chapter 11

My driver pulled up next to the bar that Detective Smith asked to meet at. I told my driver to wait for me in the car as I got out then walked towards the bar but before I could enter the bar, my phone rang. I glanced at it, and it was Detective Smith calling.

“Hello” I answered the call.

“Steve, don’t get into the bar. Go left and when you get to a corner, let me know don’t hang up” he instructed me.

“Okay, cool” I went left as he told me.

My instincts told me to trust Detective Smith but what I was doing at that time was undeniably dangerous but I did follow his instructions anyway, I guess I didn’t care about what happens to me at that moment. I arrived at the corner he talked about and looked around and there were few people walking around there, it was almost 11:00 PM and people were very few, anything could’ve happened that time.

“Alright, I’m here” I let him know that I was at the corner.

“Do you see the tunnel that leads to a train station?” he asked.

The tunnel was right there in front of me, it looked dark and creepy in there.

“Yeah, I see it” I replied.

“Yeah, go through it” he said.

I stared at the tunnel and it looked creepy in there and I became anxious about getting into it.

“What? Are you crazy? What the f*ck is this?” I curiously asked.

“We have to make sure that you are not being followed” he replied.

I looked around trying to make sure that no one was following me.

“I hope you right man” I sighed.

I walked through the creepy tunnel and hopefully there were few people still waiting for the last train of the day. At least there was a little light inside that tunnel so it was really too dark.

“What now?” I grew more anxious and impatient.

“There’s a train coming there in 10 minutes get on it and get off in the next station” he explained further.

I looked around as in the tunnel asking myself if all those people weren’t terrified of being in that tunnel so late, the way that tunnel was anything could happen at that time.  The train finally arrived and I got on, it then left the station and in no time, we were at the next station that Smith told me about. I got off the train and looked around as everyone was rushing out of the train station.

“I’m here” I searched for him with my eyes.

“Look up” he replied.

I looked up and Smith was standing at the upper level of the station, I shook my head as I hung up the phone then went through the stairs to where he was.

“Well, you watch too much action movies” I joined him as we watched everyone rushing out of the station and some rushing to the train.

“Yeah, they help sometimes” he nodded.

“Why am I here?” I asked impatiently.

He handed me file.

“Open it” he said

I opened the file and came across pictures of dead bodies inside body bags. I never understood what it meant or what he was trying to show me.

“What is this?” I asked.

“A few years ago, my dad was working on a case where by the help of a guy named Kat he was able to bust a multimillion drug operation and the mastermind of it all was drug dealer named Lesly”

I glanced at him as he mentioned these two names “Lesly” and “Kat.”

he cleared his throat “well two years after Lesly was arrested, he was released from prison no one knew how, some assume that there’s a person who funded his release from prison” he added.

Smith was the third person to mention Kat and I was now getting used to hearing this name but not knowing who the person was.

“You said your dad was helped by Kat to arrest Lesly?” I asked him remembering that Lesly was the ex-boyfriend Cindy spoke about.

“Yeah…” he replied.

“So, what happened to Kat? Where can we find him?” I interrupted him.

“The year that Lesly got out of prison, it’s said that Kat disappeared and it’s the same year that my dad was shot. We suspect that Lesly is involved” he explained.

I realized that this was more than just a drug investigation, there were also unsolved murder cases.

‘How did I get here’ I thought to myself.

“So where can we find Lesly then?” I asked.

“When Kat disappeared and my dad murdered, Lesly escaped to Thailand and we believe that he’s running more drug operations from that side. Because the Thailand is also investigating the drug that we suspect that it’s being manufacture in the secret lab in your library” he added.

“So, how does Cynthia fit into the equation? And this picture, who are these people?” I asked one more question.

“Those people were used as an experiment” he cleared his throat “it was suspected that Kat might’ve been in the group too but his body was not found in that group. His where abouts are unknown” he said.

I remembered that Charlotte called me Kat the last time we had an argument but I assumed that it was impossible that I was the Kat they all made noise about but there were no records and pictures of this Kat, it was like he disappeared or he went into thin air.

“Okay, I get that but Cynthia. How does she get involved in all this?” I asked glancing at the staircase as a man wearing a suit was walking coming our direction.

“They said that Cynthia was Kat’s neighbor and a few weeks ago, they say that she said she knew where Kat was and she had an encounter with him. Since no one believed her, she murdered her own family because she had bipolar” he said but it didn’t make sense to me.

‘Why does everything point at me? I can’t be Kat it’s impossible?’ I thought to myself.

“You actually buy that story?” I asked.

“No, I think they’re trying to cover their tracks because if we find Kat, we collapse the whole drug empire and put these bastards in prison for good” he replied.

A man wearing a suit and a tie was walking through the stairway then came our direction. I glanced at him.

“This guy looks like he’s coming our way, let’s bounce” I led the way getting away from the upper level of the train station.

We used the other staircase to go to the lower level and went through the main entrance where Detective Smith packed his car. We got into the car and drove away, Detective Smith looked on the rare view mirror to see if the man was still following but he wasn’t there.

“Who is this guy?” Detective Smith said.

“Some one sent to kill you” I joked.

“Me?” he giggled.

“Yeah, I mean the information you have there is dangerous enough to get us both killed. There are drug king pings involved in this thing man, we have to be careful” I got serious.

Detective Smith glanced at me a few times.

“Yeah, I guess you are right man” replied.

“Can you drop me off at the bookstore?” instructed him.

