The Man I Became... Because of You (Completed)

The Other Investigation

After reviewing the three sheets of paper, the detectives Dami and Ling came up with a plan. Dami stayed behind and questioned the players he suspected were involved in the Medthanet Statue incidents as well as other sculptors in the area. Ling traveled first to see a young man by the name of Dime.

He had earned that nickname for several reasons. His mother would send him out with dime bags since he was about 5 and have him sell for her they said. Other stories told of a guy who knew how to hustle. After some digging, Ling found himself facing a well dressed young man who had managed to brush with the upper echelons of society and had made himself into someone important.

"I'm not here to arrest you or ask you what your part was in that incident. It happened over 3 years ago. In my mind that's way too much time gone." And there were way bigger fish to fry.

"Then why do you want to know?"

"Because, I want to know if the scenes are actually real. I mean look at this. It actually looks a bit like you. That makes you famous if you want to go that route. If not, well it doesn't matter."

The young man looked at the picture and smirked. "That looks nothing like me." He snorted out but his tone was heavy with self-satisfaction. 

Ling snorted right back. "I think it does." He said like there was an actual bet riding on it and if the guy didn't admit it he would lose some cash.

"Whatever." He stared at the picture a little longer. "It wasn't just weed I planted on him thought. There was a small bag of coke as well but they never found that for some reason. I think he either found it and threw it or, and I believe this is what really happened, someone saw me plant it and lifted it from him. The guy wasn't very self aware, you know. He looked and acted like a virgin. It was obvious to the rest of us that he had never been to one of these parties before."

"I heard the cops found him hiding in the closet."

"Hummm. I heard that too. I wasn't there thought. Once I planted on him, I stuck around for another five then broke out and called the Coppers. That's what I got paid for."

"Wait you got paid? Oh don't worry. I'm still not taking this seriously. Can you give me a ballpark range? Just curious."

"Over 20K euros."

"But under 40?" He paused for a moment then nodded because what did it matter now? The money had long since been spent.

"Huh. Thanks."

Ling left the kid and went to visit another man. If the kid was a pea, this guy was the entire tree. Still he wasn't here to see him for the drugs. No. This was a case of money laundering and Hemic was already in jail. He was here to feed him some ideas.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Some quid pro quo."

"Huh?"

"Is this place making you dumber or something? Contact your fancy lawyer later once you think about this. I'm going to give you a name. Tul Medthanet. Code name Landing."

Everything about Hemic shut down and he squinted at Ling with cold eyes. "I ain't got nothing more to say to you."

"Then I guess you'll rot in here til you die. I hear your ex, Satima, remarried. Afril? Something like that?"

"It's Avril you cunt."

"Whatever. Wait. You know more than I do? What's the point of jail then? I thought it was supposed to lock you up tight?"

"Fuck. Off."

Ling stared at him for a long minute then chuckled and got up. Finally he revealed his punchline even thought the other party wasn't in on the joke.