Ruthless Regret (Ruthless Games Duology #2)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

ASHLEY

The city is already busy when I leave the house. It’s alive with the rhythm I used to love. People rushing past, conversations blending with the noise of traffic. So different from the slower pace of Whitstone. But today, it feels off … wrong. The streets I know so well, seem sharper, the edges of everything more defined, as though the world is holding its breath and waiting for something to happen.

I try to ignore the way my heart pounds a little too fast. I’m going to get a new phone. That’s all. Nothing unusual. Nothing weird.

So why do I feel like someone is watching me?

I glance over my shoulder, but all I see are people lost in their own worlds, rushing to wherever they need to be. No one is paying attention to me.

It’s all in your head.

I keep telling myself that, even though it doesn’t stop the way my stomach churns uneasily. I quicken my pace. The closest phone store is only a few blocks away. It’s daylight. Nothing is going to happen. But every few steps I feel it.

A prickling up my spine. The sense of someone watching.

It’s nothing.

I scan the crowd again, but no one stands out. No one is looking in my direction.

And yet, the feeling won’t go away. I shove it down, and keep walking. One block, then another. With every step, I try to convince myself that I’m overreacting. I’m just being paranoid. It’s to be expected after yesterday’s events.

I can’t shake it though, and by the time I reach the store I’m almost jogging. Stepping inside, the change in noise is almost a relief. The quiet hum of air conditioners, and the murmured conversations going on is worlds away from the noise on the street outside. I take a breath, then walk to the counter.

The sales assistant greets me with a polite smile. “Can I help you?”

“I need a new phone.” My voice is surprisingly steady.

He nods, already moving toward one of the displays. “What kind are you looking for?”

“Anything. Something basic. It doesn’t need crazy features.”

He raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t comment. After a second or two, he selects three phones and brings them over to me. I can’t focus on his explanation of features and prices. But I think I nod at the right moments. My mind is still outside, wondering if I’m really imagining things.

It’s nothing. It’s all in your head.

But what if it isn’t?

The assistant’s voice comes to me, sounding irritable. “So, which one?”

I point at one at random. I don’t really care which one he gives me. All I need it to do is make calls. He packages it up, voice droning on with instructions on how to set it up. Once I’ve paid, I take the bag and head for the door. As soon as I step outside, that crazy feeling crashes over me again.

The sense of being watched. Followed .

My gaze darts around, searching for anything that seems out of place. Nothing stands out. People walk past, some talking on phones, some with their heads down. Cars, buses, horns blaring, drivers yelling. It’s all as it should be.

Except … maybe it’s not.

Is someone lingering on the corner across the street? They’re too far away to make out clearly, but they’re just standing there. Are they looking in my direction?

My heart slams against my ribs, a chill creeping down my spine.

Is it a coincidence? Am I imagining it?

I blink and the figure turns, blending back into the flow of people.

I stand there, rooted to the spot, my breath coming faster than it should.

It’s nothing .

But is it?

I force myself to take a deep breath, my fingers tightening around the bag in my hand like it’s some kind of anchor … or a weapon I can use if someone tries to invade my space.

My mind is playing tricks on me, that’s all. A leftover sense of paranoia after the past five days.

I’m in New York. In broad daylight. There’s absolutely no reason why anyone would be following me. No reason for me to panic like this.

The world around me goes on as usual. People rush past, unaware of my thoughts, and my pulse slowly begins to settle, though my gaze keeps returning to the street corner.

I shake my head.

Focus, Ashley! You’ve got things to do today.

The library is my next stop. I need to start searching. The sooner I can do that, the sooner I can make sense of everything. And the sooner all this anxiety and paranoia will stop.

With one last long look over my shoulder, just to be sure, I turn and make my way down the street.

The walk to the library doesn’t take long, and the whole way there, I have to fight to stop myself from checking over my shoulder every few seconds. This city used to feel like a haven, somewhere I could blend in, where no one knew about me or my past, but now it feels like there’s a threat lurking around every corner.

