"So, Mr riley, where did you get those extra set of keys?"
Freddy's eyes darted around the area. Everyone was staring at him, waiting for his answer. Freddy stared at the keys before looking back at the small crowd before him.
"Well uh, I uhm...I got an extra set from before when I first got the keys made just in case I uh...ever lost them. You can't expect me to tell you every single thing do you?!"
Aesop looked over at Vera and beckoned her into a corner, leaving Eli standing with the twins and the secretary. After a few short moments they came back. Freddy was impatiently tapping his foot, as if he had something else more important to do, which he probably did.
"Alright Mr riley, you're free to go. Wu'Jiu, I may request you take care of your brother at home for today. He doesn't seem fit to stand guard for now. Mr Clark, Ms Nair, my office later."
The twins put their hands behind their backs and bowed down before leaving. Freddy made a beeline for his office, eager to get away from the whole event. The two investigators followed Aesop upstairs, Eli looking through her notes to see if there was anything he could add on. Aesop took off his coat and dropped it on his couch upon entering his office.
"I hope my office doesn't smell too much like dust or old books to you, Ms Nair."
Vera looked around and shrugged. Eli inhaled, taking in the scent of the old pages. He liked the smell of old books, it reminded him of his school's library, where he could indulge in all the different types of books it held. They both sat down in front of Aesop's desk and Vera's notes were set in the center of the polished table. Aesop clasped his hands on his table, eyes closed.
"Sir did you actually believe in his lies?"
"Well of course not Ms Nair. Tell me how you figured it out first, then I'll tell you how I did."
"Well, Mr Clark and I had a close listen on what he said during the meeting. Indeed he never mentioned where he got the new set of keys, because if he did, he would've mentioned it. And if he actually had them at the beginning, he would've had nothing to fear when we asked him how he obtained an extra set."
"If he did have an extra set, he would've probably told me last night too. And come to think of it, he did mention that he was blindfolded when the two barged into the surveillance room. If he was blindfolded. So how did he know the other person had taken the ropes from his pocket while the other stood by the door. There are so many possibilities that he took the rope from his partner, or he had it slung over his shoulder, but why so specifically from his pocket?"
Aesop nodded at Eli, smiling. The executive noticed and blushed a little. He tried to think of what to say, but he couldn't seem to think of something to reply, so he just remained silent and stared at his feet.
"Alright, now that you have stated your reasons, I'll state mine. I was the one who handed him the original copy of keys, which he now claims to be stolen. Now, every set of keys for the building has a small mark on in with the Mafia's logo on it which has an intricate design. When I saw the keys the moment he took them out, I noticed the small logo on his keys. It's hard to replicate it since the design is hard to replicate. The key also had a ring around the end of it, which would be unnecessary to place if it had been replicated. So overall, it seems to hint that that key was the original, doesn't it?"
The male leaned back in his chair, allowing the two of his sub-ordinates to digest that information for a bit. The clouds outside swirled angrily. A storm was approaching. Vera excused herself so she could work on the case in her office, while Eli stayed behind to help Aesop sort out some older reports and files. The sounds of the rain lightly tapping on the glass combined with the scent of the old pages. It was enough to lull him to sleep .
He felt the office dim slightly as more clouds blotted out the sun. His eyelids started to droop even more as he arranged the files in a box. The effects of the coffee he had hours ago were definitely wearing off. He longed for the softness of his bed at home right now. He felt the files fall from his hands, but he couldn't seem to have enough control to reach for them in time.
______________________
"Nice place here, Mr Subedar."
Norton looked around the small cafe as the rain outside thundered away. Naib thanked the stranger who had offered to share her umbrella. They sat in a small corner, Norton still looking around the interior. The waitress offered them the menus and left to take another table's order.
"This place is quite cute, isn't it? Small interior and simple design, yet it feels so cozy..."
"That's...what restaurants or cafes are supposed to make you feel, Mr Campbell..."
The waitress passed them both small menus and walked off to take the orders of another table. Norton looked through the whole menu, an almost surprised look on his face.
"None of the food here have French names?"
Naib looked at him, suppressing the urge to laugh even though they weren't in the office.
"This isn't some fancy restaurant, Mr Campbell. I find such luxury unnecessary if all I want to do is live a nice life."
"Hm...But don't you find being able to live a fancy life nice?"
Naib shrugged and called for the waitress. Norton watched him closely, interested. It was rare for someone to not want to live a fancy life of riches and comfort. He didn't even notice that the waitress was staring at him, waiting for his order until Naib waved a hand under his face.
"Oh uh... Whatever he ordered."
"Alright then, would you like to change the drinks? He got a black coffee no sugar."
Norton stared at the menu, then Naib, then the waitress.
"Do you guys by chance have any sort of Bellini?..."
