The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman)

Anastasia was baffled. She replayed that fateful day over and over in her mind-the day she killed Granny Anita in the restroom of that cozy diner.

She had seen Granny Anita collapse, and there was no one else around at the time.

Jason shook his head, "I'm not entirely clear on your case. I just skimmed the details, but the murder weapon only had your prints. So, who could've delivered the second stab? When you left the scene, was Granny Anita already dead?"

"I don't know. After she fell, I didn't check; I was too scared," Anastasia admitted, shaking her head. She had wounded Granny Anita, that much was undeniable, and she had felt the force behind her own thrust.

Jason thought about the second person who had entered the scene and asked, "You know Julie?"

"Yes." Anastasia shuddered at the mention of Julie's name, a hint of realization dawning on her, "Are you suggesting Julie killed Granny Anita?"

"Without evidence, I don't jump to conclusions," Jason said, "Right now, there's no proof that Julie is the murderer, but she's definitely a person of interest. She's the one who called the cops, and she was the first to find Granny Anita, assuming the second stab did indeed come from someone else."

Anastasia insisted, "I only stabbed her once, I remember it clearly."

Jason quirked an eyebrow, "That suggests you weren't completely out of control then."

At those words, Anastasia's heart skipped a beat. Herman had managed to bail her out by presenting a statement of forgiveness alongside a psychiatric evaluation, not to mention the clout of the Salstrom family.

If she now admitted her mental state was sound at the time, it could turn the whole case on its head.

For a moment, Anastasia couldn't tell if Jason was friend or foe.

Afraid of saying something wrong and falling into Jason's trap, Anastasia clammed up.

Seeing her cautiousness, Jason chuckled, "Getting defensive now, aren't you? After all these years, you still lack a guard against people. Relax, our conversation won't reach a third party. It's just idle chit-chat between friends. Herman didn't have it easy getting you out. If you're truly innocent, I have no reason to trip you up."

Deep down, Jason was almost certain Anastasia wasn't Granny Anita's killer. Still, without evidence to nail the real culprit, he couldn't overturn the case just yet.

Both Anastasia and Julie could be lying, and as a detective, Jason wouldn't let personal feelings sway his judgment.

Realizing she had been played, Anastasia felt a surge of anger and asked, "That second stab you mentioned, is it real?"

When Anastasia had turned herself in, she had confessed to killing Granny Anita outright, forgetting whether the police had asked her how many times she had stabbed her, and how she had responded to those details. Jason pondered, "The second stab is real."

Anastasia, agitated, exclaimed, "Then Julie is the murderer?"

"I'll repeat: there are no prints of hers on the weapon, and she has no apparent motive. We can suspect, but not convict."

Anastasia deflated. She couldn't fathom a motive for Julie to kill Granny Anita, and with the case closed and her own admission, there was no evidence. Mere speculation couldn't pin the crime on Julie.

Even if they reopened the case, the existing evidence was still stacked against her.

Today was Granny Anita's burial-a time for her to rest in peace. Any action on Anastasia's part now would likely earn the eternal ire of the Salstroms, who might see it as a deliberate act.

Jason then said, "I'll look into this case quietly."

"Why would you do that for me?" Anastasia didn't understand.

Jason replied with conviction, "If there's another culprit, it's my duty as a detective to find them. It's not about helping you."

"Thank you," Anastasia murmured, her lips in a tight line, "for telling me all this."

"Anastasia, let's go grab a bite," Gianna called from upstairs, noticing the man with Anastasia. She inquired, "Is he your friend?"

Gianna's eyes sparked with envy at the sight of Jason. Anastasia always had the luck-freshly divorced and already a handsome man was in her orbit.

After a moment's hesitation, Anastasia said, "...Yeah, a friend, Jason."

Jason gave Gianna a cursory glance before standing up to say to Anastasia, "If you're busy, I'll head out. I'll contact you if there's any progress." "Okay, thanks," Anastasia replied with a nod.

Once Jason had left, Gianna immediately gossiped, "Is that hunk really just a friend? He's got that cool, detached vibe. Looks promising."

Anastasia didn't feel like sharing more with Gianna, almost instinctively so.

She just smiled and suggested, "Let's go eat, my treat, to thank you for all your help lately. I've also invited Monica to join us."

"Fine by me, I won't fight you for the bill," Gianna said, adding, "My car's just outside. Let's go."

Gianna flaunted her new red Mercedes. As Anastasia took the passenger seat, Gianna tossed her purse onto the backseat carelessly, and it toppled over, spilling a handkerchief. Anastasia instinctively reached to pick it up, her eyes catching a glimpse of the handkerchief, and her expression subtly shifted.