Seventy One

CHAPTER 71

Greek's house, New York.

"I did hate him, but that doesn't mean I killed him."

Veronica clearly did not accept it when a secretary accused her of being the mastermind of her own husband's death. It made no sense to her.

But Rose also repeatedly said that she received threatening messages sent by Veronica. She could even prove her point with successive messages asking her to poison Mr. Rich Greek or else her life would suffer.

"But these messages were sent through your cell phone, Madam," Nicholas snapped.

"I've told you several times, I never sent him such messages," Veronica screeched. She was now sitting on the sofa with her two bodyguards at the back, while Nicholas interrogated her.

The broad-shouldered detective had also contacted Noel and asked him to come immediately with a police officer from his team to arrest the two women.

"Didn't all the property and inheritance rights go to you after your husband's death?" Nicholas asked suspiciously. His eyes also scrutinized Veronica. Would he discover the truth from the blue-eyed look before him?

But Veronica's next reaction was to shudder in disgust and cross her arms over her chest. "You think I killed him because of all this money?" She snorted. "Just so you know, he wouldn't have even been able to expand his business without my family's financial support," she said smugly. He also leaned towards Nicholas and glared. "So watch your language while I am still being kind."

Nicholas did not flinch. There was no fear on the detective's face, even though the woman had threatened him just now. Instead, he let out a long sigh and turned to Rose. "Then where did you get those poisons, Miss Rose?"

The blonde-haired girl again looked at Nicholas nervously. She could only play with her fingers on her thighs to ease the trembling that had been coming from her body all along. "The message said that the poison was in Mr. Greek's room." The black eyes glanced at Veronica for a moment. "So, I just followed the instructions."

Nicholas' brow furrowed deeply. And before returning to the question, he exchanged glances with Alicia who was sitting next to Rose. "You mean, the poison seemed to have been planned to be there?"

And Rose nodded in agreement. "Mrs. Veronica--"

"It wasn't me!" cut Veronica off quickly. She also glared when Rose turned to her.

"The message kept threatening me," she corrected. "It said it would stop all of my mother's treatments and that my life would suffer if I didn't comply." His face was then downcast, staring resignedly at the tiles beneath his feet. "I didn't mean to kill her. But my mother... is everything to me."

"He's telling the truth," Alicia said suddenly.

After the girl's silence from the beginning of the interrogation, her voice now sounded like it was calming the atmosphere. Veronica was still glaring sarcastically at her, but Rose turned to her with a look of relief. In fact, Rose was grateful that finally someone - maybe - was on her side in this complicated situation.

"He's just bait," Alicia continued. She then looked at Veronica who immediately looked away from her. "And so is she."

The blue-eyed woman who had been reluctant to listen to Alicia, hurriedly turned her head and widened her eyes in disbelief. "Me?"

Nicholas looked at Alicia now. He hoped that she would immediately explain everything she had just said to him. "How do you mean, Alicia?"

"The culprit is probably Mrs. Veronica or Miss Rose," she said as she looked at Veronica and Rose in turn. "But they both had concrete alibis at the time of the incident."

Nicholas nodded in agreement. "So, which one of them should we make the suspect now?"

"Hey!" exclaimed Mrs. Veronica. "I told you, I didn't do anything. I didn't do it!" She clearly did not like it when Nicholas accused her again. "Can't you see my honesty here too, young lady?" he asked Alicia, laden with sarcasm.

But before she could answer, Noel and two other policemen had entered and approached them. "Detective," he called out, breaking the ice.

And all eyes were now on her. "Have we been able to bring the suspect to the police station?"

The handsome detective finally got up from the sofa with a soft sigh. He stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and nodded his head. "We need to bring Miss Rose." Rose gave him a worried look. "After all, you were the one who put the poison in her drink on purpose."

The blonde woman burst into tears, as the officer took her by the arm and led her away from the living room of the house. Mrs. Veronica, meanwhile, still adamantly refused to be taken.

"I told you, I never sent any message to that woman!" she exclaimed. She then gave Nicholas an annoyed look. "I should have told my bodyguard to send you away earlier."

But the tall detective only let out a short breath as he massaged his temples that were starting to feel dizzy from Mrs. Veronica's behavior. "We'll still take you to the police station to be a witness, Madam," he tried to explain. "We won't put you in jail right away. Can you be a little cooperative and show some dignity now?"

It took a while for the hard heart to finally melt on its own. The woman in her black blouse and gray blazer then got up from the sofa and turned to the bodyguards standing behind her. "I will go with them. Keep a close watch on the house in my absence, don't let anyone sabotage my things." After giving the order, Madame Veronica finally walked out with Noel following behind her.

Afterward, Alicia and Nicholas also got up. They were now facing each other with a look that seemed awkward.

"So... it's over, isn't it?" Alicia shrugged her shoulders.

And Nicholas nodded his head slowly. "Yes, it's over." He clearly said it with a feeling of insincerity. Because after all, if the case was over it meant that Nicholas and Alicia had to part ways and would never see each other again, as per their agreement.

"I'm glad this case is over sooner than I thought," Alicia said with relief.

Meanwhile, Nicholas only smiled slightly in response to Alicia's words. "But how do we know that Madame Veronica will come clean about her relationship with Natalie Heele?" asked Nicholas, still trying to find an excuse.

Then Alicia smiled. "Urge her and tell her that you will sue her for buying expensive paintings through the illegal market," she suggested.

"How did you know that this painting was bought from the illegal market?"

But the black-haired girl chuckled. "I don't know. But there's no harm in trying, right?"

"Huh. You did it again," Nicholas said with a light chuckle. He then crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Alicia. "Where are you going after this?"

"I think I'll go to the movies with Brittany." Alicia shrugged her shoulders. "I promised."

Then all Nicholas could do was nod in understanding and try to let it all go. Eventually, this goodbye would come, wouldn't it? "All right then. Let me take you home, Alicia." She smiled bitterly. "It all ends here in the end, huh."

After agreeing to Nicholas' offer, Alicia walked out of the living room. The case was over, but it felt like... she was missing something.

What was it that Alicia had missed? []