One Hundred and Fourty Five

CHAPTER 145

Just as Nicholas had said when saying goodbye to Noel, that he would drop Alicia off first before returning to his work. And here Nicholas was, standing waiting for Alicia to unlock the door to her own flat. Alicia turned around and smiled. "I'll be fine, you can go now."

But Nicholas smiled and took Alicia's hand. Alicia frowned with a confused expression, what else would Nicholas do? Nicholas then put down a gray whistle necklace and placed it on Alicia's palm. Alicia looked up, seeing Nicholas' face with a curious look on it.

"What is this?"

"It's a present for you."

Alicia's eyebrows furrowed. She chuckled. "A whistle?"

"You can blow it if you're in danger and I'll come right away."

Nicholas' words made Alicia smile. Her cheeks turned a tinge of red as she felt embarrassed. It was blushing! Her chest warmed up whenever Nicholas said sweet words that touched her. It had been a long time since she had gotten that feeling, even when Alicia was with Ace, Alicia could not feel such careful and warm love like this.

Alicia quickly grasped the whistle and put it around her neck like a necklace. She raised the whistle into the air and started blowing it so hard that it made Nicholas shudder in surprise. Nicholas covered his ears as he laughed. "You have to blow it away from me, Alicia."

"I'm just testing it. It sounds good, doesn't it?" teased Alicia, who then laughed in her place.

"Alright, I'm going to the hospital now. I'll help Noel check the victim's DNA sample and if we manage to find his identity, then I should immediately contact the family of the dealing person."

Alicia pinched Nicholas' nose lightly, then turned his face forward while muttering, "Okay. I accept your report."

"See you soon, Alicia."

"Goodbye. Take care and... let me know when you get to the hospital, I want to make sure you're safe."

Nicholas nodded in agreement. He rubbed the top of Alicia's head, then smiled before the man completely left. "Lock your door. I'm leaving now."

"Sure."

Nicholas left Alicia and got into his car alone. This was the first time they had parted ways after Ace's appearance incident. Deep in Nicholas' heart, he was still very worried about Ace suddenly appearing and hurting Alicia. But his work at the police station couldn't wait either. Noel would be overwhelmed with cases that happened so close together.

Death. It was like daily food for Nicholas. But later, Nicholas learns that death is also Alicia's daily diet. Her mentality was formed by necessity. She was strong because of circumstances. But she was already twenty years old, she would never be able to find adoptive parents again and had to live her adult life alone now. Alicia had to grow up, and earn money for her own living. And Nicholas felt sorry for that.

"Noel!"

The voice of Nicholas, who had just arrived at the hospital, made Noel and Hendrick turn around. Nicholas approached the two, and then realized that Hendrick was involved. "You're here too, I didn't see you on the beach earlier."

Hendrick laughed softly, he shoved both hands into his pants pockets and replied, "I went to help the tourists back to their hotel. They were witnesses, so Noel asked me to accompany them until they felt better."

Nicholas frowned. "Are they in good condition?"

"They're quite shocked. The sisters' vacation ended horribly. They will definitely be afraid to return to New York after this incident," Hendrick explained.

"By the way, what about the DNA samples? Did we manage to find the victim's identity?"

DNA analysis was underway when Nicholas arrived at the hospital. Noel, who was busy with his report, motioned for Nicholas to join him at the lab table. "We have a partial match, but nothing conclusive yet," Noel explained, his gaze fixed on the screen.

Nicholas leaned in, studying the results. "Any clues?"

"It's confusing; this person's background seems to be intentionally obscured. We need more time." Noel furrowed his brows, he seemed to be thinking. "Seeing that the stones were placed on the abdomen and tied up, doesn't that mean the killer wanted to clearly show the victim's cause of death?"

"You're right. We should do an autopsy on the victim," Nicholas suggested.

Hendrick interrupted, "We should check the local missing persons report. That might help narrow down our search for identity." Nicholas and Noel nodded in agreement. "It will speed up the process of applying for an autopsy if we manage to find the identity."

Noel nodded, accepting the suggestion. "Good idea. Hendrick, can you handle it? I'll help Nicholas with the DNA results. we'll wait for an explanation from the team inside."

Hendrick nodded in agreement. "Alright. I'll go back to check the surroundings. But seeing as the body was found on the shore, and quite far from the usual position of the tourists, I think it means that the man's body came from far away."

"Water always carries something from a high place to a low place, but the water on the beach will move because of the waves. This is really difficult. Is it possible that he was thrown from the cliff on the other side of the beach?" Nicholas ran through the possibilities in his head. "Noel, can you check the area of the cliffs or hills surrounding the beach?"

"It'll be difficult, but I'll do it."

Nicholas, Hendrick, and Noel united under the blazing sun of the coastal town, determined to unravel the riddle surrounding the grim discovery. As they delve deeper into the investigation, the layers of mystery thicken, weaving a tension filled intrigue.

Hendrick, an experienced local officer, scours city records for missing persons, while Nicholas and Noel pursue the scientific path, delving into the complex maze of DNA analysis and crime scene reconstruction.

As the days pass, the setting sun paints the sky orange, while the team tirelessly pieces together the puzzle. Their investigation leads them to a strange discovery - an elusive past shrouded in secrecy, a victim seemingly erased from the world.

In the sterile light of the laboratory, Noel found a breakthrough. "Nicholas, look at this!" She pointed to a screen displaying a link-a vague but crucial link in a convoluted chain of evidence. "This DNA," Nicholas murmured, his eyes fixed on the screen, "is not completely unknown. There is a familial link to someone we know... that would be Jill."