Haunted House Part 9

Initially, I thought Sean would take me back to the hotel, but it turned out that wasn't the case because we were still here, in the nearest village to the Waston family's house. Sean said I would probably want to witness Erlena and Rory's ghosts peacefully departing to the afterlife. As usual, Sean always understood my wishes. Two days after the excavation of Erlena and Rory's graves, the police began searching for Roul. Meanwhile, Erlena's family had been informed of this tragic news, and that's where Sean and I were now—witnessing the proper burial process of Erlena and Rory. The funeral procession was full of sorrow, with all of Erlena's family and relatives present. However, I did not see Roul's family; for whatever reason, they were not in attendance. Erlena's parents, especially her mother, continued to cry hysterically. I could imagine the grief she felt for losing her daughter and grandchild, especially considering their deaths were so tragic. After nearly two hours of following the funeral procession, the event concluded. Sean and I intended to leave, feeling that our business here was finished. "Wait a moment." However, Sean's and my steps were instantly halted by a voice from behind; it was Erlena's parents asking us to stay. "Weren't you the ones who uncovered the truth about my daughter and grandson's death?" Erlena's mother asked, her face somber, her voice hoarse, probably from crying too much. "My wife uncovered the truth," Sean replied. I was startled when Erlena's mother suddenly grabbed my hand tightly. "Thank you for your help. If it weren't for you, we might never have known that Erlena and Rory had passed away." Tears streamed down Erlena's mother's face once again, and I embraced her, trying to comfort and soothe her. "Weren't you suspicious when you didn't find Erlena and Rory at home?" I asked, curious because it seemed like no one suspected that something bad had happened to Erlena and Rory. "Actually, my wife suspected that something had happened," Erlena's father replied. "Erlena and Rory left the house without telling us. The day before Roul returned, as usual, we visited their house." Sean and I didn't say anything, listening silently to Roul's father's confession. "Erlena didn't mention at all that she would go with Roul to London." "So, you thought Erlena and Rory went to London with Roul?" I asked to confirm. Erlena's father nodded, while Erlena's mother continued to cry hysterically in my embrace. "Roul called us, telling us he was going back to London, and Erlena and Rory were going with him." I shook my head; Roul had orchestrated everything so that no one would know about Erlena and Rory's deaths. He even deceived Erlena's family. "But I became more suspicious because Roul's number was no longer active after making that call. Erlena's number was the same, never active." Now I understood everything; Roul had disappeared after that, and no one knew where he was, but I was confident that the police would find him soon. "We really didn't expect Roul to deceive us. How could he kill his wife and child? The Roul we knew wasn't like that; it seemed like he was very kind and loved Erlena very much." Hearing Erlena's father's words, I was reminded of the reasons a dispute could occur between Roul and Erlena, leading to the murders. "This is evidence that everyone can change over time, Uncle. Roul changed since he went to London, maybe because he was lonely without Erlena and Rory there, so to fill the void, he turned to other women." I said this because I couldn't tell Erlena's parents the real reason Roul had an affair—the man was bored and fed up with Erlena's possessive attitude. Erlena was too jealous, incessantly contacting Roul, making him feel restricted and unable to live freely. "Indeed, because that's what they call a couple. Wherever the husband goes, the wife and child must follow." Erlena's father looked at me and Sean alternately. "Are you two newlyweds?" he asked. "Yes, Uncle. We're on our honeymoon, but unexpected events happened, and we got stuck in this village," Sean replied. "This is help and God's will. We are very grateful that you came here, so Erlena and Rory's deaths were discovered. Thank you again." Erlena's father gently rubbed my back; I could feel how sincerely he thanked me. "From the beginning, I disagreed with Erlena marrying Roul." Our attention shifted to Erlena's mother, who suddenly spoke up, no longer crying hysterically. "Roul's family is very arrogant, especially his mother. They looked down on our family just because we're not rich. Yet, they're not a wealthy family either; it's just