Chapter 121 - A Bad Guy

Berwick struggled but it wasn't helpful when a cop dragged him upstairs without responding to any question. When he entered a room, he saw a cleaner leave the room with a bucket of red-colored water. The air in the room still had the foul smell of the blood that panicked Berwick.

"Who are you all? Why did you bring me here?" He yelled at them in fear. He was first locked up in the ship, now he was forced to change the uniform, then he was separated from the group and brought here where there was a smell of blood. 

How could he stay calm?

Anya turned around at the voice by dropping her hand down that was holding the binoculars. Berwick was staggered at his sight.

"Officer Owen!?" The cop asked what to do with the screaming man.

Anya pointed to the same chair where the tortured sniper was sitting before.

'Officer!?' Berwick's eyes widened in disbelief. His other two teammates were right. She and the man with her were suspicious. He felt like a fool for not believing them. But it was too late.

The cops who stuffed the man on the chair noticed Berwick pretending to be calm. They still didn't know what this man's role was. Wasn't he just a junior security person on the ship?

Anya sat down with a sigh. It wasn't a sigh of tiredness; rather, she brushed her nose and asked the man in front of her. "Vice-Captain, don't you think the smell of the blood is awful?" Her method of interrogation had changed due to a different situation.

Berwick swallowed hard and tried to be calm. He didn't want to show himself as guilty, "Who are you?" She was not a Collins.

Anya didn't respond and picked the pen that she had used for stabbing. "You know, just a few minutes before, I stabbed a man six times. He was sitting right on the chair you are sitting on."

Berwick stood up in fluster but the cop behind him pressed him back to the chair. A cold sweat bead rolled down his forehead when he stared at Anya, "W-what do you w-want?" He stammered.

Anya faintly shrugged, "Would you like to go for the same method? Or shall we talk like civilized people?" She placed the pen on the desk, "The choice is yours." She stated simply as if she was asking him to choose one color out of two. 

Anya wasn't directly torturing him because Berwick will be under interrogation from that moment on. If he confesses soon, he could have a peaceful time in the police station until they complete the investigation. 

Berwick looked at the pen and the woman. Her look might be the same as he had seen her on the PSR but her approach was quite opposite. It would be a lie if he says he wasn't frightened by looking into her icy gaze.

He didn't want to get tortured. However he clenched his fist and stuttered while trying to hide his fear, "I-I choose to be s-silent. I-I need to s-see my lawyer." He had common sense. Importantly, both the choices she offered will make his life a nightmare.

The cops behind Berwick frowned. They understood the man had done something illegal. Or else, why would he have said as a lawyer instead of talking with her when she was being nice?

They were thinking what Anya might do when they heard her chuckle in amusement but her face turned cold as an iceberg. "Vice-Captain… You didn't choose to be silent. You chose hell. Who told you this is a simple case that you could use your lawyer?" She snickered. The news of Berwick under interrogation won't be leaked so even if lawyers go to the police station, they won't get to see anybody.

Anya hadn't expected the case to resolve quickly so she wasn't disappointed. Nevertheless, if Berwick had confessed, She could have trapped Harper easily like a bug. 

"Dump him in the darkroom. No water, no food without my permission." She instructed the cops and stood up from the chair.

The cops shook their heads in resignation. She was just making it sound scary whereas that room was just an emptied storeroom without a window. They didn't know darkness could haunt people.

"Yes, Officer Owen." They dragged Berwick out of the room.

Berwick tried to understand what she tried to say. Other than knowing he was in deep trouble, he knew nothing else. 

Berwick was pushed into a room and the door was shut immediately. He stumbled inside. Balancing on his feet, he looked around. There was no hint of light. It was completely dark, however, he wasn't scared… Yet. When they pushed him inside, he had seen it was a vacant room so he was able to hold his nerves. He slowly reached the wall and sat down on the floor.

