Chapter 134 Free To Love

Chapter 134 Free To Love
The next morning, Alexander reached Mr. Strasbourg’s house on time. His son, Adam Strasbourg, welcomed him and offered him coffee as they waited for Mr. Fitzgerald. Alexander had met him two years ago when he had come down from Frankfurt where he lived. 

“I know you’re the prime suspect in this case and you shouldn’t be visiting here, but I wanted to see you, Alexander. My mind is very disturbed. Dad was so attached to you, and it’s ironic that you had to be accused of murdering him.”

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t save him, Adam. After stepping down from Rotterdams, I was quite busy.”

“I understand. For the last two years, we have been pleading with dad to come over to Frankfurt and live with us but he didn’t even consider it an option. He received a strange thrill from involving himself with Rotterdams. He seemed obsessed with saving the empire, which belonged to a deceased friend.”

“Yes, he was too attached to Rotterdams.” 

“What was the outcome of his dedication? He lost his life! This could have been avoided if he gave up and listened to us. He would have been alive,” said Adam with tears in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry that it happened this way. I received his call for help at the last minute. By the time I reached here, he was already shot. Maybe he would have survived if I could have reached here earlier. I could hear his painful groans when I entered the study. It was so dark that I couldn’t see a thing. By the time I realized what was going on, he had already breathed his last.”

“Yes, I heard everything from Mr. Fitzgerald. It’s really unfortunate that the criminal is still not punished,” said Adam. 

“That’s only because we cannot find the evidence Mr. Strasbourg had gathered against Cromwell. He lost his life, saving the evidence. That night, Cromwell killed the guards but didn’t kill Mr. Strasbourg immediately. They had an argument about the evidence that your dad had with him. If he would have handed it over, he would have been alive by now.” Adam looked at him with a frown, as if contemplating something. 

“How can you be so sure, Alexander? Maybe he found the evidence, and destroyed it before killing dad. Otherwise, we would have found the evidence, right?”

“He has a point, Alexander,” said Mr. Fitzgerald, coming into the room.  

“Maybe, but we can’t give up without a search!” 

They spent the whole day searching, but didn’t come up with anything. The property was enormous, and it exhausted them. “I have to leave. My wife’s pregnant and she’ll be so worried about me.” He couldn’t tell a soul about his whereabouts in case the cops arrested him.

Alexander left them, and picking up Eva from the hospital, he drove home. 

“Did Mr. Fitzgerald find a breakthrough?” she asked after pecking his lips. She noted the disappointed look on his face. 

“Nothing! How will I prove my innocence?” said Alexander, feeling hopeless. 

“Tell them not to hunt for the evidence. I think there isn’t any evidence. Mr. Strasbourg maybe wanted Cromwell to admit to his crime. Check the CCTV footage in the area.” 

“Maybe, but Cromwell has destroyed all the footage of that night.” It was a dead end, and only a miracle alone could save Alexander. 

“I’m sure Beatrix will give her verdict against him. That is proof enough. Don’t lose heart, Alexander,” she said, giving him hope. “By the way, did they look for digital evidence? Maybe in his laptop, email, or pen drive?” 

“Yes. Cromwell had hacked into his laptop, his safe, his study lockers.”

“Maybe he has destroyed it and killed Mr. Strasbourg before escaping.” 

“Maybe.” 

The next few days, Mr. Fitzgerald engaged the cops with detectors to search for clues. With the trial in two days, he was desperate for a breakthrough. The cops didn’t allow Alexander since he was a suspect in the case, although they weren’t aware that he had already visited in their absence. The entire investigation was done in secrecy, with no one knowing the results. Alexander asked Mr. Fitzgerald, but he evaded his question.

“There’s nothing to reveal. It was a futile operation.” Alexander was immediately suspicious that they were hiding something. 

“Then how will you prove my innocence, Mr. Fitzgerald?” asked Alexander, feeling hopeless.

“Trust me,” said Mr. Fitzgerald, before disconnecting the call. 

For the next two days, Mr. Fitzgerald seemed too busy to connect with him. Alexander gave up hope. He realized that only a miracle could save him. However, he continued to show Eva a hopeful side, so that she didn’t break down and fall ill. His parents stayed over with them the previous night. 

