Chapter 48

"Hey, has anyone been in the company archives room lately?" I suddenly remembered and decided to ask Howard.

"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would've forgotten that place even existed. Besides, you know how rarely I come to the office. Isn't that your domain?" Howard shrugged.

Made sense; ever since I joined, he'd been more of a hands-off manager, spending his time visiting clients and negotiating deals.

The company archives room was basically a storage room with a glass door and a combination lock. In theory, only employees could get in, and outsiders were kept out.

But after asking around, everyone said they hadn't been in the archives room this year.

When I opened the door, the room was pretty big, with four rows of shelves stacked with documents. The top layer was dusty, showing it hadn't been touched in ages.

Zoey mentioned she found the materials for the Sand Village demolition brawl case on the bottom of the third shelf. I squatted down to look but couldn't find any traces since the scene had already been disturbed when the documents were taken out, leaving no clues.

And since the company didn't have surveillance cameras, all chances of tracking down leads were completely cut off, so this clue had to be temporarily abandoned.

Regardless, the appearance of the insurance policy was a positive influence on the current case, and that was a good thing.

Since it was lunchtime, I ran into Howard in the parking lot and told him I was taking Zoey to lunch.

Howard looked excited when he saw I was taking Zoey to lunch and was ready to get in the car, but when he heard it was Stardust Diner, he made a face and said he couldn't handle Mexican food at his age and would find something to eat on his own downstairs.

Zoey laughed and said she'd bring him some snacks from Stardust Diner, reminiscing about her college days eating Mexican food with her dad.

That was when I found out that Zoey's father and Howard were college classmates. Zoey saw my surprised expression and said, "Mrs. Smith, you didn't know about my relationship with Mr. Martin until now?"

I replied while driving, "If all the intern reporters who have a good relationship with Mr. Martin were as excellent as you, I wouldn't mind having a few more."

"Well, there aren't any more. I'm the only one this excellent. Mr. Martin approached my dad about my internship, saying the company needed someone, and the chief editor here is amazing, so I came to intern for a year."

Zoey didn't mind talking about it, but she seemed a bit reluctant when it came to her father. "Mr. Martin is repaying a favor. My dad is also in law enforcement. When Howard started Silverlight City Legal Journal, my dad helped with some cases that regular reporters couldn't get information on. Of course, it was all above board, not bribery or anything... Mrs. Smith, you understand, my dad is an old-fashioned guy and wouldn't do anything like that!"

Thinking back to when Zoey said she'd never marry a detective, and hearing that her father was also in law enforcement, it was likely he was a detective too, which would explain the infrequent family gatherings and some inevitable complaints.

"When I first started working, my relationship with my dad wasn't great either." Zoey's like a little sister to me, so I wanted to give her some advice on father-daughter stuff.

"I'd love to have a fight with my dad, but we barely see each other all year, so there's nothing to fight about. We've been living apart for years..." Zoey wrinkled her nose, looking a bit upset, but quickly bounced back and said, "My dad and I have a good relationship. He even called about my internship, though it was less than a minute... But if it weren't for him, I wouldn't have met you."

Zoey didn't bring it up again, and I didn't push. Family stuff was personal, and there'd be plenty of chances to talk about it later. Zoey had mentioned more than once that she wanted to intern at Silverlight City Journal after graduation and wasn't planning to go anywhere else, so there'd be plenty of time.

Since it was lunchtime, Stellar Plaza was packed, so I made a reservation ahead of time. After parking in the underground lot, I bought Zoey some Haagen-Dazs and Starbucks before heading to Stardust Diner.

Stardust Diner was known for its top-notch service, but I'd only been there once, with Alan.

When Stardust Diner first opened, I dragged Alan there because I love Mexican food. The experience felt like being in prison:

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with an overwhelming welcome that startled us. They prepared our utensils, brought us milk, snacks, and hot towels, and quickly wiped the table if there was a spot of oil. Calling for a waiter resulted in an overly enthusiastic response, which felt jarring. They even stood by our table watching us eat...

I couldn't handle it, and Alan, who prefered peace and quiet, frowned the entire time. We left within half an hour.

Sure enough, as soon as we walked in, we were greeted with a loud "Welcome to Stardust Diner," and two waiters in Stardust Diner uniforms rushed over.

I couldn't handle this kind of situation, feeling like I was paying to suffer. Zoey, on the other hand, chatted and laughed with the waiters as they led us to our reserved table.

I had specifically chosen a spot in the lower left corner of the main hall, where we could see most of the hall and the private rooms. Not long after, Zoey nudged me and pointed, and I saw Tony, wearing a Stardust Diner uniform, smiling as he seated guests.

This was the first time I had seen Tony up close. Unlike the other staff's trained smiles, his seemed genuine, as if he truly enjoyed the lively atmosphere. He was enthusiastically introducing dishes to the guests using an iPad.

Soon, Tony walked over to us.

"Hello, ladies. What would you like to eat?" He poured Zoey a cup of hot milk and gently said, "It's getting colder, so be careful not to upset your stomach with too much iced coffee and ice cream. Drink something warm first."

"Thank you, sir." Zoey showed no signs of nervousness and replied with a smile.

I took the menu from Tony and ordered some classic Mexican dishes.

"Great choices!" Tony gave a thumbs up. "My brother used to love these dishes too!" Then he picked up his walkie-talkie and said, "Boss, I haven't used my free meal yet, right? Please comp table 101."

I was stunned, and Tony's next words made me shiver. "It's nothing. It's our first meeting, so it's on me. Actually, I should call you Mrs. Smith."