I suspected my father killed my mother. I took him to court. Sure enough, Dad confessed. But when they simulated the crime scene, the way he said he killed her... it was all wrong. 01 My name is Ava Johnson. I was the valedictorian for my state. I should have been heading off to an Ivy League school on a full scholarship. But now, my life has taken a completely different turn. Outside the courthouse, I tried to shield my eyes from the blinding sun, lifting a hand, but it was useless. I couldn't help but sigh, shaking my head with a bitter taste in my mouth... I remember it like it was yesterday, a year ago, driving up to my dad’s big house in the suburbs. He was eating dinner at the time. When he saw me, he looked genuinely surprised. It had been a long time since I’d seen him. I hadn't even called him once lately. Quickly, though, he recovered, his face lighting up. "Ava, why didn't you tell me you were coming? Haven't eaten yet, right? Perfect timing, come eat with Dad." There was a pleading tone in his voice. I didn't budge. He looked at me, confused. "Ava?" Back then, my body couldn't stop trembling slightly. I slowly held out my blood-stained hands towards him. I remember it vividly. The moment Dad saw my hands, he panicked. "Ava, what happened? What's wrong?" He rushed over, grabbing my hands tightly in his. By then, I was already sobbing uncontrollably. "My... my mom's dead..." "Ava, what... what... what did you say?" "Mom was murdered. She... she was lying in a pool of blood. She... I... I saw it with my own eyes..." Clearly, I was starting to ramble, not making much sense. "Ava, don't be scared. Dad's here. Dad's right here..." "Dad? Don't be scared?" I glared at him, and with strength I didn't know I had, I shoved him hard. He stumbled and fell to the ground. "Michael Johnson, tell me, was it you? Did you kill my mother?" "Ava, what are you talking about! How could I possibly kill your mom?" I pointed at him, shouting, "Not you? How could it not be you? You just left Mom's place, and then she died! Are you telling me you didn't do it?" Dad stared at me, completely bewildered. "When was I at your mom's? Ava, tell me, are you feeling okay? Please don't scare me like this!" He got up and started walking towards me. I shook my head, backing away. "Michael! Do you think nobody knows what you did? I'm telling you, someone saw you leaving Mom's house! What excuse do you have now?" "Ava Johnson, what nonsense are you spouting!" Dad looked utterly shocked, disbelief written all over his face. He took a deep breath, shook his head sadly, and said, "Ava, yes, it's true, your mother and I were going to get divorced. But I had no reason to kill her!" "No reason? Or are you just afraid to say it!" I stared him straight in the eye. "Mom fell for some other guy. She was going to take back all her shares in the company. Isn't that a reason?" "Get out! Just get the hell out! I don't have an ungrateful daughter like you!" "Hit a nerve, didn't I, Michael? Now you're angry!" Dad looked at me with deep disappointment. He pointed towards the door and yelled, "Ava Johnson, get out right now! I never want to see you again!" "Michael! Don't think just because you killed Mom, you'll get everything. No way. Absolutely not. I'm going to call the police right now. Right this second!" "Ava Johnson, you stop right there!" I ignored him and walked straight out the door. Impulse had clouded my judgment. I stepped outside the house, ready to dial 911. I fumbled in my pockets for a while before realizing I’d forgotten my phone. It took me over half an hour to get back to my uncle’s place, where I finally called the police. 2: Dad's Missing? An hour later, I led the responding officers to the scene. After the Medical Examiner's on-site assessment, it was confirmed: my mother's death was not from natural causes. That same night, the police took me in to give a statement. I remember the officer who took my statement was a middle-aged detective named Miller. That day, I sat in the interrogation room. He kindly placed a cup of water in front of me. "Ava, I'm very sorry for your loss. Right now, I need you to try and remember everything you can about your mother. It will greatly help our investigation, understand?" I nodded, took a small sip of water, and said, "Okay, Detective. Ask whatever you need. I'll do my best to remember." He didn't say anything immediately, just opened his laptop and typed for a moment before asking, "When was the last time you saw your mother?" Without hesitation, I replied, "Tonight." "You weren't living with your mother, correct?" "That's right. Because I was preparing for my SATs and applying to college, I'd been staying at my uncle's house so he could help me study." "So, what was the reason you suddenly went home last night?" I lowered my head, thought for a moment, then said, "I ran out of spending money. I was planning to ask Mom for some cash." Detective Miller nodded, then shuffled through some papers beside him. "We checked your mother's bank accounts. There were no transactions involving anyone tonight." "My mom didn't give me any money." "Why not?" "I don't know." He gave me a long look but didn't press further. He continued, "How was your mother's relationship with your father?" "They were planning to get divorced, but it kept getting postponed because of my college applications." "Did you know your mother was pregnant?" I