| C H A P T E R - 18 |

DAVID:"I'm asking you one last time: What's your involvement with the Falcon group?" I leaned forward, facing Oliver, who sat opposite me. Alongside him were Kevin, Mia, and Blakley, all those whose names were mentioned in Miley's journal."And I'll give you the same answer," Oliver taunted with a scoff. "I have no idea what you're talking about."Frustration coursed through me. I knew Oliver was well-prepared for this interrogation, but I wouldn't back down this easily. After extensive research against Preston, with help from Lorenzo and his brother, we could uncover a few more leads on the Falcon Group. I am sure they know who the leader is.Luckily, Lorenzo and Mark agreed to help us further. It would have been tough to know internal affairs regarding the group. Thankfully, the incident about Lorenzo's bike has been taped by Mark. It gives us a handful of reasons to call them here.The video clearly shows how Kevin and Tony burned Lorenzo's bike.By piecing together the evidence, we determined that seventeen students had gone missing from Preston over the past five years. All of them somehow related to Mia, Oliver, or Tony and their team.With Oliver's presence, this town was in deep trouble and all the other students in Preston. And somehow I had no clear path forward. But I know I have to."Are you denying your involvement with the group, despite clear evidence of bullying on campus?" I pressed. I know I have been charging without solid proof, but I have to take a step.Oliver scoffed, with a sly smirk on his face. "Detective David, you're clearly mistaken. We don't bully anyone. Perhaps we have a little harmless fun.""Harmless?" I questioned. "Seventeen students have vanished from Preston, all with connections to the Falcon Group." And several students have been bullied by you and your team. How can you say harmless?" I charged. "Not to forget, what happened at the campus a few days back," I say as I take out the tablet to show them the video. "It's been clear that Lorenzo's bike has been burned by Oliver and Kevin, as you were standing behind them! What more proof do you need?"Mia interjected, "And why does that make us suspects in Miley's case? What happened with Lorenzo was clearly a result of his own brawls. I hope you do know about his reputation. He's a playboy who loves to fuck around. Kevin and Tony were just teaching him a lesson to mess with the innocent girls!" Looking at Oliver she continued, "If you decide to hear them out, you have to listen to us too! Perhaps, we could provide you with more honest information!"I chuckled at her audacity. Mia, the mayor's stepdaughter, knew the power her father wielded."Miss Edwin," I said, "I've heard how you mistreat the same innocent girls, making them your little slaves at the campus, haven't I?"Mia shot me a glare. "I wouldn't say that. I befriend those who feel lonely in college, and—""Is that why you made Miley Smith do all your chores?" I cut her off. Her mouth clamped shut. "What about targeting Olivia?" I pressed.Mia shrugged casually. "I don't know what you're talking about.""Damn it, you do!" I yelled, frustration bubbling up. It had been almost an hour, and Oliver and his group hadn't confessed to anything. "Miley's journal clearly implicates your involvement. Give me the nine names!""Detective, Miley was unstable. How can you trust her over us?" Kevin questioned."And she willingly offered to..." She paused with an act of finding the correct word. "Help us. We never asked her to do anything," Blakley added. "You can ask anyone on campus."I scoffed again. "As if they'll be alive to testify against you.""In that case, I suggest you gather solid evidence before harassing innocent people, Mr. Barnes," a voice interrupted our Q&A session. I looked in the direction of the voice and finally saw him.Alessandro Russo.While I had never been so close to him, the rumours about his aura were accurate. Arrogance and a sense of entitlement enveloped him, making him an imposing figure. Likely in his mid-thirties, he was a few years older than me, yet his sense of fashion was striking. He wore long coats over buttoned shirts, a golden chain adorning his attire, and had impeccably groomed shiny black hair. His half-black and half-white beard added to his aura of confidence. He exhaled a puff of smoke from a cigar between his lips."Mr. Russo!" I greeted. "What a pleasant surprise!"Russo ignored me as he entered my office uninvited and went straight to his cousin. His rudeness, I had heard about it before, but was experiencing it firsthand today."My lawyer is here," Russo stated, looking at his cousin. "He will submit the required papers, against the case that happened on campus, Mr. Barnes."Power.Immense Power radiated from him. It was the kind of power that came from being a multimillionaire. Russo primarily dealt in real estate, a business independent of The Alpha Group, but he was one of the largest shareholders in the Alpha Group. And a rude bastard. Russo's lawyer immediately presented some court papers, stating various legal terms, showing against Lorenzo's case, signalling that I had to release Oliver and his team for now. I stared at the papers where it was stated the whole incident was an accident and that they would only compensate against the loss. Russo took out his chequebook before writing a cheque for 10,000$ against the loss of Lorenzo's bike. Which was way more than the original cost. Handing it over to me he said, "I hope, this will be all?"With a tight smile, I nodded, "That will be all."Russo cast a suspicious gaze at Oliver, likely searching for any signs of abuse. If he had found any, I knew he would have turned this police station upside down. But having found nothing to use against us, he inhaled his cigar and departed.Oliver and his friends smirked at my powerlessness as they left one by one with one last look a me, and my hands clenched into fists in anger. Even though I wanted to keep those bastards behind bars, I couldn't. Russo would have set them free anyway and had me transferred to some distant location where I wouldn't be able to help Ana, Miley, or others in need of freedom from