DETECTIVE COPLER’S POV
“I did it. And before I talk, I want to ask for a deal…”
“What the fuck are you saying, Oscar? You did what?” The boy’s father asked, turning to glare at him in anger and surprise.
Copler walked back to his previous position, and turning to one of his men, he issued an order. “Take the man out.”
The man struggled as they dragged him out of the room. Afterward, Copler asked that he be left alone with the boy. His men obeyed and walked out.
“So, are you ready to speak?”
“Yes, but I need to be sure I have a deal before I spill anything.”
“You Know you don’t call the shots, right?
“I know but I want a deal and you should assure me that I will get one.”
“Fine. It had better be a good one, else, I’m afraid we won’t give in to your request.”
“First, I want my father to be let off the hook…”
“Hold on, boy. Your father is a drug dealer and he sold illegal firearms. Don’t you think that is a huge request to make?”
“It is, but you are doing it in exchange for something, information.”
“What’s the second option?”
“My father doesn’t go to jail.”
“Wow. That would be considered if the information you have in your possession is valuable.”
“It is. The information I have had the potential to solve the case you have been on for months. Derek’s case.”
Copler’s eyes widened as he stared at the boy. “What do you know?”
“A lot. I will tell you how it started…” Oscar paused momentarily to look him in the eye before Loki away. “It all started when a certain guy approached me that he needed help to stalk a student in school…”
“Hold on, I need to turn my recorder.” Copler said and took out the recorder from his pocket. After turning it on, he gestured to Oscar to continue.
“The student turned out to be Tiffany Dion. I took the offer because the pay was good. I started stalking her and reporting her every move to the strange man. At some point, I realized Mary Quevara, another student, had a huge obsession and hatred for Tiffany Dion…”
“If I remember clearly, she is the same Mary that pushed Tiffany Dion down the rooftop.” Copper Interrupted.
“Yes. I took notice of that when she dropped banana peels on the hallway for Tiffany to step on and slip. I saved her that day and confronted Mary. She admitted to it and that was when I knew I had an alliance. I reported to the guy that hired me and he asked that I keep in close contact with her as she could be of help in the future.” Oscar paused, as if to catch his breath before continuing. “And then she spilled ink on Tiffany’s book. Fortunately, I overheard the principal talking about checking the school’s CCTV footage and I knew I had to get rid of them, else, Mary would be caught. Luckily, Mr Derek who was in charge of the security room was on sick Leave and to resume in a few days time, so I used the opportunity to my advantage and got rid of the footage after school.”
“Wow, who could have thought of that?”
“But then, I made a costly mistake. I forgot to get rid of the footage of me in the act. Derek was smart enough to check the footage of the hallway that led to the security room, and I already had a bad feeling about him so I stayed back after school. I waited for him in the hallway and hit him on the head from behind as he got out of the security room and I took his flash drive.”
“That explains the flashcard cap I found at the crime scene.”
“Yes, I realized the flash drive didn’t have a cap.”
“So, it was you all along. And then you got scared I was getting close to uncovering your identity and then you decided to attack me. You shot me at the police precinct, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did and I attacked you at your house.”
“So, this guy, who is he and why does he want Tiffany Dion hurt?”
Oscar burst into a delirious laughter and stopped after he noticed Copler’s stern look.
“Oh, I’m sorry about that.” He apologized and continued. “I don’t know him very well. Like I said, I was hired. But, he was not the brain behind everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was working for a lady. She was the one who wanted Tiffany hurt. I and Max were just stooges that carried out her errands.”
“Max? Is that his name?”
“I doubt. But that was the name he introduced himself as.”
“And the lady? Have you ever met her?”
“Yes, but once. And she had very thick glasses on and a facemask. It was hard to picture what she looked like.”
“So, you mean a woman is the pioneer of everything?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for your time. With this information, you might get yourself a good deal.” And with that, Copler walked out of the room.
TIFFANY’S POV
It was Monday morning again and she dressed for school. After she was done, she took hold of backpack and walked downstairs. Shawn was at the dining table having breakfast already.
“Good morning,” She greeted him and took her seat.
“Good morning. I trust you slept well.” He replied, offering her a small smile.
“I did, and you?”
“I slept well too.”
She nodded and uncovered the plate in front of her. It had toasted bread, bacon and eggs on it. The cup beside it had a creamy tea on it. She sighed in satisfaction as she began to eat. A few minutes later, she was done and picked up her bag.
“I will be leaving for school now,” She said to Shawn.
“That’s right. I will see you later in the day.”
“Yeah, bye.” And with that, she walked outside. Her bodyguard was already waiting. She got into the car and they drove off to school.
School was filled with its usual activities; learning, going to the cafeteria with Freya and Timothy, learning again and dismissal.
“So, Tiffany, will you have a date to the prom this year?” Freya asked as they walked towards the parking lot.
“Ummm…I don’t know. Why?”
“You are married of course. Will you go with another guy from school with your husband?”
“Oh, I see. I guess I will come with him. I can’t come with someone else,” And then she turned to Timothy who had been quiet. “What do you think?”
“Oh, it’s fine. I mean, he is your husband. You should ask him and tell him beforehand so he can go through his schedule and create time for that day.”
“Tim is right. You know he is chairman now and would have a lot of responsibilities. Ensure you tell him on time,” and then Freya sighed. “How time flies. You used to go with Timothy every year because you didn’t have a boyfriend and always turned down every guy that asked you to go with them. I’m glad you are having a change this year,” She added.
Tiffany turned to look at Timothy in surprise. “Really? I don’t remember any of that.”
“I Know,” he replied and bowed his head.
The remaining walk to the parking lot was graced with silence as none of them had anything to say. Her bodyguard was already waiting so she waved them goodbye and got into the car.
She entered the car and greeted Luca, her bodyguard, then she settled into her seat, ready for the drive home. The car engine roared to life and they soon hit the highway.
They had barely driven for long, when suddenly, a car appeared out of nowhere, and swiftly overtook them, blocking their path. Her heart skipped a beat as she sensed something was wrong.
Before she could process what was going on, strange men in black, their faces masked by dark sunglasses and nose masks, alighted from the car. Their looks were dangerous and Intimidating.
They approached the car, and with a violent pull, the car backseat door was yanked open. She was shivering with fear as they forcibly dragged her out of the car.
Luca attempted to rescue her, but one of the men struck him with a baton. She let out a terrified scream as she watched him crumble to the fall like a sack of beans.
Despite her pleas, the men lifted her off the ground and carried her to their waiting car. She was thrown into the car trunk, and it sped away.