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"He's alive," he announced, looking over at Fiona with a mixture of concern and determination in his eyes.
"Good," Fiona whispered, her hand instinctively going to her throat as she fought back tears.
Jake nodded, his eyes scanning the area around them. The woods were eerily quiet, and the only sound he could hear was the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.
It was over.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Fiona paced the sterile hospital hallway, her shoes squeaking softly against the linoleum floor. Her nerves were frayed, and she couldn't shake the image of Mason's crumpled body from her mind. She had defended herself, yes, but the guilt gnawed at her relentlessly.
"Please let him be okay," she muttered under her breath, willing the universe to grant her this one small reprieve. She clenched her fists tight, her fingernails digging into the palms of her hands.
Fiona's heart skipped a beat when the doctor emerged from Mason's room, exhaustion etched into the lines of his face. "He's awake," he said, his words clipped. "You can speak with him now."
"Thank you, Doctor," Fiona said, her voice barely above a whisper. She took a deep breath to steady herself and pushed open the door.
The sterile scent of antiseptic filled her nostrils as she stepped into the dimly lit room. Mason lay on the bed, his head swathed in bandages and his wrists handcuffed to the guardrails. He looked vulnerable despite his restrained state, and it only served to deepen Fiona's conflicted emotions.
"Ms. Red," Mason greeted her flatly, his voice a low rasp. There was no trace of the desperate man she had encountered in the woods, only cold resignation.
"Mr. Black," Fiona replied, doing her best to maintain her professional demeanor. "I'm here because we need to talk about what you did."
"Save your breath," Mason cut her off with a sneer. "I already admitted to the murders. What more do you want from me?"
"Answers," Fiona said simply, fixing him with a steely gaze. She could sense the weight of the loss he carried, but she refused to let it cloud her judgment. "Why did you kill those people? Those who first responded to the scene of Matilda's death?"
Mason's jaw clenched as he finally met her eyes, raw pain flickering within them. "Because I knew someone killed her," he confessed, his voice cracking. "I felt it in my gut. I just... I had to make it right."
"By taking more lives?" Fiona asked, her own voice shaking with the burden of empathy. "Is that really the kind of justice Matilda would have wanted?"
Mason fell silent, his eyes downcast as he seemed to grapple with the truth of her words. And in that moment, Fiona knew she had reached him – even if just a little bit.
Fiona looked at the handcuffs chaining Mason to the hospital bed, a stark contrast against the crisp white sheets. She hesitated for a moment, steeling herself before addressing him.
"Your logic is twisted, Mason," she said, her voice heavy with understanding. "But I can't say I don't get it. Sibling love is strong. My sister Joslyn went missing, and I've been searching for answers ever since. I would do anything to find her."
Mason's eyes flicked up to meet hers, as if searching for sincerity in her words.
"But turning to murder?" Fiona continued, her voice laced with disbelief. "I can't understand why you chose that path."
"Doesn't matter." Mason's voice was hollow, devoid of emotion. "What's done is done. I can't change it now. All I want is justice for Matilda."
Fiona studied his face, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and the lines etched into his forehead. She knew he was tormented by guilt and grief, but she felt a pang of sympathy for him.
"I really did try, you know…” She couldn’t meet his eyes. “Back then. I wanted to push for the investigation into Matilda’s death to continue, but I was only a student, and I had no evidence, only a gut feeling. I never told you to your face, because I knew it would only make things worse… to promise you something I couldn’t deliver. The FBI wouldn’t listen to me at that time.”
Mason listened intently. Taking a deep breath, she decided to share the information Jake had uncovered.
"Agent Tucker found out something about Mark Jenson," she began cautiously, gauging Mason's reaction. "He was a lawyer who had an affair with Matilda. He's currently a suspect in her death."
Mason's eyes widened, a glimmer of hope breaking through the darkness that seemed to consume him. "Why wasn't this connection found earlier?"
Fiona shook her head, frustration gnawing at her. "I don't know, but we're on it now. We'll make sure the truth comes out.”
Of course, it was all too late now. If Fiona had tried harder back then to get the FBI to listen, then maybe these senseless deaths could have been avoided. Fiona couldn't help but think of her own sister and the answers she still sought. But for now, she was determined to bring justice to Matilda and ensure that Mason's misguided actions didn't overshadow the truth.
"Are you messing with me?" Mason asked, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Fiona's face. He seemed to be searching for any sign of deception, but she held his gaze steadily.
