Chereads / Hanazono: Heiress / Chapter 34 - Investigation

Chapter 34 - Investigation

The investigation went on as Lavalee remain seated inside the car. Jace dragged her to the car because she wouldn't stop butting in the investigation.

"Who is that, Scott? Is that a police or a doctor? " Inspector Francis Castaneda asked Jace

"Student," Jace ignored the answer and continued looking for a clue.

Suddenly his phone rang and she wondered why Lavalee's name flashed.

[3:00 p.m. Clue.] Lavalee said after Jace answered the call

Jace looked in the direction and he didn't see anything.

[Go closer, there's an ointment for rashes and boils there.] she said and Jace immediately went there and his forehead knotted when he did saw it.

"Clue," Jace said and took a plastic, one of the investigators took a photo before Jace picked it up.

After collecting clues and evidence, they looked for witnesses from the spectators but none of them is familiar with the woman. A girl took Jace's attention because she was shivering.

"Miss, what's the matter?" Jace asked the girl

"S-sir, I saw that woman earlier... I helped her apply ointment because she said she accidentally ate something she's allergic to." The girl was stuttering due to shock and confusion

'That explains the ointment.' Jace thought

"Then?" Jace asked to make the girl say more

"I-I left her, s-she said t-thank you before I left. " The girl continued

Jace nodded and signaled the other officers that he found a witness.

Inspector Sariin went there knowing that Jace isn't the type of person who speaks long.

"Miss, what's your name?" Inspector Sariin asked the girl but the girl shook her head

"What do you know about what happened?" Inspector Sariin asked the girl but the girl just looked at Jace helplessly

"Miss, we need your help and cooperation. We don't have a lead yet and maybe you can help. " Inspector Sariin tried to convince the poor frightened girl

"You know, you shouldn't force a girl to talk." Jace's brow furrowed when Lavalee arrived while carrying Mnemosyne

"I told you – Don't want to." Lavalee cut Jace's words and looked at the poor girl

"Hello, are you alright?" Lavalee asked the poor girl and sat beside her

She placed Mnemosyne on the ground and the latter jumped to Jace.

"I'm scared." The girl said while bowing her head

"Don't be scared, there's nothing to be feared of," Lavalee said and made the girl stare into her eyes

"What's your name?" she asked not removing the eye contact

"Ainah Manaig," the girl replied, hypnotized

"Now, Ainah, I want you to answer my questions, okay?" the girl mindlessly nodded at Lavalee

"What do you know?" Lavalee asked and the police officers we're surprised by her bluntness

"I talked to her earlier and I helped her put ointment on her skin because she said she ate something she was allergic to." The girl answered slowly like she was being dictated

"Thank you for cooperating, Ainah. Now you won't be afraid, alright? " Lavalee said and the girl, Ainah nodded before she seem like she was back to her senses.

"Thank you, sister." The girl, Ainah said and hugged Lavalee

"Go home, okay? Don't go around telling this to other people. Rest well." Lavalee said and Ainah nodded obediently before standing up and leaving.

Lavalee turned to Jace and Francis.

"You recorded it?" Lavalee asked then and it seems as if even Francis was hypnotized

"Yep," Jace replied and showed his phone while holding Mnemosyne

"Ang galing paano mo nagawa yun?" Inspector Francis asked

"Because I'm a girl?" Lavalee said and walked towards Jace

"Come here, Mne." She said but Mnemosyne growled at her

"She likes me more." Jace teased Lavalee

"Mnemosyne," Lavalee said and carried Mnemosyne

"Let's go home," Lavalee told Jace

"You want?" Jace asked her and she nodded

"We have to go," Jace said and tapped Inspector Francis on his shoulder

Jace and Lavalee went to the car and Jace drove to the Mansion.

"Where have you been?" Chelsea asked them when they arrived

"Park," Lavalee replied while holding Mnemosyne

"I'll just take a bath upstairs," Lavalee said and went upstairs.

