Of course, Darnell didn’t have sex with Zoey in the restroom. Although she had an attractive body and face, he wasn’t that desperate.
He took Zoey’s clothes and casually climbed from the window into the adjacent men’s restroom. After washing his hands and tidying up, he opened the door and walked out.
Outside, several men and women hid in the shadows, their gazes sharp.
They even blocked a few people who wanted to use the restroom. Darnell’s sharp eyes caught sight of a familiar figure. Among that group of people, Brian was also present.
Although he was hiding behind his companions and covering his mouth and nose with his hand, Darnell could still recognize him at a glance.
Then, Darnell locked onto another familiar face. It was James.
He was smoking a cigarette, his big belly protruding, like a hungry wolf waiting for its prey.
A sly smile crept onto Darnell’s lips as he contemplated the situation. They actually brought James all the way from Woodsea to set this up.
If Zoey managed to take away one million one hundred thousand dollars, even if she didn’t scream rape, she would still testify against Darnell for soliciting. At that point, he would likely find himself facing a significant amount of time behind bars. How cunning.
Fortunately, he didn’t fall for it.
Darnell clapped his hands and walked towards Brian and the others with a smile.
“You…”
When Brian saw Darnell coming out of the men’s restroom, he and the others trembled slightly, surprise evident on their faces. It seemed difficult for them to accept this scene.
“This guy should be in the women’s restroom. How did he end up in the men’s restroom? And there was no sound of shouting or movement…” Brian wondered.
Darnell approached them and smiled. “Brian, what are you doing outside the ladies’ restroom? Are you all just chatting or waiting for someone?”
Realizing their scheme had failed, Brian let out a snort. “What does it have to do with you?”
“It indeed has nothing to do with me.”
Darnell smiled, “I just wanted to let you know that if you’re waiting for someone, there’s no one inside.”
Brian growled lowly, “Darnell, what did you do to Zoey?”
Darnell looked surprised. “Who is Zoey?”
Brian didn’t say anything else and led a group of people to kick open the door. Soon after, they shouted in alarm, immediately closed the door, and had someone take some clothes into the ladies’ restroom.
Darnell smiled faintly and swaggered back to the banquet hall.
“Stop!”
Just as Darnell took a few steps into the hall, Brian rushed forward with his men and shouted, “Darnell, you’re a pervert!”
“You raped and knocked out Zoey. Shameless!”
Zoey lay unconscious in one of the restroom stalls. Her clothes were in disarray, pieces haphazardly clinging to her. Her face showed extreme embarrassment, causing even Brian to feel sorry for her.
At that moment, Darnell had already returned to the banquet hall. Brian’s shout instantly silenced the entire room and attracted everyone’s attention.
As soon as they realized Darnell was involved, many people gathered around. Areli and other high-ranking officials also stood up and were surprised to see Brian appear.
Eliezer echoed him from afar. “What? You raped my niece? I’ll kill you.”
He rushed over like a madman while Roberto shouted at his subordinates, “Subdue him first. We have to clarify the situation.”
At an opportune moment, James’s expression turned serious as he gave an order. “Capture this criminal!”
Two plainclothes officers moved forward to apprehend Darnell.
“Wait!”
Darnell raised his hand to stop them and stared at James with a smile. “Criminal? You accuse me of committing a crime? Do you have any evidence?”
James said confidently, “I suspect you’re involved. I’ll find evidence later.”
Darnell smiled noncommittally, “In this day and age, solving cases based on intuition alone is quite laughable.”
At this point, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals’ employees had already approached and looked at Darnell in astonishment, wondering if this guy had also set his sights on Zoey and forced himself on her.
Casey and the other two women felt deeply remorseful, thinking Darnell had been seduced by a bad woman.
Areli remained silent as she looked at Brian and thought of Zoey. Her eyes became deeper.
“I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”
James glared at Darnell angrily. “You better cooperate.”
“Handcuff him!”
As Darnell smiled nonchalantly, James shouted, “Take him to the station for questioning!”
Lillian and Casey exchanged nervous glances at the mention of handcuffs, wanting to speak up but silenced by Darnell’s piercing gaze.
Darnell stretched lazily and replied, “I won’t go with you. I’m busy!”
Everyone paused in surprise. This guy really knew how to irritate people.
The two officers holding the handcuffs were momentarily taken aback, not expecting Darnell to respond like that and unsure how to react.
“This isn’t about whether you’re busy or not!” James’s expression darkened. “We have the right to demand your cooperation!”
“Show me your badges!”
Darnell remained unfazed, saying, “Show me your badges first. How do I know you’re real cops and not impostors?”
“There are too many fakes out there these days.”
The auxiliary officers and others shook their heads. This guy had some serious audacity, even challenging James and mocking them for their lack of proof.
James’s face darkened. This was the first time someone had demanded his identification. “Are you sure you want to see our badges?”
Darnell replied coolly, “According to the regulations, when a police officer is on duty in full uniform, equipped properly, and in an emergency, they are not required to present their badge.”
“But in non-emergency situations, officers must present their identification when requested by the law enforcement agents.”
“Officer Adington, looking so lackadaisical, if you don’t show your badge, who would dare to consider you a real cop?”
James’s mouth twitched, and he barked at the two auxiliary officers, “Give him your badges.”
“Without the legal authority of a formal officer, auxiliary officers can only assist in procedures and cannot engage in direct enforcement,” Darnell said, chuckling at the two officers pulling out their badges. “Officer Adington, don’t you even know this?”
“You!”
James was furious yet forced a smile, pointing at Darnell, “You’ve got guts.” It was the first time a suspect had lectured him so seriously.
He fumbled around in his pocket and pulled out a badge he hadn’t used in ages. “Here’s my badge!”
Who would have thought this guy knew the law? Damn it! Once he got this jerk behind bars, he would regret this. James thought bitterly.
As he began to tuck the badge back into his pocket, Darnell beckoned with a finger. “I didn’t get a good look.”
Everyone was stunned by his audacity.
James suppressed the urge to beat Darnell and slammed the badge back into his hands, seething. “Take a good look!”
Darnell casually took the badge from James, inspecting it under the overhead light.
“Tsk, the cover is worn, the edges are frayed, and there are sweat stains. It’s clear you haven’t taken care of it. If you don’t even value your own badge, how can you expect to be a good cop?”
This scene left not only James and the others feeling awkward and displeased, but also Areli and Casey, who found it both amusing and absurd. Who was really interrogating whom here?
After scrutinizing the badge for a moment, Darnell cracked his neck and stepped forward. He slapped the badge down on the table, his face serious.
“Officer Adington! Your police badge expired eighteen days ago. The photo is blurry, the seal has faded, and the badge is invalid.”
“According to the badge usage regulations, an invalid badge cannot be used for law enforcement.”
He patted James on the shoulder, feigning seriousness. “Officer Adington, you’ve broken the law.”