Axel Light Trilogy: Wands and Shield

Chapter 30-A

'Beatty, we found out about the money that you got to pay off your new house,' said Rowen calmly.

Beatty looked shakily at the faces staring at him, their eyes boring into his. The faces Monsford, Rowen and the Commissioner of MaxPol, Linden.

'That is something personal...' he stammered, 'It has nothing to do with... MaxPol. I don't need to declare all the money that I have...'

'Not when you were part of our investigation,' said Monsford crisply, 'As a suspect.'

'A suspect?' gasped Beatty, shaking his head profusely, 'I didn't do anything against MaxPol or the law! Never! I'm a MaxPol!'

'Calm down,' said Rowen warmly, 'Monsford said you were one of our suspects, but we had just cleared your name. Your wife, Melinda, had gotten a lump sum of money from her grand uncle who had passed away two months ago. We know that the money is from the inheritance.'

Beatty looked at Linden's desk fretfully, 'I don't want people to say that I take money from my wife...' he muttered, 'But she wants me to stop doing the part time work so that I have more time to spend with her...'

'We know, Beatty,' said Monsford, 'We had talked to your wife this morning. She had taken the truth serum.'

Beatty stared at Monsford shockingly.

'You should have just asked me! I will take the truth serum willingly! Why did you need to make her suffer??' cried Beatty emotionally.

'We are sorry Beatty, but it was necessary,' said Linden grimly.

He sounded extremely tired and worn out. He looked even worse than he sounded. He looked like he had not slept for a few days.

Beatty was caught off-guard with Linden's reply and how weary he looked. Linden was his Commissioner – someone who was always alert, strong, calm and authoritative. Not helpless and clueless, like the one staring at him.

'But... why was I a suspect in the first place...' mumbled Beatty in disbelief, '... for which crime...'

'We are investigating all MaxPol who had direct and close contact with Axel Light in Operation Lumen. You are one of them,' explained Rowen gently.

'Operation Lumen? But why...' asked Beatty, perplexed.

Rowen glanced at Linden who gave a curt nod before he replied, 'There is a mole within the operation.'

'A...' gasped Beatty, a hand shot to his mouth, 'mole... and you suspected me?!'

Beatty was furious. To be a suspect was one, but to be a mole? That was an ultimate insult. He had sworn to be a just and honest MaxPol. To be suspected as a mole was a disgrace.

'I had taken the oath when I had sworn in as a MaxPol! I will never, ever do that!' cried Beatty heatedly.

'As we had explained, we are investigating everyone in the operation, myself included,' said Monsford, 'And now you are cleared.'

'Everyone...' spluttered Beatty shakily, 'Everyone...'

Monsford nodded at him, and then he glanced at Linden anxiously.

'We are left with one suspect now and we need to make our move,' said Linden grimly, 'We must bring the last one in. Too much...'

There was an incessant knock on the door that made everyone to look at the door. Linden quickly unlocked it with his wand and Pickard stumbled in.

'Commissioner Linden!' cried Pickard, looking around the room nervously, 'Is Axel Light here?'

Linden stood up immediately from his chair, toppling it behind him and glared at Pickard.

'Sergeant Larson radioed to Traffic to expect Axel Light. But we waited... for a while now...' Pickard's voice trailed as everyone in the room had advanced to him menacingly.

'When was that?' asked Monsford quickly.

'Fifteen minutes ago,' said Pickard softly, 'Larson said that Johnson is escorting Axel Light to Commissioner Linden. Translocating. But they did not appear, we thought...'

'JOHNSON!' shouted Monsford aghast, 'Where is Stanley?!'

'Larson said Stanley is here, with the Commissioner...' said Pickard shakily, his eyes still darting around the faces in the room anxiously.

'Monsford, dispatch everyone to Stellar Street,' snarled Linden, 'I think there is no doubt who the mole is.'