Mr. Good Bad Guy

35 - Let Loose

After visiting the botanical gardens, Axel and I ate a late breakfast and asked Myla, Nayeli and Dr. Acosta out to lunch. I only wanted to see what was going on with the case. I knew Axel was going to make it seem like he was doing me a favor. I could care less about Dr. Acosta's feelings for me. Then again, it felt good to finally beat Ashtyn at something. Not only did Dr. Acosta ignore her, but he had no interest in entertaining her delusions.

The restaurant wasn't as packed as I expected it to be, considering it was a Friday afternoon. The atmosphere was cozy and intimate, with dim lighting and soft music playing in the background. Dr. Acosta was seated across from me, with Myla to his left and Nayeli to his right. Axel was too close for comfort, but I didn't mind it when I saw the look on Dr. Acosta's face.

"How's everything going?" I asked. "I apologize for...my absence."

Dr. Acosta gave me a small smile. "I understand. You were dealing with personal matters. We have everything under control."

"...Has Detective Moran been helping out?"

Dr. Acosta's gaze flickered to Axel, and he gave a brief nod. "He's been...quite thorough in his investigation. We appreciate all his efforts."

Something in his tone made me think that there might be more to the story, but I didn't press the issue. Instead, I turned to Myla and Nayeli, curious about how they were holding up. They both seemed distracted, their eyes darting around the room, as if they were expecting someone else to show up.

"How are you two holding up?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

Myla forced a smile. "We're...doing alright, I guess. It's just...weird not having you there, you know?" She glanced at Dr. Acosta, then back at me. "But we understand."

Nayeli nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's definitely different. But we're here for you, whatever you need." She smiled. "With the information you and Dr. Acosta provided, we're sure the case is going to be solved soon."

I felt a pang of guilt for not being able to help them more. "I appreciate that. And I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."

Dr. Acosta leaned forward slightly. "There's no need to apologize, Dr. Sinclair. You've been nothing but honest with us. And we understand that these things can happen." He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "You know, these two have been working tirelessly to keep up."

"I'm sure I'll be back soon. Once I'm declared competent, I'll be able to help out more. Just like old times."

Their expressions softened at this, and Dr. Acosta nodded. "We look forward to that day. In the meantime, please take care of yourself and focus on your recovery."

I thanked them, and the conversation drifted to other topics. I sat back and listened, hoping someone would slip up about the real situation at the lab. What happened to Erik McCarthy and Damien Rousseau? If either of them weren't the masterminds behind the kidnappings and murders, then who was the ringleader?What were they currently planning to do?

As the lunch hour passed, I found myself growing more and more anxious. I needed to know more, to understand what was going on. But every time I tried to steer the conversation back to the main topic, someone would quickly change it. They were all too careful, too guarded. It was infuriating. Almost as if they didn't want me to know something.

Once lunch was over, Dr. Acosta offered to bring the car around and Axel went to the bathroom, leaving me with Myla and Nayeli. I took the opportunity to ask them more about their feelings on the situation, hoping they might let something slip.

"What happened?" I asked. "And don't lie to me. I'll know. The way Dr. Acosta said Detective Moran was investigating. What did he mean?"

They exchanged glances. They both knew I wasn't going to let it go. Finally, Myla sighed. "Look, we can't talk about it here. There's a lot going on, and we need to be careful."