Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)

I looked at Catherine with utmost seriousness, "Take a good look before you say anything more."

Catherine brought her phone closer to her face, examining it closely, "It's definitely Mason, no doubt about it. He put on a lot of weight. Where'd you dig up this photo? Isn't he supposed to be locked up?" "Who told you he got locked up?" I pressed her for an answer immediately.

Without hesitation, Catherine replied, "I heard it from my dad. Everyone on Oldtown Avenue knows. They say the day they nabbed Mason, and it went down right there on Oldtown Avenue. There's no mistaking it. He got mixed up in some bad stuff, and they took him down with no questions asked. How did we end up with such a rotten apple in Oldtown Avenue?"

I turned to Hannah, "Your worries are unfounded now. That's Mason for sure."

Logan chimed in, "I got something from back home in Adkins too. Turns out Adkins has been missing for years. He left after trade school to try his luck down South and never came back. Vanished without a trace. Check this out."

After saying that, Logan activated his tablet, tapped on an image, and passed it around to us.

Catherine and I leaned in to look. At first glance, I was taken aback. The person in the photo bore a striking resemblance to Mason, and it was like looking at a skinnier version of him.

"Holy smokes, that's uncanny," Catherine exclaimed.

I scrutinized the picture a bit longer, then shook my head, "No, it's not him. His smile doesn't have Mason's wicked edge. I know Mason too well."

Ronan commented in a subdued tone, "Looks like we'll have to dig deep to find out how he got out."

Logan nodded, "Word from the prison is that Mason's in jail, as guilty as they come. Whatever he confessed to isn't enough to land him on death row. At this rate, he might just waltz out eventually." Ronan's expression darkened at Logan's words, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Ronan was much more composed these days, not the lively one we knew back in the day.

But we all understood what Logan was getting at.

So, we were all pretty steamed, but there was also a hint of helplessness.

Seeking to lighten the mood, Catherine changed the subject, "Any news about the kid?"

Her question just reopened my wounds.

Hannah shot her a glare, but Catherine was undeterred, "What are you glaring at me for? Can't I ask a question? How could the Dawsons pull such a stunt? Now we're in a fine mess. Zora and Hazel, the two who knew everything, are pushing up daisies, and Jaylan is still in the dark. How and when was the baby switched? We need to know."

I understood Catherine's frustration. She'd been like a sister to me all these years, and it was hard for her to accept what had happened. "Always bringing up the elephant in the room," Logan grumbled.

I cut Logan off before he could continue and explained to Catherine, "My baby must have been switched at the hospital. I remember, after coming home, I couldn't stay awake, which is why my youngest son didn't have a celebratory party.

Zora was in charge of taking care of the baby, and I was drugged into a stupor. I couldn't have noticed the switch. I was so out of it, and I'd probably fall asleep eating. Then, less than five months later, Hazel bought that house. What happened in those four to five months, only Zora and Hazel knew, and now there's no way to find out."

Logan didn't want to hear it and said, "No way to find out? It's just a matter of time."

I managed a wry smile, "But what I need is my child back by my side. Nothing else matters."

"Those two got what they deserved." Catherine fumed, "Could Hazel and Zora have been in cahoots?"

I shook my head and sighed, then looked at Logan, "I've thought it over carefully, and I'm convinced Hazel took advantage of the situation. It definitely wasn't a conspiracy with Zora." "Why do you think that?" Catherine inquired.

"All signs point to Zora being unaware once the baby was in Hazel's hands. Otherwise, why would Hazel bite off Zora's ear in the end? The key question is how Hazel found out about Zora's switch and took over."

"No wonder. When I heard about this, I thought, how could you not notice your own child being replaced? You must have been really out of it." Catherine teased me.