Chapter 24

I was super curious. I mean, there was this huge arson and murder case at the Entertainment Club, and the place was even sealed off. How did it manage to get back to business in just a few days?

Benjamin explained, "The Entertainment Club sued Laura the day after the incident, accusing her of trashing the club, committing murder on the premises, and ruining the club's rep, among other things. They kicked off a civil lawsuit to clear their name. Their legal team is top-notch, and the court sided with them. Then, the legal team went to the cops, saying they were victims too and were fully cooperating with the investigation. They promised to keep the crime scene on the fourth floor untouched and sealed off, while the other floors would run as usual. So, there's nothing we can do."

Benjamin shrugged and rolled his eyes. He muttered, "I guess the chief got a call from higher-ups, saying the economy's been rough these past few years, and we need to keep things stable and protect jobs. So, that's why the club could reopen so quickly."

As for the investigation of Lally, Benjamin had a plan, "The drug trafficking case is almost wrapped up, and it'll be closed soon. In a couple of days, the criminal investigation team will take the suspects to the scene for a reenactment. You can tag along as a journalist. During the on-site investigation, I'll call Lally over. Once you see her, you can ask and investigate, but you can't take too long."

I agreed and said, "Thanks. I'll bring my apprentice Zoey with me that day. Afterward, I'll write a column for the law journal as a thank you."

Before leaving, I asked, "How many managers does the club have? Is the manager who didn't show up in court the same person who called the cops?"

Benjamin looked surprised and said, "The Entertainment Club has only one manager, whom I've met. His last name is Lopez, and he's a real piece of work. He seems cooperative and honest, but he's actually very shrewd and tough to deal with. He'll be the one meeting us at the club the day after tomorrow."

It seemed I needed to keep an eye on this guy when we visited the club.

It was already super late when I got home. As I lay on the couch to rest, I got a message from Anna on Facebook: [Hey, Ms. Johnson, this is Anna. Is it a good time to call?]

What could she want with me this late? Could it be that Anna found out about my visit to Digital Leap Technologies Company earlier today?

Given the fact that James mentioned Anna being a mistress, this girl was certainly not simple.

I called Anna and asked, "Hey, Anna, what's up?"

Anna replied, "Ms. Johnson, I'm really sorry to bother you so late. I just finished work and remembered you were looking into the Sand Village demolition case. About the interview regarding Tony's injury, when would be a good time for you?"

How did I not think of this earlier? Using the Sand Village demolition case investigation to get close to Tony, I could also subtly ask about the arson and murder case at the Entertainment Club.

I felt a surge of energy and said, "I was just about to mention that. I plan to go to the office tomorrow to review some materials on the Sand Village demolition case and set up the follow-up interview. By the way, is Tony home now? How about I talk to him over the phone right now?"

Anna replied, "That's great. Thanks, Ms. Johnson. But Tony said he's working late today and hasn't come home yet. I'll let him know when he gets back. Is that okay?"

Anna had no clue about Tony's resignation. It seemed James was keeping that info on lockdown. As long as Tony didn't spill the beans to Anna, no one higher up in the company would catch wind of it.

James seemed pretty straightforward about Tony's situation today. After all, he must have some serious skills to climb to a mid-level position in a company with hundreds of employees. He was banking on Tony keeping quiet, and the higher-ups wouldn't ask because of this unspoken understanding. He was handling everything smoothly as the middleman.

I sighed inwardly. From both professional and personal perspectives, Tony had mostly played the role of a victim. Could someone like him really be connected to this murder case?

The next morning, I got up early, got ready, and headed to the office.

Because of Alan's case, Howard gave me two months off with triple pay, which I was super grateful for.

Since I had an appointment with Benjamin to visit True Love Entertainment Club and meet Lally tomorrow, going to Sand Village today would be pointless since I wouldn't find Tony. Telling Anna about Tony's resignation in person might tip him off and lead to unwanted consequences.

In other words, today was basically free.

I wanted to stay busy, especially now. I didn't want to go home to an empty house or sit around letting my thoughts spiral. Keeping busy would help me quickly resolve the case and give both Alan and myself some closure.

Anna messaged me on Facebook, saying Tony was swamped with work and couldn't take time off. She asked if we could postpone for a couple of days. I agreed, figuring I could use today to check some related materials at the office.

I had a hunch he sensed something and was deliberately avoiding me.

According to Anna, he still went home every day, just a bit late recently, and there was nothing unusual in his tone. But I was sure that even if Anna didn't mention my investigation, Tammy would have told him. Yet, he was still holding his ground, calm and composed, doing everything as usual.

Although I hadn't met him in person, I was getting more and more curious about him. To outsiders, he seemed cowardly, weak, and incompetent, but I felt he was not simple. What kind of force had sustained him to keep going? Love, hatred, or something else?

When I arrived at the office, everyone was already at their desks working. They were surprised to see me but quickly went back to normal, nodding in greeting and then getting back to their tasks. It seemed Howard had briefed them in advance.

In fact, my interactions with colleagues were usually limited to work, with no personal connections. Maybe because of my efficient and decisive work style, they rarely engaged in small talk with me.

Of course, Zoey, who sat next to my office, was different.

Shortly after I sat down, she came in with coffee, knocked on the door, then closed it, and ran over, blinking her eyes, saying, "Nancy, I got you some freshly brewed coffee from downstairs. You usually like iced Americano, but since it's cold, I thought a hot latte would be better. Drink something warm."

Zoey was a senior intern, smart and considerate. She had been messaging me on Facebook these days, asking if I had eaten and slept well, and telling me not to be annoyed by her messages.

If it were anyone else sending me these messages at this time, I would be very annoyed. But Zoey was different. I knew she was worried I might have dark thoughts being alone, and even at the risk of annoying me, she kept checking on me.

I took a sip of the coffee and said, "Zoey, bring over the materials on the Sand Village demolition case from the past few years. We'll review them. And tomorrow, you'll come with me to True Love Entertainment Club for an interview. You'll write the article."