Crow's Nest [✓]

Chapter 26

Back at the office, Thomas sat down at his desk and began the arduous task of searching for any information on the name 'Boris'. He started with basic google searches, but the results were not fruitful. The name was quite common and led to a myriad of unrelated results.

Exhausted and frustrated, Thomas leaned back in his chair. He could tell he would need more than a simple online search to find anything on this person.

Thomas had been so focused on his search for 'Boris', he hadn't even noticed the door to the interrogation room reopen. Chief Gibson stood in the doorway, flanked by Lockwood and Harry, who looked even more frazzled than before.

"Crow," Gibson said, his voice serious. "Can we have a word?"

Thomas quickly closed his computer screen, hiding his research. He nodded tersely, standing up from his desk. "Yes, Chief."

He followed Gibson into his office, leaving Harry with Lockwood in the main office.

Chief Gibson closed the door to his office, shutting out the rest of the outside world. He sat down heavily at his desk, gesturing for Thomas to take a seat across from him.

"We just finished the interrogation," Gibson said, not bothering with any small talk. "And to be honest, I'm not satisfied with the answers Harry gave us."

Thomas frowned, not quite understanding what the Chief was trying to say. "What did he have to say?"

Gibson let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his forehead with his hand. "He tried to play dumb for most of it, claiming he didn't know anything about Johnathan's death. But there were some discrepancies in his story. Little things that didn't add up."

"But it's the truth! He didn't know about Johnathan's death. We only found out this morning." Thomas protested

Gibson's expression turned stern. "It's not about what he knew or didn't know, Thomas. It's about what he's not telling us. There's something off about him, I can feel it."

He leaned forward across the desk. "I don't believe he's completely innocent in this. He knows more than he's letting on. And I don't like it."

Thomas's mind went back to Harry's strange behaviour last night. How he had gone off on his own to investigate something without informing anyone. It had been odd, and now...it was becoming suspicious.

He decided to keep this to himself for now. He didn't want to accuse Harry without any solid evidence.

Thomas took a steadying breath, maintaining his professional demeanour. "I understand your concerns, Chief. But Harry is a good officer. Even if I haven't known him for a long time, really do I trust him."

It was true, though Thomas knew his trust was wavering slightly with every passing second.

Gibson's eyes studied Thomas intently, as if trying to see beyond his words. "I know you trust him, Thomas. But sometimes, trust can blind us to the truth. You're still young, you'll learn eventually."

He shifted in his chair, the leather creaking softly. "I'm not suggesting we arrest him or anything. Not yet. But I want to keep a close eye on him. Something about this case isn't sitting right with me."

Thomas felt like changing the subject, both to defend Harry a little more and to prevent himself from lashing out at the Chief. He hated it when people used his age and experience on the job in an argument. Yes, he's young but he's not stupid.

"What about the bartender at the Rusty Nail?" Thomas asked. "He was there the night of the murder, right? He also separated the fight and patched Harry up. He might have seen something relevant."

Gibson considered this, his expression lightening a bit. "Yes, that's a good point. We should talk to him. If we're lucky, he might be able to confirm or deny what Harry told us."

He made a note on the file in front of him, adding the bartender to the list. "I'll call the Rusty Nail, set up an interview."

Feeling like he had managed to distract Gibson slightly from his doubts about Harry, Thomas decided to bring up the second issue.

"Chief, what about the case of that new drug, Syflocyl, circulating the streets?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern. "Have we gotten any new information on it?"

Gibson's eyebrows furrowed together. It was clear he had been so preoccupied with the murder investigation, he had almost forgotten about the drug one.

"The Syflocyl case, right," he said, somewhat distracted. "We've been getting more reports of overdoses, even some from Norway. But other than that, nothing concrete. We're still trying to identify the source of the drug. The lab is analysing the latest batch of confiscated pills, but it'll be a few days before we get any results."

Thomas could sense Gibson's impatience growing. The chief always preferred to focus on the most pressing issues at hand, and the murder investigation was at the forefront of everything right now.

"We're doing everything we can with the drug case, Thomas," Gibson reassured him. "We just have higher priorities at the moment. Like the murder."

Thomas persisted, pressing on despite Gibson's growing impatience.

"I think they're connected, chief," he said. "The murder, the drug..."

He paused for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. "Flint has connections in the criminal underworld. He could easily be involved in drug trafficking. It wouldn't be surprising considering his other illegal activities. Johnathan was one of his drug dealers. Maybe Johnathan told Harry something and he ended up getting killed for it."

Gibson let out a weary sigh, leaning back in his chair and running a hand across his face. He could tell Thomas was set on his theory, and he was just too tired to argue.

"Let's say, for argument's sake, your theory is correct," he said, a hint of resignation in his voice. "What's your point, Thomas? What do you want to do next?"

Thomas gathered his thoughts, trying to form a plan. "We need to dig deeper into Flint's business dealings, especially any connections to drug trafficking. Get search warrants, access to his records, anything we can get our hands on."

He met Gibson's gaze directly. "We need to find out if he's behind this drug, and if he's somehow connected to Johnathan's death."

Gibson nodded slowly, considering Thomas's words. "Alright, we can do that. But it'll take time and paperwork. And we'll need solid evidence if we're going to get a judge to sign off on a warrant against someone like Flint."

He paused, his tone more serious. "And Thomas...this is going to be a slippery slope. Flint isn't just some two-bit criminal. He's got powerful connections and isn't afraid to play dirty. You're going against someone more dangerous than you've ever dealt with before."

Gibson leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "I'm serious, Thomas. You need to tread carefully. And not just for your own sake, but for your partner too. Harry's got a bad habit of jumping in without thinking, and it could get him in trouble with this case. I don't want to see anything happen to him...or you."

Thomas fell silent, absorbing Gibson's warning. He knew the chief was right, that they were wading into dangerous territory. But he couldn't back down now.

"I'll be careful, chief," he assured, his voice steady. "And I'll make sure to keep an eye on Harry."