Chapter 389 - 389: Findings

It took half an hour before Erick and Elle got out of his office. It was already past 12:00. Erick's colleagues were already hungry but no one among them initiated to disturb the two people inside.

The team agreed on waiting for them outside. They would invite them for lunch, but they didn't expect that the two people would spend thirty minutes inside just talking.

Unknown to them, Erick and Elle didn't talk, instead, they were busy kissing and making out inside his office.

When they were already out, they saw the strange looks coming from Erick's colleagues. Elle suddenly became anxious.

'Why are they giving us that kind of look? Did they learn what we have done inside?' Elle wondered while biting her lower lip.

Then she turned to Erick, glaring at him with her flushed cheeks. 

'This is your fault! Where did your self-control go, Chief Detective Inspector Erick Lee?'

Erick just shrugged at her, feigning innocence. His mouth twitched as he was fighting a smile.

"Chief Lee, Aliyah, let's go, join us and grab some lunch," Bryan said, breaking the awkward silence.

Elle just gave him a faint smile while Erick simply nodded at him. After that, everyone left the office to eat lunch outside.

*******************

After the lunch break, Alpha Cinco together with Elle returned to the XXX Crime Investigation Headquarters. Everyone gathered inside the conference room for a meeting regarding Catseye's case.

"Okay, everyone, prepare your individual updates. Officer Kim is also attending this meeting. He will be there for five minutes." Erick said to them.

He was in the front, setting up the laptop and the projector screen. Just like what Elle had expected, Erick's team noticed Erick's swollen lips.

During lunchtime, they already saw it. They were wondering why suddenly Erick's lip looked like that as if someone bit him or punch him in the lips. It looked normal this morning.

Carl and Bryan automatically looked at Elle suspiciously while having weird speculation. 

"Did she slap Chief Lee for acting so cold towards her?" Bryan whispered to Carl.

Carl averted his gaze back to Erick, assessing his face. He just scratched the back of his head then shook his head.

They disregarded those thoughts right away. It wouldn't be possible since the moment two of them went out of his office, everything seemed normal as if they talked peacefully and didn't get into a fight.

'Maybe Chief Lee just accidentally bit his lips.' They thought to themselves.

Five minutes later, Officer Kim entered the conference room. He greeted everyone with a smile. Everyone warmly welcomed Officer Kim and his company. Two of them from their Department would attend this meeting.

"Since everyone is here. Let's start our meeting. First, I would like you to know that Aliyah's team would continue collaborating with us. They will cover this story that's why she is also joining us here. Don't worry, she already signed the waiver. She will keep all the significant information about this case confidential." Erick said, explaining Aliyah's presence to the team.

Everyone just nodded at him in approval.

"I believe everyone here had read the report of Senior Sergeant Carl about the incident that happened at Sky Hotel wherein Catseye attacked Samuel Sy."

"Yes, Chief Lee!" Everyone said in unison except for Elle.

"Okay. I will enumerate our findings." Erick clicked his mouse and a PowerPoint presentation was displayed on the projection screen.

"Number One Findings: This new Catseye is a man. I confirmed it after fighting him face to face."

"Number two: Catseye is not the one who sent me the death threat. He saved me and didn't harm me even if he had the chance to do so. He just knocked me down using a sedative."

Elle was a little bit surprised after hearing that. Erick didn't mention it to her, yesterday. She tapped her forehead gently. 

'Oh great, because instead of talking, we were busy doing something inside his room.'

Elle was not the only one who got surprised by that revelation. Erick's team really thought that Catseye was targeting Chief Lee.

Erick continued. He was the one doing all the talking for now while others were listening attentively and actively on their seats.

"Number Three: There's someone who wants to kill me but he is using Catseye to cover up this. They are framing Catseye. They want us to believe that Catseye is the one to blame if ever something bad happens to me."

Everyone has become serious after hearing that, most especially Elle. Someone was trying to kill Erick and framing Catseye for it.

"Do you know any motive for threatening your life, Chief Lee?" It was Officer Kim who suddenly asked that question.

Erick nodded, "Yes, I had a suspicion. Did you hear the recording right? I believe they are doing this because I am investigating the incident that happened 18 years ago. Original members of Los Molasses Gang were involved in a massacre case 18 years ago, that was our number four findings."

"I am curious, Chief Lee. So does it mean, Catseye's revenge had something to do with their crimes 18 years ago? Was Elle the missing child they were talking about in the recordings?" Officer Kim asked Erick once again.

Erick glanced at Elle first before answering that question. She nodded, giving him permission to tell them the truth.

"Yes, she was the missing child. Her family was killed by the Los Molasses Gang. She became an assassin in order to avenge her family's death."

Everyone had complicated emotions on their faces the moment they heard that. They somehow felt sorry for Elle. Now they understood why she turned into a vicious and ruthless assassin before.

"I received the death threat after I talked with Carlo and Diego about their crime 18 years ago. It turned out Alfonso also visited them that day. Now, I suspected Alfonso as the one who gave me this death threat."

Now, everything made sense. They could grasp the situation. Alfonso found out that Chief Lee was investigating the crime they committed 18 years ago. He planned to kill him without getting suspicious. He decided to use Catseye as a scapegoat. It was like killing two birds using one stone.

"Number Five: Kevin Azumi or Azumi Twins were working again for Alfonso. They were the experts Alfonso was referring to in the recordings. That's the reason why Kevin was also present that night. He was there to protect Samuel Sy, to kill Catseye and me."

"[email protected]! Alfonso Ramirez is a sly fox!" Bryan blurted out. Everyone agreed to his remarks.

On the other hand, Elle was now thinking so many ways how she could punish Alfonso. She couldn't wait to catch that bastard. Her hands turned into fists. She wanted to beat that guy so badly… wanted to kill him. The hatred was consuming her heart right now.

"Number Six Findings: Someone helped the Los Molasses Gang to cover up their crimes. Alfonso called him Snake. I suspect that Snake has connections in the police authority that's why the death of Elle's family members remained unresolved. Police failed to collect evidence that would connect the Los Molasses Gang in that massacre."

"Chief Lee, do you know the name of Elle's family household?" Bryan asked him curiously.

Erick paused for a moment. His eyes were fixed on Elle's face. He was giving her a meaningful look but Elle had no idea what was running on his mind. She thought Erick didn't know her Family Name. She didn't inform him.

She planned to tell him after the rescue mission but the mischief happened. They got separated for two years.

After his long silence, Erick looked at his team with a very serious expression.

"Everyone, I will answer that question but I want to make a request first. Please whatever information you will hear or heard in this conference room now, you should keep them confidential. This case is very complicated. There are still enemies around us that we don't know yet. Even I, myself, don't know whom to trust. There are traitors and spies. I know you are aware of that. Unfortunately, that is the sad truth."

Erick's team as well as Officer Kim felt the heaviness of Erick's words. They couldn't deny that fact. He was right.

Bryan: "I will do that."

Carl: "Me too. If information leaks out that mean someone here is a traitor."

June: "Let's follow Chief Lee. This is for our own sake too."

Allen: "Chief Lee, you can count on us. No one here will betray this team."

Rose: "I will surely beat the guy who will try to betray our team!"

April: "I will help Rose in punishing the traitor, if ever."

Officer Kim: "We understand the importance.of trust within the team. You can trust us, me, and my team, Chief Lee."

After saying that, everyone averted their gaze to Elle.

'Eh? Do I need to speak too? I know everything, more than what they have learned today. Are they afraid that I couldn't keep this secret.' Elle didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

"I will bet my life on this. I will not be a burden to all of you." Elle reassured them.