the clutches of the Falcon Group.As they walked by, Russo paused at the door. Without turning back at me, he delivered a slow, threatening tone, "Next time, I suggest you revise the chapters of the law before summoning my cousin down to this hellhole based on some stupid boys on the campus or the scribbled notes in a crazy girl's diary, Mr. Barnes."I gritted my teeth but remained composed. Stay focused, David. "She isn't crazy, Mr. Russo," I retorted.He exhaled a puff of cigar smoke as he replied, "She was talking to her therapist about her mental health, and to illustrate my point, I can have him in your office. So, if you find doing your job difficult, just let me know, and my people will take care of it in no time."His words were a clear threat, and this time, I had to listen to him."The Devil is becoming a nuisance, detective. I suggest you focus on that bastard. He's been targeting all the elites in the country, and I believe that should be your primary duty, rather than digging up holes that will only lead to disappointment."Russo departed as quietly as he arrived, like an unannounced storm. But he had achieved what he came for.Freedom for criminals. ****I sat at my desk, sipping on a black coffee, fully immersed in the case at hand. A new file had just come in, and it bore a familiar name: Jules McLaren.I turned to my colleague, Brandon, who was poring over the case details. "What's the post-mortem report say?" I inquired.Brandon looked up from his notes, his expression somber. "There's no evidence of physical abuse, but we did find traces of a certain drug in her system.""Drug?" I questioned, perplexed.He nodded gravely. "Yes, the same type of drug that was discovered in Howard Falcon's system," he replied. "The only common thread is the red envelope we found beside the crime scene."****The late hours of the night shrouded the room in an eerie stillness as I sat at my desk, my fingers clenching the evidence in my hands. It was evident that the mastermind behind these chilling events was no amateur. Every detail had been orchestrated with meticulous precision, leaving behind only cryptic trails that pulled us deeper into the abyss of the unknown.My office's pinboard showcased the haunting gallery of victims, a grim tableau of the four lives extinguished in the past six months. Howard Falcon had been the first, followed by Juliana Cruiz and Rohan Drivedi, a trio of shaken cases that had cast a sinister shadow over Harrington. The common thread woven through these cases was the enigmatic 'Devil' envelope, which contains the message: Justice has been served.And now, we added Jules McLaren to this chilling collection. Jules, the heiress of the renowned McLaren Group jewellery empire, had not been a stranger to scandal and excess, including a penchant for recreational drugs. But this case was different—a unique kind of drug had coursed through her veins, one typically found only in the desolate corners of southern Africa, often associated with the nefarious world of human trafficking.There had been a pattern with previous victims, their bodies bearing traces of this sinister substance. What did this all signify? Was the Devil truly a lone predator, or were we staring at a much larger, malevolent network, working in unison to execute a dark agenda?The web of connections began to unfold as I mapped out the intricate links between these horrifying murders. A grim realization emerged: the Devil couldn't be the work of a single person but rather an organization, a coalition of psychopaths united by a sinister motive.And yet, an undeniable truth lingered—a mastermind was orchestrating the gruesome symphony. The Devil wasn't merely a name but the embodiment of an enigmatic entity.As my thoughts swirled in the dimly lit room, an unexpected email notification broke the silence. An unfamiliar sender had shared a trove of files, revealing a startling revelation. Seven harrowing bullying cases at LarksVille High, and six children between the ages of 9 and 10, had been mysteriously swept under the rug of this town.The closed case files revealed little more than Chief Hampton's abrupt dismissals due to a purported lack of evidence. Chief Hampton, who had been in charge of the station before me, was currently on a month-long vacation, and until his return, the unsettling questions loomed unanswered in obscurity.The sender's identity remained elusive. Were they a benevolent ally seeking justice or a sinister player entwined in the Devil's malevolent game? The line between good and evil was blurred, and the devilish riddle continued to confound.FLASHBACK:"I've gone through these files, and I think there's a crucial element missing to be noticed," Ana said as she placed the files on my desk."You finished reading all of these in a single night?" I chuckled at her dedication."Yeah, last night... I couldn't sleep much, so I decided to take a look," she replied.I nodded, appreciating her passion. Despite returning from New York just a few days ago, she was already diving into work. While girls at her age would want to explore the town. I knew she was different."The cases will be handled A. You don't need to worry about them," I assured her."Yes, I know," she responded softly, her face radiant with the morning light. Her ocean-blue eyes, despite being slightly puffy and tinged with purple from a night of reading, still possessed a mesmerizing glow. Her lips were plump and inviting, like ripe berries, and her skin..."But I believe if you look closely, you'll find some common factors that need to be addressed," she continued.My brow furrowed. Even though I led the BDP detective department, my focus was mostly on managing the department's broader affairs. I trusted my best team members to handle individual cases, and so far, I believe they have done a commendable job."What are you suggesting?""Devil and the Alpha Group," she replied. "Both seem to have a common thread somehow. Do you think it's purely co-incidentical?"Maybe she was right.A/N: Hello lovelies. How are you all doing? Thank you for giving this book a chance. This means a lot to me. See ya next week. Till then, vote, comment and share.