Chapter 42 Hiring Detective Irvin
Though it sounds a bit blunt to say it out loud, I still nodded, "Yes, you understand it correctly. Plus, my son isn't even six yet. His mind is easily influenced by adults. Before... he didn't even recognize me as his mom. But through my efforts during this time, things have gotten much, much better."
The detective leaned back against the sofa, resting his chin on one hand, "Your marriage is really quite unusual. Why would everyone side with the mistress? Is she that impressive?"
I expected the detective would ask this question, so I shrugged, "I'm afraid I can't answer that, because I don't know either. Maybe they just don't like me, or maybe I was never meant to be part of their family. Forcing this marriage to happen, maybe this is just karma."
The detective laughed, "I don't believe in karma."
"Initially, I didn't want to hire a private detective like you, because evidence obtained through your methods probably can't be used in court. But still, if we can find evidence, that's better than nothing."
The detective said with a half-smile, "Beautiful lady, as a detective, the evidence I find doesn't need to be used in court."
"What do you mean?" I was confused.
"You just need to use it to solve problems privately. Whether it's through threats or any other method, it's all smoother than going through legal channels."
At that moment, I suddenly understood what the detective meant.
A complex emotion flashed in my eyes as I fell into thought.
After more than a minute, the detective broke the silence first, "If you've made up your mind, I can take off my sunglasses. Let's be honest with each other. People, the most important thing is mutual trust. That's the principle of my line of work."
Lost in thought for a few seconds, I took off my sunglasses first and removed my scarf.
At that moment, I noticed the detective across from me clearly stiffened. Seeing him stay silent, I found it strange, "What's wrong?"
He came back to his senses, made a fist and coughed twice into it, then also took off his sunglasses and mask.
Exposed before me was a handsome, refined face. His beautiful eyes could even be described as seductive.
"Sophia," I said first.
The detective raised his eyebrows, "Irvin Hays."
He kept staring at me, his eyes showing undisguised admiration, "Ms. Brown, it's hard to imagine someone as beautiful as you would also suffer from marital persecution."
My face flushed. I shrugged, "It has nothing to do with appearance."
"True. Before, quite a few famous celebrities hired me to follow their husbands. The evidence I captured was more explosive than the last. Some of the mistresses looked just like men."
This made me laugh. Irvin in front of me, though a man, gave off an air that was naturally charming, with long narrow eyes carrying a unique nobility and elegance.
Especially when he talked, it was quite interesting.
"What about the fee?"
Irvin held up one finger.
I was confused, "Only ten thousand dollars?"
Irvin's lips curved slightly, unable to hide the playfulness and amusement in his eyes, "Ms. Brown, you're quite fun too. Of course it's a hundred thousand dollars."
Hearing this, I wasn't surprised, but readily agreed, "Okay, do you want cash or transfer?"
"That quick?" Irvin was surprised.
"Yes, although this is my first time hiring a private detective, I have an idea about the price. Does a hundred thousand dollars cover everything?"
Irvin picked up his coffee cup and took a sip, saying unhurriedly, "Of course... not. A hundred thousand dollars is the initial fee. I'll start looking for evidence and send you what I find. If you think it's what you want, then I'm glad I helped you. But if you want to dig deeper, you'll need to pay additional fees. As for the remaining fees, they'll be determined during my investigation based on the level of difficulty."
I didn't expect private detectives to have so many rules, but it sounded reasonable.
"Okay, cash or transfer?"
"All fees paid in cash. I'll provide a receipt."
"When do I pay?"
"When you pay, that's when my investigation begins."
To find evidence as quickly as possible, I said, "Wait here for me. There's an ATM along the street by the mall next door."
-
More than ten minutes later, I returned to the café and handed him a black bag.
"Here, do you need to count it?"
Irvin was very surprised by my efficiency. He smiled, "No need. Ms. Brown clearly looks like a sincere and straightforward person. I trust you, and I like working with people like you."
My expression was calm, with a slight smile at the corners of my mouth, "Happy to work together."
After confirming I'd hired Irvin, somehow, I felt like I had a reassurance in my heart. Although I hadn't yet witnessed Irvin's abilities, through today's conversation with him, I was certain he would give me satisfactory results.
After leaving the café, it was just about time for Jasper to get out of school, so I drove straight to the school.
I had just parked when students were being brought out by teachers one after another. When I saw Jasper, I was about to walk forward happily when I saw Isla appear out of nowhere and take Jasper's hand.
I froze for a few seconds, then quickly walked forward. Jasper saw me and ran into my arms.
"Mommy!"
Isla also saw me, her face full of disgust.
Ella happened to see what just happened and walked over to us, explaining, "I'm sorry Ms. Brown, I was just paying attention to the other children. Please don't be upset. I'm very careful every day. I only let Jasper leave with you or Mr. Thompson when you come to pick him up."
I forced a smile and reassured her, "It's okay Ella, you're doing great."
Isla walked over unhurriedly, her tone displeased, "What do you mean by that? As his grandmother, I can't pick up Jasper?"
For a moment, Ella felt awkward, completely unsure of what was going on.
I explained calmly, "From now on, I'll pick up Jasper."
"I'm asking you what you mean? What do you mean only you can pick up the child?" Isla started being difficult.
I felt disgusted. Originally, Isla was just temporarily back in the country for a while. In the past, we would fly abroad once a year to visit them. Now she suddenly came to pick up Jasper and happened to run into this. How could I explain?
And the more I explained now, the more she would think I was targeting her.
So I said, "Ella, you can go attend to the other children first."
Ella nodded awkwardly and left.
Isla looked at me scrutinizingly, her face stern as she said coldly, "You won't let anyone else pick up Jasper? Who are you targeting?"