Chapter 13

I went over to meet with Dr. Martin and gave him a strand of Tim’s hair to see if it matched with the corpse’s DNA. I wasn’t sure with the whole theory yet, but it was better than nothing.

“This will only take about a day or two,” the doctor told me.

“Can you make it a day?” I implored.

The old doctor smiled at me affectionately. “I’ll do my best, dear.”

Oddly, I still couldn’t reach Mikee and peppered his account with dozens of messages.

“Well, he must be engrossed in something right now,” Dr. Martin told me when I asked him if he had seen the detective anywhere. “I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”

“I guess that’s understandable,” I answered, smiling at the doctor. “Well, I guess I better get going. I have schedules to meet.”

After I bade the ole doctor a farewell, I then drove over to the Marx’s restaurant. I wanted to come early to get a “feel” of the surroundings. Since, I already knew where the restaurant was located, it didn’t take me long to reach my destination.

"Van! I'm here! Do you see me?” I waved at Damien from outside. I knew I was making a spectacle of myself, but who cares? “I'm looking at you through the glass window. This is me. Do you see me? Wait, is this mirror a one-way type?"

Damien seemed to freeze in place as I called his name repeatedly, knocking on the glass pane like it was a door or something. His co-workers and the customers already settled inside eyed me like I had grown two heads while Van blushed in embarrassment.

Deciding that I have had enough fun, I then entered through the revolving doors which was situated just next to the glass window where I had been waving at my poor fellow.

“Hey, aren’t you that girl from the bar?” a man who was standing by the entrance asked me with a friendly smile.

“Maybe?” I cheekily responded.

“Oh, I think that was you, alright.” The man nodded to himself. He was wearing a nice suit and his hair was neatly groomed. “I’m the manager here. My name is Jack Kent.”

“Hello there, J-jack.” I cringed slightly at the familiar name rolling out of my mouth like bitter coffee. “I’m Milady.”

“Welcome, madam.” He bowed dramatically. “Let me escort you to a vacant table.”

“Thank you.” I followed him to an empty table with only two seats. Turning round, I told him, “Actually, I am expecting five other people to have lunch with me today.”

“No worries. That can be arranged.”

I was pleasantly surprised how efficient the services were and all the employees treated me quite nicely, wearing neat uniforms and beautiful smiles all around.

I wasn’t really expecting to speak with Damien while he’s at work, but I found him tentatively approaching me from behind. I could see his reflection through the glasses arranged in front of me.

“Uhm… Milady?”

Smiling, I turned my head to face him. “Oh hello, Van. Did you see me through the window earlier?”

Blushing at the thought of my embarrassing display, he nodded. “Y-yes, I did.”

Obviously, there was something he wanted to say but was too shy to say it out loud, so I decided to prompt him to cut through the chase. “What’s the matter? Do you need something?”

“Well…” I caught him glanced toward a certain direction. I followed his gaze coyly and found Jack gesturing at him with two thumbs up’s. “Uhm… I know we’re not really close. I barely know anything about you, but the thing is, the manager thinks otherwise. You know, since he saw you waving at me through the window.”

“Alright?” I wasn’t sure where this was going, but I had a feeling it was some sort of a request.

Damien cleared his throat, his face flushing beet red. “Well, he asked me if I could ask you to sing on stage?” With his gloved hand, he gestured toward the stage at the other end of the room. There were violinists there, a man who played the trumpet and a grand piano. “That’s only if you want to.”

Assuming a thoughtful expression, I dabbed a finger against my bottom lip. “Hmm… If I do that, you would have to treat me to a coffee shop,” I told him.

Damien looked taken aback by the random arrangement. He looked so nervous. “O-okay.”

I knew his schedule and his routine. He buys coffee en route to work at a quarter before eight in the morning.

“How about seven tomorrow?” I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea and think it was a date, so I added, “We should invite Kassy too. Would that be alright? I mean, the coffee shop I like is just near her workplace anyway.”

A blush creeped into his cheeks. Seriously, Damien’s head resembled a red tomato now. “Sure. That would be great.”

“Fantastic!” I clapped my hands together in a jolly way. “We should hang out more, you know. Chill out a bit. Anyhow, about that request…”

I stood up and tried dusting myself as a gesture of mental preparation. I was only wearing a pair of brown slacks and a light green shirt made of soft cotton which matched my contact lenses.

