that august night - c.l.

35. I hope this can help you

"Excuse me for a second." - Elena apologized to the officers and Ashley as she noticed a woman standing on the doors of the club, without any clue looking around. "Ma'am, can I help you?" - She asked. "I am detective Neville." - She pointed out her hand as the woman shook it back.

"I am Anya Richard. I am Mr. Perez's secretary. We got into contact yesterday and now I get a call to get here?" - She explained pulling on her bag around her shoulder. "I am sorry, Ms. Richard, Mr. Jose Perez has passed away in the shooting. Do you know someone from his family that could take the body and organize the funereal?" - Elena watched that girl's expression change. Her face was overflown with worry and shock.

"He's dead?" - She breathed out as Elena nodded in confirmation. "I am sorry, as far as I know he doesn't have anyone. But he left testament in his office in a safe, he told me to open it after his death." - Anya explained still horrified looking all around the scene and talking like she's been programmed to.

"In office? Back in Italy?" - Elena asked once again. "No, no. He has one here in Monaco. Not many people know about it because it's like his second house. He bought it under my name just so people don't know he spends time here sometimes. But he doesn't have anything Italy anymore, ever since he closed his company. He has been traveling around the world from time to time." - Anya answered as Elena felt her worry ease down. She wouldn't have to go all the way to Italy to find the damn paper.

"Okay, Ms. Richard. Can you give me the address? We'll come by in the morning after this scene is cleaned up and we have picked up everything." - Anya nodded and gave the address to Elena before she walked away, still traumatized by what she saw.

...

"Hey baby." - Charles whispered as he stood up from the couch, greeting Elena at the door. He quickly pulled her in a hug seeing her tired expression. Elena let out a deep breath of relaxation once his hands wrapped around her in comfort. "I hate seeing you like this." - He suggested to her constantly being tired because of work. Charles wouldn't have a problem with it if she didn't have to wake up in the middle of the night, leave her bed to help someone else.

"Yeah, well. I've learned to live with it. I am sorry you have to be around for it." - She looked up at him. "I like being here, around you. Don't ever feel sorry for me going through it when I am clearly not the one to be torched by that phone of yours and constant calls. I am glad you let me stay with you." - They smiled at each other as they continued their conversation. "But-" – He started and she saw how worried her look got, so he held back once more. "Never mind, I won't bother you." – She asked him few more times about it, before letting it go officially. But she could not help but overthink what he wanted to say.

...

"Do you know the password, Ms. Richards?" - Ashley asked Anya like she stole the words from Elena. Poor woman was stressed the whole time they got here to his office as she unlocked the doors and showed them his safe. "He gave me the password last time he was shot and nobody knew if he could make it. Mr. Perez thought I should know as he considered me the closest thing to a family." - Anya went over to safe and unlocked it and unveiled lots of papers, guns etc.

"How long have you two known each other?" - Elena continued. "I started working for him when I was twenty-two. And now I am thirty-one. I never saw him before that, or for any reason other than job." - Anya stepped away. "You can look yourselves." - She walked away and barely closed doors behind her, leaving it open just few inches.

Elena and Ashley looked through every single paper trying to find the one they were looking for but also a paper that could maybe help them with the case. As a boss, Jose should have at least one paper about their employee. Ex one or a current one, just for the inspection. But considering he closed down his company months ago, made them lose their hope.

"Who is this Daniel Nova? I have been seeing all these papers that confirmed transactions on his name. Big ones as well. What were they doing?" - Elena looked through at least ten papers that confirmed money has been transcript to a bank account under a name Daniel Nova. "I have seen those too, I noted to myself to search him up when we get back to the office."

After twenty minutes, they found his testament and talked to Anya about it. It said that he left this apartment in Monaco to her, and that he donates all his money to different kinds of health care centers, and children hospitals. He required that all other houses get sold or given to family in needs.

Looking from this point, to Elena and Ashley, Jose didn't seem like a guy who would do some bad things. He even donated every now and then to different things. But mostly with children. But when you work as a law protector you come across many of these guys, and they never turn out to be good in the end.

They asked Anya about Daniel Nova, but she said how she never had deep contact with any of his clients and that mostly of them she didn't know.

"But one client has been coming by for the last couple of months. Last time he was here, he bought some weapons from Mr. Perez himself. I think I have some papers that would confirm it. His name is Emiliano Allison." - Ashley and Elena looked at each other at the mention of a name. They expected everything but this. Anya confusedly looked at their sudden change of the mood.

"Can you give us those papers?" - Elena asked as Anya nodded and found them within few seconds. "This was also one of the last clients my boss had before he... well, passed away. I hope this can help you." - Soon after greeting Ashley and Elena walked away.