Chapter 84

Sophia stood in the middle of the scene, looking both tired and determined.

She took a deep breath and started analyzing the situation, her voice steady and calm.

Henry was right next to her, frowning a bit. After a moment, he said, "Let's send the phone back to the station first. Have Kate check it out and pull the nearby surveillance footage. We might find something useful."

Sophia nodded slightly. She had planned to take it back to the station herself. This case was super important to her, and she wanted to keep an eye on every detail.

But Henry wasn't having it. He knew Sophia was worn out from working on this case, both physically and mentally.

Henry was really worried about Sophia's health. She hadn't taken a break in forever because of all the intense work lately.

He suggested, "Let them handle it. You need to rest tonight. There's important stuff waiting for you tomorrow."

Sophia frowned, wanting to argue, but Henry had a point. She hadn't rested properly in a long time, and the fatigue was starting to mess with her ability to think straight.

"I can take you home to rest. Patrick can handle the evidence. They'll follow protocol; nothing will go wrong." Henry's tone softened.

Sophia shook her head, insisting, "No, I want to follow up personally."

Henry sighed deeply and turned to Patrick Green at the scene. "Patrick, do me a favor. Take the evidence back to the station and have Kate analyze it right away. Also, have Frank coordinate to pull the nearby surveillance footage."

Patrick nodded. "No problem. We'll handle it." He then turned to Sophia. "Ms. Brown, you really should take a break."

Sophia wanted to insist, but a sudden wave of dizziness made her steady herself against the wall. Seeing this, Henry quickly stepped forward to support her.

"See? You need to rest now," Henry said firmly. "Just this once, listen to me."

Sophia finally gave in. She was at her limit. "Alright, but let me know immediately if there's any progress."

Patrick watched as Henry helped Sophia away, rubbing his chin. He whispered to a colleague, "Mr. Martin really cares about Ms. Brown."

"Of course. Everyone at the station knows Mr. Martin has a special concern for Ms. Brown," the officer replied with a smile.

Henry drove Sophia home. The car was quiet, except for the hum of the engine and Sophia's occasional sighs.

Soon, the gentle rocking of the car lulled Sophia into a deep sleep.

When Sophia slowly opened her eyes again, she found herself surrounded by softness.

She groggily opened her eyes to see Henry's familiar face. She was lying in his arms, her hands tightly clutching his arm.

Sophia's face turned bright red.

She thought to herself, 'What... what's going on? How did I end up in his arms?'Sophia was totally confused. She remembered falling asleep in Henry's car last night. He must have carried her to bed.

But why was Henry holding her while they slept? Did he take advantage of her?

The thought made Sophia's cheeks burn with embarrassment and anger.

She wanted to get up and check her clothes, but as soon as she moved, she woke Henry.

Henry groggily opened his eyes, a mischievous smile forming on his lips as he looked at Sophia.

He quickly pulled her back into his arms, his voice full of teasing. "What's the rush, Sophia? Trying to escape already? You weren't like this last night."

His breath lightly brushed against Sophia's face, and their proximity allowed them to hear each other's heartbeats.

Sophia's face turned even redder. She closed her eyes in a panic, not daring to look at Henry, her heart pounding wildly.

The atmosphere was so charged with tension that it was suffocating. Sophia's mind went blank, unsure how to respond.

Just then, a rapid knock on the door shattered the moment.

Sophia seized the opportunity like a lifeline, quickly getting up to answer the door.

When she opened it, Frank saw her flushed face and was momentarily stunned. Then he teased, "Oh my God. Captain, what happened? You two didn't..."

"Shut up." Sophia glared at him with a look that could kill. She then asked irritably, "What are you doing here so early?"

"Well, I'm here to deliver the report, of course. Mr. Martin said to report any progress immediately." Frank looked helpless, shrinking back under Sophia's glare.

Hearing it was about the case, Sophia immediately became serious. "What have you found?" she asked.

"We have two updates. First, based on the suspect's statement from last night's hotel murder, we can almost close the case. But there's a complication with the gun's origin. The suspect said he bought it online and only has the seller's contact info, no other details," Frank answered earnestly.

Sophia frowned, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Can we confirm that?" she asked.

Frank continued, "Yes, it's confirmed. We showed the suspect a picture of James, but he said he didn't recognize him."

Henry walked over and asked, "What about James's phone? Has it been unlocked?"

"Yes, it's unlocked. The good news is we found a message saying, 'Meet at the usual place at 6 PM.' But we don't know the location," Frank said, shaking his head in frustration.

Henry responded, "That's easy. Just call the number back. Have the tech team ready to trace the call. I'll make the call, and you guys quickly locate the source."

"Got it! Mr. Martin, you're the best," Frank flattered.

Then the three of them hurried back to the station.

Once everything was arranged, Henry took a deep breath and dialed the number, mimicking James's voice, saying, "Can't meet today, not feeling well."