Chances

Chapter Fourteen

Jad sat behind his desk, tapping his pen on his lap for more than thirty seconds as Red stood with his left hand inside his pocket and eyeing the files in front of them.

They had no point to start from, let alone where to end at. Jad was known for being the best in solving cases. Normally; he drew vivid images with his conclusions with just a roll of an eye through the files.

He never even spent more than three days on the most difficult cases. He was the best among his people. And having Red as his partner should have made the work easier.

Red was also smart. He acted mostly on his instinct. He was always up for a challenge and he never did anything rational as compared to Jad. He would wait for a few more moments to check the other options before settling for the one he concluded at the end of case.

But on these cases, he didn't and couldn't even have one clue or option.

Jad wiped the beads of sweat that formed on his forehead while he also scratched his head and rushed his fingers through his soft curly short hair. He kept on biting his tongue to prevent himself from swearing more.

“This is messed up! Goodness, I can't even figure out what's happening here," Red snapped while Jad raised his head and gave him a puzzled look. They were all trying to figure out something so why did his partner snap at him or whatever as if he was just sleeping on his bed or holding a bowl of corn flakes?

Their chaotic minds wailed together as the frown on their faces deepened.

“Well, it's either we underestimated them or we overestimated ourselves. These criminals are smart! I bet it's just the same person. Why must this happen under my watch? And why can't I find any clue yet? We've been on this for how long? More than weeks and poof," he raised his hands up and opened it as if he were performing magic, "Nothing yet! Maybe it's because we are trying to solve all cases at once. Let's just take it one after the other. Take in a deep breath…" Jad practically told himself while he took in a long deep breath as his eyes urged Red he was also talking to him.

“We can make this," Red gave out a frustrated laughter then pleaded, "We can. So what case do we tackle first then?”

“Right from where it started from. Their house got burnt and so they moved to a relative's place. Then an attack also happened there. Well that shows the person will stop at nothing to get what he or she wants and that person wants someone dead. Instead of finding out who he or she is, why don't we target why he or she wants that person dead. And who exactly is his or her target," Jad camly explained, feeling happy they at least have something to hold onto.

“Good! You are right. Man, how come we never even figured out who exactly the person is targeting and why?" Red accepted his partner's words.

“We are almost done with the list of people they invited for the party and those who were present, yet we have actually no suspects. We sure do have a few but the reasons that would push them to do that or act on, are so lame. Which makes me to conclude that the criminal isn't on the list we have in front of us as I speak. When we visited them, they had no guilt in their eyes. And they had no grudges that were huge enough for them to want to attempt to kill them twice," Jad narrated, leaning back into his chair and making himself feel more comfortable.

“So you believe the person is not on the list?" It sounded more like a question than what Red had wanted it to be and Jad questioned himself if he was just talking to himself or to his partner.

“So who do you think could be the target? I would have voted for the third girl; Tina. Because with a mouth like hers, I'm sure people would want to murder her. But she isn't that important. Her behavior is not that important. So that leaves it between the two chicks. I'm clueless about who it really is," he stopped to think for a while. He shook his head slowly as he thought of who the main target could be among the two.

There was a stunned silence as they continued to figure out an answer for the question one of them had asked.

“I bet on Leah. Yeah I know the fire started off during Marisca's party but most of them knew she wasn't going to be there for a while when the show started. But Leah was around. This recent attack happened while the four of them were away. Most certainly on the day Leah had a match or matches...how many it was, I don't know. Her work is the most dangerous one among what the two of them do. Even you and I do not go home with ourselves clothed with so many bruises she sends home. Her work is more dangerous than what we mostly do," Red suddenly became serious with his brains and was able to make Jad see things his way.

Red was almost there. Even though he didn't get the reason correctly, he still got the right person or target under the attack.

“So if it's Leah, what exactly is the criminal after and why?" Jad wondered, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt. He needed air and the two buttons weren't helping while they were closed.

“I don't know. Probably she can only answer that. But what if it's Marisca? What if she's the real target?" Red suggested, also walking toward the window, "She has all the fame, money, and talent. Maybe her fellow musicians got shaken by those and decided to kill her to prevent her from sweeping the awards alone.”

