There Ghost My Everything

Chapter 19

Inspector Clay decided to stop the car at the side of the road. Then he looked at Yuno after.

"What?" Yuno makes face.

"Can you stop breathing heavily as if I'm making a mistake here? And if you think so, you better step down my car, right now. And I mean it," he annoyingly said to Yuno.

Yuno was surprised knowing that Inspector Clay observed him inside the car.

"You think I won't notice? Come on, Yuno, it's obvious," he said before unlocking the door for Yuno.

"I'm sorry, okay? It's just that I don't agree with what you're saying," Yuno expressed.

Inspector Clay sighed. Before they left, he told Yuno not to tell to anyone that he's planning to hide the copy of the CCTV footage. He said that he'll keep it for a while, for a reason.

"Look, may if you tell me what's your whole plan, maybe I can agree with you. But not for long. You know that's evidence until this case is done," Yuno reminded.

"I just want this to be done. But it will take too long if I'll do it their way when I have my own way," he said softly.

"What are you planning? Tell me. And you must have a good reason," Yuno demanded.

Inspector Clay stepped down the car and so with Yuno. They both leaned on the car and Yuno's still waiting for Inspector Clay's explanation.

"I'll be back," Yuno said then he walked.

When Yuno came back, he handed Inspector Clay a cigarette.

"No thanks, I don't smoke," he refused.

Surprise was all over Yuno's face again.

"Oh my God... I like Facundo's case now... From a not-so-chain-smoker to not smoking? The Facundo's case really changed you a lot, Clay..." Yuno was amazed. But Inspector Clay just laughed at it.

"People change, Yuno. And I believe you'll change too. Someday," he said smirking.

"Okay. Did I just changed the topic?" Yuno scratched the back of his head.

"You want to know why I want to keep the CCTV footage where Herdon was thrown out in the vehicle..." he stated showing Yuno that he will still answer the question.

"Yeah, I thought I have changed the topic. So tell me now. I want to hear it. Then I'll try to understand if you're reasonable enough," Yuno declared while lighting his cigarette.

"Someone stole it," he answered.

At first, Yuno was shocked. But he laughed so hard after. "Are you kidding me? What you mean is you stole it right?" he pointed Inspector Clay.

"No, I just said it. Someone stole it." he clearly said to Yuno.

"Come on, you can't fool me. You have the footage. I saw you with it. So if I didn't see you, the footage will just go missing right? But because I saw it, you are telling me that someone stole it, and what you mean by that is you are not that someone. Did I get it right?" Yuno's voice was starting to get high.

"Someone inside there is an enemy, Yuno. And I wish it's not you," Inspector Clay seriously said.

"I can't understand you anymore..." Yuno decided to leave the Inspector there. He's not happy or contented with what the Inspector's saying.

"I am telling the truth, Yuno. This went missing an hour ago," Inspector Clay shouted to Yuno as he pulled out the USB inside his pocket.

Yuno stopped walking then turned to him, "Convince me," he said in a powerful voice.

"Just like I just said, this footage went missing an hour ago. I looked for it but it wasn't there. Then I left to report it but before I do... I saw it on the floor. Maybe it fell from the thief's hand. Maybe he didn't expect that I was coming then the USB fell from his hands while trying to hide from me," he explained, trying to convince Yuno.

"You know I won't buy that, Inspector," sighs Yuno. He and Inspector Clay are friends aside from their partner's relationship. Yuno will call him Inspector if he's not happy with what Inspector Clay's doing.

"So I think I don't have any choice..." Inspector Clay exhaled.

Yuno got uncomfortable with the Inspector's words...

"I'm not gonna do anything to you, Yuno. I'll just show you another footage for you to believe me," then he tossed another USB to Yuno, "please watch that before you report me."

Yuno catches the USB. Then Inspector Clay left with his car leaving the confused Yuno.

After ten minutes, Inspector Clay finally reached the grocery store where Herdon was found six days ago from now. He parked his car in the grocery's parking lot. Then he started looking around, trying to find something that will add more to his investigation.

