10. Lead

The reporter had no words to say and he lowered his head, utterly embarrassed by how things had turned out to be. Not only had he been humiliated by the police and the NCI, but he had also made a fool of himself in front of his peers. Unable to face the ignominy anymore, he departed from the place immediately.

Daniel and Derek smiled at Elise gratefully while the lady faced the other reporters who had gone silent after her valiant attack.

"If any of you here is going to ask such stupid questions, I suggest you leave right away. Otherwise, you'll only disgrace yourself. I don't mind thrashing stupid people black and blue if that is what they're looking for." She warned and when she noticed that the threat had been registered by them, she stepped back again, allowing the two police officers to take over.

"Good job." Kia whispered the moment she was back to her place and Elise gave him a curt nod. 

Since the nuisance was gone, Daniel and Derek could handle the other reporters and Elise didn't have to butt in again.

"Thanks a lot, Agent Winslow." Daniel was filled with gratitude and Derek nodded in agreement.

"Not a problem. The reporters can be a pain in the ass and some times, we need to give them their own medicine to shut them up." Elise stated. "Don't hesitate to call me if the reporters trouble you again in the future. I'll handle them."

"Surely."

"Have you tried to track Craig Tyrell's call records?"

"On it. But it's going to take some time."

"Understandable."

"Agent Winslow, are you two the only ones from the NCI who'll be helping us in the investigation?" Derek gave her a look which Elise was all too familiar with.

"Yes. Since the case is registered with the police, we two are the only ones assisting you. But if it goes to the NCI, it might be a different scenario altogether." Elise replied and glanced at Kai, who returned her gaze with a cryptic expression of his own.

"Sir!" One of the policemen interrupted them and all the four looked at him questioningly before noticing the man beside him.

"We have found a witness." The policeman said and glanced at the man beside him. "He witnessed the blast and even has a recording on his phone."

Elise narrowed her eyes and observed him carefully. The man seemed to be of South East origin and in his mid thirties. He was visibly shaken and she felt bad for him. After a long, arduous day, he should've had a weekend to relax. Instead, he was here as a witness to a bomb blast, a nightmare which no one ever should go through. Moreover, it'd take him years, maybe never to get out of the trauma.

"What do you have for us?" Derek took the lead and questioned him.

"It was all...all..." The man stuttered and wiped his forehead. His face went pale as he recalled the dreadful incident while his hands shook.

"Calm down, Sir. Take a deep breath." Derek guided him to breathe properly, making sure that he'd not start hyperventilating again. "Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out."

The man followed his instructions and took slow breaths to calm himself and eventually, he was able to gain hold of himself.

"It all happened suddenly." He started once he had calmed down. "One moment, the warehouse was here and the next instant, it just exploded before my eyes."

"Where were you when the explosion happened?" Daniel pitched in a question and the man glanced towards his right immediately.

"I was quite far away, Sir, quite a few meters away."

"Show us the video you have." Kai ordered and the man played the video he had managed to capture. It was shaky and they couldn't see much from it. But the audio was clear and they heard three successive explosions go off followed by some noise.

"I captured the video after the two blasts." The man explained as he stared at the four people before him in fear.

"May we know what you were doing here? Did you work here?" Elise questioned and turned around to survey her surroundings. 

The warehouse was in a secluded area, away from any habitation. There was no other buildings for miles together. So, she couldn't help but doubt the man and link him to Craig Tyrell or even the mastermind who planned the blast.

"No, Ma'am. My friend works here and I came here because he promised that he'd help me get a job in the warehouse." The man replied honestly and Elise's lips thinned into a straight line.

"What's your friend's name?"

"Mike Wang."

"Anyone identified as a Mike Wang here among the dead?" She darted a glance at the two policemen who shook her head.

"We're yet to identify the corpses. Some of them are completely blown up, leaving nothing but ash. So, there is a high chance we might find nothing as well." Daniel explained and the man's eyes rolled in shock before he collapsed to the ground.

Derek was quick to catch him and he sought help from the other policeman who had brought him to them to take him to the medics.

"This is going to be a headache." Derek mumbled loud enough for the others to hear him.

"If only there was any CCTV cameras here." Daniel sighed and shook his head. 

Elise didn't say anything. She was waiting for Rosy's message. She was the only one who could help her at that moment.

"Officer Blake, Officer Lewis, have you dispatched men to Craig Tyrell's mansion and his office?" Kai questioned and when the two men nodded at him, he quirked his brow enquiringly.

"We're waiting for updates from our team. There should be something from them soon."

"While you're at it, make sure to check his laptop or other personal devices as well. There is a high chance we may find something." Elise added all of a sudden and Daniel immediately sent his team a message regarding the same.

Right at that moment, Elise's phone vibrated and she didn't have to guess who had texted her. 'Rosy. Please have something for me.' She prayed and opened her message, only for her eyes to widen in shock when she saw the reply.

Black Opal.

'Wasn't it the same club we were at some time ago?' Elise's eyes darkened and she glanced at Kai who was watching her keenly. He gave her an interrogative look when he noticed her staring at him and she tilted her phone towards him so that he could take a good look at the screen.

Kai's eyes rounded and his head shot to Elise immediately after he read the message.

"Black Opal? Craig Tyrell was at Black Opal?" Kai couldn't hide the surprise in his voice  and exclaimed loud enough for the two policemen to hear him.

"Did you just say Craig Tyrell was at Black Opal?" Daniel too was flummoxed and while Derek's face turned grave.

"Yes. My sources say that Craig Tyrell was last found entering Black Opal." Elise didn't hide the truth from them and bit her tongue in distress.

"Shit! You do know who Black Opal belongs to right?" Derek was in denial. Even though they had narrowed down the suspects, they still didn't wish for the ones who Black Opal belonged to to be the ones.

Elise's eyes flashed with a mysterious glint as she stared ahead. She knew who the club belonged to and she more or less had an inkling that they had got their culprit. But handling them would not just be a headache but a perilous task. 

After all, they were the Sephyr twins.