Jad stopped thinking and looked at Red. Where did he get that ridiculous idea from? Wherever he got it from, he hoped the place was well sealed now. If that person was after Marisca, then that person would've met her on her way back to the party.

He or she wouldn't have dared to risk his life knowing the security was tight in there. It would've been easier to meet her on the streets since almost everybody knew she didn't like to go out with her security crew.

Jad shook his head and Red all of a sudden, realized how foolish he was for saying that. But it could be he was right. Jad wouldn't let any little detail slip away just like that.

“Then we'll put both of them under our watch. I hope Ken is under severe watch. Nobody goes in without authorization. Not even anyone from that house. This has to be strict. He's our only hope to finding who he or her is and probably who they are. So nobody should dare screw this up. Any least mistake can end this in a very bad way. I'm serious," Jad warned as he touched his chest with his folded arms.

“Yes sir!" Red yelled as he tried to salute him.

“Quit that s**t. I'm not in the mood," Jad strictly ordered. Red had as much authority as he had himself.

“And one more thing, let me know when you come up with something. Don't disregard it, call me and tell me," Jad cautioned his friend; Red, before walking out.

***

Leah noticed the blush on her friend's face whenever she stole glances at David. Her smiles turned into something else when he stared back at her.

Did something happen last night? Did I sleep that much that I didn't hear anything?

It was as if they were two teenagers in a new school, crushing on each other and not caring who else was seeing them. Leah chuckled at them, especially at Marisca who months ago was cursing her for telling David where he could find her.

She looked at them from time to time to check if they would stop but anytime she did, she realized their stares intensified. She swore she saw Marisca biting her lips while looking at his ass.

She cringed and almost screamed at them to stop checking each other out and get a room already. She would've done that, if not for Dean taking something from her side and making sure his hands touched hers. The hair on his hand tickled her and she stopped breathing.

He leaned closer into her ears and whispered, "It's rude to stare, don't you think?”

He went back to stand at his place and then winked at her when she finally had the courage to look back at him.

***

“Have you heard anything about the guy I stabbed? Did he die?" Jimmy queried from his girlfriend immediately after she picked up his call.

“Oh hello I'm doing fine, thanks for asking," she joked, sitting up properly on the bed.

“Quit playing games with me. Did he die?" He again asked her.

Her heart beat a second time. Since when did she felt like going against or being against his actions and orders? Maybe she just wanted to only deal with people who offended her and not the innocent ones. Maybe she was tired of spilling blood of those who had nothing to do with her revenge.

Her life, freedom and that of her boyfriend's, depended on the death or live of Ken; the guy never minded his business.

Yet, she didn't want him to die. She would give anything for him to not remember the night it all happened but to kill him was never going to be among the chances she would wish he gave her.

But knowing him too well, he was going to kill him when he found out he survived and was fighting for his life.

So she had no choice than to buy time.

“I'm not quite sure. I don't poke my nose in their issues. Remember what you told me? I should stay away from trouble.”

“How can you stay out of it when you definitely live there? You have to show some concern!" he suddenly screamed into the phone and Tina rolled her eyes for the third time in the night.

“Of course, I should be around them. You are not the one to pretend and walk normally on the leg you had been shot at," she snapped, letting out her anger on him as well.

“Now, if you don't find out and he happens to be alive, you wouldn't be caught because of an injured leg, you'll be caught because someone didn't die. Think like my partner: the queen!" he hissed.

Tina wondered why he was shouting at her. She already knew. She didn't need him spelling it in capital letters already.

“I'm going to keep an eye on you and everybody. So be careful, in case I decide to shoot someone to satisfy my urge to see blood," he declared, hanging up the call.

Tina sighed and reached for her wound. She even forgot about the warm water she placed on the nightstand. She quickly took and dipped a piece of her face towel into it. She was grateful she found a first aid box in one of the drawers at the hall when she got shot.

She began cleaning her wounds when without warning, someone knocked on her door.