The guard ushered in a man whose eyes were clouded with weariness. "Sir, this man here wants to talk with you."
Eldric nodded, motioning Gavin to step closer.
Gavin folded his arms tightly, knuckles pale against his skin. He looked like a man standing at the edge of a cliff.
"I... I can't carry this anymore. It's eating me alive." He drew in a shaky breath. "A man—anonymous, never showed his face—contacted me weeks ago. Paid in cash. A lot of it. Told me to switch the bottle. Said it was for the greater good. Said it would keep the restaurant safe..." His voice cracked. "I didn't ask questions. My wife is in the hospital. We were drowning in bills. I thought—maybe this was the answer."
"You didn't know what was in it?" Alina asked softly.
"No." His eyes filled with tears. "I didn't know it would kill someone."
"We'll protect your family," Alina said, firm and gentle. "But you have to help us catch him."
"Thank you. Please do."
A day passed like a ghost in the wind.
The front doors creaked open and in strolled trouble wrapped in a blazer—hair slicked back, notepad in hand, and a grin sharp enough to draw blood.
"Morning," the man chirped. "Looking for a scoop. Heard someone's been seasoning their food with death. Sounds like front-page material."
Leif's eyes narrowed. "This is not for you. Turn around."
"Ah, so it is true," the journalist said, grin widening. "Anonymous tip. Pretty credible. I'll just piece it together. Journalistic instinct."
"You interfere," Eldric warned, his tone deadly, "and I'll have your name sent straight to legal."
"Try me." The man winked, turned on his heel, and whistled as he walked out.
The moment the door clicked shut, Alina muttered, "He's going to make this worse."
The Superintendent's fist slammed into his desk, making pens rattle and coffee slosh.
"Find the leak. I want every officer's phone checked. Trace every external call."
He pointed straight at Eldric. "You told me this wouldn't blow up in our faces. If that bastard slips through our fingers, it's on your heads."
The room fell into tense silence. The storm had broken.
Hours later, frustration mounted.
"Nothing."
Alina tossed the report onto the table. "No leaks from inside. Phone records are clean. Calls checked. No sign of an internal breach."
Eldric rubbed his temples. "Then it was done outside. Someone else passed it to the press."
They headed to Koong Food Kitchen next. The manager and staff were cooperative, but equally clean. No anomalies, no sign of tampering, and no records of external contact that raised suspicion.
"Well it might be from a phone booth" Leif gives a remark while looking at Eldric.
Night cloaked the streets.
Inside a modest home, Gavin and his wife packed bags hurriedly. Their child clutched a toy rabbit, eyes wide.
"Is it time, Dad?" the child asked.
Gavin nodded grimly. "Yes. We have to go now."
They carried the bags into their car, the headlights flicking on in the dark.
Across the street, behind a cracked curtain in a shadowed apartment, two men lay motionless on the floor. A third figure, obscured by blinds, stepped back from the window.
A black sedan started a few blocks away.
The man behind the wheel wore all black. No lights. No movement. Just watching. Then, he shifted gears and began to follow.
Gavin drove, hands clenched on the wheel. His wife watched the mirrors nervously.
"He's following."
Gavin pulled out his phone. "I have to call Alina."
She picked up immediately.
"Alina, we're being followed. A black sedan. I think they know we talked."
Alina was already grabbing her coat. "Where are you now? Stay on the line. I'm on my way."
She threw herself into her car, calling Eldric as she started the engine.
"Eldric. It's Gavin. They're being followed. It's bad. I need backup."
Another street.
Another pair of wheels.
A man on a motorbike pulled into the street, staying well behind the black sedan. He kept his distance, following the pursuer.
Eldric exited his house, shoving a gun into his holster. He slammed his car door shut and tore into the night.
The chase had begun.