They ate dinner and slept but Jace was thinking deeply that night.

'Why do you know so much, Lav?' he thought

He's already having doubts and speculations on how Lavalee knew that much.

The next morning Jace left his room early to eat breakfast, he knocked on his colleagues' bedroom door and told them to go to the living room.

"Why, Inspector Jace?" Caspian asked

"Oh? You're early. " Lavalee suddenly came out of the dining room so Jace frowned

"Off to investigate?" Lavalee asked

"Yes, Alpha, Delta, Lieutenant, I will leave the things here under your commands, call me if anything happens," Jace said and the three saluted

"Sir, yes, sir." Answer by three while saluting

The three returned to their respective rooms to prepare themselves so Lavalee and Jace were left behind.

"I'm leaving," Jace said and went to get in his car that was just parked in the garage but it's flat.

"Need a ride?" Lavalee asked so Jace looked at her.

Lavalee picked up her car key and Jace took it but Lavalee hid it in her pocket.

"I want to come," Lavalee said

"No," said Jace

"Yes please?" Lavalee said

"No," Jace says upsetting Lavalee

"Fine, just send me to a café, " Lavalee said and showed Jace the picture of a café.

"Café? It's too early, Lavalee. " Jace was against it

"But Jace, that's the point. I'm running away from my bodyguards. " Lavalee's reasoning

"More reason to leave you here." Jace said

"Fine." Lavalee surrendered and gave Jace the car key

"Good. Now behave and don't make a mess. " Jace said

"Whatever," Lavalee stared at Jace and turned around so Jace left complacently but little did he know Lavalee ordered a butler to drive behind Jace, then to the Café she was talking about.

When Jace arrived at the precinct, Francis greeted him immediately.

"Oh? Where is your girlfriend? " introduction by Francis

"Where's the autopsy result?" Jace asked so Francis scratched his head

"Oh, Jace, you've been gone for a long time. Where have you been?" Regil Tenerefi, one of the Forensics Team, said

"Assignment," Jace's short promise

They went to a vacant meeting room and Dr. laid. Regil Tenerefi the pictures and autopsy report.

"We didn't find any possible cause of death other than cardiac arrest but we just noticed something strange," Dr. said. Regil Tenerefi and pointed to a photograph

"Boils?" Jace asked

"Yes, at first glance you can see boils but as you can see there is necrosis in the skin tissue. She has no reports of burns these recent months or days and that makes it weird. " Dr. said. Regil Tenerefi

Jace's phone rang so he was annoyed when he saw Lavalee's name.

[Hey don't get mad, okay? I brought someone you might need to meet.] Lavalee said

"What are you talking about?" he asked in disgust

[Just see me. I'll bring you, kay?] Lavalee said and lowered Jace

"Continue." Said Jace

Suddenly there was a loud crackle that sounded like a scratch so they opened the door and saw that the officers were pale, while others had their guns ready.

It was as if Mnemosyne was just walking down the hallway to enter the meeting room where Jace was and immediately started roaring softly.

"Mnemosyne," Jace said so Mnemosyne immediately stopped and sat down

"Mnemosyne, come here," Jace said and Mnemosyne jumped on the table

Mnemosyne stepped on the photo of skin with necrosis and dragged it to Jace, then Mnemosyone dragged another photo. The picture of the arm before it was cut.

Mnemosyne lifted her head and Jace noticed a small paper clipped on Mnemosyne's collar. Jace took it and read it.

"Where's she?" Jace asked and Mnemosyne immediately jumped down

"I need to go," Jace said and went out followed by the others with him so they saw Lavalee.

Lavalee's arms are crossed over her chest and she seem so impatient. When Mnemosyne went near her, Mnemosyne circled on her feet and she raised her brow at Jace.

