ENTANGLED BY BILLIONAIRE BROTHERS

Chapter 6: The Jenkins' Connection

[ZACH]

I clenched my fist, my mind racing with ways to take him down. “You may have won this battle, Caspian, but I'll make sure you lose the war.”

Caspian's laughter sent a chill down my spine. “We'll see about that, Zach. You're no match for me. And by the way, say hi to your beautiful assistant for me.”

The line disconnected, leaving me with a mounting anger.

That night, I couldn't sleep. I replayed the events of the day over and over in my mind. Caspian Black's smug voice echoed, taunting me. I knew he had something to do with Pearl's condition and I needed to get to the bottom of it.

The next morning, I was back at the hospital to check on Pearl. Good thing she has regained consciousness. She looked pale and tired, but she managed a weak smile when she saw me.

“Pearl, what happened? Do you remember anything?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

She took a deep breath, her eyes searching mine. “I... I don't know, sir. One minute I was in the elevator, and the next thing I remember was feeling dizzy. I pressed the emergency button, but then everything went black.”

“Was there anyone else with you in the elevator?”

She shook her head slowly. “No, it was just me. But sir, I felt something strange. Like a sweet smell. It was faint but definitely there.”

My heart pounded. A sweet smell? It sounded like some kind of gas. Caspian's words echoed in my mind. “I've been playing you from the start.” Could he have gone this far?

“Don't worry, Pearl. I'll get to the bottom of this. You just focus on getting better.”

As I left the hospital, my mind was racing. I needed to confront Caspian, but I couldn't just barge in without proof. I decided to start with the elevator area. Maybe there were cameras that caught something.

When I arrived at the building, I spoke with the building manager. He was cooperative and led me to the security room where the footage was stored. I spent hours reviewing the tapes, searching for anything unusual.

And there it was. A figure clad in a maintenance uniform emerged from the elevator just as Pearl was about to step in. The individual appeared to be spraying a substance while in the elevator, an action that struck me as peculiar. Although I couldn't make out the face clearly, the suspicious behavior was enough to confirm my doubts. This was no accident; something more sinister was at play.

I knew I needed more than just footage. I needed witnesses, evidence, anything that could link Caspian directly to the attempted poisoning.

Back at the office, I gathered my team. “We need to find out who was in that maintenance uniform. Check with the building manager, the staff, anyone who might have seen something unusual.”

My team sprang into action, and I felt a renewed sense of determination. We would uncover the truth and bring Caspian to justice.

The investigation was moving slowly, but we were making progress. One of the janitors had seen someone in a maintenance uniform who stepped out of the elevator around the time Pearl stepped in. They described the person as tall, with dark hair, but couldn’t provide any more details.

I met with Detective Mitchell to share the information we had gathered. She listened intently, her expression serious.

“We’re getting closer, Mr. Davis. But we need more. Can you think of anyone else who might have a grudge against you or Pearl?”

I thought for a moment. “Not really. Caspian is the only one who comes to mind. He’s been after us for months.”

She nodded. “We’ll keep digging. In the meantime, I suggest you be careful. If Caspian is behind this, he won’t hesitate to strike again.”

As I left the police station, I received a call from one of my team members. “Mr. Davis, we've made a discovery. A maintenance worker recognized the individual in the footage, claiming a striking resemblance to a former employee from years past. According to the worker, this person was introduced as a new employee, but we suspect otherwise.”

My heart raced. This could be the break we needed. “Get his name and address. I’ll meet you back at the office.”

With the lead in hand, we tracked down the information of the said employee. His name was Tom Jenkins, and he lived in a small apartment on the outskirts of the city.

I went with Detective Mitchell to confront him. As we knocked on his door, I felt a mix of anticipation and dread. This could be the break we needed, or it could lead to another dead end.

The door creaked open, and a tired-looking man in his forties peered out. “Can I help you?”

“Mr. Jenkins, we’d like to ask you a few questions about your time at City Hall as an employee,” Detective Mitchell said, flashing her badge.

His face paled, and he stepped back, opening the door wider. “I... I have nothing to do with them anymore. I recently resigned”

I was suspicious of the guy's composure. He had just resigned? That didn't sit well with me. It seemed like he had something up his sleeve. Why was he trembling and stuttering? I'm sure he knows something. I can't shake the feeling that he's hiding something.

“We just need to know if you recognize this person,” I said, showing him a still from the security footage.

He looked at it for a moment and nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’s my brother, Jerry. He was always a bit shady. He's a contract worker for Black Enterprises. I helped him secure a full-time job at the City Hall in my place.”

“What do you mean by that? You're clearly the one on the footage.You have to follow us to the station for further questioning,” Detective Mitchell demanded.

“I..I swear. That's not me. I can prove it by presenting him to you.”

Detective Mitchell raised an eyebrow. ‘“Oh? And how do you plan to do that, Mr. Jenkins?”

Tom Jenkins hesitated, then pulled out his phone and dialed a number. “Hey, Jerry, it's me. You need to come over right now. The police are here, and they're asking questions.” He listened for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I know. Just get here as fast as you can.”

We waited in silence for what felt like an eternity until the doorbell rang. Tom Jenkins' eyes darted to the detective, then back to the door. “That must be him,” he said, his voice trembling.

Detective Mitchell nodded to me, and I moved to stand beside her. “Let's get this over with, Mr. Jenkins. Open the door.”

Tom Jenkins hesitated, then slowly turned the handle and opened the door. A man with a striking resemblance to Tom Jenkins stood in the doorway, a look of surprise and mischief written all over his face.

"Jerry Jenkins, we need to take you in for further questioning. We have reason to believe you may be involved in the attempted poisoning and tampering with the elevator. Please come with us.”

Jerry Jenkins reacted with a nonchalant smirk, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous spark. He didn't flinch or show any signs of concern, even when the detective announced they were taking him in for further questioning.

As the officers moved to cuff him, Jerry Jenkins chuckled, "This is gonna be good," he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I can't wait to see how this all plays out.”

Detective Mitchell turned to Tom Jenkins, her expression firm but controlled. "Tom Jenkins, we'll also need to ask you some more questions as well. Please come with us.”

Tom Jenkins' face fell, his eyes widening in shock and fear. He glanced at his brother, Jerry, then back at the detective. He took a step back, his hands raised in a defensive gesture, as if trying to ward off the inevitable.

"I...I don't know what's going on," he stammered. "I told you it's my brother. I'm completely innocent.”

Detective Mitchell's expression remained firm. "We'll sort it out at the station, Tom. Let's go.”