Chapter 189

"No, Caroline, my life's fine without it. You should keep the money. It's not like I care about you having some extra cash."

"Yeah, I know $200,000 isn't much to you, but isn't this for the kids? Just keep it and use it for them when you need to. Think of it as a little bonus. I definitely don't want to give it to Irene. After thinking it over, it's better in your hands."

"Irene's a gambler. Who knows what she'd do with it?"

"And if she blows it all and comes back to me, what then? What if she gets hooked? So, I gave it to you. You can use it for the kids."

"Besides, this money was originally Karen's. You deserve a share. But I have one request, Leo: don't tell Irene. She'll come after me again. She already gave me a headache today. I barely got rid of her. Once I get back to Suncrest City, she won't be able to find me, and that'll be the end of it. I'm just worried she'll come after you if you tell her."

After a lot of convincing, Leo finally nodded in agreement.

"Alright, Caroline. Thanks on behalf of Briar."

"I'll keep this money for Briar."

"By the way, Leo, when's Karen's funeral? I might not be able to go, but you never know. Let me know, and I might show up."

Leo nodded and gave me the date for Karen's funeral.

After hanging up, I let out a deep breath, relieved that the money issue was settled.

Next, I needed to see if we could catch Earl. This was the last thing I had to do for the Jordan family. Only by catching Earl could Jason be laid to rest, and he could find peace in the afterlife.

I informed Simon about the date, asking them to keep a close watch around the funeral home that day.

Simon assured me, "Don't worry. On the day of the funeral, we'll have the place on lockdown. If Earl shows up, we'll nab him on the spot. He won't get away."

Feeling reassured, I focused on enjoying a meal with Savannah.

But halfway through, I spotted a familiar figure outside. It was Paula.

I hadn't seen her in ages, not since she helped out with Kathy's situation. She probably knew she had deceived me and was avoiding me. I hadn't had the chance to confront her.

To my surprise, there she was. I shifted my gaze and saw a tall figure next to her.

I quickly nudged Savannah. "Look, isn't that Earl?"

Savannah followed my gaze and nodded vigorously. "That's Earl! What are they doing together? Why are Earl and Paula together now?"

I smirked. "It's not hard to understand. Paula was helping Earl by diverting attention when she lied about Kathy being in that building. Paula works for Renee. She lied to me, saying she was forced."

"Paula may be young, but she's cunning, way harder to deal with than her sister Shirley."

Savannah and I left the restaurant and watched Paula and Earl get into a cab.

We quickly hailed a cab and followed them.

If they were leaving town, it would be a disaster.

The route became more remote, like they were heading to the outskirts. I asked the driver where we were going, and he said, "This is the road to Sky Dome Mountain Airport. Aren't you going there too? I thought you were with them."

I nodded absentmindedly and called Simon. "Simon, Savannah and I are following Earl and Paula. They're heading to Sky Dome Mountain Airport. If they leave the country, we won't catch them."

Simon remained calm. "Don't worry. We have the airport covered. If Earl shows up, we'll arrest him. They won't escape."

"Come back. Don't expose yourselves. Earl might be armed, and it could be dangerous. We have people at the airport. Karen's funeral is soon. He won't leave without seeing her one last time."

"Trust me, he'll stay. We have eyes on the hospital. He hasn't seen Karen yet. He'll stay."

Reassured by Simon's calm voice, we returned to the city.

We decided to visit Kathy on the way back.

She was back at work but seemed paranoid, having hired two burly male employees to prevent any incidents.

When we arrived, she was frowning at a dress.

Seeing us, Kathy smiled. "What brings you two here?"

I explained our recent adventure and how we decided to visit her afterward.

"Since you're here, let's grab some coffee and have afternoon tea. My treat."

We agreed and went to a nearby café.

We speculated about Earl's sudden trip to the airport.

"Do you think he's picking someone up?" Kathy asked.

I shook my head. "Paula could do that alone. Why bring Earl, who's being hunted by the police? Who could be that important?"

"Maybe he's trying to escape, thinking it's not worth seeing Karen one last time."

"But if that were the case, he would've left already. Why wait until now?"

"We don't know. Their actions are a mystery."

After discussing it for a while without any conclusions, we decided to wait for Simon's update on Earl and Paula's whereabouts.

"By the way, now that you're divorced, any progress with Royce?" Kathy asked, sipping her coffee.

Savannah sighed dramatically. "Don't ask, Kathy."

"What happened?"

I kicked Savannah under the table to keep her quiet, but Kathy noticed. "Why'd you kick me?"

Savannah laughed, covering her mouth. "She was kicking me to keep me quiet."