He nodded as drove all the way to the book store. That night I realized that I could trust Detective Smith and deep down I felt that the investigation we were busy with was somehow connected to me and there were far dangerous people involved in this thing and it could get us killed. I never wanted to jump into conclusions and say that I was Kat but I could feel it deep inside that there was huge possibility that whoever Kat was, his situation and my situation were similar. Detective Smith dropped me off at the bookstore and I went straight to the office then texted my driver telling him to go back home. I sat in my office trying to make sense of everything and wondering if Charlotte knew about all these things that I was being told by Smith.

It was around 02:00 AM and I was not planning on heading home, so I sat in my dark office and then eventually I passed out at.

The next morning…

Cindy slammed the table with the palm of her hand to wake me up. I stretched myself and looked around only to find out that I actually slept at the office.

“You slept here?” Cindy asked.

I nodded without saying a word.

“Man, you look like crap” she said.

“Hey, have a sit. I want to ask you something” I instructed her.

Cindy pulled a chair and sat down giving me her undivided attention.

“What’s up?” she asked.

I cleared my throat “What would you do if you suspect that you’re someone that people around you talk about and no one claims to know their where abouts?” I asked.

“I’m not sure if I follow” Cindy replied.

I didn’t want Cindy to know that I was working with Detective Smith to investigate such a huge case, so I decided to cut the conversation.

“Nah, never mind it’s nothing serious” I said.

I remained silent as Cindy stared at me with a look of concern on her face.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked.

I nodded in my silence, while Cindy got up from the chair.

“Look go home and get some rest, don’t worry I’ll look after the book store” she said.

“Okay, let me text my driver then” I pulled out my phone.

I didn’t sleep home in two consecutive days because the fights Charlotte and I have been having. But this time I was exhausted and my body was sour, Cindy was right I did need a serious rest. 30 minutes later my driver was in front of the store, I rushed out of the store into the car. We drove of and I just passed out at the backseat of the car because I was so tired, I couldn’t keep myself up through that ride home. When we got home, my driver woke me up. I slowly walked into the house finding Charlotte sitting on the stairway probably waiting for me.

I stopped and stared at her as she also stood and stared back at me, there was a slight silent with an intense eye contact for a few minutes.

“Is this how it’s going to be every time we disagree about something Kat?” Charlotte dragged her words out.

“What do you want me to do? I’m sick of fighting with you and all the time you snap at me for no reason” I replied.

“Yesterday, I was trying to apologize for my actions but you wouldn’t listen to me. You didn’t sleep home in two nights. And I gave you a contract for that bookstore in good gesture not because I underestimate you but because I love you and I want you to have what’s yours” she said with her eyes getting teary.

“About the contract” I paused and went closer to her “why didn’t you tell me that this book store is a money laundering scheme?” I asked.

Charlotte was silent as she realized that I had discovered of her secret.

“You have no words now, don’t you?” I said as she was still in silence.

I walked past her heading to one of the spare bedrooms.

“I’m pregnant” Charlotte said.

I froze thinking to myself ‘you are not doing it this time Charlotte.’

“What?” I turned and looked at her.

“I’m three weeks pregnant” she replied.

I didn’t believe her and this time I turned back and walked down stairs as Charlotte chased me all the way as I walked through the TV room. And as I walked towards the front door Charlotte came and stood in front of me.

“Babe, you have to trust me I’m pregnant” Charlotte blocked the front door as I was about to get out.

In silence, I just stood there and listened to her beg me not to leave but for the third time I wasn’t going to sleep at home, because by any means I always tried to avoid Charlotte’s drama so any time she gave me an excuse to get away from her, I did.

“I was going to tell you but we weren’t in good state, I’m sorry for making you feel like less of a man” she knelt down begging me.

“I understand Charlotte, but I’m tired. I need to think, can I go somewhere where I can get to be alone” I held Charlotte by her hand and helped her up.

“I understand your frustration and I was wrong but please stay. I’m pregnant now, we’re going to have a family” she said as she squeezed my shoulder.

Without saying a word, I moved her hand from my shoulder and pushed her out of the way then walked out of the house as Charlotte just stood in a stationary position. The was no way that Charlotte was pregnant, and the whole “I’m pregnant drama” I didn’t buy it, at that time there was nothing she could say that could’ve made me stay. To be honest, I always found my peace when I was away from Charlotte. I kept on walking towards my ride when I saw Angela who was walking in through the gate, she smiled and waved at me but I stopped and looked back at Charlotte, I gave her an eye contact then at that moment there was a gun fire coming from an abandoned skyscraper which was opposite to where our house and seconds later or what felt like a speed of a lightning or even exact moment that the gun went off, the bullet went right through my chest.

I fell on the ground, Charlotte screamed and as I face her direction trying to gasp for air, I saw her running towards me.

“Call the Ambulance” she yelled “Kat, don’t you die on me” she took of her blouse and place it on my chest trying to stop the bleeding. Tears coming out of Charlotte’s face, distress was all over her face at that moment, now I can confess that this was the day where I Charlotte’s love towards me.

I coughed and blood came out of my mouth, I gasped for air and breathing got even more difficult as I felt like the blood was choking me. Charlotte tried by all means to stop the bleeding. My vision got blurry and the voices began to fade away. I was at the point where I lost hope and I understood that I was dying without finding the truth about who I really was.

“I-I-I lov…” I tried dragging my words out but I couldn’t even say the whole sentence as my voice also faded away.

“Kat, Kat” Charlotte yelled and yelled.

 Charlotte’s voice was now far away and I couldn’t respond to her call at she continued to yell “Kat”. At the moment I knew that I was dying, I stopped fighting for air and then everything went dark, I passed out. I assume that to their world I stopped breathing and Charlotte might’ve realized that I died and if she was really pregnant, she was going to be a single mother for the rest of her life. On the other hand, if she knew about my real identity then guilt was going to eat her alive.