One Hundred and seventy one

CHAPTER 171

Nicholas handed Alicia a plastic sandwich when he arrived at the hospital. After leaving for about thirty minutes to stand in line, Nicholas finally arrived.

"It's not my favorite sandwich, but it's good. I got it across the hospital," Nicholas said trying to be honest. He smiled, then handed over the plastic once more. "You should eat, you've just seen something you shouldn't."

Alicia just looked up as she listened to all of Nicholas' words. The girl knew that Nicholas was trying to comfort her from the horrible incident she had just encountered. And it was only after a while that the girl reached out, accepting the sandwich in the plastic bag that Nicholas handed her.

"Thank you for the food."

Nicholas nodded in agreement, then sat down next to Alicia. They used the chairs in the corridor to rest, waiting for Ethan and Uncle Chuck until they could both testify to the discovery of the mysterious man's body in the river.

"Is Ethan awake? he looks in pain," said Nicholas, after he chewed the last of the food in his mouth.

Alicia opened the layer of paper that wrapped the sandwich. Then the girl nodded her head slowly. "I've checked on him and he's awake. But, he's still very weak. The nurse just gave him a drink and some medicine, he should be fine soon."

"What about Uncle Chuck? That old man is coming, isn't he?"

"Sure, Uncle Chuck is on his way."

They ate takeaway sandwiches with meat and vegetables. It didn't taste too bad compared to the flavorless hospital porridge. Alicia was already feeling better than she had a few hours earlier.

"I'm sorry that you had to get involved in someone else's death again," sighed Nicholas, feeling guilty for Alicia.

Alicia turned her head, watching Nicholas' face as he finished his sandwich. There was a look of disappointment and regret on his face, Alicia was quite aware of how embarrassed Nicholas was to have to involve Alicia in these cases again. "I was taking a walk in the countryside when I came across that corpse, Nick. Why do you think that it's your fault? We all accidentally found him there, after all... not all deaths are related to Ace, right?"

Nicholas made a long mumble, but did not nod his head. He crumpled the remaining plastic of his sandwich. His brown eyes then wandered around. Letting out a disgusted sigh, Nicholas muttered, "I'm getting sick of hearing Ace's name in my ear. It's starting to bother me."

Alicia's hand moved to touch the back of Nicholas' hand. It made Nicholas turn his head quickly. His attention was now focused on Alicia who was looking at him with concern. If he had to draw a picture of it, Nicholas would probably describe it as a sad, disappointed, tired look, all mixed together.

"You must be strong. This is a case that we must face together."

Hearing Alicia's words, Nicholas became embarrassed. He took Alicia's hand, grasped it regretfully and nodded his head slowly. They knew that the case they were facing was a serious one that was interconnected, they needed to find the center.

"Alicia!"

Alicia and Nicholas suddenly let go of their hands so as not to cause a misunderstanding, when Uncle Chuck ran over in the distance. Alicia stood up after throwing the plastic in her hand into a nearby trash can.

"Uncle Chuck?"

"How is Ethan, is he awake?" Uncle Chuck wanted to make sure.

Alicia nodded, she pointed towards the back and said, "He's still in bed, but the nurse just gave him some medicine. How about we go there and check on him again?"

"That's a good idea."

They then went to check on Ethan. Ethan was still in the emergency room and was getting treatment. The doctor said Ethan could go home soon, so there was no need to move him to the hospitalization room.

The room was not too crowded. There were only a few people who were also admitted next to Ethan's bed. Alicia, Uncle Chuck and Nicholas also surrounded Ethan who was now raising his bed.

"Are you okay, Ethan?" Uncle Chuck confirmed. He held up a brown plastic bag in his hand and shook it in the air. "I brought you some plain yogurt. I hear probiotics are good for your digestion."

"Thanks, Uncle," Ethan mumbled, he still looked very weak. However, Ethan's gaze fell on Nicholas. "Aren't you the policeman who came to see us earlier?"

"That's right. I've asked Alicia a lot of questions, but I need to confirm them with you two as well." Nicholas looked at Ethan, then at Uncle Chuck in turn. "Do you have any problem with that?"

Ethan nodded weakly, admitting Nicholas' presence. "No problem. We just need to finish this, so we can move on."

Nicholas took out a notebook and pen, ready to record the details. "I appreciate your cooperation. Now, let's go back to the beginning. Can you two explain what happened before you found the body in the river?"

Alicia, Uncle Chuck, and Ethan exchanged glances, gathering their thoughts before Ethan began to recount the events. As he spoke, the room seemed to fade away, and the three found themselves back at the ill-fated encounter near the riverbank.

"I should have taken them both home in the truck, but instead I stalled the truck by the river and made us all look at the man's body," Uncle Chuck said guiltily. He sighed, then looked at Nicholas. "This incident never happened before, Detective. It was a safe area, everyone knew each other because it was a rural area on the outskirts of the city."

"You mean... everyone knows their neighbors?" Nicholas confirmed.

"You're right. That's why the discovery of this corpse will definitely stir up the village." Uncle Chuck sighed in disappointment. He didn't expect something bad like this to happen. "I hope my factory doesn't have to close temporarily, since the factory and the river are quite close."

"As long as your factory is not involved in the case, I don't think you need to close it."

Uncle Chuck made a face, he raised his eyebrows. "I think I should talk to the people in the village."

Hearing that Uncle Chuck seemed to be very close to the people in the countryside, made Nicholas get an idea. He then squinted, then cleared his throat softly. "Uncle Chuck, can you help me talk to the people around there about the discovery of this corpse?"

"Sure. I'll help."