Walking over to the musicians, I whispered to them if they could play “Speechless” for me when I sing.

“Someone asked me to sing on stage, is that alright?” I told the musicians. They seemed to be around their mid-twenties.

“Sure,” one of them replied. “We’re familiar with the song.”

So, I got up on stage. The first rule in going undercover is to stay low and not get noticed. But I was totally doing the exact opposite of that. No matter, my goal was to “befriend” Samantha’s family and friends, and get them to trust me. Easy-peasy.

I tapped the microphone a few times, drawing everyone’s attention to me. “Good day, ladies and gentlemen,” I spoke. “I’d like to dedicate a song for my friend, Damien Evans. The title of the song is Speechless by Naomi Scott. I hope you’d all like it.”

There was a short round of applause before the piano started playing, quickly followed by my intro of the lyrics, and then the quartet of violinists. Together, my voice harmonized with the instruments as the musical notes rose and fell, until I hit the highest note of the song.

When the song was over, we were rewarded with a a round of applause form the audience.

“You should join the band,” the pianist told me, trying to shake my hand.

“Sorry, I’m already pretty busy,” I explained to him.

Facing the crowd, I did a quick bow, before walking down the stage to return to my table.

Jack was already there, standing beside an awestruck Damien, clapping with a smile on his face.

“That was an astounding performance, madam,” he remarked. “And for that, we give a special dessert just for you. It’s on the house.” Jack winked.

“Why, thank you!” I told him before he left. To Damien, I said, “Never go speechless, Van.”

“Uh, I have to go back to work.”

“No problem,” I managed to say before he scurried off to resume his duties.

As soon as Damien was gone, Kassy suddenly popped out of nowhere.

“Milady!” That was the only warning I heard, because when I turned Kassy was already wrapping her arms around me as though we have been friends for a long time. I tried to hug her back when I found Keith and his younger sister were following behind her.

Well, this is a surprise…

Kassandra then pulled back and noticed me staring at her two companions. “Milady, these are Samantha’s younger siblings, Keith and Suzy. I already told them about－”

“We already met,” Keith cut her off on a flat note.

“What?”

“Wait. Really?”

Kassy and Suzy had spoken simultaneously, their eyes going back and forth the two of us.

“Milady, how long have you been in town?” Kassy asked me in curiosity. “You seem to know almost everyone I know now.”

“Four days,” Keith answered for me, not missing a beat nor batting an eyelash.

“How do you even know that?” Suzy raised an eyebrow at her own brother, sounding suspicious. “You’ve gone to hibernation since Sammy disappeared and barely got out of your room. So, how come you sound so sure?”

“I know enough to conclude that what I know is a fact.”

I frowned at his opaque response. He looked way better than yesterday and the bags under his eyes were gone now, but his demeanor seemed to have changed.

I wasn’t even expecting his attendance, but I will have to make do with anything that comes my way.

The four of us had decided to settle down and order some drinks while waiting for the rest. I tried to ignore the disturbing fact that Keith decided to sit right next to me in the round table while Kassy and Suzy sat opposite us. It was so uncomfortable having Suzy watching us suspiciously while Kassy voiced some subtle remarks about Keith and I hitting it off rather smoothly.

I wouldn’t exactly say that we were hitting it off. Sure, that was my original plan－to get close to Samantha’s family and friends－ but I had a bad feeling about Keith having a sudden interest in my existence. Something seemed off with him.

Fortunately, I was able to engage Suzy into a friendly conversation with Kassy. She wasn’t that bad, I thought. But I could definitely sense some snotty tendencies about her, so I gave her my sundae to test that tendency. Suzy accepted my sundae with a slight grimace and dug into it without offering to share with Kassy.

I had a feeling that Suzy would prove to be a terrible candidate for a friend. I also noticed that Suzy had brought with her some flyers with a picture of Samantha and a bold word saying, MISSING.

Glancing at the silent Keith, I looked down at his right hand which was lying awfully still on top of the table.

“Why so quiet?” Suzy spoke out of the blue while picking at the half-eaten sundae.

I watched as Keith’s calm eyes suddenly morphed into a menacing one, catching me off guard. “No one plans murder out loud.”

“And he’s back…” his sister exclaimed in an exasperated tone.

I knew there was a fight about to ensue, so I abruptly stood up and mumbled some excuse about going to the restroom, and vacated the table. In the restroom, I happen to overhear Damien’s co-workers talking about “that blonde chick in green.”