looked at him, completely stunned. "My mother was pregnant?" "Yes. According to the ME's report, your mother was three months pregnant." At that moment, my mind was reeling. Mom was pregnant? But wasn't she divorcing Dad? Could it have been... that other guy's child? Thinking this, I looked at Detective Miller and quickly asked, "Does my father know?" He shook his head. "We haven't located your father yet." Dad was missing? Wasn't he just at his house earlier? He must have fled because he was guilty! Before I could process this, Detective Miller suddenly asked, "Do you know if your mother had conflicts with anyone recently? Any major arguments?" I thought for a moment. "I don't really know much about Mom's private affairs, but in my memory, the only person she ever had a huge fight with was my father." Detective Miller then looked pointedly at me, his gaze shifting to my hands. "Ava, what about the bloodstains on your hands?" "I went to see Mom today, but I never expected... to find her lying in a pool of blood. I went over to try and help her up, but... but I realized she was already..." My voice choked up, and I couldn't continue. Detective Miller handed me a pack of tissues. He waited quietly for me to compose myself. "Ava, do you need to take a break?" I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I just want to catch the person who killed my mom as soon as possible." Detective Miller resumed his questions. "Can you tell me a bit about your parents' story?" 3: Dad Gets Caught I took a moment to gather my thoughts and then told him everything I knew. "My mom's family was wealthy, business owners. Dad came from a poor background; he basically married into money. Their relationship had been falling apart for years. I did hear Mom say she'd fallen for another man..." It took about an hour for me to lay out the whole messy history between my parents – their relationship, the conflicts, the arguments. It felt like recounting some dramatic soap opera. Throughout my explanation, Detective Miller's fingers never stopped tapping on the keyboard. I knew he was meticulously recording my statement. After I finished, he typed a bit more and then said, "Okay, Ava, that should be all for now. I'll arrange for someone to take you home. For the time being, please don't leave the city. We'll notify you immediately if we have any news, okay?" I nodded. "Okay, thank you, Detective Miller. Actually, my uncle is waiting outside for me. Can I go back with him?" Detective Miller thought for a second and agreed. He walked me out of the station. From a distance, I saw my Uncle David pacing nervously beside his car. When we reached him, he clearly startled seeing the detective with me. "Ava, who's this?" I quickly explained, "Uncle David, this is Detective Miller. He's in charge of Mom's case." Uncle David immediately grabbed Detective Miller's hand firmly. "Detective, you have to find the killer. Please, please don't let the perpetrator get away with this!" Detective Miller nodded seriously. "Rest assured, sir. We won't let any guilty party go free, nor will we wrongly accuse an innocent person." Hearing this, Uncle David let out a long sigh. "Well, we're counting on you then." "It's our job," Miller replied. Later that night, Uncle David drove me back to his place. Neither of us spoke during the ride; the atmosphere was incredibly tense. It wasn't until we arrived at his house that Uncle David asked, "Ava, do the police have any suspects?" I glanced at my uncle and shook my head. "I don't know." He just looked at me briefly and didn't say anything more. Just as I was getting out of the car, I suddenly added, "They said my dad seems to be missing." Uncle David looked at me with a complicated expression. "Ava, you..." I forced a weak, strained smile. "I'm okay." For the next few days, I stayed at Uncle David's house. During that time, I constantly checked for news about Michael Johnson's whereabouts. In my heart, I had already decided: Michael killed my mother. It sounds crazy, doesn't it? Suspecting my own father of brutally murdering my mom. But the facts seemed undeniable. If it wasn't him, why would he run? If not him, then who else could it be? Every time I thought about it, my head felt like it was going to split open. Uncle David was always there for me during this period, taking meticulous care of me. Now, he was my only remaining family. The only person I felt I could trust. As we waited anxiously, news finally came from the police department. The news was, frankly, what I had expected. Their investigation had yielded results. Under my mother's fingernails, they found a piece of skin tissue that wasn't hers. DNA testing confirmed it belonged to my father. Furthermore, not far from the crime scene, officers found a knife. A knife stained with my mother's blood. Forensic analysis revealed my father's fingerprints were also on the handle. Consequently, the police focused their investigation squarely on my father. Just as I thought. Michael Johnson! He was now the prime suspect. And currently, the only suspect. But during this time, it was like he had vanished into thin air. No matter how hard the police searched, there was no trace of him. Until the department issued an APB, a wanted notice. Through the combined efforts of the public and the police, Michael Johnson was finally caught.
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