บท 26: Chapter Twenty-Six: Aiden
I had my hands tucked in my back pockets as I walked through the park to the designated meeting spot. Everything that Kate said in the station the other day kept ringing in my mind.
Earlier today, Kate had come to my house in the morning to search like she said she would. I noticed how uneasy Ava was and it made me begin to wonder.
Even though Kate didn't find anything, I felt like we had opened a can of worms. I was confused and didn't know what to do anymore.
The lines between lies and truth were beginning to blur in my mind. I decided that I needed some sense of closure. I needed to know what happened that night 6 years ago.
With the help of my assistant, I was able to get connected to a very good private investigator.
David Roberts.
Apparently he was the best money could buy in the country. I picked our meeting point to be the park because I didn't want anybody in the office no anyone at home knowing that I was meeting with the private investigator.
From the distance I saw a little girl running towards the main road. She crouched down in the middle of the street to pick up a puppy.
That was when I saw the car speeding towards her. From the looks of it the trajectory of the speeding car was headed straight for her and it didn't seem like the driver would be able to hit the brakes on time.
With all the energy I could muster, I sprung forward, running as fast as my legs could carry me through into the main road. With one powerful swing of my arm I lifted the ground off the ground and then jumped out of the way just in time.
The wind from the car whisking passed us met my face as the driver continued to speed down the road. Eventually the car script and crashed into a tree, coming to a forceful stop.
I faced the little girl who was still frozen in fear. "Are you okay? Where is your mom or dad?" I asked in a soft voice.
"Lorraine! Lorraine honey!" a feminine voice screamed from behind me.
I stood up and looked at the woman approaching, it was none other than Olivia. Our eyes met and a shocked expression spread on her face.
She didn't say a word to me but she rushed and hugged her daughter, picking her off the floor and balancing the girl against her hips.
"Lauren why did you rush off to the main road like that, you know how many times I've warned you not to wonder off to the road," she said and then kissed her daughters forehead.
I kept staring at the two of them in awe, I never knew Olivia had a child. Lorraine rested her head against her mother's shoulders.
Liam was holding another boy who looked about the same age with Lorraine in the hands when he rushed forward to join Olivia. "Lorriane, my baby are you okay?"
The little girl nodded and then pointed to me. "He saved me, he's a hero," she said in a small voice as Liam collected her from Olivia's arms.
"Why the hell are you stalking my family?" Olivia asked, taking me off guard.
A frown formed on my face. "W- what?"
"Yeah, you heard me right. Stop pretending like you don't know what I'm talking about. And this car, I'm sure this was what you're doing." She pointed at the car in the distance which had its airbags already deployed and people trying to drag the unconscious driver out.
"You're accusing me of trying to run over a little girl that I just met today? I didn't even know you had children- this is messed up!" I flared up in anger. How dare she accuse me of a thing like this?
"Yes you just so happen to conveniently be in the park just when something's about to happen to my daughter. Putting my child's life on the line just because of some stupid scheme of yours to try and gain my trust is not going to work Aiden."
At this point I was already angry and I couldn't care less about her opinion. "Fuck you Olivia! I guess this is the thanks I get for risking my life to save your child. You know, you've changed so much, you've become a bitter narcissistic person, I don't even know you anymore."
Liam stepped forward. "Don't talk about my wife like that."
I took an equivalent step forward until there was almost no space between he and I. "Or else what?" I challenged through gritted teeth.
Her hands landed atop his shoulders as she pulled him back a bit. "He's not worth it honey, let's go." The way she spoke about me like I was some random street beggar that she was irritated by.
She and Liam turned their backs to me and began walking away. Lorraine stared at me from over Liam's shoulders with an apologetic look on her face.
I exhaled and then returned to the park. I was just about to sit down on the bench when my phone started ringing.
"Hello? Is this David?"
"Yes, and I just stepped into the park," he informed me.
I gave him instructions on how he would locate me and then waited for his arrival. Shortly after, I felt a shadow looming over me.
"You must be detective Roberts," I started, extending my hands for a handshake. "I'm Aiden Tan."
We shook hands before he took his seat. "It's nice to meet you sir, so let's cut to the chase shall we?"
I began by narrating the ordeal that happened that night. How my wife never came home and then some weeks later I hear that her body is decomposing in a river until now that she's back.
I also told him about Grace and how she was killed. "The police is doing their job but I need to find out more. I need to find out what happened at night, who tried to kill Olivia and why. I also have a hunch that whoever tried to kill Olivia, was the same person that killed Grace, it's all connected."
David nodded and stared into space as though he was lost in thought. "Do you have any suspects? Any enemies or anybody acting strangely?"
"I never had enemies. I had business rivals, but it wasn't that serious or deep."
He chuckled. "Business rivalry is always that deep, I'm a detective and I'm telling you you would never imagine the lengths some people would go just to take away the competition."
"But if they wanted to take me out, why didn't they attack me? Why Olivia?"
He raised a cigar stick as if asking for my permission to smoke and gestured with my hands to give him to go ahead. After two failed attempts he finally lit the cigar stick with his lighter.
"The thing is, who's to say that you're not in danger? Maybe it was harder to get to you and easier to get to Olivia."
I watched him draw in some smoke. We sat there in silence for a while. "Actually, I do have a suspect. It's not exactly a suspect, I don't think she did it. In fact I'm sure that she didn't-"
"If you're sure she didn't then why she suspect?"
"I don't know, I just want to be sure. You know, for formalities sake."
He puffed out some smoke. "Who is it?"
"It's my wife, my current wife. Ava Tan."
Even he was surprised because I could see him pause. "why do you think it's her?"
I adjusted on my seat. "Like I said, I don't think it's her. It's just that she's been acting very strangely, especially today when the police came to investigate. I just have this feeling that there's something off…"
He threw the cigar stick on the floor and quenched it by stepping on it. "It's ok Mr Tan, I'll begin my investigations with all the information you've given me and hopefully the next time I report you, I'll have a lead."
I stood up almost at the same time with him and then we should hand again to conclude the meeting. "Looking forward to hearing from you. And please, if you find out anything, even the smallest detail, give me a call."
We went our separate ways and I trudged towards my car. I opened the door and entered, while I was trying to start my engines a little kid showed up by my window, tapping on it lightly.
He clenched his stomach with his hands. "Please give me food."
A wave of sympathy washed over me. It was disheartening to see a kid his age begging. I got down from the car, placing my hands on my waist. "I don't got any food inside kid, but maybe I can buy you something from that hot dog stand, where are your parents?"
He didn't respond to me, but then his eyes rolled up into his skull and he dropped to the ground lifelessly.
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