Chapter 506

After a moment of hesitation, Helen sent Julien a WhatsApp message to let him know she had returned to Aurich but told him he didn't need to pick her up. Throughout the drive, Marcus kept starting conversations with Helen. Feeling bad about troubling him so much, she responded politely but half-heartedly. The topics were dull, and Helen forced herself to stay engaged. Out of nowhere, she asked, "How long are you staying in Aurich?" "Two days. That's all the time I have off." "You got transferred from Northville back to South Haven, right?" "Yeah, that's right." Helen didn't press further, and the conversation fizzled out. She yawned, overcome by exhaustion—something about being in a car always made her sleepy. "Go ahead and rest," he said. "I'll wake you when we get there." "I'm worried you'll get sleepy driving with no one to talk to." "I won't. If I do, I'll just smoke a cigarette." She could drive too, but she hadn't slept well in days and didn't want to risk it while feel