Nicole volunteered, saying, âItâs okay.
Iâll handle it.
â
Ethel felt uneasy.
âThatâs risky, Kiki.
If Brett, a murder suspect, discovers your plan, you could be in danger.
Itâs too hazardous.
â
âDonât worry, Ethel.
Iâll exercise extreme caution,â Nicole assured her.
Nicoleâs haste in locating Brett lay in the fear that he might escape with his daughter.
Leaving the country wasnât solely dependent on flights.
Escaping unnoticed was an option.
As long as Brettâs daughter remained within national borders, Brett was probably there as well.
Monitoring his daughter would eventually lead to him.
Observing Nicoleâs resolve, Ethel hesitantly consented but emphasized, cautioning, âYou must carry self-defense tools like pepper spray and exercise utmost caution.
Inform me immediately if anything arises.
If Iâm unable to come, Iâll dispatch someone.
â
âAbsolutely.
Rest assured.
Iâll safeguard myself for the sake of my mother, my child, and everyone who cares about me,â Nicole promised Ethel.
With her health now significantly improved, Nicole felt ready to accomplish more, assist others, and care for her loved ones.
She resolved to live a fulfilling life.
âHow is your mother doing now?â Ethel inquired.
In her recollection, she had encountered Nicoleâs mother once.
Nicoleâs mother was gentle and strikingly beautiful, her voice as soft as the one in Ethelâs dreams.
Regrettably, Ethel had no mother figure in her life.
âSheâs unchanged.
She doesnât recognize me and remains nonverbal, but her physical condition is stable,â Nicole responded.
âKiki, may I accompany you on your next visit to her?â Ethel cautiously asked.
Though she had met Nicoleâs mother only once, the idea of the latter living like an automaton deeply saddened her.
She wished to see Nicoleâs mother again.
âAbsolutely,â Nicole replied cheerfully.
âLetâs schedule a date and go together.
â
âWonderful!â Ethel beamed.
Nicole then recalled the incident at Witch Valley and inquired, âAny news about those witches?â
After their departure from Witch Valley, Nicole had reported the event to the local authorities, but the remote location had left her without any updates.
âThe case is officially filed and under investigation,â Ethel replied.
âThe chief and those witches were malevolent, causing harm to many over the years.
Despite their deaths, the investigation aims to bring all their followers to justice, ensuring that superstition and rumors do not proliferate.
â
âThatâs reassuring.
â Nicole sighed in relief.
It was comforting to know that the innocent victims would not be forgotten.
After bidding farewell to Ethel, Nicole proceeded to Brettâs residence for surveillance.
She acquired a loaf and settled by the flowerbed, ready to eat while monitoring the property.
This time, she arrived equipped with pepper spray, a compact knife, and alertness-enhancing tablets.
She was determined not to be taken by surprise and incapacitated as before.
Nicole observed the vicinity for nearly seventy-two hours.
Even when nature called, she positioned a camera to monitor the entrance, reviewing the recordings upon her return to ensure no activity went unnoticed.
Curiously, Brettâs family had not ventured out of their home for three whole days.
Nicole found this peculiar.
Did they not require essential supplies?
Certainly, they must have needed to purchase groceries at some point.