At the background, I could hear Damien stuttering answers about not knowing much about me. I had almost forgotten that I was supposedly blonde now. So, I’m the blonde chick in green that they are talking about? They are obviously trying to make it sound like there’s something going on between us. With his girlfriend suddenly disappearing and the appearance of a woman in Damien’s life, it would surely put him in a sticky situation.

I didn’t want anyone to start up a rumor that could destroy his reputation. Knowing Damien, he wouldn’t be able to handle that pressure.

I took a bit of time trying to digest every bit of information I gathered for the past thirty-two hours in the restroom. I can’t believe I’m handling multiple cases at the same time, not officially, but the moment I caught wind of the Mafia, I already decided I’m going to take them down regardless of the danger.

Criminal detectives usually have different specialties and focus on specific fields of crime. Mikee and I often deal with homicides, assaults, burglary and arson. So, this would be the first time I’d have to deal with massive mobsters. since chasing these drug traffickers usually require a team of agents. I knew I can’t do this all alone but I’m going to have to multi-task for the mean time.

As I walked back to our table, I realized that Roman was already there. Roman, Suzy and Kassy seemed to be talking at ease, and based on their body language, I think the tension between the siblings has been severed.

When I got closer, Roman's head suddenly turned to me. His serious countenance suddenly split into a breathtaking smile. Caught off guard by such an unexpected sight and disarming smile, I tripped a little, but thankfully, I was able to catch myself in time.

“Would you like to participate in a parley?" Roman asked me as I steadied myself.

I smiled back at him, feeling my heart thud violently against my ribcage. "Which one? A debate or a gamble?"

"You don't know the difference of how they are pronounced?" He raised a playful brow at me as everyone, except Keith, turned to look at us exchanging words.

“I know the difference of their spelling, but I'm not an orthoepist.”

“Point taken.”

Kassy was eyeing the two of us like some pair of oddities. Suzy looked annoyed at being interrupted in the middle of her speech while Keith just looked utterly bored at our exchanges.

To my chagrin, I found that there were only two vacant seats available. One of them was in between Roman and Keith while the other was situated between the Roberts siblings. Either one would put me in an awkward spot, but it wasn’t like I had a choice.

Sighing, I returned to the spot I had sat on earlier which was in between Roman and Keith.

“So, I gather that you already told them the agenda of our meeting?” I asked Kassy.

“Yes, I thought that they would be the best representatives from the Roberts family. Mr. Roberts was at work and well, their mother is still in bed.”

“So, she’s sick?” I asked.

“No,” Suzy answered this time. “Not sick. Just suffering emotionally and randomly fainting from exhaustion. Seeing that dead body that the detective found took a toll on her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Well, don’t be.” The words were supposed to assure me, but the way she said that made me wonder if she suddenly harbored a grudge against me.

We talked a bit. I learned that Roman was quite efficient in making the arrangements by himself. Knowing his background and accomplishments, I wasn’t much surprised though. It’s like he was born to lead.

“So, the only things that are lacking is informing Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, and gathering volunteers to join,” I summed up. “I guess Suzy and Keith should be the ones to tell their parents and explain our plan to them. Kassy, Pam and I will talk to Mrs. Pierce. And lastly, I suppose Roman, Jerry and Van will go talk to the police about it?”

“Yes. You are excellent, Milady.” I didn’t expect Roman to butt in that compliment.

“T-thanks,” I stuttered. I stuttered!!!

Blushing, I quickly avoided eye contact with him, but I could feel Roman’s eyes on me through my peripheral view. Across from me, I could see an oblivious Kassy grinning like an idiot, and Suzy frowning in disappointment. I also glanced at Keith, but he was facing away from me.

There were a few moments of silence.

Well, this is awkward…

"Hey y'all!" Like an angel sent from heaven, Pam’s Southern accent effectively broke the silence surrounding our table, making our heads turn at once. "Sorry I'm late. My brother was such a prude. Wouldn’t lemme leave without bargaining away extended shifts from me."

“We should start ordering,” I quickly suggested as Pam took her seat beside Keith, telling us that Jerry wouldn’t be able to make it.

“Why? Where is he?” I asked, curious.

“He says he needed to go out of town,” Pam answered politely, her beautiful face brightening into a full smile.

