Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 406

We were tearing down the road when we reached a blind spot, a place swarming with police already hard at work. They were meticulously scouring every nook and cranny, theorizing about the possible escape routes the car might have taken.

Hannah and I hopped out of the car in a hurry, scanning the surroundings. This area was on the outskirts of the city but wasn't secluded. It was a sprawling industrial park that looked like it was still under construction, not yet finished.

A section of the road was under repair, which explained why the usual traffic had been disrupted, creating the blind spot.

We found ourselves at a roundabout intersection. Discounting the direction where the roadwork was taking place, there were three other routes to consider. The task of searching seemed daunting.

As I confronted the situation, a wave of helplessness washed over me. It was almost as if we had no leads at all. There were three roads, but which one should we start our search with?

Just as we felt at a loss, my phone chimed with a notification. I grabbed it to see a message from Clara, someone I hadn't heard from in ages. I exchanged a surprised glance with Hannah.

She leaned over as I clicked on the message. It was brief, just three words - [Come here, quick!"] followed by a GPS location.

My heart skipped a beat. What did this mean? The timing of her message was too coincidental, and most crucially, she knew about my relationship with Catherine.

"Logan!" I called out, showing him the location on my screen. He scrutinized it, zooming in on the area with a spark of recognition in his eyes.

"Mmm, isn't it in the heart of Eastgate District?" he mumbled.

"Is it not nearby?" I pressed for confirmation.

He seemed uncertain but called everyone over to take a look.

A lanky officer immediately spoke up, "That location is completely the opposite direction from here. I was in charge of that area years ago. It's in the Eastgate District, smack-dab in the city center. The place is called Oldtown Avenue, known for its dense, old neighborhoods with a mix of good folks and bad seeds."

Hannah eyed me skeptically. "Could this be a fake lead?"

I squinted, my mind racing before shaking my head. "I don't think so!"

For some reason, I felt an inexplicable trust in Clara. I believed she wouldn't deceive me.

Logan, confident in my judgment, gave the orders. "Let's head there now! Dalton, leave some officers here to keep looking for clues. The rest of you, with us."

"I'll ask Clara for more details," I said to Logan.

He nodded, and I quickly sent a message, keeping it concise. "Need specifics!"

My fingers tensed around the phone as I awaited Clara's response, which didn't come.

Logan urged us to get moving. "Let's talk on the road!"

As we got into the car, I belatedly noticed the sky had darkened. Catherine had been missing for roughly twenty-two hours now. My anxiety was mounting, and deep down, I feared this could be Clara's trick. Once Dalton was in the car, he was on the phone, calling in resources.

My grip on the phone tightened, and I silently prayed that Clara's tip was legit. If not, I wouldn't let her off the hook. I pondered over how Clara could possibly know Catherine's whereabouts. Hannah seemed to catch on to my thoughts. "Allie, it looks like Clara might really be in cahoots with Jerome!"

Her words bolstered my resolve. I nodded in agreement. "Perhaps Jerome's hideout is linked to the Rhylee sisters. Think about it, Zora and Clara moved out of that house, and we didn't follow their trail. Jerome would've needed someone to cover for him."

"Does that mean Jaylan knew where the Rhylee sisters were all along, since he managed to get Zora to the hospital?" Hannah analyzed.

"It seems Clara is a contradiction," I said, voicing my doubts to Hannah. "She's bold enough to shelter Jerome, but why did she tip me off? Clara knows too much, so she's a dangerous element. Why would she do this?"