Hope of the Dying World

CHAPTER 29 - THE RED-HAIRED

"I thought you're handling a rape case? Why suddenly divert to the drug case?"

"Maybe it is connected---"

"No. It's not." The Chief said as if he was so sure of what he was saying.

"Chief?" Ferran wondered what the Chief had said.

"Oh. I'm sorry." The Chief grabbed the cup of coffee to sip a little. "I sometimes say something I don't have to say maybe because of too much stress." He said then massage his forehead. "Don't worry about that. I will order someone to investigate what you were saying. Focus on the rape case. The parents of the victim want to immediately find the suspect for their daughter's death."

Ferran doesn't have a choice but to obey. He left the Chief's office without saying another word and proceed to his cubicle to take care of the rape case.

The name of the victim was Felicity Yaco, thirty-four years old, and a singer in that bar. According to the CCTV, she was last seen with five unidentified guys. They turn their backs on the CCTV to hide their identity then they ride a red car with Felicity.

"Ferran, I called you last night. What happened?" Sanchez asked after he arrived. "And your face..."

"I encountered a fight last night."

"I called you earlier but you didn't answer. I thought something happened to you again." Sanchez's voice became softer and softer in every word he uttered.

"I... Wait." Ferran looked for his phone but he couldn't find it. "Damn. I lost my phone."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

'Maybe I lost it in the bar?'

When the night came, Ferran went to the bar and went straight to the comfort room where he was last night. There, he saw his phone under the sink.

'Confirmed. It's not really a dream.'

He went outside, secretly observing and investigating the place and the people around. He assumes to find out the identity of those suspects.

He saw the woman with red hair again and he followed her until she entered a private room and looked around before closing it. As Ferran walked, he felt something he stepped on. A red wallet.

Because of the crowd inside the bar, he did not know who it was so he opened it and saw a photo inside. Photo of the red-haired woman and the victim, Felicity.

"So they knew each other," Ferran mumbled before entering the private room where the woman with red hair came in.

"Hello! Welcome---what are you doing here!?" The woman asked with annoyance after seeing Ferran's face.

She was wearing a red fitted tube dress and she looked like an entertainer in that bar.

"We need to talk," Ferran said with a soft voice. The room was soundproof so the loudness of the music and the noise of people outside can't be heard inside that private room.

"Hah! You just come and approach me if you need something. Tss. What an ass!" The woman uttered, then ignored him and just organized the customer's food and drinks.

"It's about Felicity."

The woman stilled for a while but continued what she was doing.

"This is yours, right?" The woman looked at him and to the thing in his hand. She immediately grabbed her wallet when she saw it. "She's your best friend, I guess?" The woman doesn't say a word.

"You can help to seek justice for her. Just tell me what you know or what happened the last time you met."

"I have nothing to say. So please," She glared at him. "Leave."

But Ferran didn't listen. Instead, he took out his phone and showed a picture to the woman. It was the image of Felicity when she was found at the seashore.

"You don't want to give her the right to have justice?" Ferran asked as if pushing the woman to feel guilty to reveal the truth.

The woman dropped the phone and she just sat on the floor because her knees were weakened. She started crying out loud.

"I should have stopped her!" She covered her face with her two hands. "I'm a useless friend! I was afraid to tell the authorities what really happened because I knew that those motherf*ckers will not hesitate to kill me if I report them." Her tears didn't stop. "They are addicts. Using illegal drugs."

"You can trust me. Don't worry. I will protect you, no matter what." Ferran knelt in front of the woman and wiped the tears that flowed down her cheeks using his thumbs.

He helped her to stand up and gave her his jacket because the woman's clothes are too revealing.

"Thank you." She said,

"So may I know who are those motherf*ckers?"

"One of them is the Mayor's son." The woman answered and Ferran couldn't help but clench his fist while remembering the image of their mayor in Chief's office.

'Are they trying to cover and protect those motherf*ckers!? Chief... wouldn't do that.'

The woman is afraid to speak because the suspect has great power. Ferran was about to open the private room's door when he stopped and faced the woman.

"May I know your name?"

"I'm right. You forgot." The woman sighed with disappointment. "Thalia."

"Take care, Thalia. When I catch those motherf*ckers, I'll treat you to a fine restaurant."

She smiled at him.

'Be ready, motherf*ckers! I will chase you to death.'