An hour later, Kameron’s test results came out.
The words “melanoma” struck Judith like a lightning bolt, leaving her speechless as she held the diagnosis in her hand. Several police officers stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
No one expected Kameron to actually have a tumor.
Kameron himself had mixed emotions, a blend of sadness and relief. He was saddened by the melanoma diagnosis, knowing that it would require a significant amount of time for treatment. But he was relieved that the tumor had been discovered early.
If it had been found half a year later, he might not have made it. So, after the initial wave of emotions passed, he felt grateful towards Darnell and shook his hand.
“Darnell, thank you. Thank you so much. You truly are my savior. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even know how I would have died.”
“I’m just a lowly detective, who can’t offer much in return. All I can say is that if you ever need help in the future, just ask.”
“As long as it doesn’t violate any laws or regulations, I can even risk my life for you without hesitation.”
“Oh, if you don’t mind, come to my house another day. I’ll have my wife cook some delicious dishes and bring out the bottle of red wine I’ve been saving for eighteen years.”
Darnell chuckled lightly at his words and patted Kameron on the shoulder with force.
“Kameron, since you’re so enthusiastic, I won’t hold back either. I’m the kind of person who takes advantage of any opportunity.”
“Take care of yourself and get better soon. When you’re healthy again, I’ll definitely come to your house for dinner and drinks. Do you have a daughter? Maybe I can pursue her while I’m at it.”
“You rascal!”
Judith’s voice filled with anger as she kicked Darnell. “Kameron is sick, and you’re still thinking about his daughter? Are you trying to upset him?”
“Captain Meech, don’t be angry. Darnell is just joking with me.”
Kameron laughed warmly, “He doesn’t want me to dwell on my illness with sorrow, so he’s diverting my attention.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t be pessimistic. I still have a wife and daughter to support. I will face everything with optimism. Darnell, thank you.”
Darnell waved his hand. “Kameron, no need to be so polite. We’re close friends, and there’s no need to be formal.”
Judith spoke disdainfully, “Who said you’re close friends? You’re just a small-time thug while we are police officers, clearly distinct from each other.”
Kameron quickly intervened to prevent them from arguing. “Captain Meech, although Darnell may be smooth-tongued, he is not a bad person. He has principles and boundaries and is highly skilled in medicine.”
“He could tell my condition at a glance. I’m grateful to him for his diagnosis. More importantly, I trust my judgment of his character.”
He spoke meaningfully, “If there’s an opportunity, I’ll lend a hand.”
“In this world, good people are too few and far between. Each one is precious.”
Darnell smiled and smirked, “Captain Meech, did you hear that? I’m a good person. You should listen to the words of an elder come from the bottom of his heart.”
Judith paused for a moment before regaining her composure. “Kameron, don’t worry. As long as he doesn’t do anything despicable, I won’t bother him.”
“Kameron, rest well for now. Also, inform your family about this matter. We’ll leave first.”
After saying that, she grabbed Darnell’s arm and left the hospital room while keeping the diagnosis report tightly clenched in her hand. She instructed someone to close the door behind them.
“Captain Meech, why are you dragging me along?”
Darnell chuckled, “Are you in such a hurry to go soak in a hot spring?”
Judith pulled Darnell to the side by the window and scrutinized him from head to toe. “Are you really skilled in medicine? Can you really diagnose illnesses?”
No matter how she looked at Darnell, he didn’t seem like a doctor. But the facts from earlier had shaken her.
Darnell pointed at the diagnosis report with his finger. “It’s quite obvious, isn’t it? I’m a good doctor.”
“You do have some skills.”
Seeing Darnell’s nonchalant demeanor, Judith suppressed her anger and her voice turned cold.
“So you’re saying that you’ve been hiding your true abilities? Not only are you skilled in combat and marksmanship but also exceptional in medicine. Are you responsible for the battles between the Lonsdale brothers, Carson Bateman, and the incident that took place at Genesis House?”
“There should be one more thing. Wasn’t Steve’s drug use and drug stash your doing as well?”
