Chapter 7: Unexpected Findings

Words : 1828 Updated : Mar 27th, 2025

Calvin crawled through the dark sewer for about two miles until he reached a fork in the path. The fork led to a nearby village. However, Calvin didn't dare leave the sewer immediately. Instead, he found a spot where he could barely stand and hid there for a while. Outside, the occasional sounds of wheels and footsteps echoed, indicating that the prison was conducting a thorough search nearby. Time passed slowly, and the sewer was filled with a nauseating stench. Calvin's clothes were soaked from the earlier struggle. The freezing temperature and his icy, wet clothes clinging to his body were torturous. He gritted his teeth and endured it silently. He knew this was his only chance. If he survived, he could avenge his parents. If he got caught, he'd be as good as dead, and his parents' deaths would be for nothing. Calvin vowed to himself that even if he starved or froze to death, he would hold on. After an entire day, the sounds outside finally began to fade. It seemed the prison had scoured the area, assumed Calvin had escaped, and abandoned their search. Nevertheless, Calvin continued hiding in the foul-smelling sewer for several more hours. He finally emerged from the sewer in the early hours of the morning. He found himself near a rundown village. Calvin surveyed the area and spotted a nearby creek. He jumped into the creek, which was covered with a thin layer of ice, enduring the bone-chilling water as he washed. Only then did he climb ashore and open Ezra's bag. Inside the bag was a set of clothes. Calvin had found these clothes earlier but didn't dare change into them while in the sewer, as they would have gotten filthy. Now that he had bathed, he could change without worrying about the stench. As he put on the clothes, the warmth gave Calvin a deep relief, as if he had just walked away from death's door. He found a hidden spot to bury his prison uniform. With everything done, Calvin quietly headed toward Stonegate. Unsure if there were patrols, he avoided the main roads and took a path through the woods. After two hours, he finally reached Stonegate just before dawn. As he looked at the familiar city, Calvin felt a pang of pain in his heart. This was where he grew up, but it was no longer home. Avoiding the main roads, he slipped into Stonegate through a village path. By the time he entered the city, the sky was beginning to lighten, and people were filling the streets. Calvin put on a hat covering half his face and walked down the street, relieved that no one noticed him. Ezra's bag also contained some money. Calvin used it to buy four breads and a bottle of water from a bakery. He hadn't eaten in over thirty hours and was famished. Looking at the pieces of bread, he wanted to devour them in one bite, but he restrained himself to avoid drawing attention. He ate his breakfast slowly, like any ordinary person. Suddenly, a few people in police uniforms approached from a distance. Calvin's breath caught in his throat, and he instinctively wanted to flee. However, he held his ground. He might escape the officers if he ran, but it would raise their alarm and lead to a city-wide lockdown and search. Calvin decided to gamble that they hadn't discovered him. His gamble paid off. The officers sat at the following table, ordering breakfast. The bakery owner, who seemed to know them, joked, "George, why so early?" "Still searching?" The leader, George, waved dismissively. "Don't mention it." "The prisoner who escaped hasn't been found, so none of us can rest." "We've been up all day and night." As the bakery owner served them breakfast, he asked, "Escaped prisoner? Weren't there two?" George replied, "The younger one was found, but he was already dead." "The older one is still hiding somewhere." Calvin's heart skipped a beat. He had dressed Ezra in his prison uniform and used acid to destroy the body. It seemed the authorities believed he had died, shifting their focus to Ezra. The unexpected development eased Calvin's burden significantly. Although the truth might not stay hidden for long, it would spare him a lot of trouble in the short term. The bakery owner was shocked. "Oh, the young one died? What a pity!" A diner at the following table scoffed, "Pity?" "That kid raped and killed a girl. He should've been executed outright!" "Dying was too easy for him!" The bakery owner retorted, "Hey, don't say that." "My kid went to the same school as that young man." "I heard he was a good kid, not someone who'd do such things." The diner spat, "Appearances can be deceiving!" "There was evidence against him. If he didn't do it, who did?" The owner sighed, "Who knows?" "But his parents had it rough, too." "They were trying to clear his name and died in a car crash." "The whole family wiped out. It's tragic." The diner sneered, "Tragic?" "You don't know the half of it." "That kid's parents got what they deserved!" Calvin clenched his fists, anger boiling inside him. The diner's words cut like knives. The owner frowned. "Hey, that's a bit harsh." "Show some respect for the dead." The diner cursed, "You know what that kid's parents did?" "They stole the autopsy report of the victim to help their son!" "They got what was coming!" The owner was shocked. "Really?" "Who told you that?" The diner spat again, "The girl he killed was my relative. I know the whole story." "That bastard dying was too easy for him!" Calvin couldn't hear anymore. His mind was racing with the revelation that his parents had stolen the autopsy report. Ezra had speculated that they found some evidence that led to their deaths. Now Calvin understood what evidence they had found. There was something wrong with the autopsy report.

Chapter 7: Unexpected Findings

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