One hundred and ninety six

CHAPTER 196

Chasing the night, Peter finally met up with Nicholas. Since the time on his watch was already ten, Nicholas decided to drop Peter off in his car.

"I'll take you home," Nicholas said.

They then cut through the night city streets just to talk in the car.

"Hendrick went home first," Peter said to start the conversation.

As Nicholas looked at the streets ahead, people were still out and about as they passed through the nightlife district. Nicholas' eyes scanned casually.

"What did you meet outside the office last night to talk about?"

"It was just small talk at first, Chief. Um, Hendrick asked about my activities outside of our investigation. It's about Jason, he might be suspicious that I'm working too hard." Peter nodded his head, "He probably suspects me of too much activity without involving him."

Nicholas muttered, he turned the steering wheel to the right, then responded, "Does he suspect you of investigating more things?"

Peter nodded his head, he rubbed his chin with heavy consideration on his head. "He just wondered why I was investigating Jason's case alone, and he said that he had information."

Nicholas' eyebrows furrowed, he glanced at Peter who sat looking out the window beside him. "Did he share his information?"

"No, Hendrick said he needed more evidence to corroborate this information."

Nodding his head in agreement, Nicholas tried to understand Peter's words. He then remembered the picture message Peter had sent a few hours ago. "By the way, about the message you sent me, what exactly did he do?"

Peter turned his head, he also just remembered the discovery. "Ah, I had forgotten about that, Detective. I was watching Hendrick, and he met someone, a man with a fat body, um, the man wasn't taller than Hendrick, but he wasn't short either, I couldn't see him clearly because they met in the dimly lit passage under the bridge. Hendrick received a large box, but I can't be sure of the contents."

Nicholas pursed his lips, his eyes narrowed to look around. Nodding his head, the man pointed at the street ahead. "Is my house to the right or the left?"

"Take the right side, Detective. My house is at that turn," Peter told him.

"Okay." Nicholas followed Peter's directions, he took the right side and turned. There was a small road there, and Nicholas drove the car carefully. "We'll be there soon, right?"

"There, that's my house!"

After hearing Peter's announcement, Nicholas slammed on the brakes to slow down. He pulled over to the right side, stopping in front of a simple gray house.

"Would you like to stop by, Chief?"

Nicholas grinned, and nodded his assent. "No, thank you. You've worked hard, you should get some rest."

Peter adjusted his glasses, then smiled a little and nodded in agreement. "Yes, Chief."

"Thank you for your information. I'll be in touch if I need any more help. Until we find evidence on Hendrick, you must keep your mouth shut about this secret investigation."

Peter obediently followed Nicholas' orders. "I'm off, Chief. Thank you for escorting me."

Nicholas watched Peter leave until the young man completely disappeared from his sight and entered the house. This was the first time Nicholas had seen Peter's house since the few months Peter had been with the Major Crimes Division. It was a simple house, but in retrospect, Nicholas had never been to Hendrick's house. He had been looking into it and perhaps finding out the whereabouts of Hendrick's house would be his ultimate destination.

He then returned to Alicia's flat, they had decided to live together ever since Ace had attacked her. This was for safety.

Nicholas' car stopped, he looked around, and took his cell phone from inside his coat to check for messages from Peter. There was a picture message, Hendrick and a man shaking hands with a large box between them.

"What exactly are you doing behind my back, Hendrick?"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The knocking sound on the car window was Alicia. Alicia waved and smiled.

Surprised by the knock on his car window, Nicholas quickly pocketed his cell phone, composed himself, and rolled down the window. Alicia greeted him with a warm smile.

"Nicholas, I just got back from the store. Do you need anything?" she asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

Nicholas shook his head, trying to hide the tension in his voice. "No, I'm fine. Just finished some work-related discussions with Peter. How was your day?"

Alicia leaned back in the car, her eyes watching Nicholas for a moment. "Fine, but I know something is bothering you. What's going on?"

Nicholas hesitated, debating whether he should tell Alicia. As he looked into Alicia's concerned eyes, he decided to open up a little. "It's just a matter of work, a complicated case. There's nothing for you to worry about."

Alicia nodded in understanding, although a glint of worry remained in her eyes. "Alright, if you say so. Just remember, I'm here if you want to talk about it."

Nicholas managed to smile gratefully, appreciating Alicia's support. "Thank you, Alicia. I'll keep that in mind. Now, let's go inside. It's been a long night."

They walked towards their apartment, the cool night air enveloping them. Inside, the soft glow of the lights created a cozy atmosphere. Nicholas couldn't shake the uneasiness of Peter's revelation about Hendrick and the mysterious encounter.

As they sat in the living room, Alicia spoke up, breaking the silence. "Nicholas, I've been thinking. Maybe we should plan a weekend getaway, just the two of us. It might help take your mind off work for a while."

Nicholas considered her suggestion, realizing that he needed a break from the intensifying investigation. "That sounds like a good idea, Alicia. I would love to see you excited about this. Let's plan something for next weekend."

As they discussed potential destinations and activities, Nicholas couldn't get the image of Hendrick and the mysterious man out of his mind. The weekend getaway had been a pleasant distraction, a chance to temporarily escape the clutches of the ongoing investigation.

Little did Nicholas know, the upcoming weekend would not only bring respite, but also unexpected twists that would challenge the very core of the case against him. The shadows of that night are far from over, and the web of intrigue is about to tighten even further, leaving Nicholas and Alicia caught in its intricate threads.