Chapter 100

"No one can back up your alibi, and the timeline of the semen evidence found in the victim's body doesn't rule you out, so..." Robert was about to charge him.

Hugh cut in, "Hold up! I remember the bar I went to. They must have me on camera! Check the Starlit Lounge, go check!"

Zoey pulled out her phone and started searching.

The bar Hugh mentioned was real, but it was over an hour away from Willowbrook Village. Zoey showed the search results to Robert.

Robert nodded, indicating he understood. "We'll look into it."

Hugh sneered, "With our status, we can have any woman we want. Why would we need to rape anyone? Especially someone from the same village. Even if I did rape her, a bit of money would settle it. Why would I kill her? Am I crazy? Or just stupid?"

Zoey stood by, unsure of what to say.

The evidence was solid, yet he was so confident.

The more Hugh bragged, the more Robert wanted to punch him.

His eyes betrayed a hint of rage, though he tried to hide it as a cop. His hand, holding the file, trembled uncontrollably. "Let me confirm again, you don't know Janet, Faye, or Sadie, right?"

"I've seen them around, we live in the same village, but I don't know them well. Like Evan's fiancée, Janet, my mom handled everything about Evan. I really don't know her." Hugh distanced himself from the situation.

Robert saw that Hugh's story remained consistent and knew he wouldn't get more out of him. So there was no need to waste time.

As he gathered his files, he said, "Alright, we've confirmed with you multiple times. Given the decisive evidence linking you to the rape of the victims, you'll be detained at the station. The court will decide based on the evidence."

"What does that mean?" Hugh visibly panicked. "You haven't even checked the bar's footage and you're pinning this on me? Go check it out! I told you it's not me. Are you deaf?"

Zoey watched him lose it, calm and composed. "Until we verify the footage, the evidence we have is enough to detain you. Besides, you said you got home around 1 AM, but the victim died before 3 AM. You had plenty of time to commit the crime."

Hugh slammed his hand on the table, nearly breaking it, and shouted, "I went to the bar, hired two escorts, had sex with them, then drove forty minutes back to kill and rape three women? Am I that capable?"

Bars like that were frequented by men in their forties and fifties.

Everyone knew they were shady, and involved in gray areas.

Hugh's blunt admission was really shameless.

"We arrest based on evidence. Detaining you isn't a conviction. If we find you're innocent, you'll be released immediately, got it?"

"I don't get it! I can't go to jail!" Hugh yelled in defiance.

Robert explained, "This isn't jail, it's just procedure."

"I don't care about your procedure. I'm not going with you! I'm not going to jail!" Hugh finished and tried to leave.

Outside, a male officer with a feminine demeanor stood smiling.

Hugh was already annoyed; this officer had brought him here and now blocked his way.

"Move!"

"I can't. You're a murder suspect. Until the evidence is clear, you have to come with us." Alexander, worried Hugh might hurt Jordan, stepped forward and grabbed Hugh's arm.

He restrained Hugh's impending punch.

"Get off me!" Hugh struggled but couldn't shake Alexander's grip.

Alexander, tired of the struggle, swept Hugh's legs, sending him rolling on the floor.

He quickly pinned Hugh's arms behind his back and cuffed him.

Hugh, much heavier than Alexander, couldn't fight back.

Realizing resistance was futile, Hugh cursed as he was helped up and taken to the police car.

Robert was pleased with Alexander's work. "Next."

Jordan playfully signaled 'OK' and brought out Hugh's wife.

Hugh's wife emerged from a small room, searching for Hugh.

But the church was empty except for the police.

Not finding Hugh, she looked nervous and stammered, "Officer, where's my husband?"

"Don't worry about him. He's fine," Zoey replied.

Hugh's wife replied. "Oh, that's good."

Before the questioning began, Robert and Zoey noticed Hugh's wife seemed overly nervous, almost guilty.

Robert, aware of what students said about Hugh's wife, reassured her, "It's okay, don't be nervous. Just answer our questions honestly. But one thing, no lying, got it?"

Hugh's wife avoided eye contact, head down, but nodded.

"Name."

"Olivia Smith."

"Age."

"22."

Hearing that, Robert looked up at Olivia in surprise.

"Hugh is 44, and you're 22?"

Olivia nodded, head still down. "My mom said to find an older man, mature and stable, who would take care of me..."

Zoey had been to Hugh's house multiple times.

What she saw didn't match Olivia's words.

Zoey couldn't help but speak up, "Hugh takes care of you? Besides cooking, does he treat you well?"

"...No."

Zoey added, "Is he mature and stable?" With his temper, not hitting Olivia was probably the best he could do.

Olivia didn't know how to respond.

Zoey, always blunt, said, "Your mom tricked you, didn't she?"