The next morning, the trial started in court and Alexander arrived with his parents, Eva, Lucas, Alyssa, and Nicholas. Even Beatrix arrived with Sean Fairfield as a prime witness to the case. Cromwell stayed silent throughout the time. Strangely, there was a change in his demeanor all throughout the proceedings. He didn’t look normal at all. Was he sick?

Beatrix firmly elaborated on what she had to go through since her wedding night. It was only when she had explained everything to the court did she become emotional. 

“My dad trusted you, Greg, but mostly I trusted you. I married you. I gave you a chance to be a father to my babies. If you had asked me nicely instead of torturing me, I would have handed the business over to you in return for love and care. Why did you have to kill an old, devoted man? Why did you break my trust? My dad will never forgive you from wherever he is. Even if you win today’s trial and get released, you can never get Rotterdams. God will punish you in some way,” said Beatrix, breaking down in the court. The police escorted her out, considering her delicate state. 

The police submitted all the evidence found, including Cromwell’s footprints, found at the murder site. His defense lawyer pleaded sabotage and fought tooth and nail against all the evidence. There seemed to be no hope for Alexander. 

Adam Strasbourg arrived just then and spoke to the officer in charge of the investigation. The court was adjourned until lunchtime. No one knew what was going on since Adam Strasbourg disappeared inside to meet the judge. 

“What’s going on? Did Adam find the evidence?” asked Eva, worriedly. 

“No, there’s no evidence. I’m not sure what Adam Strasbourg has unearthed,” said Lucas as they waited for the proceedings to start.

Lucas and Alexander’s dad went to talk to the officer in charge and they all waited with hope. 

The court proceedings resumed after lunch and they all eagerly waited for some update. 

“We have a fresh piece of evidence in the case. This will give the case a new direction. Mr. Adam Strasbourg has discovered a hidden spy camera from his father’s study room where the murder had taken place,” said the judge. 

“How can that be? I’ve checked the place very well. There was nothing,” cried Mr. Cromwell agitated, his face flushed abnormally.

The judge reprimanded him for contempt of court and threatened to take legal action against him. It shut him up again, but it was evident that he knew his game was over. 

The spy camera was detected under the enormous desk where Mr. Strasbourg was seated. It had recorded everything that happened that night. The case was crystal clear and the entire video was played in the court. 

Cromwell fell down in the witness box with a thud and they had to stop the court proceedings. A doctor checked Cromwell.

“He has suffered a cardiac arrest. It’s critical.” They carried him to the hospital while the court was adjourned until the next date. 

Alexander returned home with everyone, feeling relieved that he would finally be free. He thanked Mr. Fitzgerald, who too had come over with them. He looked relaxed and smiled at Alexander. 

“We had discovered this evidence earlier, but it was kept a secret from everyone. It would bring a breakthrough in the case, and we didn’t want to alert Cromwell beforehand.”

“When will they give the final verdict?” asked Lucas. 

“When Cromwell is stable, maybe?” 

However, Mr. Cromwell’s condition deteriorated in the next two days till he passed away quietly in his sleep. Beatrix was the happiest since she was free to marry the father of her babies now. The court expedited the verdict and Alexander was proven not guilty. He was released, and they all celebrated with a lunch get-together at one of the most upscale restaurants nearby. 

“I’m the happiest mom alive today. So Daniel, when are we planning our family trip to California?” asked Alexander’s mom eagerly. 

“Leave it to the children to plan,” said Alexander’s dad. They planned excitedly and it was decided that they would go on Friday night and return on Monday. 

“Will that do Eva? You just would have to take a day’s leave,” said Alyssa. 

“Sure,” she said with a smile at Alexander as they remembered their first trip together. Who knew then that they would marry one another?

“I wish we could complete that trip we couldn’t the last time,” he leaned in to whisper in her ears.

“Maybe we can fit it in. I’ll take two more days of leave and we can take a slight detour from California,” she whispered back. Alexander’s eyes sparkled with excitement. They shared the same love for traveling, after all!

“We won’t go on a road trip. We’ll fly down, considering your condition,” he said. 

“What are you two planning, bro?” asked Alyssa. 

“They’re going on a detour,” said the cunning Nicholas, who might have heard it all. 

“We too will join in,” said Alyssa. Eva smiled excitedly, loving the feel of family and friends around her, but mostly the company of the man she loved. Her Alexander!