The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 508

"I've always looked forward to a relationship like that."

Valerie flushed a deep shade of red.

"I-Is that so?"

Julian nodded. He might lack a filter.

But sheer, unadulterated sincerity was undeniably a lethal weapon.

Seeing the bashful smile spreading across Valerie's face, Nora knew her job here was done.

Perfect timing, too—her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, her brow furrowing as she saw the caller ID.

"What is it, Nora?"

Valerie caught the shift in her demeanor immediately.

"It's the precinct. I might have to leave early."

Valerie gasped, looking genuinely disappointed. "But I already reserved our table..."

Before Nora could apologize, Julian stepped in. "That's perfectly fine, Miss Cruz. Given the nature of your friend's work, it's to be expected. If you don't mind, I can accompany you for the rest of the evening."

Valerie had been hoping to keep Julian around, but she had wanted Nora there as a wingwoman to keep the conversation flowing.

Since they barely knew each other, she had worried the atmosphere might get stale, relying on Nora to smooth things out.

She hadn't expected Julian to take the initiative so smoothly. Without a second thought, Valerie threw her best friend to the wolves.

"You should go, Nora."

"Work is important."

Nora laughed at how quickly Valerie tossed her aside for a handsome face.

Grabbing her purse, she stood up. "I'll head back, then. You two have a great time."

She leaned in, pretending to brush Valerie's shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "Call me if you need an out."

Valerie felt a rush of affection. "I will. Don't worry about me."

Nora gave Julian a polite nod of farewell and hurried out of the restaurant.

Julia faltered, struggling to force the words out.

Nora already knew what she was going to say.

Frank's family had gone missing less than a month ago.

Even if they had been murdered on the exact day they vanished, they had only been dead for a few weeks.

Under normal circumstances, even in high heat with active microbial decomposition, it takes a month or more for a body to reach partial skeletonization.

Complete skeletonization, where all soft tissue is gone, usually takes years.

For Frank and his family to be murdered and reduced to nothing but bones—with their skulls completely missing—in such a short timeframe defied all logic.

"Except for a few bone fragments recovered from the hotpot broth at the restaurant, the rest of the bones showed absolutely no signs of being boiled or cooked."

Nora's voice was grim. "Which means this case is far more brutal than we ever imagined."

The killer hadn't just dismembered the family of four. They had meticulously, methodically stripped the flesh off their bones in cold blood.