that material possessions and status are essential to them." Erlena's mother wiped the tears from her face with the tissue her husband provided. "Moreover, Erlena often told me she was scolded and insulted by her mother-in-law. When they were still living at Roul's parents' house, Erlena suffered a lot; she was treated like a servant, doing all the household chores. My heart ached every time Erlena cried while telling me about the mistreatment from her in-laws." Yes, I remembered vividly how much Erlena suffered. I could even feel her sadness when exploring her memories. It was truly unfair to Erlena; just as she was liberated from the suffering caused by Roul's family's harsh treatment, she ended up losing her life at the hands of Roul, who was also revealed to be having an affair. Unknowingly, my tears joined hers. "Hey, why are you crying, Leslie?" Sean asked, looking concerned when he saw me shedding tears. "It's okay; I just remembered Erlena's memories that she showed me. Her mother is right; she suffered a lot when living at Roul's parents' house." Erlena's mother nodded. "I thought Roul was different from his family; turns out he's even worse. I once believed he could make Erlena happy after buying a house, but he was having an affair behind Erlena's back. What's unforgivable is how he could kill Erlena and Rory. I will never forgive him, ever." Erlena's mother's sobs were heard again, and her husband tried to comfort her with a warm hug. I didn't say anything, not knowing what to do to stop the tears of a mother who was hurt by the loss of her dearly beloved daughter. Our casual conversation was interrupted when suddenly a police car stopped in the cemetery area. Two police officers walked toward us. I fervently hoped they came to deliver good news. "Good afternoon, everyone," the friendly police officer greeted. "It seems the funeral procession has just finished. We came to the house earlier, but there was no one. We were told you were still in the cemetery area," the other police officer added. "That's correct. The funeral procession has just ended. What's up, officer? Is there any news about the murderer of my daughter and grandson?" Erlena's father asked, so eager. There was a great deal of hope in his expression. "Yes, we came here to deliver news. After collaborating with the London police, the whereabouts of Roul Waston have been found. He was living in his lover's apartment. This is all thanks to Miss Leslie, who informed Roul's mistress named Nirina." I remained silent, waiting for the police officer to deliver all the news about Roul. "When we apprehended Roul at Nirina's residence, Roul's condition was very peculiar." The police officer's words caught my attention. "Peculiar in what way, officer?" "He seemed depressed, his facial expression looked very frightened. He frequently glanced around, as if afraid of seeing something." Hearing this explanation, I suspected that Roul was haunted by the ghosts of Erlena and Rory. "Based on Nirina's statement, Roul often had nightmares. He also talked to himself frequently, appearing fearful as if he saw something. Roul always screamed in terror, as if he were being chased by someone." "Perhaps it's Erlena's ghosts haunting him," I suggested, expressing my opinion. "That could be the case, as Roul often screams in terror, and according to Nirina, he often mentioned Erlena and Rory's names. Now Roul's condition is very pitiful; he acts like a mad person. He cannot be reasoned with; he is constantly daydreaming and sometimes screams in terror without any apparent reason." A disdainful snort escaped from Erlena's mother's mouth. "He deserves it. Now, where is that scoundrel?" "We have brought him here; he is currently at the police station." "Let's go there. I want to see that murderer." Without waiting for our response and answers, Erlena's mother briskly walked toward the police car parked not far from where we were. She was so impatient to see Roul. "Sean, let's go to the police station too," I urged quickly, as Erlena's father and the two police officers had followed Erlena's mother. "Why should we go? Our business with them is done. You've revealed all the truths. Roul has already been arrested." "But Erlena's and Rory's ghosts haven't found peace and gone to their world. We need to go to the police station because I have a bad feeling about this." Sean remained silent, irritating me to no end. "What are you waiting for? Let's go too, Sean." I grabbed Sean's hand, forcing him to go to the police station with them. I couldn't stay still because I genuinely feared that something bad would happen at the police station.