Chapter 40: Chapter 40

She followed him closely, mad on his trail despite hiring a cab.

"Drive faster!" She nudged the old man.

The man nodded and stepped on it.

The rough road made her hold on to her swollen stomach feeling each bump the car suffered affect her aching back and the baby inside.

Soon, they arrived at a village.

She couldn't understand what her husband planned to do here but she had a gut feeling, evil looked close by.

She instructed the driver to stop when she saw her suspect turn around in their direction, his eyes were bloodshot, they had no mercy.

He flimsily checked around even peering in her direction but as the good Lord would have it, he dis not approach the vehicle that had been following him for minutes.

She saw her husband pay a bulge in his back pocket and proceed to where he was headed.

That was the gun, She could swear.

Maybe she was right, Rod was in some kind of trouble. She had to know what he would hide so badly from her and why he would need a gun to handle the situation.

She reached into her bag and picked some loose change before thrusting it into the driver's greedy hands.

It was more than enough but it was collateral for him to wait for her while she continued following Rodriguez.

"Wait for me." She ordered and got out of the vehicle.

The driver gave her a wise toothed smile assuring her of his cooperation.

He probably imagined she was a wife that didn't trust her husband and he might be partially right.

Rodriguez was a quick walker and it took her every bit of her and her child's energy to tag along.

He suddenly stopped at a house in the middle of the small town.

He knocked and waited.

She saw the door open and a woman smiled at Rodriguez.

"Even if Rod was cheating, I don't think it would be with her. This was something different."

Her husband peered around again to make sure no one was watching before entering, She saw him pull out the glistening pistol before the door jammed shut.

Was he intending to kill her? Or was someone else within those brick walls...

She got out of her hiding spot and approached the house.

The sky panels were a bit high for anyone to notice her so it was easy for her to go unnoticed.

She saw some villagers and young teenagers pass but none seemed to be suspicious of her.

When she got close, she began to pick on their discussion.

"You're not meant to be here Rodriguez, please I want you to find Ema and bring her home." The feminine voice she could make out said.

"I've tried reaching Nathan but he hasn't picked my calls. From my perspective, he might have gotten Adriana to remember something."

She gasped, the sudden realization of what was happening was absolutely terrifying.

She knew about Adriana's lookalike but the fact that Rodriguez knew she was Adriana yet he kept his mouth shut was bewildering.

She strained her ear to pick out more of what they were saying.

"Don't you dare Rodriguez! It was you who insisted that I tried to keep her away from Nathan but instead they kept on bonding, Fix this or else..."

"Or else what!"

She suddenly heard a cork. Even the blind would know what just transpired.

He intended to kill her!

One side of her wanted to burst in and stop him before he did something unspeakable but she had no idea what harm her presence could cause so she continued listening in on them.

"What are you doing with a gun?"

"Hush...Have you told anybody about us?"

"I don't know what you mean¿"

"Good because she'll come looking for answers and there is no way you're going to implicate me."

"Wait, Rodriguez...Don't do something you'll regret..." She pleaded.

"I'll make regret the day you saved her." Rodriguez snarled and a loud bang followed.

A scream here and there but the pregnant woman could not move. She might have taken a leak herself.

She heard something thud on the floor and footsteps quickly approaching where she was.

Before her numb body could give her cover away, she ran.

"Rodriguez killed someone...Her husband was a murderer!"

***

Nathan could barely contain himself.

Now that Adriana was back to him, her vengeful side seemed to have returned.

She wanted to have a word with the Contreras.

"I just want to know why they hid all these from me when they knew the truth!" She sprung around shrugging and swearing.

"They lost their daughter Adriana, she was scared. As a mother, I understand how far you can go with love." Mrs. Romero chipped in.

Adriana sat down and scratched her scalp.

It reminded her of her father.

She had been told he shot her. She couldn't just believe it, neither could she believe that her mother took it all in.

That her husband, the man she known all her life would point a gun at his own daughter and shoot her point-blank, it was incomprehensible.

If only she could freaking remember!

The front door made a banging sound and it caught everyone in the room's attention.

Nathan went for it and Adriana noticed he turned pale.

It only took a second for her to guess who it was.

"What are you doing here!" She demanded.

Mr. Contreras had his shoulders shrugged down in defeat or was it something more...

Adriana noticed he was crying but it didn't move her.

"I hope you she'd your crocodile tears well, I'm gone for good...and tell 'mother' that!" She sent with sarcasm laced in between.

Mr. Contreras suddenly burst into tears.

"I'm sorry Ema but she's dead....she..."

"What happened to her!" Ema demanded feeling the rage she felt before evaporate.

Even if she was still angry at them, they saved her life, and most importantly, they showed her love.

"She was shot!" Mr. Contreras muttered before falling to the floor, crying.

Adriana was left traumatized, who would do this?

"I need to see her." She mouthed to no one in particular.

***

Tapes with police warning filled the house coupled with the blaring sirens.

Adriana walked for the last time in Ema's shoes, remembering all the good times she had with the deceased before she was snatched away from her.

She got closer to the crime scene and could see the force doing their work already.

"Get out of here! This a Crime scene." One yelled at her.

She was too bugged to even understand what he just spat.

Her gaze remained on the dead body that was now in a black plastic bag.

She examined the surrounding for anything out of the ordinary but there was nothing, just her mother's dried up blood spelling the words "RO"

Wait!

Adriana fixed her gaze back to the letters written in blood.

She must have written it during her last moments alive.

Adriana rushed.in to take her closer look but was restrained by two make officers.

She shrieked but it was of no use, the men were stronger than her so they managed to keep her in check.

All she could think of now was,

What clue had she inked down in her blood?

It could lead her to the murderer.