Chances

Chapter Eighteen

Jad just left Red's office with two folders: a red and a yellow one. It had been days since they waited for Ken to wake up. Every time Jad went to the hospital and saw Ken's unconscious body, he would stare until someone called his name or drew his attention back by patting on his shoulders.

He slowly walked through the corridor and once his hand was on the knob, he saw Red jogging on one leg to keep up with the distance between them.

“Need some help?" Jad teased him as he opened his door. They both walked in while Red laughed and leaned behind the closed door.

“I was wondering...well, I had been thinking. Don't you think instead of looking out for those on the list, we should actually consider those who were in the house before the party began? The previous case we solved, you said the culprit must be so close to them to have let the victims eat her food, which was true. So I'm guessing, it could also be someone they really know but don't suspect," Red narrated, moving closer to his partner.

“Well everyone was busy to have noticed the smell...which I feel it's pretty nonsense since kerosin has a strong smell but they didn't smell it. And since all those we have interrogated know nothing about the crime, I assume we start looking for those who are not on the list. Besides I believe the culprit poured the kerosin around before the workers arrived. Because the fire started right after the man lighted the fire to start the barbecue. Do you get what I'm on about?" Red seemed confused himself but he hoped Jad being the smart guy he remembered he was, would know what he meant.

Jad was also lost in his own thoughts since Red suggested what he came up with. He noticed Red was 90 percent right. But the 10 percent doubt was strong. That couldn't be possible because no one in his or her right senses would set fire in his or her own house: a house that was worth billions. Unless...

“Are you trying to say they set up the fire themselves: on purpose, to gain more popularity?" Jad quickly questioned once he worked things out.

“No...I mean, yes now that you have mentioned it, that could also be true," he replied, sounding sure all of a sudden.

“Huh," Jad laughed, "I'll squeeze the living breath out of them if this s**t were nothing but lies. We have spent almost three months on this and the bosses are on our heads for daily updates and reports and then...wait, I don't think this is something for just popularity.”

“OK, if not that, then I strongly believe the person who set that fire, is right in that house. How many people live in there?" Red was adamant on that. He wasn't changing his mind, he believed the culprit was in the house.

“The little boy, the mother and the boxer and a few security personnel," Jad answered, shoving himself toward the window.

“See, even there was a security personnel around. Do you think if they had seen someone else around, they wouldn't have alarmed the house? It's just like a dog. A dog will never bark at its owners but at strangers...well unless the dog isn't sane.”

“So you believe someone from the house set the fire to get back at them?"Jad repeated his friend to make sure he was getting it well.

“Yes and also it could be about them wanting more popularity," he snapped his fingers at Jad who wanted to find sense in all what Red had suggested to him.

“But the thing is, nothing from that house was kept safe before the outbreak of the fire. So how was that intentionall? That leaves that suggestion out. But we can work with the other one you suggested: as in the enermy being an insider."

“So the house belonged to...hmm well, I'm sure Marisca and Leah. So who do you think among the two w...”

Just as he was about to sit in his own chair, a thought striked him and he opened both files with both his hands at the same time. His words hanging in his throat as he kept scanning through the files in front of him.

“W...wait a minute! Tina!" Jad remembered the girl he fought with in the bus.

He had known she was off. The day she picked up a fight with him over the seat, she showed violence, courage, madness and a thirst for a fight.

But when he found her in David's house, she was calm, peaceful, fearful and looked sad.

“Arrange for us to meet her while you guys work on the letter to search her room, she could also be the one helping the culprit who stabbed Ken. We are going with my car. No need for the team to come along. We could be wrong too," he ordered sharply, making Red raise his eye brow in confusion.

“Sure then. Let's go and see how it ends.”

***

Leah just came back from the gym. It was left with two days for the finals to take off. She had been tired and annoyed by everyone without even a reason.

Marisca knowing her too well, knew that was her only way of showing her nervousness and fear.

She sat on the floor instead of the couch. She stretched her legs on the floor, making her wince immediately her butt touched the floor. She started dozing off when she heard dragging footsteps approaching her.

She raised her head to see David walking in with Dean, Jad and another young man she had only seen once.

David and Dean gave her an apologetic look and she wondered what was wrong. Jad was first to stop before the others joined him.

“May we know where your sister is?”

Leah's heart skipped when Jad had asked of the whereabouts of her foster sister.

“Anything the problem?" She enquired, rubbing her face with her weak fingers.

“We are just here to ask her some questions concerning a few things. Right now, she is the only person we can think of. So that makes her the suspect for now," Red explained as he saw Jad growing uncomfortable.

“Question her on a few things? Which are?" She tried getting up as Jad palmed his face. He was expecting Marisca instead to be asking such questions and not Leah.

“Oh the fire that burnt your house a few months ago, have you forgotten already?" Red impatiently answered her, leaving her wondering if Tina were responsible or not.

She knew nothing about whether Tina did that or not, but nothing in hell's name was she going to allow them to arrest her foster sister. She wouldn't allow them to take her away again.

“Well, unfortunately Tina wasn't even around a day before the show started. She was the one taking care of the food. She was with the cooks and as we all know, the main dishes weren't prepared in the house," she calmly lied.