When I finally reach the library, and walk inside, the hushed atmosphere immediately calms my nerves. I go to the desk, request access to a computer, then make my way to the reference section, forcing my mind to focus on what I need to do. This is what I came here for.

Answers. Clues. Anything that will help me untangle the truth from the lies.

The area with the computers is empty. I sit at the one at the furthest point away, and angle the screen so a person would have to be standing right behind me to read it. Then I rest my fingers against the keys, and type in Jason and Louisa’s names. My heart pounds as the search results load, a mix of old articles, headlines, and archived reports flashing across the screen.

I scroll through them, my eyes scanning for anything that stands out. Most of it is the same recycled information. Details I already know, pieces of the story I lived through. But I keep digging, determined to find something new.

A few more clicks, and I find myself on an old blog post. The headline stands out amongst the rest because it questions whether Zain was really guilty.

Will this share anything new, or is it just an opinion piece, full of unconfirmed conspiracy theories and rumors?

I click the link and wait for the page to open.

ZAIN RYDER CONVICTED OF DOUBLE MURDER, BUT IS HE REALLY GUILTY?

In a case that has shaken the small town of Whitstone, Zain Ryder was convicted yesterday for the brutal murders of Jason Trumont and Louisa Conway. The conviction comes largely on the strength of the testimony from Ashley Trumont, Jason’s thirteen-year-old half-sister. Ryder, who shared a house with Trumont and Conway, has maintained his innocence throughout the trial.

But now that the guilty verdict has been handed down, rumors have risen that question whether all the evidence was truly considered. Was justice really served?

“It’s rare to see a conviction so heavily reliant on the testimony of a single, traumatized witness,” a legal analyst who wishes to remain anonymous told me. “Ashley Trumont’s testimony was compelling but we have to acknowledge that she was a young grieving girl at the time. Her emotional connection to her half-brother, combined with the trauma of walking in on what she did, as well as the stress of the situation, could have easily clouded her recollection.”

At the trial, Ashley testified that she saw Zain Ryder standing over Jason’s body, covered in blood, and holding the murder weapon. A statement that ultimately swayed the jury. However, I have spoken to sources close to the investigation that hinted there were other pieces of evidence overlooked, or perhaps deliberately ignored in the rush to convict.

“There were inconsistencies in some of the forensic evidence,” one anonymous source within the sheriff’s department revealed. “We had reports of someone else being seen at the house that night, but it didn’t fit the narrative being built, so it wasn’t investigated. The case against Ryder was too easy. He was the perfect suspect.”

No details about this additional person were ever presented to the jury. Instead, the prosecution built their case around Ashley’s testimony, which depicted Ryder as the only suspect. Despite Ryder’s claims of innocence, the jury seemed unmoved by any evidence that didn’t match Ashley’s testimony.

Public opinion remains divided. Many in Whitstone are relieved, believing that the conviction has brought closure to the horrific loss of Jason and Louisa. However, others have voiced concerns that the trial was rushed, and that Ryder’s conviction might have been secured at the expense of a more thorough investigation.

“This case was emotional from the start,” one Whitstone resident said. “A young girl walking in on her brother’s murder is unimaginable. But we can’t ignore the fact that this trial moved quickly, and once they had Ryder in custody, they didn’t even bother looking for any one else. Did they get the right man? We won’t ever know, but this verdict won’t stop people questioning it.”

As Ryder faces a double life sentence, whispers of an appeal are already circulating among his legal team. For now, Whitstone can only hope that justice has truly been served, otherwise there’s a possibility that the real killer is still out there.

I sit back in the chair, staring at the screen as the words sink in.

Evidence ignored? Someone else near the house?

The world around me feels like it’s closing in.

All those years, I was so sure of what I saw, so convinced Zain was the one who killed them both. Knowing that I was wrong has been hard enough to deal with, but this article suggests there’s even more to it.

If there was more evidence, why didn’t they show it? Why didn’t they tell anyone?

I read the article again, my eyes lingering on the word inconsistencies .

Could it be true? Could they have missed something that might have changed the verdict?