Shane took out his phone, walked to the side, and made a call.
He said something to the other party on the call and hung up within two minutes.
Natalie stared at him with reddened eyes. “How was it?”
He shook his head gently. “The police said that some officers will be coming over immediately to fill us in on the details.”
“Okay,” replied Natalie, her hands clasped together tightly.
Soon, the police officers arrived.
“Are you Mr. Shane and Ms. Smith?” he asked, looking at both of them.
When Natalie heard his voice, she was surprised. “Are you the person who called me earlier and informed me about my Mom?”
“Yes.” The inspector nodded.
Natalie brushed past Shane and grabbed his sleeve. “Sir, please tell me how my Mom got into the accident.”
“The lady from the Smith family claimed that your Mom slipped and fell down the stairs,” replied the inspector.
“How is that possible?” Natalie’s fingers dug into her palms. She refused to believe in this explanation.
Shane took a step forward and hugged her shoulders. Looking at the inspector, he asked, “How did you know that my mother-in-law fell down the stairs?”
“The head of the Smith family called the police,” said the inspector.
“Harrison?” Natalie bit her lips. “Where are Harrison and Susan right now?”
“They’re in the police station now. Although they claimed that your mother fell on her own, we have no proof to verify that they’re speaking the truth. Hence, we took them back to the police station for an investigation,” explained the inspector.
Natalie clenched her fists tightly. “No matter what, I will never believe that my Mom fell on her own.”
Although people could lose their footing, it was simply too unlikely for someone to fall down the stairs because of that.
Furthermore, her mother was in the Smith Residence. Hence, she was more inclined toward the possibility that someone pushed her mother down.
Shane could tell what Natalie was thinking about. Squeezing her shoulders gently, he assured, “Don’t worry. No matter what the truth is, I’ll definitely find out.”
The inspector chimed in, “Yes, Ms. Smith. The police will do our best to investigate this case.”
Natalie took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil of emotions rushing through her. She forced a smile out and replied, “Okay.”
Immediately after she spoke, the light outside the emergency room turned off.
Natalie’s eyes brightened as she spun around and rushed toward the entrance of the emergency room.
Shane was not in a hurry to go over. Instead, he looked at the inspector and said, “Please keep Harrison and his wife in the station for now. Don’t let them leave. After my mother-in-law regains consciousness, we can continue with the investigation.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Shane. We know what to do.” The inspector nodded.
Shane mumbled a curt response before walking over toward Natalie.
When he reached her side, the doors to the emergency room opened, and out walked a doctor wearing a blue surgical gown.
Natalie rushed forward to meet him. “Doctor, how’s my Mom? Is she alright?”
Glancing at her, the doctor took off his mask and sighed. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we’ve tried our best.”
Natalie’s expression changed drastically.
Shane’s eyes widened as he asked solemnly, “What do you mean by you’ve tried your best?”
The doctor had witnessed numerous life and death situations before. Hence, when he heard Shane’s question, he did not have much of a reaction. Sighing in pity, he explained, “The injuries the lady suffered from the fall are too severe. Apart from a broken spine, she has suffered a serious blow to her head. When she arrived at the hospital, she was already on the brink of death. I’ve already tried my best to save her, but I’m sorry that I didn’t manage to do so. She has already passed away. Please accept my sincerest condolences!”
With that, the doctor brushed past them and left.
Natalie’s mind was completely blank. As if the blood had stopped flowing through her veins, her feet and hands turned icy-cold. A long while passed before she finally found her voice. Her lips trembling, she asked, “Shane, what did that doctor say about my Mom?”
She raised her head and stared at him lifelessly. There was only darkness in her gaze.
