Her eyes misted and she sighed, giving him a sad smile. "I'm glad you're here, honey."
He nodded.
She looked at Xavier up and down, and without another word, she retreated. Chris focused his eyes on him as well. Xavier wore a gray shirt that looked oddly familiar to the one that Abbott was wearing the day they left Phoenix. He stared at Chris through narrowed eyes as if trying to figure him out, and Chris noticed a scar that split his right eyebrow.
"So, Xavier, huh?" said Chris.
"Yeah." He nodded.
He decided he'd strangle the man in front of him if he uttered one more "yeah."
"Did you meet Abbott?" Chris's voice shook at the name.
Xavier hesitated. "I... Actually, no, I didn't."
He nodded, the silence surrounding him like impending doom and chaos erupting in his mind at the slightest of calm. Everything was falling apart. All the plans. All the achievements... Who was he going to be with when he missed his parents?
Jumbled thoughts invaded his head. His eyebrows merged. What did Giselle mean by Abbott's choice? What decision? What did she turn her back on? And most importantly, why were her last words to him "I hate you"?
Shaking his head, he blinked thrice, trying to get rid of Abbott's face that surfaced in his mind. Then it reminded him. "Um, where's his b-body?"
Xavier's eyes widened as he snapped, "How would I know?"
Chris's eyebrows merged.
"I mean..." Xavier gulped. "The morgue. For autopsy."
"When will the coroner release the body?"
He shrugged in reply.
"Can you take me to him, please?"
"I'll tell you where it is."
Chris stared at him. "Fine. So, who found him?"
Xavier cleared his throat. "I did. I was just wandering around... And I heard the gun go off and ran to it. I saw him lying there."
Chris narrowed his eyes. "How did you recognize him?"
"I don't understand."
"You said, you've never seen him. How did you recognize him?"
Xavier gave him a tight smile that looked more like a grimace. "I'm sorry, I'm a little stressed out. I didn't sleep yesterday."
Chris nodded impatiently. "Well?"
"I checked his wallet. I saw Giselle's picture."
"Okay, and then you called the police?"
"Yeah."
"What about the killer?" Chris leaned in toward him.
"He was gone."