Mystery Loves Company

Chapter 55 - File #6.10: The Five Minutes Investigation

Rhett

When I arrived at the police station, Chief Snell was standing in the hallway with Detective Ingram. I was a bit surprised because he was still here on Sunday, and because I didn't expect to see him at all. Both of them spotted me, but only Chief Snell had a negative reaction.

"No," he said while walking past me.

I blinked. "I haven't even said anything."

"Everything that comes out of your mouth deserves a no," he drawled.

"What if I came here to say that you don't have to worry about me bothering you anymore because I'm dropping this case?"

He halted his steps. "You are?"

"Of course not, but I have your attention now." I rushed to block him from walking away again.
"I almost died trying to flee from a giant because I solved a murder attempt and an underground poker club case. I've never asked for credits but the least you can do is not forgetting that."

He let a long sigh, unamused but couldn't deny anything I just said. "What do you want?"

"Five minutes with Leonard Pierce," I said.

He laughed. "You think because I let you join one discussion, you are officially in the case?"

"I have been in the case 'officially', I was just not associated with you or the police before," I grinned.

"Why do you need to talk to him again? Didn't you let him talk to his daughter a few nights ago?"

"I didn't let her, she just—" I stopped, realizing something. "What did you say?"

"Eh, nothing you haven't known," he sneered. "We found out who he was after going through some altered documents, which erased Leonard Pierce as Vivian Kane's husband and the father of her two children. No thanks to you, by the way."

Ah, the time when everyone knew who Avery Kane's father was had finally come. But I only had one concern.

"Does the whole department know?" I asked. Including Detective Evans?

"Duh," he mocked. "We've been facing a deadlock and now we got a lead that could be connected back to Vivian Kane."

"Chief, wait..."

"No, Rhett. I'm not gonna listen to you again." His indignant voice froze my feet. "This is one important thing that you keep from me, who knows if there are more? I'm not accepting any excuses that you want to investigate them first because with this, you're clearly interfering our works."

It kinda hurt, knowing that I did nothing but help them with their investigations—even though, I would agree with some of his words myself.

"I didn't want to tell you because it's not my story to tell," I said calmly. "Besides, Leonard Pierce and Vivian Kane didn't exactly leave things nicely back then, and Avery just wanted to forget the past."

"Which is why I have to talk to Vivian Kane again," he concluded. "Looks like it's a classic love triangle case. Husband and wife fight, wife finds another one, husband breaks down and—"

"God, Uncle Dave. You watch too many soap operas," I quickly cut his sentence. "Five minutes, okay. I'm trying to help my friend too, because despite all of this, she doesn't want to see her parents being wrongly accused. And I can assure you, Norris' death has nothing to do with Vivian Kane."

Chief Snell folded his arms. "If you know something I don't, you better tell it now."

"Why don't we make a deal?" I offered. "You let me talk to Pierce alone, no recording in any forms, and I'll let you know what I know... as soon as I finish putting the puzzle pieces together."