Chapter 11

Elias's POV

I was at the auction house, looking through some documents on my computer.

As I worked, Mrs. Holloway walked by and stopped beside me.

"Elias, did you watch the news this morning?" she asked.

"No, Mrs. Holloway," I replied. "I didn't."

She looked at me for a moment.

"Unlike you, one of the people involved in Barrister Dury's murder was caught this morning," she said.

"That's good," I said. "At least the mastermind will be caught now."

Mrs. Holloway shook her head.

"I don't think so," she said. "The killer killed himself."

My eyes grew wide with shock.

"What?" I whispered.

For a moment, I thought my name would finally be cleared.

But the killer's death only made everything worse.

Now, no one could question him.

And the truth seemed farther away than ever.

I sat down and buried my face in my hands.

"Is something wrong, Elias?" Mrs. Holloway asked.

I stayed quiet for a few seconds before looking at her.

She was the only person I truly trusted.

She treated me like her own son because she was the closest thing I had to family.

I looked at her and sighed.

"My meeting with Damon Moretti was a complete disaster," I said. "He blamed me for Mr. Dury's murder."

"What?" Mrs. Holloway asked in surprise. "How can he blame you when he has no proof that you did it?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know, Mrs. Holloway," I said. "Since my father was found guilty of killing his father, Damon has hated me."

Mrs. Holloway gently patted me on the back.

"As long as you did nothing wrong," she said, "nothing bad will happen to you. The truth will come out."

I gave her a small nod.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

She smiled kindly and walked away.

I sat there alone, wondering how I could prove my innocence before it was too late.

I kept thinking about the gun Sebastian pointed at me.

It looked exactly like the gun shown in the photo.

"What does Uncle Sebastian have to do with all of this?" I wondered.

My mind was full of questions.

Everything felt like one big mystery.

But I believed I would find the truth soon.

For now, all I could do was be patient.

Detective Adrian Cross was one of the detectives who worked on my father's murder case.

After spending some time in another state on an assignment, he was finally back in town.

He went to the police station to greet his old teammates because he had once worked there as a sheriff.

As soon as he walked into the station, everyone smiled and greeted him.

"It's good to have you back, Detective Adrian!" one officer said.

The new sheriff, Detective Miles, walked over and shook his hand.

"It's great to see you again, Adrian," Detective Miles said.

The other officers gathered around, happy to welcome him back.

Adrian smiled, but deep inside, he knew he had returned for a reason.

This time, he was determined to uncover the truth behind the old murder case.

Detective Miles poured two glasses of wine.

As they drank, they started talking.

"So, Miles," Adrian asked, "how has it been being the sheriff?"

Miles smiled.

"It's been good," he said. "But it's a big job with a lot of responsibility. I still don't know how you handled all of it and stayed so calm."

Adrian laughed.

"You'll get used to it with time," he said.

Miles nodded.

After a short pause, Adrian asked another question.

"What happened to Victor Vance?" he asked. "Was he ever released from prison?"

Miles became quiet for a few seconds.

Then he looked at Adrian and said,

"No. Victor Vance died in prison after he was found guilty of murdering Mr. Lorenzo Moretti."

Adrian's eyes grew wide.

"What?" he asked in shock.

He folded his arms and stayed silent for a moment.

Then he quickly stood up, placed his hand on Detective Miles's desk, and said,

"How could you let an innocent man go to prison for a crime he didn't commit?" Adrian asked angrily.

Detective Miles looked at him and sighed.

"All the evidence showed that Victor Vance killed Mr. Lorenzo Moretti," he said. "The court found him guilty because of the evidence we had."

Adrian shook his head.

"I'll be back," he said firmly. "Next time, I'll bring proof that Victor Vance was innocent."

Miles nodded.

"Fine," he said. "But don't come back until you have real evidence."

Adrian turned around and walked out of the police station.

He got into his car and drove away.

As he drove, he took out his phone and called a young man who had worked with him when he was a sheriff.

The phone rang.

"Hello, who is this?" the young man asked.

"It's me, Adrian," he replied.

"Boss! You're already back in town?" Ortega asked with surprise.

"Yes, I am," Adrian said. "Now listen carefully. I need your help with something very important."

Ortega became serious.

"I'm listening, boss," he said.

Protect Elias

"I want you to protect Elias Vance for me," Adrian said. "Things may get very dangerous soon, and he is still in danger."

"Why are you telling me this, boss?" Ortega asked. "Is something going to happen?"

Adrian looked through the car window.

He noticed two black Ford cars following him.

Right away, he knew something was wrong.

"Ortega," Adrian said, "just promise me you'll do this."

"Yes, boss," Ortega replied. "I promise."

Adrian ended the call.

Then he quickly dialed another number.

The phone rang, and someone answered.

"Hello, Detective Adrian. It's been a long time since we talked. How are you, sir?" Elias said.

"I'm fine, Elias," Adrian replied. "But listen to me carefully."

"I'm listening," Elias said.

"You need to follow your father's old path," Adrian said. "I'm about to send you a location. When you get there, you'll find evidence that will help you uncover the truth about your father's case."

Elias stayed quiet for a moment.

"I understand," he said. "I'll go there right away."

Adrian looked into his rearview mirror again.

The two black cars were still following him.

He knew time was running out.

"In an abandoned building, you will see a vault. Open it, and you will find the answers you are looking for."

Adrian knew someone was still following him. He stopped at a traffic light.

I asked him, "Where is the building?"

He replied, "Before that, I will send you something. Don't trust……."

Suddenly, the phone call ended.

I was shocked. I tried to call him back, but his phone was already switched off. Detective Adrian never told me where the building was. I felt worried and confused.

I stood up and left my office because my work for the day was already done.

I got on a bus, still hoping Detective Adrian would call me back. I kept looking at my phone every few seconds, waiting for it to ring. But it stayed silent.

After a while, the bus stopped because of heavy traffic. I looked out the window and saw flashing red and blue lights. There were police cars, ambulances, and a crowd of people. Everyone looked scared.

My heart started beating fast.

"What happened?" I whispered.

I quickly got off the bus and walked toward the crowd. The closer I got, the more nervous I felt. Police officers were putting yellow tape around the area, and an ambulance was parked nearby.

Then I saw a body lying on the ground, covered with a white sheet.

Something inside me told me to keep walking.

As I got closer, an officer lifted the sheet for a moment.

I froze.

My eyes grew wide.

It was Detective Adrian.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My legs felt weak, and goosebumps covered my whole body. My hands began to shake.

"So... this is why he ended the call," I whispered.

He knew someone was following him.

He was trying to warn me.

Tears filled my eyes as I stared at him. Just a few minutes ago, we had been talking on the phone. He was trying to help me find the truth about my father's case.

Now he was gone.

I felt like the world had stopped. I didn't know what to do or who to trust anymore. The one person who believed me was dead.

I stood there for a few more seconds, then slowly turned around. My heart felt heavy, and my mind was full of questions.

Without saying a word, I walked away from the scene, knowing that everything had just become much more dangerous.