Chapter 24

Derek gloated as he relaxed in the chair in the exclusive corner of the bar that he was, drinking with the rest of the members of Leo's club.  He knew the cops would have found the strands of hair he had left behind at the crime scene and laughed as he pictured the look which would have been on Adam's face as the cops told him that they suspected him.

Jordan noticed the smile on his face. "What is the matter?"

Derek shrugged, the smile intact on his face. "Nothing. I am just excited."

Nick shook his head. "Still getting your kicks from tormenting Adam?"

Jordan looked at Nick and then back at Derek. "Is that true? Come on, man. This is getting messed up. You need therapy. I know we all agreed to oust Adam out of the club because he wanted to report to the cops about our drug dealing business but the man hasn't said anything since. Don't you think it's high time you let go of whatever this is?"

Derek scoffed. "As long as he is happy, there is no letting go."

Jordan scoffed. "You are messed up, man."

Derek laughed. "I never said I wasn't. What do you think this means?" He said, pointing at the three tattoos on each of his arm. "It means I am extraordinary and not the regular dude you see on the street."

Jordan snorted. "That sounds like gibberish fed from the spoon of a man who seriously need help. That can also mean that you are extraordinarily crazy."

Nick cleared his throat and interrupted the conversation, afraid Jordan and Derek might come to blows and cause a scene at the bar. He didn't want that and he knew none of the men also wanted that.

"Can we let go of that now? I believe we had a reason for coming here." He glanced at Derek and Jordan and smiled. "We are here to relax, remember?"

Jordan snorted. "How can I relax with a devil with me? I am not sure I feel safe with Derek if he could turn easily on a man who was once his best friend and vow to not rest until he makes his life miserable."

Derek grinned. "You don't have to be scared, Jordan. I see no reason to turn against you." He scoffed. Jordan was no competition to him. He was richer than he was and ladies would flock to him before they knew Jordan was in the room.

"What if you have a reason to turn against me? I don't want to be at the receiving end of your envy."

Nick shook his head, wondering what was wrong with the two of them. He turned to Jordan, trying to calm him down. "Remember that it was Adam who turned against us first. You have nothing to worry about."

Jordan scoffed. "You think? Derek is taking this far. I'm also worried about him. I don't want him to do something he would end up regretting."

Derek laughed. "Regret is for fools and I am not one. You don't have to worry about being on the receiving end of my dark emotions. It is going to be a waste scheming against you, Jordan."

Jordan bristled with annoyance, hissed and walked out of the room, ignoring Nick as he shouted his name. 

Nick turned to Derek and hissed. "Why did you say that? That was totally unnecessary."

Derek snorted. "No, his paranoia was unnecessary. I came here to relax and have fun but he wouldn't let me have that."

Nick stared at him. "But Jordan is right for worrying about you. I also think you are taking this too far. What if you end up getting yourself arrested and imprisoned like Erica?"

Derek laughed. "Erica is a fool and not me. You can't just compare the two of us. That is an insult to me."

Nick pursed his lips and sighed, shaking his head. "If you say so."

Derek laughed and poured some wine into Nick's glass. "I say so, buddy. Oh, you guys worry too much. Drink up. We should be celebrating the sales of a full cargo of drugs and not wallowing in fear as you are trying to do."

Nick glanced at his wristwatch and shook his head. "I shouldn't drink too much, I will have to drive soon."

Derek glanced at him in surprise. "You are leaving soon."

Nick nodded. "Yes, I have to be home before my family sleeps."

Derek chuckled. "Bloody married man." He said in a tease.

Nick nodded, grinning. "Thank you, bloody single man."

Derek laughed. "Single and free."

Nick chuckled and retorted. "Married and loved."

Derek laughed. "Get the hell out of here, man."

Nick nodded, chuckled and stood up. "Good night, man. Don't drink too much."

Derek snorted. "I can just pass the night here if I do. I am not like you who has to go home tonight at all cost."

Nick shook his head. "See you later, man."

Derek nodded and waved him off. He brought out his phone as soon as Nick was gone, searching for new updates on blogs about Adam and Veronica. He growled to find nothing pertaining to Matthew's attack and the suspicion to Adam as he had hoped. He hissed as he went through many blogs and found out that they were all gushing about how great the love between Adam and Veronica was.

He called a contact he knew who worked in the police station. "Hello, Stuart."

"Derek Lowe! To what do I owe this unexpected call?"

"I was supposed to have an appointment with Matthew Hussey and was shocked to hear of his attack."

