𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐓

𝐭𝐰𝐨

"Drowning" by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie played in Robyn's headphones as she ran down the block this morning. She prioritized her daily run, taking time for herself on certain mornings. Having dropped the kids off at school not long ago, she exercised at the nearby park she loved.

As she ran to the beat, the music continued to pulse through her ears, fueling her rhythm. Suddenly, she noticed someone running alongside her, and upon glancing over, she saw Psalm, instantly rolling her eyes. He was shirtless, his body glistening with sweat as if trying to show off his physique.

Robyn huffed and quickened her pace, trying to shake off Psalm's presence. She hurried over to the bench, feigning interest in tying her shoes while removing her earbuds.

"Never thought I'd see you here running" Psalm commented, sauntering over to the bench. Robyn let out an exasperated sigh.

"Are you stalking me, Mr. Orion?" she asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Psalm burst out laughing. "Is that what you think I'm doing?" he asked, amused.

Robyn nodded emphatically, her eyes narrowing. She had never seen him at this park before, and now, suddenly, he was here, running. Coincidence? She thinks not.

"Well, I'm not exactly thrilled to find an accused murderer, suddenly showing up at the same park as me" Robyn said with a sarcastic tone, causing Psalm's expression to soften in confusion at her rudeness. Realizing her mistake, Robyn quickly apologized.

"Psalm, I apologize," Robyn said, her tone contrite. Psalm shook his head, his eyes expressing disbelief. "I told you, I'm innocent, and you wouldn't be helping me if you didn't believe me" he said, his voice laced with frustration.

He turned and walked away, leaving Robyn to apologize again. "I said I was sorry, Psalm. It's been a rough morning. Please cut me some slack" she called after him.

The run was supposed to be a peaceful escape, a chance to clear her mind and recharge. But with this case weighing on her, she knew she needed to be even more focused. A breather was what she needed, but it seemed that was the last thing she was going to get.

Robyn snatched her phone and checked the screen, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of six missed calls from Jacobi's school. She quickly dialed the number, curiosity, and concern swirling inside her.

"Hello, is this Ms. Damongo?" a lady from the school asked on the other end of the line. Robyn nodded her voice tight with worry. "Yes, this is she. What's going on?"

"We're calling because Jacobi has thrown up and isn't feeling well," the lady explained. "We tried contacting his father, but there was no answer. Could you please come and pick him up?" she asked.

Robyn nodded vigorously, her response automatic. "Yes, ma'am, I'll be on my way." The lady thanked her and ended the call. Robyn slipped her phone into her pocket and headed towards her car.

Jacobi beamed with joy in the front seat, savoring a vanilla milkshake. Robyn was confused about his earlier vomiting, as he claimed to feel fine, with only a minor stomach ache.

Upon arriving home, Robyn parked in the driveway and escorted Jacobi out of the car, watching him climb out with a grin.

"Can I watch Ninja Turtles when we get inside?" he asked, and Robyn replied, "You can watch whatever you want, little man!" Jacobi's face lit up as she opened the front door with her key.

He dashed inside, kicking off his shoes and plopping himself on the couch, instantly making himself at home.

As Robyn followed Jacobi inside, she noticed his shoes scattered on the floor and his backpack dumped on the couch cushion, and she sighed because he knew better.

"Jacobi, please pick up your things," she reminded him, but he was already engrossed in the TV, trying to put on his favorite show, Ninja Turtles.

"My bad, Mommy," he said, getting up to pick up his shoes and backpack and hurrying to his room to put them away properly.

He then returned to the couch to watch Ninja Turtles. Robyn decided she was going to head off to her office, saying, "Hey, Jacobi," trying to get her son's attention. "Yes, mommy?" he replied, his eyes still glued to the TV.

"I'll be in my office working if you need me," Robyn said, and Jacobi nodded absentmindedly, still engrossed in the TV. Robyn went into her office, leaving the door slightly open so she could keep an ear out.

She sat down at her desk and booted up her computer, diving back into her research on Psalm. She had been searching for any clues that could prove his innocence, but it was a challenging task. there wasn't enough evidence to conclusively prove either side of the story, leaving Psalm's guilt or innocence in a mystery.

As Robyn scrolled through article after article, she came up empty-handed. She then turned her attention to Psalm's ex-girlfriend's social media account, where she found a plethora of cryptic quotes and captions that seemed to be aimed at someone.

Could that someone be Psalm? Robyn's mind raced with possibilities as she pulled out her phone and dialed Ryan's number. "Hello?" Ryan answered.

"I don't think Psalm committed the crime" Robyn said, her voice filled with conviction. "But I found some strange quotes on his ex-girlfriend's account that have me wondering if he had anything to do with them."

Ryan's voice on the other end of the line became grave. "That's suspicious. I'll delve deeper and see if I can uncover anything else. In the meantime, I need you to investigate Psalm's residence or reach out to him and ask some questions about the social media posts." Robyn nodded in agreement, even though Ryan couldn't see her.

"Got it, Ryan." She hung up the phone, deciding on her next move.