This was the first time I’ve ever seen Pam in daylight. I was quite surprised at seeing such rich red hair and noticing the subtle freckles dotting the areas near her nose. It had been dark in Victoria’s Bar when we met, so I guess that was expected.

Ignorant of Keith’s sour mood, Pam slapped a hand against his back and started chatting away with him like a machine gun.

“Hey there, kid! You’ve been MIA these days. Nice to see ya out and about, eh?”

“My sister disappears and you wonder where I’ve been?”

Keith was glaring at her but Pam only laughed it off. “Ah, mister Heartless is back!”

While we were waiting for our orders, I cast another glance at Keith while Kassy informed Pam what we have been discussing earlier. He had been keeping his other hand in his coat pocket for a while now while his other hand remained unmoving on top of the table.

Even with friends, Keith seems so detached. But twice now, his personality shifted radically from calm to rage, like the switch of a blowtorch.

“Milady.”

I instinctively flinched at the voice. When I turned to my left, Roman was already looking at me. “Yes?”

“By any chance, do you know how to play chess?”

“I do, but why do you ask?”

“I’d like to invite you over to play for a while. And perhaps, we can walk around our garden with our dogs.”

My face instantly brightened at the last part. “You have dogs? What kind of breeds?”

And so, Roman and I started talking casually again. For a rich man, he had such an extensive knowledge about dog breeds and how to train them. I hate to admit it, but I really find him attractive and charismatic.

Despite that feeling of attraction however, I knew what’s at stake here. If I lose my focus, I’d be failing Samantha and her family. If I fail, justice will remain unserved for that dead woman I found in Mr. Olive’s cabin. I have so much to accomplish, especially now that I know of Mr. X and the mafia’s involvement in this case.

“I will send my driver at your hotel tomorrow at ten.”

I blinked at Roman thrice. “I haven’t even said yes,” I mumbled under my breath but I think he was close enough to hear that.

“If you’re concerned of a chaperone, my father will undoubtedly fulfill that role, Milady.” A corner of his lips rose into a smirk. With his handsome face, and deep, brown eyes, that slight movement was enough to send a shiver down my spine. “It’s a date then?”

For a brief moment, I found his gaze shifting from mine to a certain spot behind me. “Are you nervous, Milady?”

“Bummer,” Keith suddenly murmured. I effectively broke eye contact with Roman to glance back at him. He was staring coldly at the flower placed at the center of our table. “I can’t believe you’re being pushy with a woman you barely know.”

“There is a term in the human vocabulary that we call getting acquainted,” Roman replied in a very calm tone, his features entirely relaxed. “Does that really concern you?”

The girls didn’t seem to notice the tension starting to rise between the two. I decided not to interfere and shrank back in my seat, trying to stay out of their range.

“I could not have cared less.”

“But you seem to be failing miserably at not caring, my friend.”

Keith’s mouth pulled back in disgust. “We were never friends.”

“The food’s here,” I blurted out loud when I saw Damien coming our way. He was expertly balancing two platters on each hand. One of them was the meat and cheese platter while the other was the vegan cheese and fruit platter.

Once Damien had placed the assorted dishes in front of us, he apologized for not being able to join lunch. I had the feeling he was purposely avoiding eye contact with me. His ears were red while he excused himself.

During lunch, half of the table was buzzing with girlish talk. While Kassy, Suzy and Pam were chatting away comfortably, I was stuck and effectively cut off from them on both ends, literally!

After eating, we got out together. I noticed both Roman and Keith trying to hog my space on the way out.

What is the matter with these two?!

First, it was Keith who was suddenly trying to stay close to me, and then, Roman is suddenly talkative and smiling at me every once in a while. There’s some strange phenomena taking place here, and I was getting to the bottom of it!

We bid our goodbyes and everyone finally got into their rides. Kassy, Suzzy, Pam and I were in the car together, headed to Mrs. Pierce’s home. Kassy was riding shotgun while Suzy rode in the back seat.

I was still strapping on my seatbelt, when I found Suzy looking at me in the rearview mirror. I thought I detected a look of anger in her eyes, but I chose to ignore it. This was Samantha’s sister, plus, she’s basically a stranger to me.

There was nothing I could have done to make her hate me. I don’t have time making enemies. I needed allies. There’s still too much to be done and I’m trying to fulfill everything covertly, while looking at every possible angle to Samantha’s case.

By tomorrow, I can see the results of the DNA test… and I have an appointment with Damien and Roman as well.