As they drove out of the Royal Grande Hotel, both Sera and Jason where unusually quiet. Sera kept starring at Jason who seemed lost in thought, he was looking out the window at nothing in particular but Sera was sure that he was looking at something, maybe imaginary.
"Why would Sam lie?" Jason suddenly broke the silence.
"Sam? The body guard Sam?" Sera asked
"Yes, that Sam." Jason replied as Sera took the exit on the right that led to Capitol. "I showed him three pictures guess who he picked as Daniel." Jason asked adjusting to look at Sera as she tried to understand where this conversation was leading.
"I suck at guessing, just tell me who he picked."
"Steve Bale, my dead partner." Jason said as he took in the surprise look that Sera gave.
"Was Daniel even among the three pictures you showed him?" Sera asked Jason who sat back into his seat and faced his front admiring the fountain on Capitol road.
"No, I don't even have a picture of Daniel on my phone." He paused for a while before continuing "With his kind of strength, he can kill a person with one hit to the head." Jason finished as he turned to stare at Sera.
"Who, Daniel?" Sera asked, a bit lost.
"Sam."
******************
"Where is she?" Don asked as Rahim stepped into the hospital room.
Don had been hit terribly with the shock of confirming that his wife was cheating on him. He had always felt it but something in him wished it to be just another meshed up communication error. That wasn't the reason he was laying on that medical bed at the Tampa Specialist Hospital, he found out about the death of his daughter eavesdropping on his wife's conversation with the police.
Six months ago when his wife died she had left him a mail saying, 'stay away from my daughter and don't attend my funeral.' Short and precise, straight to the point. She had known she would not survive the Leukemia it had eaten deep into her and till death she had made sure to shot Don out of she and her daughters' lives.
"I called the police commissioner, she is down at the morgue." Rahim said as he came to stand beside Don.
"If only we had gotten to her earlier," he paused "I hit to the head, I need a list of all the people who are likely to do this" Don said coughing into his clinched fist.
"I have a few hunches, Cash is my best bet." Rahim said straightening his suit sleeve.
"Put Rita at the top and I want the Daniel scum at 46 before midnight." Don said as the cough took over for a while before it ease again. He rested his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes.
Rahim watched his longtime friend and boss struggle with both physical and emotional pain, it rattled every sense of reasoning in his head. Don had mentioned Rita as a possible culprit of this suicidal crime and he wondered why? But his job was not to probe, point him to the right or wrong direction and Rahim makes the rest work.
*********************
Cash dropped the phone and screamed for a few seconds. He took a side stool from beside him and threw it at the window overlooking the spring, the window shattered and glasses flew everywhere.
His men stood speechless as they looked at the whole mess, Bolt knew better than to say a word, the others too. Cash paced about the portable living room then walked out of the cabin too the terraces, he looked at the distant tall trees and took in the fresh wind tossing his soft hair about. He got out a cigarette case and took one from it as he lit it up and puffed smoke into the air, he knew exactly what to do. He needed to be free like the air.
"You clean this shit up and fix that window." He instructed one of his men. "Guys, pack our shit up. Bolt, pull out the Humvee, we are going to town." Cash walked away, towards the tree that had covered him in this hiding cabin of his. He just realized how much he will miss this whole ambience.
***************
Daniel looked out the window and still saw the police car parked right beside his car. The two cops where now standing outside the car one leaning on his car while the other sat on the police car.
One of the cops had seen him a couple of times peeping three the blinds so they made it easier on him by being more comfortable so he could see that he was being watched.
Daniel couldn't stay any longer he was almost drunk already and he wasn't thinking straight anymore. He had sent quickly processed the payment schedule of Eagle Eye Securities as soon as the call came in, what bordered him was that instead of the usual last week omission of payment it had been requested to be moved forward. It is enough trouble already that there was no concrete excuse as to why all of a sudden T. W. Dockyard decides to only employ the use of security only for three weeks in their multimillion enterprise instead of an all-round security routine.
He was just a messenger but he sure wasn't going to tell that to the cops when they find out exactly what happened. First, they withdrew security from a hug place like T. W dockyard, secondly there was a body found on a premises that mysteriously withdrew security. Daniel just knew that disappearing would be the best option and he was going to do it. He got away from the window and grabbed his car keys, he turned off the lights and closed his door.
As he walked out of the lobby of the T. W Dockyard corporate office, Daniel tried to comport himself and maintain his composure as he was obviously tipsy already.
