This Martini Smells Blood

Chapter 5 • The Handsome bartender

2020 November 13, 1 PM

The sun above has started the second half of his everyday journey and the white jeep was parked along the not so crowded road. In it, the two investigators sleeping sound while the pretty one was working. Xiao Hua had a furious, frustrated face as he couldn't find what he was looking for. He only had a laptop and of course, the data he could access through it had limitations. Still, with his ID, he could easily get information on any individual who resides in not only the city but in the whole of China.

Said that Xiao Hua was still struggling. On top of that, it has been more than an hour he gave his tech assistants a number that frequently appeared in the phone call records of Sam Lin. He was somehow sure that it would be the said girlfriend of him and that's why he shared the numbers to trace out the owner.

*beep *beep

Xiao Hua didn't waste any second to open the message he received. But as he opened it, he slammed his hand to the seat in front of him angrily.

Bang

The sound and impact were enough to startle the sleeping ones. With a shriek, both woke up to find Xiao Hua burning with anger.

"Wh- What happened?" Wuxie asked still half asleep which earned a head piercing glare.

"Nothing is going to happen. That's what happens." Xiao Hua said irritably. Wuxie rubbed the back of his neck and shared a glance with Pangzi. Pangzi was also in a hard position, not knowing what to say.

"You couldn't find that girlfriend of him?" Wuxie asked in a soft voice expecting to calm him down.

"I don't understand. How can there be a person live here who don't have a trace in our database? Not only that, she even used a fake number to talk with him." Xiao Hua said tightly clenching his fists and pressing them down to the seat to oppress his fury.

"Fake number?" Pangzi said something finally

"Yes. There is only a number Sam frequently contacted, even it completely stopped 3 weeks before his death. And it's in the name of an old man. Our man questioned him and he knows nothing."

"mhmm" Wuxie sighed but still flashed a smile at the other before continuing. "At least now we know we are in the right direction. His death is sure related to his girlfriend."

"and then what? How we are going to find her?" Pangzi inquired

"It's a little bit time consuming but seems there is no other way." Wuxie said sitting straight. "make a list of all the women from the business-related party he attended a year before. Eliminate the ones that not likely to be his girlfriend."

"You must be kidding!" Pangzi's mouth was wide opened for that idea. That was a lot of work and about time, it can even take weeks to make such a list.

"Is there any other way?" Wuxie asked Pangzi which, of course, didn't get any reply.

"No need. It's not gonna work." Xiao Hua said as he closes his laptop.

"Then... I'll try to get more information about the boy. This, I'll go myself. I can go now. The sooner the better." Pangzi suggested as he found how stressed was Xiao Hua also maybe a little bit guilty as he fell asleep. He had already unbuckled the seatbelts and grabbed the doorknob waiting for a nod from his superiors. Wuxie was the one to nod first then Xiao Hua. Pangzi got off the car and Wuxie shifted to the driver seat.

"I'll call," Pangzi said and walked away waving to both off.

"Xiao Hua. Why don't we go to Night Merry?" Wuxie asked which upset Xiao Hua. He was burning his head and body to find a clue and his partner is interested in sleeping and now drinking. He as his partner in the investigation have seen Wuxie doing far better than this. The stress this single murder case giving and his friend who acts like it's nothing, Xiao Hua couldn't take this anymore.