"You're insufferable."
"Maybe," he says softly, "but you still can't keep your eyes off me."
"Maybe I don't want to."
♥___________♥
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢
Playboy, arrogant, and egoistic-sounds like a typical jerk, right? But there's more to Marco th...
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Marco glanced at me as we reached the car. "We'll meet tomorrow, yeah? Figure out how to break them."
"Yeah, tomorrow," I agreed, but my mind was already elsewhere.
Marco nodded, pulling out his keys. "I'll dig into some old records tonight, see if I can find anything that links Elias and Eleanor. Everyone leaves a trail."
"Sounds good," I said, watching as he walked off to his car. But as I stood there, my gut told me something different. If we waited too long, Elias could cover his tracks. There was no way I was letting that smug bastard slip through our fingers without another attempt.
Instead of heading home, I got back in my car and took a deep breath, steering it towards Elias King's estate.
***
I arrived back at Elias's place. This time, I wasn't playing by the book. I needed to talk to him alone. I rang the bell, and after what felt like forever, the butler opened the door.
"Detective. Back so soon?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I need to speak to Mr. King," I said, keeping my tone sharp. "It's urgent."
The butler hesitated before stepping aside to let me in. This time, I wasn't escorted into his office but in a different room, a cozy lounge area. I could hear the distant sound of footsteps approaching, and then Elias entered, looking as calm as ever, if not slightly amused.
"Detective James," he greeted me. "This is becoming a habit."
"I need answers," I said, cutting to the chase. "And I need them now. Without Marco here. Just you and me."
He smirked, sitting down casually in one of the leather chairs. "What makes you think I'll tell you anything different without your partner in crime?"
"Because I think you care more about protecting your reputation than you let on. And I think this would be real bad for you if it got out," I slid the photos across the table, watching as Elias's smirk faded. His eyes flicked over the images. There, captured in clear detail, were shots of him and Eleanor—meeting in secret.
"You recognize these, right?" I asked, sliding the photos across the table.
Elias's eyes flicked over them before he turned to me, "You think Eleanor and I were in on some grand scheme? Let me set the record straight for you. These photos?" He tapped the stack. "Yeah, that's me meeting with her to help her."
"Help her with what? Kill Vincent?" I shot back.
Elias chuckled. "Help her, sure. But not with killing him. You think Eleanor's got the guts for that?"
I glanced at the pictures on the table again, considering his words. "If she's so weak, why help her at all?"
Elias let out a low laugh. "Childhood friends, if you can believe it."
I raised an eyebrow, leaning back in my seat with a smirk. "You? Friends? Now, that's a surprise."
He gave me an amused look but didn't take the bait. "Yeah, well, we go way back. Eleanor came to me for help because she knew I could keep things quiet. That's what those photos show. Nothing more."
"Quiet? So what exactly was she trying to keep under wraps?" I asked, crossing my arms.
Elias leaned forward, "She was afraid Vincent was about to destroy her. Not physically, but financially. He was pulling strings to cut her out of everything. Their money, her status—it was all on the line. She didn't want him dead. She just wanted to protect herself."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why was he going to do that?"
Elias gave a half-smirk. "She was cheating on him."
I snorted. "So? He was cheating on her with God knows how many people. What makes her affair different?"
"Vincent had to be in control, especially in his personal life. The idea of people knowing he couldn't keep control of his wife? That was unacceptable to him."
I frowned, absorbing his words. "So, Eleanor was just trying to save herself from being financially ruined, and you were helping her with that?"
Elias nodded. "Exactly. But helping her didn't mean I was part of any murder plot. The woman may have been desperate, but she didn't have the stomach for that kind of violence."
I studied him for a moment, then stood up. "One more thing—why was Eleanor's phone pinging off the cell towers near your place the night of the murder?"
Elias frowned. "She wasn't here."
My tone was sharp. "Her phone was pinging off the cell towers near your place that night. If she wasn't there, then why did her phone's location point to your residence?"
Elias's eyes flickered with something—irritation, maybe. "I can't control where people's phones ping. Maybe she was in the area, but that doesn't mean she was at my place."
"So you're saying she might have been nearby for another reason?"
"Possibly. I have no idea. I only know what I was involved in, and that's helping her protect her assets from Vincent."
I leaned back, mulling over his words. "So, if she wasn't planning to kill Vincent, then who was?"
Elias shook his head. "I don't think you're going to find answers by digging into me or Eleanor. But I might have another lead for you."
I turned to him, "I'm listening."
Elias smirked, "But, you'll have to owe me a favour."
