One Hundred and ninety five

CHAPTER 195

Day turned to night, and Peter carefully observed Hendrick's every move. He follows him silently, blending into the bustle of the city. Tensions rise as Peter struggles to reconcile the coworkers he knows with the potential threat Nicholas has uncovered.

One night, Hendrick receives a mysterious phone call. His voice was quiet, his eyes leering nervously. Peter, hidden in the shadows, strained to catch snatches of the conversation. Something was not right.

The next day, Peter quietly reported the incident to Nicholas, who listened intently. "We must act carefully," Nicholas warned. "Keep following him, Peter. We're on the verge of something big."

As Peter continues his reconnaissance, he discovers a secret meeting between Hendrick and a shadowy figure in a dimly lit hallway. The plot gets more complicated as they exchange secret packages. Peter, hidden in the shadows, takes photos as evidence. He sends it to Nicholas.

"What exactly are you hiding from the rest of us, Hendrick?" mutters Peter, before he stops following Hendrick.

Peter had to stop his snooping as if he were a professional spy because he had an appointment with Hendrick. Hendrick had asked him to come over to talk about Jason's murder, and it was at Fast Coffee that they finally met.

Guilty of being a secret spy, Peter arrived wearing a blue coat and slightly oversized pants. His spectacled eyes displayed a hidden glint to trick Hendrick. He waved when he found Hendrick already seated at one of the tables, it was the end table with a small board with the number twenty on it.

"Hey, Peter."

Peter scratched his neck awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm a little late." He took a seat across from Hendrick, then grabbed a tissue from the table, "It's so cold outside, my coat got wet from the cold."

Hendrick chuckled, he then handed Peter the menu book on the table. "What would you like to drink? Looks like you need something hot, young man."

Peter nodded in agreement. He tried his best not to show his suspicion to Hendrick. "Maybe, I need something hot," he said, then picking up the menu book, he looked through the list of food and drinks with hunger in his stomach. "Looks like I need some food too."

"Buy whatever you want, I'll pay for everything."

Suddenly Peter felt uncomfortable with the offer. He smiled a little and said, "You don't have to do that. I can pay for my own food."

"Come on, don't I always pay for your food and drinks? You're being weird today," Hendrick said.

Peter then came to his senses. He just remembered that what Hendrick said was true. Whenever they both got assignments in the field, Hendrick always spent money on his junior. And without realizing it, Peter had just shown a different attitude. That made Peter pull the corners of his lips together awkwardly. "I'm embarrassed that you keep spending money. I knew that it would cost you money."

Hendrick laughed, "Haha, you don't have to think about that. Now, order some food and drinks, I'll pay."

After Peter thought about it some more, Hendrick had more money than he had anticipated. Indeed, the salary from the office wouldn't be that big. But look at it now! Hendrick even ordered the most expensive coffee and was still able to offer Peter to eat with him. Peter frowned and muttered to himself, Where did all this money Hendrick had come from? He must have other sources of money, but, where?

After ordering, Hendrick let the waiters do their job. He then cleared his throat and started a conversation with Peter. "I asked you to meet here because I wanted to ask, have you found any information about Jason's children? It seems like you've been doing other investigations behind my back and I wanted to confirm it."

Peter hesitated for a moment, surprised by Hendrick's direct question. He quickly composed himself, deciding to tread carefully. "I... uh, I've been trying to gather as much information as possible, Hendrick. You know, for this case."

Hendrick raised his eyebrows, a flicker of suspicion crossing his face. "Is it true now? Because Nicholas says you've been pretty persistent lately. More than what this case needs, don't you think?"

Peter feigned innocence, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "Well, you know me, always trying to be thorough. Just doing my job."

Hendrick leaned back, watching Peter intently. "You're not hiding anything from me, are you, Peter? Something you probably should have told me?"

Caught in a web of lies, Peter took a deep breath. "No, of course not, Hendrick. I'm just trying to help solve this case. We all want justice for Jason, don't we?"

Hendrick's gaze lingered for a moment before he relaxed, seemingly satisfied with Peter's answer. "Right, right. We need to find those responsible. It's just that something's been weird lately, you know? The atmosphere in the office, the tension."

Peter took the opportunity to steer the conversation away from his secret activities. "Yeah, it's been tough for everyone. But we'll get through it. By the way, did you find anything new in your investigation?"

Hendrick hesitated, looking around him as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "I've found some clues, but they're sensitive. I can't share everything yet. Just... be careful, Peter. There's more at play here than meets the eye."

The cryptic warning made Peter even more curious and suspicious. As the conversation continued, he couldn't shake the feeling that Hendrick was hiding something important. The dinner passed tensely, leaving Peter with more questions than answers. Subsequently, it was small talk that filled their meetings. The chatter about Jason was just a distraction that drew little attention.

After parting ways with Hendrick, Peter met with Nicholas to share the details of the conversation.

"Can we meet now, Detective? I don't think I can hold this information alone." Peter looked around, after Hendrick left first, Peter felt a little relieved, but he was still haunted by feelings of apprehension and suspicion. Biting his lip, Peter continued, "Hendrick suspects me for Jason's case."