3: Police Visit

Alicia stood speechless in the living room after her mother left them. The house helps were terrified as they feared those gunmen were robbers. But no one was killed, except that Mr. Max was kidnapped.

The head of the maids had even phoned the policemen, who arrived a few minutes later.

“We heard that Mr. Max was kidnapped by some unknown gunmen. Is that true?” one of the two policemen asked. However, the second policeman’s eyes fell on Alicia, and he rushed to her. “Babe, what’s going on? Is this where you live with your family?”

Samantha and Caden’s eyes widened in shock as they hadn’t expected the policeman to know Alicia.

“Yes, Jonathan. This is where my family and I live,” Alicia replied, lowering her head in shame. She knew that she had been keeping it a secret of where her family now lives. She recalled five years ago that she heard her parents arguing. Since then their lives hadn’t remained the same.

“Tell me what happened to your father?” Jonathan inquired. “You need to give us the report on how to help him get his release from the unknown gunmen ”

Jonathan Leonardo was a 32-year-old light-skinned guy. He loved Alicia so much and wanted to marry her, but she kept on dribbling the talk of coming to see her father for her hand in marriage.

“No, Jonathan. You cannot do anything to save my father. He owed Damian Tucker, the ruthless mafia boss,” Alicia announced, moving away from John’s embrace. She calls him John for short.

“What?!” the two officers exclaimed. Of course they knew who Damian Tucker was.

“How did your father get to do business with Damian?” Sergeant Brown, the second officer inquired. “Is your father into the mafia world?”

Alicia and her siblings shook their heads. “We don’t know. Our father has been owing Damian for long, going on five years now, so they came here and took him away and ordered us to pay his debt,” she cried, and the two policemen sighed.

“Hmm. You know that Damian and his men wouldn’t just come here if your father isn’t among their group,” Jonathan said. “We would need evidence to know what the embezzled funds were all about. Do you have any idea what the business money was for?”

Alicia quickly shook her head and replied, “We don’t know. All that doesn’t matter now. If we get anything endangering that could expose their group, that would be a threat to our lives and to my father in their grip. They only told us to pay, or else they would deal with him.”

Alicia cried, moving back to sit on one of the black couches in the living room, and the two officers sighed.

“This is serious. So how much are you guys told to pay up?” Jonathan asked. A wave of worry washed over him.

“10 million dollars,” Caden announced, and Jonathan gasped. “What?! That’s a whole lot of money. Anyway, you should assist us to get the evidence to get Damian behind bars. That way, we would apprehend him and take him into custody.”

Caden shook his head and replied, “I don’t know about my father’s business. It’s a secret business and maybe that’s why they took him away.”

“How about your two sisters?” Brown queried. “Can’t you use them to get closer to Damian to see if she can get any information on how to arrest their group? We need solid evidence, or would your mother know what her husband does?”

“None that I am aware of,” Caden quickly replied. “I cannot allow them to have Samantha or Alicia. We will have to raise the money to pay them up.” He shook his head sadly.

“I agree with him, Brown,” Jonathan said. “You don’t expect me to offer my girlfriend to that son of a devil. I want to marry Alicia next month. Now all this is happening. Where is your mother, Alicia?”

Alicia sadly pointed towards the stairs.

“Come and show me to your mother’s room. We should see if she knows how to help us get evidence,” Jonathan said, to which Alicia rose from the couch and sadly followed him.

“Don’t worry, baby,” Jonathan said, his voice laced with concern. “I will help you raise the money if the need arises. Your father cannot get killed.”

Alicia shook her head and doubted him. “Where do you want to get 10 million dollars from? Do you want to get involved in illegal dealings just for my father’s sake?”

“Don’t worry, babe,” Jonathan assured her. “I will go to any length for you.” He kissed her forehead as they arrived at the front of her mother’s sitting room door.

Alicia knocked and entered the sitting room with Jonathan.

However, Lady Jennifer was on a phone call calling Mr. Max’s older brother, Daniel, to see if he could help, but he refused to help, saying that “Max has never helped me when he was rich and you don’t expect me to lend you a helping hand now.”

The phone call ended, and Lady Jennifer sadly looked back at Alicia and the policeman in black who were holding hands together.

At first, Lady Jennifer wondered if she was dreaming, but the policeman spoke. “Good evening, Ma. I am Officer Jonathan Leonardo, Alicia’s boyfriend.”

“Oh!” Lady Jennifer gasped and looked from her daughter to Jonathan.

“I know we didn’t mean for the introduction to be this way, but I have the plans to come and marry Alicia next month,” Jonathan said. “I love her very much and especially now that my rank has been promoted to Sergeant.”

“I see,” Lady Jennifer replied as she looked at the policeman looking at her daughter lovingly. It reminded her of when she got married and fell in love with Mr. Max, before his greed led him to do dirty deals.

“So back to why I am here,” Jonathan continued. “I got a phone call that your husband was kidnapped, and I made inquiry from your children, receiving the reports that your husband lent money from Damian Tucker and hasn’t paid up yet.” He stared at her intensely.

Lady Jennifer stood in front of Jonathan and frowned.

“Yes. I didn’t know when my husband lent the money, but he claimed to be doing business with Damian’s father, before Damian took over the loan company,” she explained.

“Do you have any evidence of what your husband does for them?” Jonathan inquired.

“No. My husband doesn’t get me involved. He never does, and I don’t know what he does,” she said.

“Hmm. But we need evidence if we need to get your husband freed. Think of any evidence. How about your husband’s briefcase or laptop or whatever he uses? We can find a lead from there on,” Jonathan pressed.

“No…” Lady Jennifer quickly refuted like she was protecting her husband from getting caught in any crime.

“I am sorry, officer. But my husband never let me know what he does. We have been married for 29 years. And we dated five years, and I still don’t know his work. I just know he is a good man and provides for us.” Lady Jennifer looked sober as she recalled her past.

“Damian gave his word that if we tried anything funny, he will deal with my husband and I don’t want to lose him. The police should look for their own way to catch criminals and not using my family. Please excuse me as I would like to make a call to my older brother to see how we can raise the money,” Lady Jennifer said.

“Mom…” Alicia tried to speak, but her mother used her eyes to signal her to shut up.

“It’s fine, madam. I will see how I can be of help,” Jonathan said. “I will get going now to report to the police station about the case so that my senior can take it from there.” He bowed for leave.

“Alright,” Lady Jennifer forcibly replied. Although she would have preferred if they don’t report the matter to the station. But it could get worse now when it involves her family and threat to life.

Alicia followed Jonathan out of her father’s house, and he paused beside the black car he came with his assistant and said, “I have to go now, babe. Take care and I will see what I can do to help your family. Damian has been a threat to many lives here, and if we don’t get him we cannot guarantee our service to saving our people.”

Jonathan looked frustrated, and Alicia placed her hand on him and told him, “It’s fine, my.love. Take care.”

“You too, babe. I wish this never happened,” Jonathan said, his voice sad. “I already bought the engagement ring and now this.”

Alicia assured him, “It’s fine. We will still get married.”

“I know. Take care and don’t go anywhere close to Damian.”

“Understood.” Alicia replied and Jonathan kissed her forehead goodbye, before he got into his car.

Alicia sighed and went back into her father's house.