15 Chapter 15: Walkie-Talkie
Third Person POV:
When the night came, Doctor Larry Dawson went home from his work. The street was full of young people partying all night. It seemed fun, but at the same time, it was risky. The night was the time when danger lurked.
Doctor Larry arrived home safely without any danger.
Or so, that was what he thought.
In front of his door, there was a bulk of files containing evidence of illegal organ trafficking. Those files belonged to the hospital where he was working. He had no idea how the files got there.
A note was at the top of the file.
'Go to the abandoned building on the right side of your house. You know what's this about. You may burn the evidence, but keep in mind that I have copies of it.'
It was blackmail.
The message was written using a bad-looking letter which made it impossible to identify who the writer was.
Despite the threat, Doctor Larry refused to go. He entered his house, ignoring the blackmailer's call. He decided to make a counter plan.
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- Doctor Larry's House -
Doctor Larry sat on the sofa and placed the file on the table. He pulled out his phone to call the police.
Using the evidence, Doctor Larry planned to sell out the hospital and took the credit for exposing the misdeed for himself. This way, he wouldn't be seen as an accomplice, and he could save himself.
Doctor Larry felt bad doing this, but there was no way he would let himself got blackmailed. He saw some of his colleagues became blackmail victims, and it never ended well for them, not even when they complied.
"Quite daring, aren't you? ignoring my call just like that?"
Doctor Larry jumped due to the sudden voice. He pulled out a gun in an attempt to defend himself.
"Who is that?! Show yourselves!"
Doctor Larry called out to the voice as he kept looking. Gun in hand, ready to shoot if he found the intruder.
"At the fireplace, NOW!"
Doctor Larry jumped when the voice shouted. He instinctively pointed his gun at the fireplace even though there was nobody there. Instead, he found something else inside.
A black walkie-talkie was found among the charcoal. It was the source of the voice. The similar color to the charcoal made it difficult to be seen.
"I hid it there so I could hand it to you after our negotiation ended. To think that I had to use it to call out your idiocy..."
"Who are you?! I'm not giving you any money! Stop what you're doing, or I'll call the police!"
"Calling the police to catch me? Or... to hand the evidence and pretend that you're the one who exposed them?"
"Huh?..."
As if they read his mind, the blackmailer easily called out his intention. It sent chills down to his spine, realizing that he was an open book to the enemy.
"That might work, but do you think you can escape from the prince?"
"How do you know about..."
"We're not talking about that. Shut up and listen to what I'm about to say."
Doctor Larry instinctively went silent against his will.
"You may escape the police, but how about the king's family? Reporting evidence of illegal organ transfer for the prince will give them some trouble. Do you think they will let you get away with that?"
"..."
Doctor Larry realized that he wasn't in any position to win no matter much he struggled. In the end, he could only plead.
"Please... I don't have much money... I had a son that studied overboard. I need money for his education..."
"Good for you. I'm not here to ask you for any money. I want you to let me speak with the prince when he visits Emory."
"Then go ask him yourself?! What does that have anything to do with me?!"
"That's not your choice to make. You're doomed whatever you do. But, which of your choice would be less destructive? I'll assure you, that would be by listening to my request."
Doctor Larry knew he was not in any position to make any demand. Yet, couldn't help but desperately trying to make his situation less bad.
"Listen carefully, because I'm not repeating this."
"One, give the talkie-walkie to the prince. I'll talk to him myself after that. I don't care if somebody tried to stop you. Find a way to do it."
"Two, find a donor for Emory Livell to replace the one that hospital stole. If you have no authority over that, find a way to do so. Your life depends on this."
"But... but... who's going to pay for it? Didn't you said no money involved?"
"You pay for it. After everything is finished, tell me how much it is, I'll send you the payment in cash. You lose nothing over this."
"If... If I do that, will you erase the evidence?"
"We will discuss it only after the two conditions are fulfilled. I expect you to get it done as soon as possible."
"I will! I will! So please, leave me alone!"
"Good, you understand your position."
Doctor Larry didn't trust that there would be no consequences. The blackmailer got a dirt on him, no way it wouldn't be used to ripping him off. The blackmailer might go easy on him right now, but how about the next time? It could be worse.
For a moment, Doctor Larry considered hiring a hitman to kill the blackmailer.
But...
"If you try to stab me on the back, I'll make you the sole scapegoat for this case. I'm sure the hospital prefers that rather than going down with you."
Once again, Doctor Larry got a grim reminder that he was an open book to the blackmailer. He finally realized that he was fighting a losing battle, and the only way out was to comply.
Doctor Larry desperately wondered what did he do to make him deserved this? But then he suddenly remembered that the hospital got into small conflict with the prince due to the same issue.
"Excuse me, but are you... the prince?"
"I had no time for jokes, Doctor Larry."
"I'm sorry... For a moment, I thought you were. You have the same request as him."
"What did he ask you?"
"He asked the hospital to find a donor for Emory Livell. Even though... we don't have any right now..."
"Ridiculous, he was the one who took Emory's organ! Why would he ask for a replacement?!"
"Actually... We were the ones who decided to transfer Emory's organ to the prince!"
"What?!"
"It was an emergency, and letting a high-ranking person died would taint the hospital's name. We ended up resorting to something illegal..."
"And you chose Emory to be sacrificed?"
"No! Emory just happened to be the matching donor! ...We had no other choices..."
"..."
"Please forgive me for saying this out of nowhere, but the hospital wasn't trying to make a profit from organ trafficking! If higher-ranking people died in our hands, the hospital's name would be tainted! None of us want to lose our job, so please understand why we resorted to that!"
"...Just Let me talk to the prince. I'll know whether or not you lied. Keep in mind that if I find you lying, it won't end well for you."
"Sure! Sure! ...I can do that!"
With that, the negotiation ended.
Doctor Larry burned the evidence files that were sent to him. It was useless for him to keep it. All it did was to remind him that someone out there knew a secret that might destroy his life.
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- Detective Lersne's house -
"So, how was the plan going?"
Caron was fiddled with a talkie-walkie when Detective Lersne asked that.
"Now I have more questions than answers... But It's only a matter of time until I get the answer."
