Neon Street: Red Herring

🎭2: Missing Employee

Lloyd left them and went to check the cameras for now. It seems like none of them are willing to spill anything. "Did you find the footage I was looking for?" He asks the operator in hopes that he can find the culprit in the footage. 

"I copied everything that happened yesterday in this drive. I watched it myself, and no one seemed suspicious," the other tells him.

"Sometimes, the least suspicious person in the room turns out to be the culprit. You can never judge anyone by looking at the surface. Thanks for this. I might come back if I need something." Lloyd leaves the room and heads to the entrance. "Let's see what those people were up to yesterday." He looks at the USB drive and sighs. "I have to find that person whatever it takes."

Lloyd returns to the station to play the footage on his computer. He plugged in the drive and played the first clip. 

Kane left the building at past 7 AM, as seen in the footage. So far, none of the suspects left their rooms. But after a few hours, they began to head out one by one. Mirae was having breakfast with a guy. France was approaching Winnie, and at one point, video of Kane returning to the hotel in a hurry.

"Where did she go yesterday morning?" Lloyd asks.

He followed where Kane went after she returned and found her on the stairs. She stopped walking for some reason and turned around. "What is this? Why did she stop?" The clip showed Kane arguing with someone on the stairs, but they were standing in a blind spot. Lloyd couldn't see the person she talked to because they were behind the stairs' baluster. "Come on. I just want to see a face."

He looked for other clips that could help him. But, to his dismay, there was none. "This person just got lucky." Lloyd continued playing the clip. This time, he found Colin approaching Kane. "Isn't this the guy who came late?" He zooms into the video and sees Kane smiling. "It would be better if I heard this conversation."

Suddenly, Colin looked pissed off and began talking angrily. Lloyd looks at Kane, who seems to hold her tears back. "What's going on between them?"

"Lloyd!" Lloyd flinched and immediately closed the video. Standing from his seat, he faces the middle-aged man nervously. "I told you that this case will put you in trouble. Do you want to lose your job?"

"I'm getting there, sir. Give me a week, at least. I'm confident that I can find the killer," Lloyd said.

 "Is that so?" The chief crosses his arms and walks closer. "The victim was stabbed to death last night, but the murder weapon is gone, and no trace of the killer is found either. Tell me. How on earth are you going to solve this?"

"Just give me time. I promise. I will be able to solve this case like how I always do," Lloyd sounded determined, giving the chief assurance. But determination isn't enough to solve a case. It worried him.

"A week, Lloyd. Those people can ruin your whole life, and I don't want to put our best detective's future in danger. Tell me if you want to stop. I'll handle Kane Son's parents." The chief gave him one last look of worry before returning to his office.

Lloyd looks at the flash drive and sheds a tear. "They already ruined my whole life. What's there to fear?" 

Back at Chantelle Manor, Triche barged into France's room to continue where they left off. "What did you say? 'Just admit'?" France rolls his eyes and meets her at the door. "You don't know anything, so shut it."

"It was just a suspicion. What are you so afraid of?" He sounds like he's mocking her, and Triche wasn't having it. "Hey. A friendly tip? Don't do anything that can make anyone question you. I only said what I said because you looked scared."

"There are other reasons why someone would act like that. I saw a dead person across my room. Do you expect me to act normal? You can stop suspecting me because I didn't do it. I just wanted to make that clear to you." Triche left his room and took the elevator to her place. 

Triche arrived on her floor, and Kane's room immediately sent her chills. All she could do was look away and pretend it wasn't there as she headed inside her room across from it.

--

"Hey, hey!" Geo calls an employee he spotted in the hall. "You must know your colleagues, right?" He anxiously asked. "I need to know someone's name. Do you, by any chance, know that one employee who stayed behind during the party last night? I couldn't remember his face, so I can't give his features."

"Everyone who works in the hotel was at the party, sir. The manager checked it himself and made sure we were all serving at the party," the employee answered.

"Really? Why does he need everyone at the party? You're saying no one was watching over us who were left here last night? Then, who on earth was that guy who unclogged my toilet? I'm pretty sure it wasn't a wandering ghost," Geo added.

"The guests personally asked all of us to be there. There were hundreds of guests in the building. Most of them were at the party. If that guy you saw is indeed an employee, he would be gone by now. Once an employee disobeys the manager, they immediately get fired."

"He won't be able to come back?" Geo placed his fingers on his temple and massaged it. "Who on earth is going to prove my innocence? Why would they fire him that quickly?!" He shouted and stomped his feet on his way to his room. 

Kit heard the whole conversation and came out of his room when Geo was already inside his. "An employee who was left behind last night? There's one person I know who wouldn't be at the party," he quietly mutters to himself, beginning to point his finger at someone.

--

Anyone you guys can think of so far?🙈 I'm sorry for not updating everyday. I'm preparing for my thesis😭 and my groupmates are a bit... I'll try updating every Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, and maybe on a Thursday, though😅 I still have free time<33 

I hope the chapter was all right!! I'll ready a new one for Thursday🥰