Page 102 of The Taskmaster

“Detective Walters, can you tell us how they died?”

“Like I said, we still don’t know the exact cause of death, and forensic tests are still being carried out. When we’ve concluded our investigation, we will make that known.”

“Detective Walters, are you looking for anyone else in connection to the murders?”

“No. We made an arrest earlier, as stated, but unfortunately, the suspect later died in custody.”

The bottom fell out of my whole world. I slapped my hand over my mouth to stifle my cries as tears streamed down my face.

“How did he die?”

“Did he commit suicide?”

“Who was arrested?”

The questions came thick and fast as the press conference dissolved into pure chaos. I could barely breathe, swallowing through the thickness in my throat as I watched my father hold his hand up to quieten the room so he could speak.

“Losing a suspect in custody is never easy, especially in a case like this. I understand there will be questions over the circumstances of his death, but until a full enquiry has been conducted, I cannot comment any further on that aspect of the case.”

“Can you at least tell us who it was?”

There was silence in the room, and silence in my heart as I held my breath and waited for them to say his name.

My father hung his head for a moment, then looked up at the camera.

“The suspect who was arrested, and subsequently died, was Doctor Charles Quinn, a consultant at...”

I didn’t hear anymore, and the hollering coming from the TV was white noise that meant nothing, because standing in the doorway, looking right at me, was Isaiah.

Chapter Fifty-Three

ISAIAH

She ran to me, throwing herself into my arms, and hugging me like she thought I might disappear if she let go.

“I thought you were dead,” she whispered as she sniffed through her tears.

“Dead?” I peered down at her in my arms, and she gestured to the TV in the corner of the room, showing her father conducting a press conference. “Oh, that. Look, I think it’s better if we go outside and find somewhere to talk in private. The walls have ears in places like this.”

She nodded, and I put my arm around her, walking her out of the reception area and through the doors, leaving the police station behind. Leaving it all behind.

“When you told me you were gonna show me who you were, I didn’t expect it to be quite so... visceral.”

The pain in her eyes tore holes in my heart.

“See, now I’m second guessing myself. Is that a good thing or bad? I mean, I know I got a hug just now, but should I expect worse later?”

“You tore a man’s heart out. For me. I don’t quite know how to process that.”

“I tore your rapist’s heart out. There’s a difference.”

She nodded to herself and quietly replied, “There is.”

We walked in silence for a while then turned into a park and made our way down a path towards the children’s playground. She didn’t let my hand go, though. That had to mean something.

“That noose and the bones at your place?” she whispered. “I’m gonna need to know exactly what that was all about.”

She was coming at me with the big stuff right away, but I couldn’t blame her. It was all big stuff. And she deserved to know the truth.