Tina heard that. She heard it because she just emerged from the kitchen. She wondered why Tina would lie for her. She knew how much she hated her too. The feeling was mutual, but she wouldn't lie for Leah so why did Leah lie for her? Tina asked herself.

“Oh here she is. Ask her if she was around," she pointed at Tina, shooting her a 'say exactly what I said and will say' look.

“What is it?" Tina also walked closer to them and raised her chin as if she knew nothing about what they were asking about.

“Where were you at, a day before the party?”

“Oh I was at the restaurant in charged of the food. I wanted to make sure everything was in tact," she also pretended she did a good job with helping with the food.

“And the time the fire started, where were you?" Red suspiciously shot back at her.

“I didn't know when it started, but when we all started running for our lives, I was there with Leah. I helped her out. She was traumatized when she realized there was a fire out break," she also stated as she threw her braids behind her.

“OK, so are you sure when I ask the others, I would get the same answer?" Jad again pushed, making Leah yell at him.

“Well, why don't you think very well next time before jumping on unto work? You seem unprepared,” Leah told him, making him wish he never went there the first place.

“OK, so if you do not mind I would like to use your kitchen please," Jad again requested, making Dean jump back in surprise. The arrogant man finally said please.

“Sure go ahead," David allowed, wondering what he all of a sudden wanted to use the kitchen for.

The young man returned with a white big gallon, containing half oil in it. He carried it towards them, making everyone realize what he wanted to show.

“If you do not mind, Ms please carry this gallon to the other side of the room," he ordered Tina, who had her heart skip a beat.

She looked at Leah who nodded back at her, giving her the go ahead to do so. For once. She felt safe by looking into her eyes. It was shocking to both her and Leah. It was as if for the first time, they felt the connection sisters claim they had.

Leah's eyes showed how a big sister was willing to protect her younger sister.

Tina carried the gallon. She tried to pull it along but then the pain in her thigh kicked in and she winced. She quickly pushed the pain aside to avoid suspicion.

As she carried the heavy object and its content with her, Jad asked her to stop, showing the smirk on his face.

“So...I hope you all know what this meant...right?" Jad bragged about being smart.

“Yes we know what that meant. You know nothing about your job! You came immediately you made her your suspect. You questioned her in front of us. And then you proved your point...girls are weak!" Leah barked and everyone around threw their heads in her direction. She knew she'd find her way out. She saw they weren't prepared. One thing Leah learnt and would never forget was, ' always be alert and never go unprepared.'

“You carried it with ease and she couldn't...Isn't that it?”

It was either Leah was being dumb or she was pretending.

“Every normal person will struggle with that...especially females. Not me, because I visit the gym more than I visit the toilet," she talked, not caring they were on duty as Dean proudly smiled at how his girl was brave and wouldn't let them blame the one she cared for...even though she pretended she didn't care about her sister, he knew she did.

“Well, guess what? Call any girl to carry this along while walking. Some might pick it up this way," she told as she picked it up in front her, "And others would want to pick it up this way," she again stated while picking it up from her side.

“But at the end, they will all drag it along this way," she pointed at Tina to demonstrate what she meant.

“So what you proved, meant nothing. N-o-t-h-i-n-g!" She spelt the word out loud.

Just then a phone rang and knowing who the phone belonged to, Red went out and reappeared with a frown.

He whispered into Jad's ears and he nodded, showing how furious he was as well: His brows sharply met and he groaned. He was conflicting whether to defy what his friend had whispered to him or not.

Marisca had gone to pick up her son from school and Leah hoped she wouldn't arrive the time the CIDs or investigators or whatever they called themselves, were still there.

It seemed Jad realized his mistake on rushing there and decided to leave. He promised to come back and prove his point. When they said their goodbyes and were about to leave, Leah sighed heavily.

Jad regretted on working on an impulse. He didn't know why he didn't ask them separately. He knew Leah could be covering up for Tina but as much as that could be true, it could be a lie also since everyone knew Leah hated her sister. She had never hidden that fact.

Not only did Leah prove he acted on an impulse, the bosses also refused to grant them the search warrant. Which they had no choice than to leave immediately.

In the car, Jad's phone started belling. Digging his fingers into his breast pocket, he lazily touched the phone after a long ring. Thinking of whether to pick it up or not, he eventually did.

“Hello, please who is this?" He slowly asked the caller.

"Oh I'm Grace speaking from the hospital. Well it's about the guy you brought in weeks ago. Well the thing is, I just called to let you know..." Jad couldn't hear what the doctor was telling him about. A big noisy truck came to pass by, making him not hear a thing she said afterwards.

But knowing too well who she was talking about, he got triggered by the sound of the woman's voice: she sounded scared. It was as if she was panicking. She was hanging on her breath after every word she said. She was rushing with the message she was giving him and she hung up even before he could request her to take her time and talk. It was as if she had no time.

They had gone through something similar like that before. The only key to catching a murderer died in the middle of the investigation, leaving them with no hope and clue as to where to start all over again from.

Jad spared Red a frightening look, letting him turn on the engine as faster as possible to the hospital, after hearing about the call.