One Hundred and Fourty Two

CHAPTER 142

Mr. Donovan and Maria came out of the VVIP room, where Wilson Blake took his time to fall back asleep. Liliana quickly prepared treatment for Wilson's condition. The man had made it through the critical period amidst the heated political atmosphere. The business world was not doing well and Wilson's recovery was like a breath of fresh air for all his colleagues.

Maria looked up after checking her cell phone. "All the partners are calling me, Sir!"

"Have they heard about Mr. Blake's recovery? How do they know?" Mr. Donovan looked at Maria, but she just shook her head. The business world is tough, you never realize who is on your side and who will play the role of spy and traitor. Maria then raised her cell phone in the air. She shook it lightly. "They even keep calling, it seems they are very curious about Mr. Blake's health condition, Mr. Donovan. What should we do now?"

Mr. Donovan looked down, removing his face from Maria. He seemed to think for quite a while before finally sighing and making an important decision. "We'll call a meeting, the investors and colleagues must be very curious as to whether or not they will continue doing business with Golden Group. Besides, the company has been in crisis since Mr. Blake was hospitalized and Ace went to jail. It's time to give the business associates a sense of calm."

"Yes, Mr. Donovan. When will we hold this business meeting and where?"

Mr. Donovan thought some more, and finally said, "Early next week. We still need to see the progress of Mr. Blake's condition. We don't know if this progress is temporary or if he is completely recovered."

Maria nodded her head obediently.

"Now, we should go back to the office and start tidying up the company's financial statements. Mr. Blake will probably audit the company as soon as his health improves."

"Yes, Mr. Donovan."

****

Ambulance sirens and sirens from police patrol cars blaring at each other filled the streets of Avenue Center. It was on the other side of downtown New York. Everyone was swarming because they had just found a man's body on the beach. The body was found bound, with a rock deposited in his abdomen. It looked like the man's killer wanted to make the body sink in the water, but the strong currents below the surface of the water and the rope ties that were about to come apart, caused the weight of the stone to decrease. Judging from the size of the tear in the victim's T-shirt, the police immediately concluded that the stones placed on his stomach were very large. But as the man's corpse floated to the surface, the stones began to diminish as they were carried away by the current.

Noel let out a long sigh after examining the corpse lying on the shore. the police line had already been set up. His eyes scanned the surroundings as he finally asked his partner, "Was he found this morning?"

"Yes, the man's body was found by a tourist from Australia," Hendrick said. The man pointed to the north side, at the two women who were sitting with the police guard. "I'm holding them so they can testify for us."

"That's nice, but you'll scare him off," Noel replied and tapped Hendrick lightly on the shoulder. He then walked towards the two tourists sitting with a cloth covering their half-damp clothes. Taking his cell phone from his pants pocket, he called Nicholas. "Nicholas, you should come here. There's a man's body on the beach. I'll check for witnesses first while waiting for you. See you later."

And Noel turned off the phone after talking to Nicholas. He let out a short sigh before walking over to the two female tourists. Smiling politely, Noel began to speak. "Excuse me, ladies. Can... I talk to you now?"

As Noel approached the two tourists, their faces looked surprised and worried. He noticed their interlocked hands, a sign of mutual support amidst the chaos around them.

"Hi," Noel began softly, trying to ease the tension in the air. "I'm Detective Noel, from the NYPD. I understand this might be distressing for you, but we need your help to understand what's going on here. Can you tell me if you saw anything unusual this morning?"

The younger of the two, a woman with deep brown eyes, bit her lip, looking very shaken. "We were just walking along the beach. It was supposed to be a quiet morning stroll," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "Then, we saw something in the water. At first, we thought it was debris, but as we got closer, we realized..." Her voice trailed off, unable to articulate the horrific scene they had encountered.

Her colleague, a blonde woman, squeezed her hand for reassurance before continuing. "It was the corpse of a man, tied up with a rock in his stomach. We... we couldn't believe it. It was like something out of a movie."

Noel nodded in understanding, his gaze full of sympathy. "I know this is difficult, but your testimony could help us gather information about what happened. Did you see anyone around the area? Or any unusual activity?"

The younger woman shook her head. "No, it was very quiet. Just the waves and seagulls. It happened around seven o'clock this morning, Detective."

As Noel scribbled notes in her notebook, she sensed their discomfort and offered a reassuring smile. "Thank you for your cooperation. I assure you, we will do everything possible to resolve this matter. Do you have a place to rest or someone we can call for you?"

The older woman smiled weakly. "Yes, we'll stay at a nearby hotel. And thank you, Detective."

Noel nodded, signaling the police officer to render them assistance. He stepped back, making room for the women, then glanced at Hendrick, who was watching from a distance.

Back at the crime scene, Noel's mind raced. There were no witnesses in sight, and the circumstances surrounding the man's death were confusing. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the investigation ahead.