Master of Lust

Chapter - 134

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Quest: Find out what really happened that night

Time Duration: 24 hours

Rewards: Ero Points: +10,000; Cash: $300,000; Lottery Spin: 1

]

A frown formed on Rick's lips as he stared at the quest. Right now, no matter how enticing the rewards looked, the Quest actually confirmed that the officers were lying.

And before he could think it through, he called out to the police officers who were just about to step outside the waiting room. With long strides, he trod across the room and reached their side.

"Did you interrogate Roy Kent?" Rick questioned, loaded with skepticism and an undertone of accusation.

The younger officer clicked his tongue, not appreciating how Rick was doubting their abilities. "And you are?" he said, raising an eyebrow and sizing Rick up.

Olivia spoke up from her seat on one of the waiting chairs. "He's Rick. Emily's friend."

Before Rick could fire another question, his father's hand clamped down on his shoulder, and he said, "Rick, it would be better if you calmed down."

"Dad, let me handle it," Rick gently shook his father's hand off and gave him a look that said I got this. He faced the officer again and asked once more, "Did you interrogate him?"

The younger officer opened his mouth to bark an answer, but Martin beat him to it. "Look, Rick. We're not amateurs. We know what we're doing."

"Still didn't answer my question," Rick said calmly. He forced himself to level his voice. The last thing he needed was to be put behind bars for misconduct.

"Of course we did," the younger and more irksome officer retorted, accompanied by an eye roll. "We spoke to him at the party."

"He's not involved in this, Rick," Martin interjected, shooting a sidelong glance at his partner. "He was too shaken up to talk. Still he provided a detailed account of what happened that night, and it checks out."

Rick absorbed the situation with a decisive nod. "So, you're telling me you didn't actually interrogate the guy?"

The younger officer shot him a skeptical look, squinting as if questioning Rick's intelligence, "Are you dense or what?"

Rick raised an eyebrow, his confusion evident. "What did I miss something? I thought asking questions was part of an interrogation. Did I say something out of line?"

"You asked him a couple of questions as if he was a bystander and not the actual host of the party. You didn't call him to the precinct for an interrogation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you did doesn't quite count as interrogation."

"Look, kid." Martin stepped forward, a no-nonsense expression on his face, his hands instinctively moving towards his belt. Rick's gaze flicked to the holster securing Martin's gun, just a hair's breadth away from his pinky finger.

"We've already taken statements from everyone at the party. They're all practically kids. Dragging them down to the precinct for a formal interrogation would just spook them unnecessarily. We've had a chat with every single person present, and they've all given us the same story. Emily got drunk, she wandered out to the balcony, and she had a tragic fall. It's as simple as that – an accident.

No more, no less." Martin spoke, his voice getting deeper.

The younger officer shot Rick a skeptical look, "How the heck do you even know Roy Kent?" he inquired.

Suppressing an urge to roll his eyes, Rick sighed inwardly at the apparent lack of thoroughness in the officers' investigation. "Roy, Emily, and I are all in the same class," he replied, his patience being put to the test.

An exchanged glance passed between the two officers, a silent communication that Rick found mildly amusing. The younger one, now with a hint of diminished irritation, pressed on. "So, were you at the party?" The officer asked, trying to inquire.

Rick stared at both of them for a good long while. Martin had said the two of them spoke to everyone present at the party. Were they sure they spoke to everyone present? Knowing Roy Kent, Rick was sure the dude would have had a stash of illegal goods hidden in that mansion of his. Yet, the cops hadn't dragged him to the station.

So, either the cops had overlooked a crucial detail, or a deliberate decision had been made to avert their gaze from the truth. Rick couldn't shake the nagging feeling that it was the latter, especially given the high-profile nature of the incident involving Roy Kent. And Kent's family couldn't afford accidents of this magnitude tarnishing their properties.

Unless these officers were alarmingly lax in their investigation, there had to be a clandestine layer to this unfolding mystery.

A cynical shake of Rick's head betrayed his growing suspicions. "No, I wasn't around. I had been out of town for a while, just getting back yesterday."

The visible release of tension in Martin's bulky shoulders was almost comical, as if his entire muscular frame exhaled the breath it had been holding. If there had been any lingering doubt in Rick's mind something fishy was going on, now he was sure that these officers were hiding an important piece of information.

"Ma'am," Martin turned to Olivia, offering a single nod. "Since we've conclusively deemed this an accident, we'll be wrapping up the case shortly." They turned to leave, this time a certain rush was in their steps that didn't go unnoticed by Rick. It seemed as if they couldn't wait to get out of here.

"Wait!" Interrupting their hasty exit, Rick detained them once more. The younger officer shot him an impatient "What do you want now?" but Rick maintained his composure. "Roy's surname is Kent. Correct?"

Rolling his eyes, the officer barely concealed his irritation. "If you're already aware, why bother asking?"

"Why thank you for your question, officer. You see, the thing is…" He angled his body, so he could address his father and Olivia as well. "I have a very nagging suspicion at the back of my head that the two of you… No, no, that's not right. The entire police force is covering this up because of his last name."

"What the fuck are you on about?" The younger officer shot an aggressive glance and took a menacing step forward, but Martin swiftly restrained him.

"I'm telling you..." Rick's eyes bore into the officer, and he advanced with an equally threatening stride toward the duo. "Just because Roy Kent happens to be the mayor's son, it feels like you, your precinct's captain, and the Chief are all hell-bent on wrapping up this case ASAP. I can't shake the feeling that you're overlooking something, officers.

Or maybe, you're deliberately turning a blind eye to it."

A heavy silence settled in the room, and even the short-tempered officer clamped his mouth shut.

Olivia's chair creaked as she pushed herself to her feet, an urgent need to distance herself from the dubious men in the room and their sinister machinations. She found solace by the window, a vantage point overlooking the hospital's courtyard adorned with an expanse of vibrant greenery.

The unsettling realization that Roy Kent, scion of the mayor, might be enmeshed in Emily's tragic accident struck her like an unexpected tempest. Casting a scrutinizing gaze at the officers present, Olivia discerned a subtle unease etched across their countenances, as if they were accomplices to concealed motives. Hesitation, palpable and pervasive, hung thick in the air.

In Olivia's mind, questions swirled around like a whirlpool. Was Emily's fall truly an accident, or was there something more to it? The very fact of Roy Kent's involvement added a layer of mystery to the entire accident—if it could even be called that anymore. The mayor's influence loomed large, and Olivia couldn't shake the feeling that justice wouldn't be served without a fight.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense as the police officers exchanged uneasy glances, acutely aware of the potential consequences that hung in the balance. If this got out to the media, that was it for their careers and lives. This was why they had tried so hard to close the case as soon as possible.

If that damned protocol stating that if alive Emily's statement would serve as the final verdict wasn't present, the case file would've been shelved by now.

Martin had busted his ass, poured his heart and soul into persuading the judge that even if Emily were to awaken, her ability to provide a comprehensive account of the events would be severely compromised by her debilitating brain injury. Now, this boy had come and ruined all his efforts.

Rick's piercing gaze swept across the room, his eyes moving over each face before finally landing on Olivia's. The need to uncover the truth was of utmost importance now. Emily's fate was no accident. Something had happened that night. Something that didn't involve a simple trip and fall. Rick knew he was treading on water, but he'd be damned if he didn't find out what really transpired that night.

Even if that was the last thing he ever did.

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