33. Start anew

Elise bit the inside of her cheek as she read the email she had received from the twins. Her fingers hovered above the delete option. But she thought otherwise at the last moment and ignored it. 

"Officer Winslow, we were waiting for you." Daniel was the first to notice her return and he beckoned her towards him.

"Officer Blake." Elise locked her phone and concentrated on the case instead. There was no use fretting about the twins or their intentions.

"We have sent Craig's body for post mortem and we are checking for any fingerprints."

Elise nodded as she stared at the blood in the living room. She now knew who had killed Craig. However, it wouldn't be easy to convict the culprit or in this case, culprits. Since the twins had come clean before her, there was a high chance that they had erased all the evidence. She wouldn't find anything and considering how evil and clever the twins were, she wouldn't find anything ever unless they wanted her to.

The case was a goner. It would remain unsolved forever on paper.

"Officer Blake, Officer Lewis, I'll be in charge of the case from now onwards. The case has been transferred to NCI. We have received instructions and authorization from the higher-ups. The police will be assisting us instead," Elise stated and held the official email her Chief had sent her for the two men to read.

"Ohh," Daniel handed the file in his hand as well as the reports his subordinates had collected in her absence. "We are happy to assist you in every way, Officer."

Elise didn't miss the obvious look of relief on Daniel and Derek's faces. They were happy to have gotten the hot potato off their hands. It was now Elise's headache and since she was leading the investigation, it would be here who would bear the brunt of the crowd, the higher-ups, and the media. 

Elise smiled knowingly as she took the files from them. "Have we found Craig's phone yet?"

"Not yet, Officer Winslow. We're still searching for it," Derek replied, stunned to see her take over the authority with ease. What power and confidence! Brilliant.

"Officer Anderson, look for all the people who worked for Craig, not just the ones in the warehouse but in his office as well. Find me the person in charge of the company's finances and employee's salary," Elise barked out orders one by one successively, startling everyone around her, including Kai.

"And Officer Blake, Officer Lewis, I'd need a few men to search all of Craig's properties in the city."

"Got it, Officer Winslow," Daniel responded, breaking out of his trance first.

Previously Elise was just assisting the police. So, he hadn't seen her being peremptory, except when she had put the reporter in his place. But now, the commanding aura around her was commendable and he couldn't help but be subservient before her.

"And who's the man who recorded the explosion? Bring him to the NCI immediately. I need to interrogate him." 

After meeting the man at the cafe and the twins later, Elise began investigating the case in her own way, starting from the beginning. Since she already knew who murdered Craig, her focus was now on the culprit who planned the explosion and killed hundreds.

"That's got to be Lee," Derek revealed and Elise snapped her fingers.

"Summon him to the NCI. I have a few questions to ask him."

"Yes, Officer Winslow," Derek obliged without a word.

"And Officer Blake, Officer Lewis, thank you for your hard work. I appreciate it." Elise smiled for the first time after her return.

All the men got to work, each bolting to carry out the orders assigned to them particularly while Elise looked at the blood one last time before she turned around to leave the place.

Since Kai had to go in a different direction, she handed him the car key while she hitched a ride with the two police officers.

"Officer Winslow," Derek glanced at the lady in the backseat and hesitated before speaking.

They were on their way to the NCI and the tension in the air was palpable. There was an awkward silence in the vehicle. It was impossible to ignore the annoyance on Elise's face. Something was bothering her and the unknown was making them antsy as well.

"Yes, Officer Lewis?"

"Did something happen? Did you find anything substantial related to the case?" he questioned cautiously.

"You could say so. I did find some leads but it's all hearsay. I don't have any evidence to support my claims," Elise divulged nothing to them and the men didn't ask for clarification.

It was better to look for evidence instead of focusing on hearsay. At least that way, they'd be open to thinking from all angles rather than focusing on one. They wouldn't be clouded by judgment and follow an unidirectional path blindly.

"Who are we suspecting, Officer Winslow?" Daniel stared at her through the rearview mirror.

"Everyone." Elise's reply was monotonous. It was as if a switch had gone off the moment she had entered Craig's villa. Something about her was off. But the two men couldn't point out what.

Nobody spoke a word until they reached the NCI. Elise led the two inside and entered one of the offices.

"Sarah, invite Mr. Azael Sephyr, Mr. Reuel Sephyr, and Mr. Rowen Andrews to NCI for an interrogation. Also, arrange for a trusted media source. I have an announcement to make."

"What time?" Sarah didn't stop typing on her laptop as she looked up from the screen for a moment. Smiling at the two police officers behind Elise, she returned her gaze to Elise.

"6 p.m. tomorrow. Thank you."

"Consider it done. Anything else?"

"Craig Tyrell's case has come to us. Is Matteo available?"

"Let me check. He must..." Sarah lowered her eyes for a moment. "Yes, he is."

"Good. Assign him to my team."

"Anyone else?"

"No, we are fine. I already have Kai, Officer Blake, and Officer Lewis with me." Elise gestured towards the two men behind her and Sarah greeted them with a nod.

"Got it."

"Is Chief here?"

"No. He got a call from the Commissioner of Police. We might be getting another case soon." Sarah pursed her lips and stood up once she was done entering the information on the laptop.

"I see." Elise pondered with a curt nod. "I'll see you later."

"Yes." Sarah nodded back and smiled at the two men as they took their leave.

"In a few minutes, we will be interrogating Lee. Please help me supervise him through the monitor." Elise explained what they'd be doing next.

Daniel and Derek were taken aback for a moment. They hadn't expected Elise to assign them tasks. They had assumed their work was to assist her behind the scenes.

"Do you suspect him, Officer?" Daniel tried to recall anything suspicious about Lee. But he came short.

"Yes. Everyone is a suspect in my eyes."

The twins' words flashed in her mind again. According to them, she was investigating in the wrong direction. So, to find the correct direction, they had to start from the beginning and Lee was her first target.