Chapter 35 Thirty-five
‘Get ready to die, Detective Lizzy Mason. You are next.’
Hahahahaha
Like seriously?
Threats don't work on me.
“What is that?”
Sophia asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Nothing, let's get ready for school.”
We went in, locked the door, and took her to the room.
And since it was still too early to leave for school, I decided to take her along to the headquarters and have someone take her to school at daybreak.
“Detective Lizzy? Oh, you brought Sophia. Hi, baby,”
The chief waves at her, smiling broadly.
“You came here,”
The chief said, looking at his wristwatch.
“Yes. Where they caught?”
He shook his head, sighing deeply.
“No, Detective Lizzy, but they left this behind.”
I halted, looked at his hand and he was holding a small wooden box.
“What is in there?”
I asked him, but he had no idea.
“It is directed to you.”
Me?
Interesting.
I took the box from him, and just as I was about to open it, he held my hand.
“What is it?”
I smirked at him.
“What if it is something dangerous?”
He glanced at Sophia who seemed to be so eager to know what was in the box.
“Take her away,”
I ordered one of the officers.
“It’s not fair!”
She whimpered, glaring at the chief,
“I was only looking out for you,”
He shuddered.
“Sophia, wait for me in the office.”
She bobbed her head, frowned at the chief, and followed the officer out.
As soon as she left, I opened the box, but it only had paper inside.
‘You killed my son, you are next.’
Oh, this one’s from Ryan’s Dad.
Wow!
“Can I have a word with you in my office?”
I tossed the box to him, ripping the paper.
“No!”
The chief just wants a way to talk me out of handling this case, but it is impossible.
A FEW HOURS LATER
Bored in the office, I decided to admire the view outside the headquarters.
However, when I looked out through the window, I saw a crowd gathered in front of a cafe facing the headquarters.
And as I was trying to process what was happening there, a group of officers arrived at the scene and shoved the people to a corner.
Then it became visible, someone was lying on the ground, lifeless.
I quickly picked up my phone from the desk and rushed out of the office.
“A murder, Detective Lizzy,”
An officer said as soon as I arrived at the scene.
Weird!
A murder in daylight?
Who was so bold as to have done this?
People were whispering, and I heard someone say it must be the Café’s owner who did it.
“Here it is,”
I put on the glove, stepped into the circle to examine the corpse.
His head was tilted to the other side, and when I turned it towards me, he had the thunderbolt sign, a brutal design on his forehead, just like it was done to the other victims.
Suddenly, my eyes brightened up,
They killed someone to send me a warning sign, Uhn?
Fabulous.
Except for the sign on his forehead, and the cut on his neck, there wasn't any bruise or injury on his body.
I searched his pockets, found a wallet, an envelope containing a few dollars, and a little red ring box.
“Where is the shop owner?”
The chief who had just arrived at the scene asked.
“He isn't here today, chief,”
One of the salespeople said.
“Did you guys see who dumped him here?”
I asked, trashing the glove in the nearby bin.
“Yes, I saw someone throw him out of a moving vehicle and they sped off.”
A moving vehicle?
Hmmm
“Take the corpse back for an autopsy, and seal the shop.”
I ordered.
But the chief didn't like the idea of sealing the shop.
“The lady said he was thrown out of a moving vehicle,”
“He wasn't,”
I said without looking at him.
“This shop has been standing here for as long as I can remember, Detective Lizzy, they have no criminal reports about them.”
Arggh
This man!
“Why? Is she your girlfriend?”
He scoffed.
“Absolutely not. But perhaps, someone is trying to frame them.”
“You mean the Ralphs?”
He paused.
“Whatever do you mean by that?”
He asked, eyes widening.
“The Ralphs killed and dumped him in front of the headquarters. And I am suspecting the shop owner,”
There is no way a person dead or alive would be thrown out of a moving vehicle without sustaining any injury.
The shop owner and his workers are hiding something.
And whatever it is, I will find out soon.
“Detective Lizzy, do you want us to arrest the workers?”
No need.
“No,”
I said, waving my hand.
“But you said…”
“Leave them alone, they will run right into my hands. If you arrest them now, the news will get to their superior and we won't be able to capture them.”
The chief sighed deeply.
“Are you sure about this?”
He asked, his face wrinkled in concern.
“Yes.”
He shrugged his shoulders, sighed deeply, and returned to the scene.
“I have brought Sophia back from school, she is in your office.”
Great!
I hope she didn't see anything.
Ahhh
When will Nala be back?
Seriously, I can't keep bringing Sophia to the headquarters.
“Mummy?”
She jumped off the sofa, running towards me giggling happily.
“Hi, baby. How was…”
What!
Noah?
What on earth is he doing here?
“You left without informing me,”
He gets up, puckering his lips.
“Is that how you do your things, Lizzy? I am not happy about it. To be honest, you scared me. I thought those people broke into my house and abducted you and Sophia.”
I have no time for this nonsense.
“Please leave, I am busy right now.”
I pointed at the door, and he took Sophia’s hand in his.
“Then we will give you space to concentrate.”
What da!
“Not Sophia, you.”
He scoffed, carried her up, and reached for her school bag.
“Drop my kid, Noah, you are…”
“Detective Lizzy?”
An officer interrupted.
“There has been a murder in Delight University.”
A what!
“Take care of yourself, Lizzy.”
Noah rushed out of the office, covering Sophia’s ears.
“Who was killed?”