One Hundred and sixty five

CHAPTER 165

When everyone was staring at Elden, he just looked relaxed and shrugged his shoulders innocently. Elden gave a small smile. "Because someone who leaves their home for a long time, will tend to want to check if their home, their family is alright."

Nicholas agreed with that. He then looked at Noel. "Anyway, is there anything else about Jill, that could be a clue?"

"Nothing, Nick. Jill got out of prison at the time the police said she would," Noel said, pulling out a note from the journal he had previously given to Elden. "No one has seen him since he was put on probation. No criminal record. No problems with other inmates. So, do you think we should rule him a victim or a perpetrator?"

"He took his daughter away because he couldn't pay the hospital fees, which is illegal. And, if no one else is proven to have entered the cliff house, that means she was the one who poisoned his daughter. He is the perpetrator in the case, but his body was found on the beach, and there was a rock tied in front of his chest, he must have been murdered."

"'He couldn't have killed himself, could he?" Hendrick tried to speak up.

"You mean, Jill tied a rock to himself to make it look like a murder?" Noel asked, and Hendrick nodded his head. "That could be, but why would he do that?"

"Because he wanted to make it look like his death was caused by someone else and that someone else was Ace," Noel assumed.

But Hendrick and Noel's opinions were quickly dismissed by Nicholas. He raised his hands in the air, waving them around. "That's impossible! Highly unlikely. The chances are very slim. It's a strange and troublesome suicide trick, especially if you've just killed your own daughter, your mental and emotional state would be shaken, Jill wouldn't be able to do that, he cared for his daughter so much. It must be Ace's doing, Ace killed Jill and his daughter, he made us think that way to get him out of this mess."

Noel frowned, she folded her arms across her chest. "You're not saying that because there's a personal problem between you, Ace and Alicia, are you?"

"No, no, no. I saw a different pattern between Ace's movements, and some of the cases we're working on. Especially because of the masked man who attacked me in the forest." Nicholas pointed at Elden, as if he had just remembered the junior detective's whereabouts. "Ah, I was shot in the forest. There was a mysterious man in a cloak-"

"It was a raincoat, not a cloak!" Noel confirmed.

"It was a raincoat, that's right. He was this tall, I think," Nicholas raised a hand, pointed it in front of his eyes and then moved it back and forth. Then nodded in agreement. "He has broad shoulders... Well, it's nothing like Ace, but I'm sure it's Ace."

"Nicholas... can you stop looking at this case from your perspective?" Noel reminded.

"I'm serious, Noel. He is indeed different from the style of killers I've encountered at Golden High School and Golden University. Even when that guy attacked me and Alicia, he immediately shot me without putting up a one vs one fight. They must be different people, but I'm sure that Ace is still related to that case."

Noel added that he explained to Elden. "This case is related to a case that happened a few years ago. You can check it out like Peter. Peter worked hard enough to find out about that case." Noel looked at Peter, then pointed at the young man with determination. "Peter, tell the case to Elden when you're free."

"Yes, sir!" Peter replied quickly.

"How about we just go back to the cliff house? We wait for a few days, don't criminals always return to the crime scene?"

Hendrick piped up. "But we've been watching the house for days and Ace hasn't shown up. What if Jill wasn't killed by Ace?"

"That's it, that's enough. We can't assume anything until we find Ace." Nicholas ended the conversation, then tapped the surface of the table and pointed at Peter. "Peter, you and Elden can go out now. Help Elden study the case, and you can go check the cliff house one more time. Check everything again. Prove that Jill did commit suicide or was killed by someone. Oh, and, you should go back to the beach. Check if anyone else saw Jill's killer there."

Peter and Elden exchanged glances, and then they nodded together. "Yes, Chief!"

"We're dismissing the meeting. Oh, Hendrick, can you double-check all the CCTVs and witnesses in the prison, there's no way any of those inmates didn't see Ace leave. If you can find that undercover cop, you'll definitely be able to find Ace."

Hendrick who had been given the order could only nod his head. "Yes, sir."

"You guys can go, Noel and I will check Alicia's parents' house."

Noel raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Again? We've already checked it twice, Nick?"

"That's you and the field team, while I haven't checked it a second time. I need to make sure we haven't missed anything." Nicholas sighed, "all this calm and peace disappeared after the explosion and fire at Alicia's parents' house, we will connect patterns that could be interconnected there."

Noel had no choice but to roll his eyes lazily and agree to Nicholas' request, even though they seemed to be walking in place. Spinning around like they had lost their compass.

Nicholas moved on, he looked at the entire team under his feet, then spoke with enthusiasm and excitement, "Today, we must find a truly useful clue. Otherwise, I will make you all clean the prison bathroom for a month straight."

Sighs of disgust could be heard from the people. They hated being asked to clean the prison bathroom. Prisoners were slobs, their bathrooms were dirty and smelly. Who would bother to clean those bathrooms?

"You're really annoying, Nick," Noel said, leaving the meeting room first.