His lips moved a couple times before he finally squeezed out a sentence.


    "I didn''t know anything happened to Winona. I swear, I had no idea!"


    "Call the police."


    Tarquin spoke up suddenly, his voice calm and steady.


    Those three words nearly gave Zane a heart attack. “Sarah can''t have anything to do with Winona! There''s no need to call the cops!"


    Keaton raised an eyebrow.


    "And how can you be so sure? If she''s not involved, then what was all that yelling about? Besides, calling the cops isn''t going to hurt her. Why are you so rattled?" Zane: "..."


    Keaton went on, "Call the police. If Sarah really has nothing to do with Winona''s disappearance, the police will figure that out. If she does, maybe she''s the key to finding out who''s behind all this!"


    The mastermind?


    Zane: "!"


    Before he could protest, Elysia had already dialed 911.


    "Hello? I need to report something. We..."


    Zane''s chest tightened, his breathing grew ragged. Panic flooded him.


    This was spiraling so far out of his control he could barely think.


    The police arrived fast, separating Winona and Sarah, who''d both been fighting like cats in an alley.


    Sarah was a mess-her face swollen, lips split, bruises everywhere. She couldn''t even cry properly; every sob made her cut mouth bleed.


    But Winona, she was wailing, loud and desperate.


    "She''s evil! Arrest her! She hit my husband, and she beat me too! She locked me in the cer and whipped me! She cut me with a pocketknife, just look!"


    Winona rolled up her sleeves and pulled up her jeans, showing the cops her scars -raw, angry marks crisscrossing her skin.


    Zane caught sight of those wounds and thought about the cer. He was so scared he could barely breathe, let alone say a word in Sarah''s defense.


    The police turned to Winona, "Are you certain she was the one who tortured you in the cer?"


    Winona nodded fiercely. "Yes! Absolutely!"


    Given that both Sarah and Winona were in shock and barely coherent, the police took Sarah away-to the ER first, then to the station for questioning.


    Zane watched the police lead Sarah off, fear and regret twisting his stomach into knots.


    Winona snuck a nce at Zane and snorted coldly.


    Scared already? This is just the beginning.


    Then she changed her tune, hurrying to Zane''s side, fake tears streaming down her cheeks.


    "Honey, are you alright? She''s a horrible woman, look what she did to you! Does it hurt? Oh baby..."


    Zane tookfort in Winona''s concern. If she still cared, she couldn''t possibly suspect him.


    His nerves settled a little.


    He told himself: Just get Winona home. That''s all that matters. Get her home, no matter what.


    But just as he opened his mouth, Elysia and Blossom whisked Winona away. "Come on, Winona. Let''s get you inside."


    "Winona!" Zane called after her.


    Caroline stepped in front of him, her face thunderous. She pped him, hard.


    "You need to exin everything that''s going on with you and your cousin. And you''d better bring some proof, something that''ll convince us!"


    "If you can''t exin yourself, don''t even think about taking Winona home!"


    "And don''t forget-Winona wouldn''t use Sarah for no reason. You''re the one who brought Sarah into our family. If she''s involved in Winona''s disappearance, you''re just a@guilty! You''ll have to answer for it!


    With that, Caroline stormed inside.


    Zane made to follow, but Ridley grabbed his arm.


    "Don''t. Your mom''s furious right now. Give her space. I believe you, son."


    ssic good cop, bad cop-Ridley ying the understanding dad, Caroline the furious mom.


    Meanwhile, Tarquin and Keaton


    leaned against the wall, hands


    their pockets, watching the whole show go down like they had front row seats at a Broadway drama.