Culprits
"Did the Lord come?" The quite familiar voice asked after they entered the church.
Their footsteps resounded in the empty church and the soft clicks of soles against the hard concrete carried with it Elizabeth's pounding heart.
"Why wouldn't he? For how long now?" The person's voice sounded like he was frustrated but the reply of the other person was never heard.
"He should simply say there's no need for this year's harvest."
"How dare you question the master? Not even your forefathers would dare to." The other person finally spoke loud enough for Elizabeth to hear.
And the voice was the same voice she heard earlier today, that cold voice belonged to no one else but Mr. Richard Moore.
"Yes, I'm sorry."
While this voice was that of the so-called priest.
Elizabeth turned on the camera and zoomed in at them. It was dark but the small oil lamp they held illuminated their surroundings including their faces.
"That girl the Lord favoured and sent to us, she's parading with the little quidnunc." Mr. Richard said blankly, his expression unknown.
"The child is the only one that has encountered the Lord after so many years." The priest replied with a small sigh.
Elizabeth's lips parted. Which girl could they possibly be referring to?
"Did I tell you? The quidnunc happened to be at my backyard earlier this night. She was drunk but didn't even reek of alcohol, what a terrible excuse." The sound of Mr. Richard gritting his teeth resounded in the empty church.
Chills ran down her spine at those words. Her acting was not only terrible but widely flawed.
"So? Wanna get rid of her?" The priest asked.
"Why? She doesn't seem to know anything, and Alejandro has his eyes on her…the Lord's servant would not dare to spill anything either." Mr. Richard said and the mechanical click from the secret passage clicked.
"She's just like the past detectives, so nosy…" Their voices slowly faded away as they walked into the secret passage.
At this moment, the phone in her hand vibrated when a call came in causing her to jerk up. Her elbow colluded with the wooden chair pretty loudly.
"Ah." Elizabeth moaned in pain.
"Did you hear something?"
"I guess."
Elizabeth's eyes widened when those words were said, she ignored the pain and ran out from her hiding spot, heading straight for the door.
Before the men could come out from the secret passage, she was already out of the church.
Elizabeth leaned on the door to catch her breath before walking away.
"Wonderful night, isn't it?" A masculine voice penetrated her ears. The familiar voice that always carried a smile in it, now seemed to carry a thousand daggers, mercilessly piercing into her heart.
She slowly turned to the voice, and there he was, Chief Alejandro.
Her hand touched the holster on her waist lightly, she wouldn't hesitate to take out her gun if needs meet.
"Officer Brian, you really should be in bed by now, what are you doing in the church by this time of the night?" Chief Alejandro leaned on the black car behind him.
Elizabeth forced a perfect smile, "Who knows? Maybe to come ask whatever they worship here for some help."
She knew that if she acted like she knew nothing or she knew something, the end would still have the same result.
"I heard you got shot while saving a lady from pickpockets." Chief Alejandro suddenly diverted, his smile still as bright as ever.
"..."
"That's very commendable of you, Officer Brian. But in a peaceful town like this, if you were to get shot then people would most likely question our peace."
"..."
"An accident would do nicely just like past Chief Kenneth Louis." Chief Alejandro stood straight and walked towards Elizabeth.
"Is that what you think? After killing a set of innocent kids and many other people?"
"What's innocent about them? They broke the law after all and you arrested them for that, so it's on you."
The distance between both of them slowly lessened.
"...you're trying to push the blame to me."
"No, not at all. I just want you to take responsibility for your own actions." Chief Alejandro's voice was laced with mockery.
"Step back!" Elizabeth warned with a stern voice, her fingers already pulling out the handgun from it's holster.
In the dimly lit night, tension hung heavily in the air as Elizabeth and Chief Alejandro faced each other near the black car. The faint glow of the moon illuminated their silhouettes, casting long shadows on the deserted street.
Elizabeth's fingers clenched tightly around the grip of her handgun, her stance resolute and unwavering. Chief Alejandro, with his mocking smile, appeared unthreatened by the weapon aimed at him, standing just a few feet away.
The quietness of the night was shattered by the harsh, metallic click as Elizabeth pulled back the hammer of her gun, preparing to fire. Her eyes were fixed on Chief Alejandro, her focus razor-sharp despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
"You can't pull that trigger, Officer Brian, you can't hurt your superior." Chief Alejandro stated the obvious with mocking laughter.
Chief Alejandro's laughter echoed in the stillness, a chilling contrast to the tense standoff. His arrogant demeanor remained intact, as if he believed he was untouchable.
The seconds felt like an eternity as they stood locked in this deadly confrontation, the anticipation of a gunshot hanging heavily in the air. Elizabeth's finger hovered over the trigger, ready to take action.
The scene that was charged with suspense was finally broken when Elizabeth let out a sigh, "Of course, Sir. I can't hurt a superior but…I can very well hurt a criminal, you can call it an act of self defence if you like, Sir."
A smile tugged on the corners of her lips and she pulled the trigger without any further hesitation.
The loud bang that resounded in the empty street caused Elizabeth to glance back at the church.
She glanced at Chief Alejandro, who had a hand in his chest with eyes wide open, he slowly fell to the ground.
Laughter spilled out of her lips. She glanced at the church again befor making a run for it.
She needed to give this evidence to the police department and then…sort things out with Layla.