Judith looked sharply at Darnell and didn’t let him out of her sight. “A real man takes responsibility for his actions. Say it out loud. In return for saving Kameron’s life, I promise not to make things difficult for you. If you deny it outright, I’ll keep watching until your true colors are revealed.”
“That’s right. I did all those things.”
Darnell grabbed Judith’s hand and looked into her eyes with clarity. “I even knocked out Kameron on purpose so that I could steal his police car and gun to commit crimes.”
“Captain Meech, what else do you want me to say? I’ll admit anything since you’re a police officer and Areli’s best friend.”
Judith hesitated for a moment before exploding with anger. “What do you mean by ‘what else do you want me to say’? What I want now is for you to confess your crimes.”
“I didn’t do it.”
Darnell switched back to his smiling face. “I’m a gentleman. Why would I resort to violence? If I were that amazing, why would I be doing small-time sales?”
He tilted his head slightly and stared at the woman whose face was filled with frost.
“Captain Meech, our bet doesn’t seem like this. If you win against me, then I’ll answer everything truthfully. If you lose, then accompany me to soak in a hot spring!”
“If you want to know what you want to know so badly, then you must find an opportunity to win against me.”
He leaned closer to the tall woman. “Now let’s discuss when we should go soak in the hot spring. Should we bring swimsuits or not? Will it be me or you?”
Judith blushed with embarrassment and anger as she kicked Darnell: “You scoundrel! Stay away from me!”
Darnell dodged her attack effortlessly and leaned against the window frame, protesting, “Captain Meech, why do you always resort to violence so easily? I didn’t say anything this time.”
Judith looked ready to kill. “You know what you mean!”
“Captain Meech, why are your thoughts so dirty?”
Darnell sneered.
Judith was momentarily stunned before becoming even more embarrassed and angry as she punched and kicked Darnell. “You scoundrel! I should shoot you dead!”
“Stop hitting me!”
Darnell grabbed Judith’s hands tightly and pinned her legs down with his own legs so she couldn’t move:
“You’re a police officer. Beating civilians openly during broad daylight can easily be recorded and posted online. How will you explain yourself to the public? How can your explanation be accepted?”
“Are you saying that since we’re husband and wife now, you’re venting your frustrations on your husband?”
Judith hesitated briefly before realizing they were in a hospital and couldn’t react too strongly anymore. She then shouted angrily, “Let go of me!”
“What if I let go of you and then get beaten up by you again? What am I supposed to do?”
Darnell hummed dismissively. “Besides, we haven’t finished discussing our hot spring plans yet.”
“What about going to Vantage?”
“No!”
“How about going on Saturday?”
“Not going!”
“Do you want to wear lingerie?”
“I’ll kill you!”
Seeing Judith about to resist again, Darnell firmly held her down and smirked. “If you don’t want to wear it, then don’t wear it. I won’t force you.”
Then he whispered softly into her ear, “Can I kiss you when the time comes?”
“To hell with that!”
Judith blushed furiously. “If you jump out of this window right now, I’ll let you kiss all you want.”
As soon as she finished speaking, something happened that left Judith dumbfounded.
Darnell swiftly grabbed onto the window ledge with one hand while pressing against the edge with another hand. He kicked off with both legs and actually jumped out of the window, cleanly executed without any hesitation.
Thud!
A muffled sound came from outside the window.
This was on the eighth floor. Judith trembled slightly before feeling an intense tightness in her chest. She rushed towards the window, anxiously shouting, “Darnell!”
She couldn’t see what was happening below but could see people gathering down there. It seemed like something had really happened. Judith’s heart skipped a beat as she blamed herself.
“You bastard! Idiot! Who told you to actually jump?”
“Even if you don’t jump out of the window, I’ll make you kiss me anyway…”
“You should’ve told me earlier!”
A figure appeared by the side of the window and kissed Judith on the cheek before saying,
“It smells nice.”
After touching her cheek briefly, Darnell hopped down like a rabbit, using only his bare hands on the edge of an air conditioner unit.
Judith stood there dumbfounded before erupting in anger. “Darnell! I’m going to kill you!”