Missing Evidence

Missing Evidence


Lila and Blade reached the reception area and found three police officers waiting for them.

“Good morning, sir and ma’am,” the chief greeted politely. Lila and Blade both nodded in return.

“So, you are Miss Lila Sinclair?” he asked.

Lila took a glance at Blade who gave her a quiet, reassuring look, and she turned back to the officer. “Yes, sir”

Then the chief accepted a Faraday bag from the second officer and removed the phone inside. Lila recognized it instantly as hers, and her stomach tightened.

“Is this your phone?” the chief asked.

Lila nodded quickly, her nerves rising with every second. She had not even had the chance to think about her phone with everything that had happened. Now that the police were holding it, she could not help but fear what it meant.

“We found it at a crime scene,” the chief said. “We confirmed that it belongs to you when your friend Tessa called this morning. We are here to begin a proper investigation.”

Lila swallowed hard and glanced at Blade again. His expression stayed calm, but she could feel the tension settling between them.

Both Blade and the other men had made a serious mistake by not asking Lila where the incident had taken place so they could clean the area, including removing Blade’s body.

“Here,” the chief said, lifting another Faraday bag that held her purse. Lila felt her throat tighten again. “This is yours, is it not?”

She gave a small nod. Her fear was building so quickly that speaking felt impossible.

“We found traces of blood, shattered glass, and your belongings,” the chief continued. “So we need to know what happened at that location, Miss Sinclair.”

Lila parted her lips, but nothing came out. She tried again, but Blade stepped forward first.

“She does not know much about it, officer,” he said in a firm, controlled tone.

The officer turned to him immediately. “But we found her belongings at the scene. That clearly suggests she is connected to whatever happened there.”

Lila lowered her gaze, her mind racing. The police had not mentioned the Crusher’s body at all. Why? And how had her belongings ended up outside the car? None of it made sense, and the uncertainty only made her pulse quicken.

“There was an attempted robbery there last night, so her things must have fallen during the struggle,” Blade said smoothly, not missing a beat. Lila’s brows lifted slightly at how effortlessly he lied.

“Two men tried to drag her into a car,” he continued. “She fought them off and managed to escape. Her bag and phone must have dropped when she was struggling to get away. She ran straight to get help, which is why she did not realize her belongings were missing.”

All three officers turned their focus to Lila. Their eyes swept over her, assessing every twitch and breath. She gave a quick, shaky nod.

“Then whose blood was at the scene?” one of the officers asked.

“The attackers,” Blade replied without a moment of hesitation. “One of them cut himself on the broken glass after they smashed a car window. That blood is not hers, officer. She defended herself and ran.”

He folded his arms calmly. “You can have forensics run a test on it.”

The officers exchanged looks and nodded slowly, Blade’s confidence leaving little room for suspicion.

“Actually, we just realized that the cameras around the area are faulty,” the chief said. “So we couldn’t catch anything. If there’s anything else we need to know, we will get back to you.”

Blade nodded in acknowledgment.

The chief then handed Lila her phone and purse. Relief washed over her, and she smiled softly. “Thank you,” she said.

“But why didn’t she report it to the police station immediately?” the last officer asked, curiosity clear in his tone.

Lila and Blade exchanged a quick glance. Just then, her phone began to ring. Grateful for the interruption, Lila quickly excused herself and moved to answer, not even glancing at the screen.

“Hello?” Lila answered, stepping a little farther from the police.

“Jesus, Lila! What happened? I’ve called your phone a hundred times, and when I thought you finally picked up, it was the police! Tell me what happened. How did you get involved with the police?” Tessa’s words tumbled out in a rush, breathless and panicked.

“Catch your breath, Tessa. I’m fine, as you can see,” Lila said, forcing a small smile.

“Don’t tell me you’re fine, Lila. You can’t lie to me,” Tessa insisted, her voice softening but still urgent.

Lila took a deep breath, realizing there was no way to calm her friend without giving a little truth.

Lila rubbed her forehead and took a steadying breath, then began explaining what had happened, careful to leave out certain details so Tessa wouldn’t panic.

“Send me the hospital address. I’ll head there as soon as we enter the city. I won’t be late,” Tessa said firmly.

“I’m sorry I’m not there with you, babe,” she added softly, her voice tinged with sadness. Lila gave a small, reassuring smile.

“It’s okay,” she replied gently.

“And how’s Damien Wolfe holding up?” Tessa asked, her tone wary.

Lila shook her head, her expression falling. “Nothing yet,” she said quietly.

The call ended just as Blade approached her.

Lila’s eyes lit up. “Are they gone?”

Blade smiled and nodded. Lila blinked in disbelief, then stepped forward, shaking her head. Together, they started walking toward Damien’s ward.

“What did you tell them? Damn, Blade! You’re an incredible liar. How can you lie so smoothly?” Lila asked, still in utter disbelief as they walked.

Blade laughed softly, shaking his head. “That’s how it works, Lila. We made a huge mistake by not asking you about the location sooner so we could clear the place. And it’s understandable, given it’s about the boss. But still, we should have gone to clean up the mess ourselves,” he said once he stopped laughing, his tone turning serious.

Lila nodded in understanding.

“Who called?” Blade asked as they turned the corner leading to Damien’s ward.

“My friend,” she replied. “She’s coming to see me here, so I need to go home and come back quickly.”

They walked a few more steps before Lila stopped abruptly and faced him.

“I’m curious, Blade. What happened to Crusher’s body? Who cleaned the mess?”

Blade’s expression shifted instantly. The question hit him the same moment he realized he didn’t have an answer. His brows pulled together as he sank into thought.

“I have no idea, Lila,” he finally said, voice low and tense. “And we need to find out before the boss wakes up.”