After an hour of looking around, he decided to take a break. He went inside the grocery store to buy a drink. After paying, he decided to stay in his car then he'll start looking around again. While he was inside his car, he someone on the other side of the road from his side mirror. He took his laptop on the backseat and inserted the USB containing the CCTV footage from the grocery store. He forwarded it a little then stopped to where he wanted to check. Then he looked on his side mirror again. The one he's looking at is a beggar carrying a sack and a blanket. His clothes were worn out and he was very dirty that's why he assumed that he was a beggar. The same beggar he saw on the CCTV footage. He may sound crazy, but he's planning to ask the beggar about the night Herdon was kicked out in the black van. So he did not waste any more time. He went to the beggar.

"Hey. How about I give you money and food if you answer my questions?" he started talking immediately to the beggar who was about to leave.

"I get one hundred to two hundred spending my day walking around asking for money to buy food. If you can give that two hundred, then I'll be happy talking to you. But judging your looks, I can say you are an Inspector. I'm just a beggar but I don't take advantage of people. So take my piece of advice, you can't use my words to win a case you're holding because the court will not believe in us, beggars. Because they consider us crazy or taking advantage to get money," the beggar looks like explaining everything.

Inspector Clay chuckled, he got curious of the beggar because of the long message. "Don't worry, I'm not taking you with me," he was amazed of the beggar, "I'll give you more than two hundred."

"You got my attention, then," the beggar sat on his blanket again.

"I'll be quick," Inspector Clay showed his cellphone to the beggar. It was a picture of the beggar at the back of the black van on the other side of the road. He took a picture of it so he can show it to the beggar, "do you remember this night? It was six days ago."

"I have a good memory," the beggar answered while nodding.

"Good. So tell me. Did you see someone in the black van?" Inspector Clay asked.

"No. But when that black van left, I saw a man on the floor. His hands were tied at his back. I got scared so I pretended to be asleep," the beggar answered.

"Oh please..." Inspector Clay got dismayed because it looks like the beggar didn't see anything more. After all, he pretended to be asleep, "here it is. That's more than two hundred so you can rest all day," he handed him the money. Then he turned around already.

"But my eyes can't help it. I just lied down but my eyes remained open," the beggar speak again that got Inspector Clay's attention again.

"What did you say?" Inspector Clay got curious.

"The black van went back. Then left again. The next thing I saw, the man was walking and leaned on the wall of that grocery store. And his hands were no longer tied," the beggar added information.

Inspector Clay gave the beggar another money before he went back to his car. Now, he believes he's near to have a piece of evidence against Herdon Facundo. All he needs to do is to dig more...

***********

It's been two hours since Yuno got home. He's holding the USB Inspector Clay gave him. As Inspector Clay's partner, he needs to trust him. But he believes that he also has a career to take good care of. He was planning to hand over the USB to their chief. But he can't decide exactly. Inspector Clay gave him the USB for him to watch.

In the end, he decided to watch it first. And if it still can't convince him, he'll hand it over.

He inserted the USB into his computer. He slowly shook his head when he recognized the place. It was the room on the headquarters where shreds of evidence are kept. He can say that Inspector Clay took the CCTV footage there too. It was the CCTV footage on the hallway going to the room of evidence. So he keeps on watching.

And he was shocked. He saw there that someone with a key in the room went inside. But that someone has a bonnet on his face so he can't see who was it. After a minute, the man gets out of the room like he was nervous. He looks like in a hurry while closing the door and he was holding something in his right hand. But suddenly, that something on his right hand fell because of hurrying to left. Then Yuno understands why the man was in a hurry. Inspector Clay showed up in the CCTV footage. He just got there and that's the reason why the man was in a hurry. From the CCTV footage, Inspector Clay opened the room since he has a key to it also. Inspector Clay was inside the room for three minutes and when he gets out, he saw the USB on the floor.

Yuno was shocked by what's in the footage but it's not what's making him worry. He played back the footage to where the man was unlocking the door. The man was wearing a watch on his right wrist. But it's his watch. He was sure of it because the right hand of the man there has a tattoo on it. Same watch as his, and the same tattoo as his...

After watching the footage, he tried to find his watch but it's missing. He can't find it anywhere and it's unusual this time. He was alarmed so he called Inspector Clay. "Clay, please meet me, ASAP!"