"Hi, Mr. Grey." The cop leaning on the passenger's side of his car called out and leaned off the car.
"I am Peter and this is Daya we will be tagging along with you, not necessarily getting in your way but its protocol. So don't border about us." The cop in a fitted blue uniform explained to Daniel.
"Officers, am a suspect in this case?" Daniel asked as he pressed the unlock button on his key and threw his jack into the back seat.
"Oh no, not at all. Just see this like it was a witness protection exercise." The other cop who had just come down from the hood of the police car, answered with a smile.
Daniel looked at the cop for a while, he wanted to ask a few more question but he decided against it. The sooner he created more distance between himself and these cops the better for him. He got into his car and drove off, soon after two familiar headlights were constantly at his wake.
***************
Rita haven't spoken with Don since she left there villa in anger. She had taken Dons decision to bring back his daughter pretty badly that she said a lot of things and left home. She and Don didn't want children they had agreed on it even before they had gotten married. Things have suddenly turned bizarre and she is losing it already.
First she thought Don would come looking for her, maybe spoil her a little to appease her for trying to breach their privacy by bringing home an adult child. He didn't even act like he had noticed her absence, he immersed all his effort into finding a girl who didn't want to be found or let alone have anything to do with her father, she thought.
The word bizarre was mild to explain how things have turned, she hoped had hoped to threaten the detectives with Don's status but they seemed to be poised on getting into her business. Then she decided to cook up something and throw it on Don so he will use his social influence to call off the dogs but now she couldn't even wrap her head on how to begin to tell Don about all these when he just found out that his daughter is dead.
She ignored all the voices in her head and reached for her phone, she walked out to the porch hoping that the soft wind would blow more sanity into her insane head. She dialed Dons number and waited while it range twice before the click that signals that the call had connected.
"Hi Dee, I just heard of Dora's death and I am coming home right now." She said holding her breathe. Don wasn't a man of too many words, the problem is not the words he says but the words he doesn't say. This is the moment Rita would expect Don to lash out with hate words or say a million words that will pierce like an arrow, but the silence clouded her head the more.
"This is Rahim, Don is on a bed rest at the Tampa Specialist Hospital." The voice from the other end interrupted the silence.
"What, what happened?" She asked.
"He had a little accident he will be fine." The voice replied.
"I will be right there." Rita said and ended the call. She looked at herself on the mirror, she still had her jean and the crop top on. She dialed another number on her phone, "Pull out the car, we are going to Tampa Specialist Hospital"
******************
It was dark now and the weather was cold, it should obviously, because they just walked into one of the cabanas at the beach. There where people male and female on the beach burning a little camp fire and they danced around the fire to the music played by a local band. There were other cluster of people eating sea food and enjoying the beach ambience.
Jack and Sera choose a cabana for two, it had white drapes that laced the top and edges, and they danced beautifully as the wind blew them from different directions. They could see the lights from fishing boats far into the sea and sweet smell of different sea delicacies filled there nostrils.
Sera had picked the spot, she obviously liked the outdoor life after dark. Music, car horns, laughter, clubs, the general contrast of different shades and color of lights that beautifies the whole environment other than the light from the sun.
The sat comfortably into a cane rack chair, it felt comfortable and Jason being familiar with African craft admired the quality of precision put into making the chairs. The table was of the same quality as the chairs only that a square thick glass was placed on it to give the work a perfect look. A waiter came to collect the orders Sera ordered grilled fish with a bowl of shrimps and a bottle of wine. Jason called back the waiter and requested for beer instead.
Soon the orders arrived, they had just focused on the dancing parties at the beach and within the twinkle of an eye the order arrived.
"Do you dance, Jason." Sera asked as she picked one of the Irish potato chips that came with the grilled fish.
"Dance, no way. I can't even dance to save my own life." Jason said as he reach for the beer.
Sera took the mug away from his reach and gestured at the fish.
"I want you to have an original taste of this croaker fish and scrimps first." She said
"Oh, okay." Jason said grabbed his cutleries.
They enjoyed there meal and made small talks about the food, the music and the dance steps of the Tampa people. Soon they had finished devouring the delicacies and was enjoying their drink when Sera interrupted.
"I don't get, why would Don allow his daughter to live in such a neighborhood?" She said sipping from her glass of wine while Jason waved for another mug of beer.