"Why did you make me wait for so long, huh?" Lavalee asked calmly

"What is it?" Jace asked and Lavalee pointed to the woman

"She's Moreen Sanchez, 31 years old, the woman's sister and she's the last person the victim was with apart from Ainah," Lavalee said

Jace approached the frightened woman.

"Interview her," Jace said to the colleagues

"I told you to stay home." Jace's sermon to Lavalee

"And I told you I want to go to a café." Lavalee replied

"Where did you see her?" he asked

"I saw her at the café. She'll die in an hour. " Lavalee says making Jace to stare at her

"What?" Jace asked incredulously

"She's poisoned too. There's hydrofluoric acid in her blood, and that boil in her shoulder means she's also going to die. " Lavalee said and pointed to the woman's shoulder

Dr. approached. Regil Tenerefi so Jace and Lavalee as they talk.

"Hello, Miss. Are you Jace's girlfriend? " Regil said directly

"No. I'm L- " Lavalee replied

"Lav." Jace scolded before Lavalee could speak

"What?" Lavalee asked

"Go home," Jace said but Lavalee waved and faced Jace

"No, I am staying to watch that girl. " Lavalee said so Regil looked at her

"Why?" Regil asked

"You're a Forensics Analyzer, right?" Lavalee asked

"Yes, why?" Regil asked

"There's a chemical burn on her shoulder caused by hydrofluoric acid and she'll die any moment now." Lavalee said and looked at the woman being interviewed by the police.

The interview went on when suddenly the woman clenched her chest and collapsed on the ground.

"Told you," Lavalee said and looked at Jace

They were about to bring the woman to the hospital but she was declared dead when they checked her pulse.

"Cause of death, cardiac arrest," Lavalee said and turned her back but she gave a paper to Jace.

"Inheritance?" Jace asked when he read what Lavalee had wrote

"Yes, life insurance." Lavalee clarified

"It's murder, Jace," Lavalee added and carried Mnemosyne

"I'll wait for you in the car," Lavalee said and went out of the precinct.

"How did she know that?" Regil asked after approaching Jace

"I don't know," Jace replied while the forensics team took the woman's body

"But, she's right. This case is a murder case. " Regil said

Jace did what Lavalee said, their division went to the Million Lives Life Insurance and they were surprised when they found out that the two victims; Moreen and Loreen Sanchez are successors to ten million pesos worth of inheritance, and their life insurance beneficiaries are theirselve and their eldest brother; Torin Sanchez.

Torin Sanchez had already received three hundred thousand pesos when his wife died from an idiopathic pulmonary disease, and now that his sisters are dead he will receive about six hundred thousand pesos. He'll also be the sole inheritor of the Ten million inheritance.

They traced Torin's last contacts and whereabouts and found out that he often visits his sisters and he came to his sister's house two days before Moreen's death.

"Torin Sanchez, you're under arrest," Jace said after they cornered Torin Sanchez who is about to escape to New Yastrid

"You are under arrest for killing Moreen Sanchez and Loreen Sanchez, you have a right to an attorney. Anything you will say will be used against you." Jace said and cuffed Torin Sanchez's wrists.

Torin Sanchez was brought to the precinct and detained.

"You're really good, Detective Scott." Inspector Francis told Jace

"I have to go ahead," Jace said but when he was about to board,

"Why are you in a hurry?" Inspector Sariin asked

"I have to leave," Jace said

"Who is in your car? Did you kidnap her?" Inspector Francis said as he looked at Lavalee whose eyes are closed

Suddenly, Lavalee's window dropped and she opened her eyes

"What now, Dreice?" Lavalee asked calmly and raised an eyebrow at Jace

"They won't let me go," Jace said

"I'm sleepy already," Lavalee said

"I have to bring her home," Jace said and got into the car

"Hey! Take care of her," the Inspectors reminded as Jace drove away.

Jace drove both of them home, and when they arrived everyone's asleep. Jace carried Lavalee to her room because Lavalee fell asleep in the car.