Detective in Love

Chapter 8

A few minutes later, after a few chit chats with my old classmates, I head outside for some fresh air.
I sit on the old swing outside, looking up at the sky.

"Was wondering where you vanished to. But then again, you are the same Nigella from back then. Aren't ya? This is just like you." Jason sits next to me.

"I didn't even hear you coming." I reply.

"You were magically lost among the stars."
He looks up at the sky too.

The loud music sounds distant, the cold breeze and the night sky is my getaway.
He's right.

"I am the same Nigella. True! But nothing is the same. Not anymore." I speak after a while.

"Are you talking about our friendship N?" He asks me, turning back to face me after he realised what he had called me. He widens his eyes.

I look back up at the sky. "Yea. There was a time when it was only awkward when we called each other Nigella or Jason. We were best friends. We did so many crazy things together.
Out of all of my friends, you got me the best. How is it that now all we're left with are these memories, and this anger, this whole being strangers with each other and stuff?" I finish.

"There are things you need to know. Things I should've told you back then. Had I done that we wouldn't be this way. Things wouldn't be the same. It's my fault. You see-" before he can quite complete, Troy, Niv and the rest of them call us inside. To play games apparently.

"Let's go!" I say rising to my feet.
"We don't have to talk about the past. It's gone now." I walk towards the door and he follows me.

It most certainly is in the past, but I wish it wasn't. I was never able to hate him. He was the best friend I ever had! I wonder what went wrong where. But digging into it wouldn't help me fix anything. Things have changed. Yes, damn right I miss him.
But the past and the present shouldn't be mixed up. That's gonna be a whole mess. So it's better we go this way. Colleagues, office mates, work buddies. Whatever they may call it!

After a few hours the party dies off and we take leave. Niv is quite drunk, hence the silent drive back home.
This is one more thing I love, long drive at night, with open shutters and slow music.
But today all I want is to lie on bed.
I'm tired!

By the time go to bed it's 4am. I have to wake up at 6!
Ugh! My life!!!!

I wake up at 6:15 and rush out of bed, have a shower and get dressed as soon as possible.

I heard Niv wake up every now and then and speak in between yawns, "You're like a machine N!" And she doze off again.

Lucky her! 8 - 5 bank job!

I leave home at 6:45 and arrive at my work place at 7.
On time!

"Everyone ready?" I ask.

"Yes!"
"Let's do this!"
Everyone responds.
Jason walks into the conference room with files in his hand.

When did he even get here??

He drops the files on the desk.
"Let's move!" He smiles.

It's the individual class today. Mr. Kevin and the student will both be at the tuition spot.

Allie and Jerome goes inside to talk to Mr. Kevin.
All conversations, we can hear.

"We just want to ask you a few questions. If that's okay?" Jerome asks him.

"Yes sure. Make it quick! I have to give lessons to this kid." He replies.

They go ahead asking a few ordinary questions about his tuitions, number of students and all that. Questions to which we already have answers.

Then Allie asks him, "Anyone who would want to frame you or tarnish your reputation by all this?"

"Oh! My old friend Scott grew jealous of me eventually. God knows why! He wouldn't do this! He was my friend. But since you asked!" He sounds sad.

"Excuse me sir." Jerome picks up his phone.

"We'll come and get you." He speaks into the phone and asks Allie to come along with him.
"Wait here Mr. Kevin, we brought Mr. Scott for questioning too. We'll go get him." Jerome says.

They go out and speak to us, "Guys, we are done! Nigella ready?" Allie asks me.

"Of course I am!" I respond.

A few minutes later, Mr. Kevin walks into the fourth floor of the building, his classes take place in the fifth.
He's breathing heavily.
He brought the kid with him.

"Mr. Kevin!" I appear from behind the many empty boxes piled up in this storage unit-ish place. "Could I talk to you?" I ask him.

"Who are ya?" He asks me angrily, with fear.
He pushed the kid behind him, but then he vanishes.
This freaks Kevin out.
"What the freaking hell! Where is the kid? Who are you?" He shouts at me, taking out a gun from his pocket.

"Woah woah! Just gotta talk to you. Check me. I'm unarmed!" I said raising my hand up into the air.

He comes closer to me with the gun still pointed towards me in his hand. He checks my coat pockets using his unoccupied hand.

"Idiot!" I speak under my breath as I take out the pepper spray from his very own coat pocket and spray it in his eyes.
Soon from behind Jason and Eric appear and lock his hands dragging him back to his feet.

From behind another load of boxes Chris comes out with the young boy.

"You did well kid!" I pat him on the head.

"How the hell did you-" Kevin the murderer speaks.

"Find out?" Jason finishes.
We fill him in.

It is only possible for him to have murdered the kid. It's his students and only he would have the keys to both floors four and five.
He owns them.
He is bloody rich for the few number of students he's got. So he murders kids as a source of income.
How? Does he have a sponsor?
He never asked for ransom.

How we got him?
We found about the kid, kept him informed, planted the pepper spray into his coat, made him hide behind with Chris.

"It was well executed. Wasn't it?" Eric asks him.

We take him down and try to get him inside the police car. We had called them here.

He tried to run away, making the cops shoot at him. And he fell on to the ground.

I go near him, Jason checks his pulse.
He nods his head.

He's dying.

"Tell me! You have a sponsor. A boss! Who is it?" I ask him.

He laughs, "No!"

"Well then, this will be painful!" I tell him lifting my leg to step on his wound.

"Draco!!!! That's his name!" He screams. And dies on the spot.

He's dead.
Dead!