27. Struggles

"Wait for me. I'll come now." Danni hung up the phone call, then picked up the hanging jacket.

"Why? What's wrong?" The Commandant was both panicked and curious. "Your wife met Alex Matthew?"

"I'm sorry. I'm going home, sir!" Danni took the time to salute before leaving the office.

Danni had mixed feelings. Therefore, going home to see Irene was the best way to synchronize the assumptions and whispers of her heart that were not in line.

In the middle of the night, Danni braved the growing crowds of the city. Occasionally, he cursed because he was stuck in traffic. People from all walks of life wanted to crowd into every bar and club to unwind.

"Danni?" exclaimed Irene when she heard the smart door of their residence open.

Without anything to say a word, Danni immediately hugged his wife, letting go of homesickness and other random feelings that couldn't be described anymore.

"You're okay, right?" After unraveling the hug, Danni cupped Irene's cheek.

The woman nodded. "I'm okay."

"So, how did you meet that bastard? You didn't meet him on purpose, did you?" asked Danni as they sat side by side on the sofa.

"Of course not. He came here."

Danni widened her eyes. "What? He came here?"

"You don't need to panic. It's not as frightening as you think." Irene responded first because the look on her husband's face seemed very worried for her. "He came here because he knows his aunt is also my client. He came here to inquire about Celine's possible whereabouts."

"Have you police found Celine's whereabouts?" asked Irene to confirm.

Danni shook his head. "She disappeared without a trace."

"How can someone disappear like that?"

"But we are still investigating further. Or maybe she changed her identity."

Irene nodded in understanding.

"But, Irene... he doesn't know about your psychometry, right?" Danni confirmed. He was worried that if anyone else knew besides their neighborhood, it would put Irene to use.

"Don't worry! There's no such thing." Irene explained. "You know? Your wife is very ingenious."

"I know." Dani smoothed Irene's fine hair around her forehead. "As ingenious as you are and even as naughty as you are... I still worry about you. I'm afraid you'll get hurt, dear."

"So, you touched Alex Matthew this time too?"

"Yes."

"What did you see?"

"Looks like you don't have to work hard in the warehouse anymore."

Danni frowned. "Why?"

"Genie Market does market Alex's drugs, but not indiscriminately. All orders are placed through a special website. I saw it even though I didn't get to see the site's name."

"Then what does that have to do with my work at the warehouse?" Danni tried to guess.

"The drugs Alex makes are elite. He also has a lot of effects. There's no way that premium goods can be stored in just any warehouse when the order is hidden."

Danni paced the floor as he absorbed his wife's explanation, which had some truth to it.

"Therefore..." Irene took Danni's hand. "Allow me to help you."

"What?"

"I'll join the police investigation. Tell the commandant."

"So? What's your plan?" Danni's tone began to rise.

"I'll be joining Alex Matthew. I've earned his trust, Danni. I can also get a chance to use this in my psychometry."

"No!" said Danni firmly. "How many times have I told you how dangerous he is?!"

"He's not that tough. He's got weaknesses, too!"

"You know Alex Matthew's weaknesses?"

"I do. Very well. He's very trusting of others and also..." Irene swallowed her saliva roughly. "...women."

"No!" Danni stuck to her guns. He did not let his wife interfere in his affairs.

"Honey?" Irene still insisted. "If we don't settle this soon, we'll continue to be separated. I already miss being in your arms!"

"I hate being a woman who longs for affection. I look so lame!" Irene burst into tears.

Danni wiped them away. "Don't worry! Sometimes it takes distance in a relationship. It takes strong longing so that our love will be even greater when we meet again."

"Then when will we meet?" Can't you trust me?"

"I want you to take things easy. You can shop all you want."

"I don't like it!"

Danni chuckled. "You're right. I married a crazy woman. But at least this time, you have to obey me."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I'll try to find out about the purchase site."

+++

After manual inspection, the police team put the samples from the Genie Market warehouse into a laboratory for a more detailed examination of the contents.

"Everything is negative."

"What?!" shocked Danni. "None of them contain drugs? Not even 0.01 milligram?"

"None. It is just normal stuff."

"Shit!" Danni rubbed her face roughly. His efforts to search through the warehouse so hard he'd almost been harassed by his boss had been fruitless.

"But you know yourself, right? Yesterday, I got a mask that had drug content. You tested the lab yourself!"

"Yes, that's right. But there weren't any this time."

The Commandant understood Danni's random feelings. He handed her a bottle of mineral water. They sat down by the river to clear their heads.

"Don't you want to try your wife's idea?" asked the Commandant.

"Why did you involve her? I don't want her to get hurt."

"I know. If you don't want her to get hurt, we, especially you, just need to protect her."

Danni held the water bottle away from her lips. He took in the commandant's words carefully.

"I also have a wife. I'm just like you. It's impossible to allow my wife to get involved in this dangerous investigation." The commander looked up at the sky while searching for other possibilities. "But if my wife is as crazy as yours, it might be different."

Even Danni turned her head, trying to listen to the rest of his sentence.

"Your wife even works as a secret agent, isn't she crazy? She must have a lot of guts."

"I still won't allow it," Danni said coldly. "My wife is crazy and brave. She's fearless. But, to get to that point, she's been through a lot of trauma. I witnessed it. I don't want her to get hurt again."

"She might get hurt even more if her husband struggles."