noel followed behind, he had latex gloves on both hands, as did Nicholas. Although they had returned, the place was still the same, nothing had changed.

"We've checked it out. What else do you want to know from this house, Nick? Does the report from the forensic field team still seem inconclusive to you?"

Nicholas turned and looked at Noel. He seemed to think, then went with his instincts. "I'm going to try to be Michelle and Edward, I want to know what it feels like to be beaten to death by those tables."

"What? Are you crazy, hm?"

"No, that's why I'm trying. I want to know how the villain planned the murder while the fire was going on. What was the trigger?"

Noel sighed, but finally nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's check one more time. But you have to promise that this is the last time for us to come here. You know that crime scene examinations have a time limit, right? We have to quickly determine whether this case is an accident or a murder and inform the media."

"Okay."

They then went deeper, to the location where the two bodies were found. First, they examined the table, where it had partially fallen on Michelle's body.

"Alicia said Michelle was found here. Under this table."

"As long as it wasn't an earthquake, the table should have stayed where it was, seeing as it was against the wall and not in the middle of the road or blocking it."

"So, why did this table fall over?"