Chapter 249 Nearly escaped

Chapter 249 Nearly escaped
Larissa's heartbeat pounded against her ribs. The longer she stood there, the stronger Derby's warning echoed in her ears.
  "If you touch that Hunter phone... they'll arrest you."
   ‘Her eyes swept across the bar once more. The bartender was wiping down glasses. The woman who had spoken to her earlier had disappeared.
   A man in a leather jacket sat alone, sipping whiskey.
   Another customer laughed loudly with his friends.
   Everything looked normal. In fact too normal to the extent that it made
chills crawled down her spine.
   "No..." She whispered to herself.
"I'm not staying here."
   Without another word, she pushed herself off the bar stool. The bartender looked up.
   "Ma'am? You still wanted to ask about…"
   "Another time." Larissa cut him off.
She slipped her phone into her handbag, turned sharply, and headed straight for the exit without looking back.
   Inside a private surveillance room behind the bar...
   Alex, Thomas, Dan, and several plainclothes officers watched the live camera feed on multiple monitors.
   Thomas frowned. "Boss..."
   Larissa appeared on the screen, walking briskly toward the exit.
   Dan leaned closer. "What the heck..."
   "She's leaving."
   Alex narrowed his eyes. "What?"
   He stepped closer to the monitor.
Sure enough, Larissa wasn't even glancing toward the bartender anymore.
   She was heading straight for the door.
   "Damn it." Thomas muttered.
"It looks like she's changed her mind."
   Alex's jaw tightened. "Why?"
  Dan replayed the last few moments on another screen.
   "She answered a phone call..."
"...and immediately after that, she wanted nothing to do with the phone anymore."
   Thomas nodded slowly. "You're right."
   Who called her and what the heck did they discuss?
   "Someone warned her."
   The room fell silent.
   Alex's expression darkened.
"Boss..."
   Dan asked carefully.
"What do we do now?"
   Alex didn't hesitate.
   "Have two teams follow her, but don't get too close.. I don't want her spooked."
   The officers nodded and quickly relayed the orders through their earpieces.
   Alex remained staring at the monitor. His mind raced.
Who knew about tonight's operation?
Only the police. Thomas, Dan, The undercover officers, and…His eyes widened. "Derby..."
   The name slipped from his lips almost unconsciously.
   Thomas looked at him.
"Boss?"
   Alex's face hardened.
"Oh... fucking hell."
   Dan frowned. "What is it?"
   Alex clenched his fists. "It has to be her."
   Thomas blinked. "Derby?"
    Alex nodded once. "I told her not to tell Larissa anything."
   His breathing became heavier.
"But Larissa answers one phone call, and suddenly abandons everything."
   He slammed his fist against the edge of the table.
   "Damn it!"
    The room jumped at the sound.
"Why didn't I think this through?"
His voice was filled with frustration.
   "They must have been working together."
   Dan exchanged a worried glance with Thomas, as Alex paced the room.
   "They've been connected this whole time. I remember Jerry saying something about revenge and Derby trying to drug Lucas because Larissa advised it."
   Alex paced again, his thoughts spiraling. 
   "The Hunter identity, James, Larissa, Zenith."
   He stopped walking. His expression was a mixture of anger, disappointment and confusion.
   "Was Derby pretending all along?"
Thomas spoke cautiously.
   "Boss, We don't actually know what was said during that phone call."
   Alex closed his eyes for a brief moment. "I know, but the timing..."
   He shook his head. "It can't be a coincidence. She is very close to Larissa."
   His phone was already in his hand.
"I need answers."
   He stared at Derby's contact on the screen. His thumb hovered over the call button. His voice dropped to a cold whisper.
   "If you've been helping Larissa all this time, then you've betrayed every bit of trust I had left for you."
   Without another word, he pressed call. The phone began to ring.
   Across the room, no one spoke.
Everyone waited to hear what Derby would say. They knew that whatever came next, would determine her case.  If she was an ally who had made a desperate mistake, or a co-conspirator who had been hiding in plain sight all along.
    Alex didn't hesitate. He pulled out his phone and dialed Derby’s number.
   The line rang twice. Then she answered. "Hello." Her voice was too calm.
   Alex's jaw tightened.
"What did you tell her, Derby?"
   A brief silence followed.
   "Excuse me? What did I tell who?"
   Alex let out a humorless chuckle.
"Don't bother playing smart, because you're not." His voice grew colder.
"What did you tell Larissa?"
   Derby frowned on the other end.
"I honestly don't know what you're talking about."
   Alex laughed again, though there wasn't a trace of amusement in it.
"Your call..."
    He paused deliberately as an idea occurred to him.
   "Your call was the last call she received before she suddenly abandoned the Hunter phone and tried to leave the bar. She is in police custody now." Alex lied.
   Another silence.
   "So tell me. What did you say to her?"
   Derby's heartbeat quickened.
   She hadn't expected Larissa to be caught so quickly.
   "You... you have her?" There was an unmistakable surprise in her voice.
   Alex caught it immediately. "Yes.
The police have her. They're investigating whether she was involved in Lucas's kidnappings. If the evidence supports it. She'll be prosecuted."
   Derby shut her eyes.
   "Damn..." She whispered under her breath and Alex heard it.
   "So you did tell her and you know something too. Is she involved in kidnapping Lucas?”
   "No." Derby answered quickly.
"I know I fucked up by telling her not to touch the phone, but trust me on this. Larissa had nothing to do with Lucas's kidnappings. He used James to threaten you. Unfortunately James stole the phone. She wasn't part of the kidnappings."
   Derby paused to breathe.
   "She was only obsessed with making your life miserable after you dumped her."
   Alex's expression darkened.
   "And you?" His voice became dangerously quiet.
   "Were you her accomplice?"
   Derby didn't deny it immediately.
Instead, she answered with a question of her own.
   "Didnt you know what you did?"
   Alex frowned. "What?"
   "You heard me. You made me grew up without my mother. So I wanted revenge too?"
   Alex's patience was wearing thin.
"I have no idea what..."
   Derby's voice trembled with old pain. "You hurt my mother. You caused her death. That is why I wanted to make sure you never got your happy ending."
   The words hit Alex like a slap.
He stopped pacing. His brows knitted together in confusion.
   "What? Who is your mother?"
   There was a pause. Then Derby answered. "Maurine. Larissa's sister."
   Alex searched his memory. The name sounded familiar, but distant.
   "She died…Derby continued.
"...after giving birth to me. She died because of the heartbreak you caused her."
   Alex stared blankly ahead.
His mind struggled to make sense of what he was hearing.
   "Who told you that?" His voice was softer now. "Was it Larissa?"
   "It's not a lie." Derby snapped immediately. "And don't even think you can lie your way out of this."
   Alex rubbed a frustrated hand across his face.
   "No..." He muttered. "This doesn't make any sense."
     He spoke louder.
   "Derby, listen to me. I don't even remember your mother or have any affair with anyone by that name.
"I never had a relationship with any Maurine. I don't know what Larissa told you...but someone has lied to you."
   "Liar!" Derby shouted.