"A lot of things are disjointed, but I have a theory." Jason Sipped from his mug and continued. "Previously I thought Daniel did it, because of the obvious physical injuries he has, but there was no motive." Jason stopped to fish out his note pad. He went through it for a few seconds and continued. "My theory became clear when Rita saw the news. Now is it a coincidence that Daniel is dating the step mother of the victim?" Jason said looking at Sera.
"And they both met on the night of the murder both lying about the location." Sera added.
"With no other evidence of who can testify that they were actually at Citrus Park, except for Her Royal Highness's guard, who could not identify the person his boss met with at Citrus Park." Jason said with a smile.
"What is their motive for killing her?" Sera asked a little confused.
"That's very direct, she caught them together." Jason said and drank from his mug of beer.
"I had figured that out earlier but my concern is, why would Dora care about Rita's business, they have never been together and she doesn't want to have anything to do with the father either." Sera explained.
Jason looked out to the sea and saw a bright light on a fishing boat away in the sea, he wondered if the fisher men would make it back to sure that nigh or at dawn. He tried to take his mind away from the subject of discussion with Sera. He looked towards the dancing party, the band was playing a soft tune and they the couples just held each other and moved slowly to the sound of the music.
Sera noticed Jason's gaze and she wiped her fingers with the hand towel on the table and grabbed Jason's hand. "Let go and dance." Before he could argue he was been dragged towards the dancing party.
He had had a few drinks, it was already bringing out the cheerful part of him and when some of the couple saw Sera dragging Jason they came running towards the duo and helped get Jason into the camp fire arena.
Sera was amazed at the corporation she got from the dancing party, the band became livelier and Sera drew Jason into her embraces. "Don't worry Tigre, just follow my moves." Sera said and grabbed at Jason's hands, she placed them on her waist. And they began to move to the tune of the music.
"You are not doing badly." Sera said with her hands wrapped around Jason's neck. The sound of the music was so melodious and it made everything about the night perfect. The held themselves so close Jason could feel Sera's breath on his neck. He held her tighter on the waist, she smiled and raised her head up and their face met, she bent her head side ways to place her lips oh his when something began to vibrate in between the two of them. Jason left Sera and grabbed his phone from his jackets inner pocket.
"Sorry it's just my phone." The moment felt a little awkward and he would have ignored the call if not for the name that appeared on the caller ID. "Sorry I have to take this, its Mr. Richards from Eagle Eye security." He said as he got a nod from Sera who was already been dragged by one of the guys as the danced to the music that had suddenly come faster.
"Hello Richard." Jason said as he clicked on the receive button.
"Sorry to border you Jason, I had to call you as soon as John informed me. There have been another anomaly in the payment schedule." Richard said as Jason could hear the shuffling of papers on the background.
"In the previous ones?" Jason asked
"No, they have sent the one for the new month just after you left. Now they started omitting payment for the last weeks of each month like we shared with you but for this new schedule they omitted the first week and not the last." Richard said.
"Can you send that to my email?" Jason asked.
"Right away and you know I shouldn't be giving out confidential information about my clients, I am doing this to clear the name of my agency as accomplice to murder." Richard added.
"Be rest assured you did the right thing," Jason said "Thank you Richard."
Jason stood there watching Sera dance with one of the Dancing parties, she was so flexible and moved like she was made just to dance. He watched her smile and dance with her hair giving in to the wind, as it flew around in a careless abandon. His eyes scanned her portable breast that pointed out from under her fitted shirt, he imagined holding that tiny waist again and this time with his phone turned off. He admired her long legs, wondering how she would put that to use in a karate situation. He had seen in her files when she was assigned to work with him that she loved martial arts and possess a black belt. He looked at her looking around to spot him, he knew already he was right where he never expected to be. He was in love.
"So what did he say?" She asked as she walked barefooted on the beach sand towards him.
"There is another anomaly in the payment scheduled filed for this new month." Jason replied bringing all his senses back to work.
"What kind of anomaly?" She asked trying to catch her breath.
"So instead of the recent trend of skipping last week's payment, they skipped the first week." Jason said as he noticed a suspicious look on Sera face.
"I think they are using the dockyard for something shady." Sera said.
"You are right. I will call Fin and have him send our best guys to scout the dockyard for any activity." Jason said and dialed Fin's number. Fin took the call and he brief was passed across. "Fin I need them to stay low and stay focused. They will be relieved in the morning and another pair will replace them midday. This will happen till we get concrete information of what is happening there. Keep this between you and your most trusted guys." Jason got off the phone and walked back to cabana hold Sera by the waist.