Touch in the Dark

Chapter 5 - Breaking Points

The next day, James and I poured over the file Elias had handed me during our dinner. The details were sketchy at best, but one thing was clear: The mayor was in some shady business.

"This is some next-level corruption," James muttered, flipping through the pages, his brow furrowed, "Looks like Romano was laundering money."

I flipped to the next section, my eyes catching on a note. "Hey, look at this," I said, pointing to the page. "One of his top dealers hangs out in this warehouse. I've been there before; it's like a 15-minute drive from here."

James smirked, grabbing his jacket. "Great, let's take my bike."

"James, for the last time, I'm not riding on your bike," I protested, crossing my arms. "I don't trust you, and I'm pretty sure you'll try to kill me."

James chuckled, already heading for the door. "You'll be fine, sunshine. Now, let's go. We've got a lead to chase."

I sighed, reluctantly following him out. 

I will die today.

***

"Its empty. How the hell?" I muttered, scanning the empty warehouse. If was like someone had been here recently and made sure to wipe away any trace of what was really going on.

James frowned, pacing the floor. "No one knew we were coming here."

I connected the dots. "Unless someone tipped them off..."

James stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing. "You think it was Elias?"

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat before I finally forced them out. "I mean, who else could it be? No one else knew about this place. He's the one who gave us the file."

James nodded, scanning the empty warehouse. "Yeah. Well, let's check out the place anyway. Maybe we'll find something they missed."

We walked through the empty space, the echo of our footsteps the only sound , but there was nothing else. No signs of life, no evidence left behind. It was as if the place had been wiped clean.

I kicked at a loose piece of debris on the ground, frustration bubbling up. "This doesn't make sense. How could they clear out so quickly? We were only a few steps behind."

James crouched down, examining the floor where there were faint tire marks leading toward a back exit. "Because they were prepared. Someone tipped them off, and they made sure to cover their tracks."

I clenched my fists, "I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch."

James stood up, "Would you relax? I just got your dad out of prison. I don't want to arrest you too."

I looked around the empty warehouse one last time before sighing. "Let's get out of here. We're not going to find anything now."

***

"I think we need to talk to my dad. He was dealing with Romano so maybe he knows something." I said, my voice steady.

James nodded. "Sure, I guess. Cant hurt to try."

We made our way down the hall to my father's office. The guard nodded at us and let us through, his expression neutral. I could sense James's hesitation as we approached, but I didn't blame him. My father wasn't exactly the most approachable person, even on his best days.

He looked up as we entered. Despite the circumstances, he seemed calm, almost too calm. His eyes narrowed slightly as they landed on James, then softened when they turned to me.

"Son," he greeted me with a nod, "What brings you down here?"

I took a deep breath, "Dad, we need to talk about Romano. We found out he was laundering money."

Dad's expression didn't change, but I could see a flicker of something in his eyes. "Laundering money? That doesn't surprise me. Vincent was always in deep with the wrong people."

James stepped forward. "We need to know what you know, Mr. Rossi. This is bigger than just a murder case. People are scared, and we need answers. If you're involved—"

Dad cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I'm not completely sure about what Vincent was up to. We did business sometimes, and that was it."

I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Dad, if you know something that could help us, now's the time to tell me. We're running out of time."

For a moment, my father didn't respond. He looked at me, as if weighing his options. Finally, he spoke, his voice low. "There's one name you need to know: Elias King. He was doing business with Romano."

"Wait, Elias King?"

He nodded, his expression tense. "Yes, Elias King. He was tied up with Romano in ways that weren't exactly legal. If Romano was laundering money, Elias was probably the one helping him make it disappear."

"But we talked to him," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "He claimed he didn't have any information."

James turned to Enzo, his tone serious. "Mr. Rossi, we need to be certain. If we pursue this, if we go after Elias with a warrant or bring him in for questioning, we need to be absolutely sure. The last thing we want is to tip him off without having solid evidence to back it up."

Dad nodded, "I understand, and I wouldn't be telling you this if I wasn't sure."

James turned to me, determination in his eyes. "Well then, let's bring this son of a bitch in for questioning."

-------------------------------------------------------------

This story is going to have approx 50 chapters + an epilogue. This will be a series (Not sure how many books rn but prob 2-3)

Any questions? Thoughts?

Byee

🖤💋