He pondered how much Anya might know about the things he was doing on the ship. He hadn't offended her so why did she bring him there? What did she get to know? He continued to think hard.

…..

Anya, who took the printout, handed it to the officers when they entered, "I need these two. They will be with the guests." She was turning around but added, "Also bring ship security officer Stefan and the captain." 

She initially didn't want to speak with Stefan as he could inform her identity to Alvin. But on second thought, Alvin probably already knows she was some kind of officer. Hence she didn't let anything affect her investigation process.

****

In the study room of Oasis mansion, 

Alvin sat opposite Zane whose head was hardly visible above the desk. He watched Zane's astonishment looking around the room but he repeatedly tried to suppress it.

"Zane Owen, what would you like to speak with me about?" Alvin's indifferent voice sounded.

Zane looked at the man who wasn't treating him like a kid. He asked directly, "Are you a bad guy?" He wanted to know if Alvin had any bad intentions.

His mother always told him he should be polite with strangers but he shouldn't go with them or take anything from them even if they treat him very well.

He always could understand people but this man was difficult. Alvin didn't try to scare them or try to be very friendly. In reality, this man's behavior was like his mother's, when she meets other people.

Alvin: "…"

Zane shook his head, more like convincing himself, "You are not My Mommy's friend." Because he has met all her friends.

Alvin: "…"

If Zane wasn't a little boy and his voice wasn't so soft, Alvin would have gotten annoyed by now.

Zane was hoping for an answer but it didn't come. He asked again, "Do you mean harm to my Mommy?" He looked like he would fight with Alvin if the response was yes.

Alvin: "…"

'Wasn't he just a kid? Who taught him all these?' 

Alvin carefully responded in case his fierce Wild Kitten's son turns out to be another wild breed, "Zane Owen, I am your Mommy old friend. We hadn't met in a long time."

Alvin saw Zane blankly looking at him. He sighed internally. He wasn't half of this careful while talking with his Little Donut, forgetting about other people. He had thought only Anya could make him do things he never did, but another person added to the list, Zane Owen.

"And I mean no harm to your Mommy." Rather, she was the one who always attacked him.

Zane didn't know if he should believe Alvin Matthews. He thought if Alvin is a bad guy, Alvin will treat him badly and he could tell his grandparents and alert his mother. But he wasn't able to understand anything.

"Will Mommy come here soon?" He asked with eyes full of hope.

Alvin could feel from Zane's tone that he was craving to see Anya. If she hadn't run away, he would have reconciled the mother and son. Recalling it again, Alvin bubbled in annoyance and clenched his fist.

"She will definitely come." His voice sounded irked as he added enviously, "She will come for you." He watched Zane whose eyes brightened with a sweet smile.

Still holding the smile, Zane stood on the chair, holding the desk, and extended his hand at Alvin, "May I use your mobile while you work?"

Fascinated, Alvin saw the tiny and slightly chubby palm of Zane and looked at his beaming face. He couldn't bring himself to turn down so he unlocked and handed his mobile while thinking if Zane could even hold a mobile.

"Thank you, Mr. Matthews." He smiled like a child, who he was.

Sitting back, Zane typed Anya's contact number he had memorized, and sent her a message, [Mommy, Mommy come soon. I miss you.] He smiled looking at the message that was delivered.

He had called Anya in the morning but the number was unavailable and switched off. Seeing him crying, Dennis Owen had lied as he had already spoken to Anya who was busy. Then his grandparents refused to give him a mobile. Now Zane was happy to reach out to Anya. He was sure she would call him as soon as she was free. Hence he sat with the mobile waiting for the call.

Alvin, who had plans to call his men to look into where Anya was, found himself staring at Zane. He felt it was so easy to throw Linus out or order anybody to get out of his room. He was clueless about how to handle this little gentleman.

When Zane lifted his head, both looked at each other before Alvin opened his laptop, breaking their gaze. 

'This man is strange..' Zane thought.