CHAPTER NINETEEN

Ava and detective Thompson headed towards the hospital then they went to the ward of Julian where they met him lying down with few families around him, although he was awake so as soon as the Julian saw the police, he told the family to excuse them, then Alva brought out a small note and a pen and a pen and Thompson began the questioning

" we heard you were stabbed...so what what happened what was the problem how did you get stabbed?"

Julian was thinking of ways to cook up of stories,"a masked guy came and you know he threatened me , he he told me that he wanted to see me for some business and all that but when I took him to my office he stabbed me"

Ava was jotting down all this,

Ava asked " he just stabbed you like that without no reason he didn't tell you anything if somebody sent him!"

Then Julian nodded "he didn't tell me"

Alva and Detective Thompson exchanged skeptical glances. Alva's eyes narrowed slightly as she continued writing in her notebook.

Thompson pressed on, "So, let me get this straight. A masked guy shows up, asks to see you for some business, and then stabs you without giving you any reason or explanation?"

Julian nodded again, but Ava noticed a faint flicker in his eyes. She sensed that he was hiding something.

Thompson leaned in, his voice firm but controlled. "Julian, we need to know the truth. Was there anything going on that might have led to this attack? Any enemies, any conflicts, any secrets?"

Julian's gaze darted around the room, as if searching for an escape route. Ava's instincts told her that he was about to spin another lie.

"Tell us the truth" Thompson pressed on

"That's all for now"Julian said leaning his back on the pillow.

As they walked out of the hospital, Thompson turned to Ava and asked, "Do you think Julian is telling the truth?"

Ava frowned, her eyes squinting in thought. "You know what? I don't even know what to believe again. Like, I don't know...because I don't understand."

Thompson raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Alva's uncertain tone. "What do you mean?" he pressed, his voice gentle but probing.

Alva sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly. "I mean, Julian's story sounds suspicious, but at the same time, he seems genuinely scared. I just can't put my finger on what's not adding up."

Thompson nodded thoughtfully, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. "Let's dig deeper, see if we can uncover any inconsistencies in Julian's alibi. Maybe we can find some leads on the mysterious attacker."

As they continued their discussion, Aba's phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, her eyes scanning the screen before her expression turned serious.

"What is it?" Thompson asked, noticing the change in her demeanor.

Ava's voice was low and urgent. "It's the chief. He wants to see us ASAP."

She checked her watch again, the time staring back at her like a challenge. 4:55. She really needed to head home soon, but the chief's call had thrown a wrench into her plans.

"What's going on, Chief?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral despite the growing sense of unease.

There was a pause on the other end of the line before the chief spoke up. "Ava, I need you to come back to the station. We've got a new development in the Julian case."

**************

Ava's eyes narrowed as she watched the grainy footage on the screen. A man in a black coat, his face not seen walked purposefully towards a sleek black car. He glanced up, his face was hidden behind a mask,seemingly aware of the CCTV camera's presence, and adjusted his coat to conceal his face further.

"Frustrating!" Ava exclaimed, throwing up her hands. "He knew exactly where the camera was. We can't even get a glimpse of his face."

Thompson rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Looks like our guy's a pro. He's definitely trying to hide his identity."

The chief nodded in agreement. "I want you both to enhance the footage, see if you can pick up any distinguishing features. And get the plate number of that car. Maybe we can track him down that way."

Ethan's eyes gleamed with a mixture of satisfaction and unease as he watched Ava and Thompson scrambling to enhance the footage. He knew he had to act fast, before they could uncover any evidence linking him to the crime.

He casually strolled out of the room, phone in hand, and dialed a number. Sam's voice answered on the first ring.

"Sam, hack into the station's system and wipe out any records related to me. Now," Ethan ordered, his voice low and urgent.

Sam's response was immediate. "On it, boss."

Ethan's eyes scanned the surrounding area, ensuring no one was watching. He nodded to himself, a calculating smile spreading across his face. He knew he had to cover his tracks, and Sam was the perfect person for the job.

Pandemonium erupted as the police looking after the footage yelled, Alva and Thompson exchanged worried glances, their hearts racing with anticipation.

"What's going on?" Ava yelled, pushing her way through.

The detective's face was ashen. "Someone's hacking into our system! They're deleting files and wiping out evidence!"

Thompson's eyes widened. "Shadow Killer! He's trying to cover his tracks!"

"It was the shadow killer all along!"

The detective's s fingers flew across the keyboard, desperately trying to outmaneuver the hacker. "I'm trying to block him, but he's too good!"

Ava threw herself onto a chair and said, "You know what? I don't think we can catch this guy, okay? Now, I don't think we can. We cannot get him, so I feel we should stop wasting our time."

Thompson's eyes widened in surprise at Ava's sudden outburst. "Whoa, Ava, don't say that. We can't give up now," he said, trying to reason with her.

But Ava shook her head, her eyes fixed on the floor. "I'm telling you, Thompson, this guy is a ghost. He's always one step ahead of us. We're just wasting our time and resources."

Ethan turned, smiling to himself. Well, it's not their fault, he thought. He just needed to watch them, they didn't know the Shadow Killer was right under their nose.

What he just wanted was to make more money before traveling to another country. And then they would keep on looking for him, looking for him, not knowing that he had left the country.

He laughed within himself.