Stuart nodded. "An unfortunate accident, if I may call it that."

Derek grunted in response. "I know the cops will be on it."

"Yes, we are though I am not part of those in charge of the case."

Derek grinned. Exactly what he had hoped for. "That means you can satisfy my curiosity without breaching your work ethics."

Stuart snorted. "As if you wouldn't have forced the information you wanted out of my lips still."

"That doesn't mean I don't feel guilty about making you uncomfortable with my favours."

Stuart rolled his eyes. As if Derek could ever feel guilty for anything. If he knew what guilt was, he wouldn't have abandoned Erica in prison despite how much the girl cried out to him to help her out. He hoped he didn't get in trouble one day if it got known that he had been feeding Derek information on cases at the station but he had no choice. The bastard had a file in him that could terminate his career if the public got to know about it. 

Stuart wished he hadn't fallen into Derek's trap as the man was hellbent on suffocating him till he dropped. He was at the stage he wished something happened to Derek or that he could be bold enough to call Derek's bluff to do his worse.

Derek cleared his throat and Stuart rolled his eyes. He knew he was about to break some code of conduct again. "What is going on with Mathew's case?"

Stuart's response was clipped. "The police are on top of it."

"Any leads?"

"The weapon of attack wasn't found, only a strand of hair that was believed to have been pulled out during struggle. What is strange is that the hair looks like that of Adam."

"Has the police done something about it?" Adam gloated, his tongue hiding in his cheek with amusement.

"Of course, they asked him where he was but he had alibi for that day."

Derek groaned. Shit. He had been hoping that Adam had had an appointment with Matthew that day. He cursed at the universe. It was surely against him and in support of Adam. Why did he have to be rash and carry out his plans on a day when Mathew and Adam didn't meet? He could have slyly called his office and confirmed if Adam was going to have a meeting with him that day.

"Stil!" Adam argued.

"Adam submitted his hair samples for test and the hair matched with that found on the crime."

Derek grinned. "Gbam. You've found the assaulter."

Stuart chuckled, shaking his head. "Not so fast, Derek. That is not how it works. Adam submitted his hair for tests without coercion. It doesn't make much sense that he attacked Mathew and still complies with all the investigation protocol knowing he might get jailed. I believe he is innocent. Some cops also believe there is foul play in his hair being at the crime scene. One would assume that someone as meticulous as that who sneaked into Matthew's office without being seen by anybody would search for and wipe away any information that might implicate him after the attack. That his hair is there just doesn't make any sense."

Derek grimaced. "You can't always assume like that."

Stuart scoffed. "That he is guilty despite having an alibi, helping out with the investigation, have people who can witness to his whereabouts for that day?"

"Yes." Derek nodded. "Don't you watch crime movies where the criminal is almost who no one thinks of?"

Stuart grinned. "Exactly. I think there is another player in the game that we all know nothing of."

"Sometimes, the only player in the game is the one we most times refuse to see."

Stuart sighed. "Whichever way, the cops will continue the findings and arrest the culprit."

Derek chuckled. "Why is the police slowing up on the case when they have the obvious culprit already? Are they afraid of arresting him because he is the son-in-law of the mogul and might probably inherit the empire?" Derek said the words with a scorn.

"Not at all." Stuart chuckled. He didn't bother to mention that the police had found eventually a complex recording tape as they were going through Matthew's belongings. It seemed like the man had trust issues and had encrypted it with a password. Once they could crack the code, they all believed that they could catch the culprit.

"Then what's stopping you all?" Derek almost growled the words, losing his calm.

Stuart frowned. "What is this case to you? Why are you so concerned?"

Derek frowned. "I told you I know Matthew and love hims as a business partner. I am just being a concerned citizen and don't want the police making the wrong decision."

Stuart chuckled. "Don't worry, we at on top of it." He scowled. There was something going on with Derek and there was more to his interest in the case.

Derek nodded. "If you say so." He disconnected the call. He smiled to himself. There was no new evidence and he knew with time that the police would be forced to arrest Adam and press him for the charges if they don't want to incur the public wrath. He went through his phone and saw that there was no news relating to Mathew's attack. He grinned. It was time to change that. There was always a good use to being anonymous.

He was in need of some fun. He called for a waiter. "Get me the most expensive drink you have here."

The waiter nodded. "Will that be all?"

Derek grinned and shook his head. "Not at all. I am in a good mood and would like a party. Get me some girls."