Chapter 6
1414 Words
I sent the photo to Flora, and she replied almost immediately, "Her name is Mary Crawford. She was a classmate of mine."
As expected, they knew each other. I didn't rush but asked calmly, "Do you know what Mary is doing now? Can you get in touch with her?"
"I'm not sure what she's up to these days, but a while ago, she reached out to borrow some money. I didn't lend it to her," she replied.
So, Mary was short on money.
If that was the case, I could use Flora to meet Mary first, figure out her true identity, and then decide my next move.
"Can you help me arrange a meeting with her?" I asked seriously.
"Victor, we..." she began.
"Don't worry. I know my boundaries. I won't disrupt your life," I replied firmly.
After a moment of hesitation, Flora agreed and told me to wait for her news.
"Are you really going to meet your girlfriend?" Shirley leaned in, her expression full of surprise.
I didn't bother responding and continued watching the surveillance footage.
"The Grandlight Hotel? These people are bold enough to stay there. Aren't they afraid of our men barging in?" Shirley scoffed.
Her words felt like a subtle reminder. Staying in such an obvious place seemed a deliberate move to draw attention from the Fighters.
If it were me, I wouldn't make it so obvious. So, was Mary intentionally exposing herself? Could there be a hidden danger here?
At that moment, my phone rang. Seeing it was Flora, I answered at once.
"I've asked her to meet me. It's at 7 p.m. tonight at a restaurant near the school," she told me.
"Alright, see you tonight." With that, I hung up without hesitation.
As for Flora, I didn't dwell on her too much. How could I afford to think about women when I still had a deep grudge to avenge?
My focus returned to the surveillance footage. I reviewed it from beginning to end and, after forming a rough idea, pulled out a notebook to map out the relationships between everyone involved in the incident.
This was something Mike had taught me. When analyzing an event, you must first understand how everyone was connected. Right now, Mary was the only lead, and with Flora involved, I could only hope this was just a coincidence.
Since there weren't many clues, I decided to take a nap.
When I woke up, I noticed Shirley had fallen asleep on the sofa as well. But she was sharp. The moment I moved, she woke up.
"Where are you going? Take me with you," Shirley said, quickly following me as I got ready to leave.
"I have something to do. Don't follow me," I said flatly, brushing her off.
"Victor, don't be so cold," Shirley said, grabbing my arm with a grin. "You just got out of jail, and you're not familiar with Northvale. I can guide you and even drive you around. It's perfect, right?"
"I'm handling something serious. Don't test my patience," I said coldly.
"I'm not testing you. You saved me today. I just want to help you, that's all. Haha, let's go," Shirley said cheerfully, darting ahead to open the door like she was my assistant.
After thinking it over, I realized it made sense. With her driving and guiding me, it would save me some trouble.
I gave her the location, and Shirley laughed, saying she knew the place and would get us there on time.
Half an hour later, we arrived outside the restaurant. For safety reasons, I told Shirley to wait in the car.
I went inside and saw Flora waving at me from a corner by the window. I scanned the room to make sure there weren't any suspicious people before walking over.
I ordered a cup of coffee and sat down. Flora avoided meeting my gaze. I stayed calm. It was understandable. She hadn't visited me in the past six years. She wouldn't have even known where to find me. Besides, I couldn't afford to get caught up in emotions anymore.
"Victor, I..." she began.
"No need to explain," I interrupted her, taking a sip of my coffee. "How have you been?"
"I'm fine. But... why didn't you tell me in advance that you were getting out?" Flora's voice carried a hint of emotion, but what I sensed the most was guilt.
Still, I owed her my gratitude. She was the one who helped take care of my sister's funeral and everything that came after.
"Thank you," I said, giving a slight nod.
"Thank me? For what?" Flora was caught off guard.
I answered honestly, "Ever since that brutal incident, I've been consumed by thoughts of revenge. If it weren't for your help..."
Flora quickly waved her hands, looking flustered. "No, I didn't help with that. It was... It was your friend Finn who handled it. I..."
"Finn Longman?" I asked, genuinely surprised by her words. I hadn't told anyone about my plans for revenge. How could he have known?
There had been so much going on today that I'd completely forgotten to contact him. I had no idea how he was doing now.
"Did you need something from Mary? It doesn't seem like you two know each other," Flora said hurriedly, clearly trying to change the subject.
Refocusing on the main topic, I nodded. "I just wanted to meet her. How much do you know about her?"
"I only see her occasionally. I just found out today that she works at a bank," she replied.
"A bank?" I repeated, puzzled. The banks in Northvale were some of the wealthiest in the world. If she worked at a bank, why would she be gambling?
"Hey, Flora, long time no see," a female voice sounded. I turned to see a black woman approaching us with a smile. She hugged Flora warmly.
After exchanging pleasantries, Flora introduced her. "Mary, this is Victor."
"Hi, Victor, nice to meet you," Mary said with a polite smile.
"Nice to meet you," I replied.
Mary didn't seem to have any particular interest in me. After the introductions, she quickly returned to chatting with Flora.
Meanwhile, I quietly observed her. She was the same woman I'd seen on the surveillance footage, but now she carried herself with a completely different demeanor.
A bank employee, mingling with the crowd at the Fighters' casino to win money and somehow connected to someone from the Grandlight Hotel. This woman might really be someone's pawn.
After a brief chat, a man approached us.
"Hey, Kieth, you're here too?" Mary said in surprise, stepping forward to hug him.
The man, Kieth Mitchell, looked polished and well-built. It was obvious at a glance that he had impressive combat skills.
"Well, I just happened to be meeting with a friend. What a coincidence to run into you here," Kieth said with a friendly smile, his gaze briefly landing on Flora.
Flora's gaze shifted slightly. It was clear she didn't want to see Kieth at this moment.
"Hi, I'm Victor, Flora's friend," I said, standing up and extending my hand.
Kieth smiled as he shook my hand, then glanced at Flora. She hesitated for a moment before forcing a smile and nodding. "We went to the same university."
"Nice to meet you, Victor. I'm Kieth, Flora's boyfriend," he said, his tone carrying a hint of pride.
So he was her boyfriend. No wonder Flora looked so nervous.
"Nice to meet you," I said, offering a polite smile.
Kieth pulled out a business card and handed it to me. "Here's my card. You all enjoy yourselves. I've got something to take care of."
"See you," Mary said cheerfully, waving as Kieth leaned in to kiss Flora. The two exchanged a brief smile before he left.
I glanced awkwardly at the business card reading "Manager of Cattilex Bank".
Kieth worked at a bank, and Mary was also a bank employee. Could they be working at the same bank?
Could this all somehow be connected to Kieth?
I glanced in Kieth's direction and saw him leaving with a man and a woman. From their backs, they looked serious.
"Mary, I've run into some financial trouble. Can you help me out?" I asked abruptly.
"Mr. Woods, are you looking to borrow money from the bank? Well, I don't handle that kind of business, so I'm afraid I can't help," she replied with a wry smile.
"Then, could Mr. Mitchell help?" I pressed.
- Writer
