Chapter 114

Zoey's mind was racing with thoughts of solving the case. She flipped through the diary over and over until she landed on one particular page.

"Hey, check this out," she said, showing the others. "See the last entry? It must've been written right before Sadie died. She asked Faye to take her out, probably to meet the killer, but Sadie didn't know that. And look here," She flipped to an earlier page, "they were supposed to listen to Rilla's story, but then a page is missing, and the date skips a day. What's on that missing page? It's important. They kept mentioning going to hear stories. What kind of stories? And why hadn't Faye heard any stories before she was attacked? The diary doesn't mention it."

Alexander and Jordan, who had been lost in their grief, snapped out of it.

Alexander frowned slightly. "Rilla was the one who reported the crime and the first to give a statement, but she never mentioned telling stories."

Zoey closed the diary. "Exactly. Everyone in the village knows each other because there are only a few dozen families. Rilla is also connected to Janet and the Lynns' daughters."

"Then let's not waste any more time. Let's go find Rilla," Jordan suggested.

They quickly gathered their things and headed to Rilla's house.

Two hours had passed since they had read the diary, and the sky was gradually darkening.

Jordan felt increasingly uneasy as they walked. "The three victims didn't seem to have any connection to Rilla. It's not like Rilla would lure them out at night to tell them stories and then kill them. She's not strong enough to hang them up."

It didn't make sense for Rilla to be the killer.

So why had she hidden the fact that she told stories when they first met her? Did she think the stories were irrelevant to the case?

Jordan's mind was a jumble of thoughts, trying to piece together the clues.

Alexander suddenly said, "Rilla is the only girl in the village who went to college."

"So? Does that mean she's a great storyteller?" Jordan's straightforwardness made Alexander chuckle.

Alexander smiled mysteriously. "Maybe enchanting stories have a kind of magic."

Jordan was confused. "What?"Soon, they arrived at Rilla's house.

Rilla was sitting in the yard, engrossed in a book. From their angle, they could see that Rilla had an air about her that set her apart from the other villagers. Now they understood why. She had a college education.

More knowledge and experiences had shaped Rilla's worldview, making her different from the rest of Willowbrook Village.

Before they could speak, Rilla noticed them. She placed a bookmark in her book and stood up slowly.

Zoey immediately recognized the book in Rilla's hand: "Little Women" by Veridian.

"Hey, What can I do for you?" Rilla greeted, trying to keep it casual.

She didn't seem surprised or nervous about their visit.

"Rilla," Alexander said politely. "We just have a few more questions about some details we might have missed last time. Is now a good time?"

Rilla glanced inside the house, as if checking on someone, then nodded. "Sure, go ahead."

Zoey took out the Lynns' daughters' diary and waved it. "You show up a lot in the Lynns' daughters' diary. They often mentioned you telling them stories. Could you tell us what kind of stories you told them? I'm curious to know what made Sadie praise you so much in her diary."

Rilla's expression remained neutral, but there was no smile. "They were just simple stories for kids who hadn't seen much of the world. Those stories would be jokes to you."

Zoey pressed on, "I like jokes."

Hearing that, Rilla felt helpless.

Rilla glanced at "Little Women" beside her chair. "Nothing special, just stories from this book. You've probably heard them before."

It was clear she was being evasive.

Alexander and the others weren't fooled by her little tricks.

They exchanged glances, and Alexander stepped forward. "Rilla, where were you between 11 PM and 3 AM on the night of the 20th?"

"At home, sleeping."

"Any witnesses?"

"I've always had my own room. My parents might count as witnesses. Our door was broken and made a lot of noise if opened. If I went out at night, my parents would know. You can ask them if they heard anything that night."

Jordan went to check the broken door. It indeed made a loud noise when opened.

If it was that loud during the day, it would be even louder at night.

Rilla was telling the truth. She had an alibi. If she had gone out, her parents and even the neighbors would have heard.

Zoey received Jordan's confirmation and turned back to Rilla. "I have a question that might seem trivial to you."

"Go ahead."

"Did they come to hear your stories together or one by one?"

Rilla replied, "Farmwork keeps people busy. Sometimes they came together, sometimes just the Lynns' daughters if Janet was busy. They'd pester me for stories."

"How many times did they come?"

"About a dozen times."

Jordan asked, "You must have become friends by then, right?"

Girls could become friends quickly, often with just a few words.

Janet and the Lynns' daughters visited often, so they must have shared a lot with Rilla.

Rilla's answer was vague. "Sort of."