Alex looked at Timothy seriously. "Riley wanted Lindsey to agree so he could control her. By agreeing to his plan, she would be committing perjury and putting herself at risk.
He scowled. "As long as Lindsey remains unaware of what's going on, Riley will manipulate her. If he can bribe witnesses, then he can also threaten those who are involved in this, especially Lindsey." He paused. "If they charge me with manslaughter, and then later it's revealed that several witnesses lied to exonerate me, can you imagine how that would look for me? What will people say about me then?"
Timothy sat up straight. "You'll be crushed," he replied. "You'll be known as a criminal. I always thought of Riley as a gentleman. He can be quite intimidating at times, but I never expected him to be so cunning. I will have to watch out for him in the future."
"Yes," Alex agreed. "The false testimonies will not only be unable to exonerate me, but they will make me look even more guilty." He shook his head. "Even if Riley doesn't destroy me straight away, he'll be able to use it against me in the future." He met Timothy's gaze. "You must ensure the witnesses don't change their testimonies."
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on this case," Timothy assured him. "But I have to tell you, Alex, the evidence is not favorable to you. In addition to the fact that no one actually saw Michael throw himself out the window, the on-site inspection showed no evidence of a suicide attempt. Michael's footprints were found on the windowsill, but that doesn't prove that he voluntarily got up there." He sighed. "I'm afraid it's not looking too good for you. It will be difficult for you to get out of this."
Timothy knew Alex had a lot to deal with. The evidence against him was compelling, and he had to face the possibility of being charged with murder. Even if he escaped being charged, he would spend the rest of his life being called a murderer.
Alex's expression was grave as he thought it over. "The evidence won't help me," he conceded eventually. "But perhaps Michael can fix this."
Timothy was confused. "Michael? But Michael's dead."
Alex nodded and gestured for Timothy to come closer. Then he whispered something in his ear.
Timothy's eyes began to light up. "Michael created the difficult situation, so he will resolve it," he said, feeling confident. "Yes, yes; this will be your breakthrough. I'll get someone to arrange it."
He got up and was just about to leave when the door opened and a few officers walked in.
Among them was Tamara, who was followed by a middle-aged man with a serious expression. Oddly, the man looked a lot like Timothy.
There was an awkward atmosphere in the room, and Tamara remained silent.
Timothy was surprised at first, and then he asked, "Brian, what are you doing here?"
He turned to Alex and said, "Alex, this is my brother, Brian."
"Surprised to see me?" asked Brian. He looked at Timothy sternly. "Do you think it's appropriate for you to come here? Do you think you can bend the law for your personal interests?"
"Brian, I think you've misunderstood," Timothy said, attempting to explain.
"You thought you would come here and offer your advice, right?" asked Brian.
He walked up to Alex with his hands behind his back. "So, you're Alex," he said, his face devoid of expression. "What's the matter? You've gotten yourself in trouble, and now you want my brother to get you out of it? Well, let me tell you; you'll have to solve your problems by yourself. Don't get other people into your mess!"
Alex laughed. "What do you know? Who are you anyway?"
"I'm a forensic medical examiner," replied Brian. "Since you're a doctor, I think I should advise you, and also advise my brother."
"I don't need your advice, thank you," replied Alex.
"You're a doctor, involved in a murder case," Brian pointed out, his lip curling with contempt. "And now you're trying to pull Timothy into your mess. I won't allow it."
"You've misunderstood me," Alex said, spreading his hands. "I didn't get Timothy involved."
"You're still arguing?" asked Brian, frowning at Alex. He couldn't believe Alex had had the audacity to ask Timothy for help.
If Timothy hadn't been involved, Brian would have asked the police to investigate Alex for any previous offenses.
"I'm not arguing," Alex said. "I simply asked Timothy to make sure the witnesses don't get bribed to change their testimonies."
Brian scoffed at him and didn't ask for details, believing Alex was simply making excuses. "Aside from Timothy, who else will believe you? Don't ask my brother to get involved."
"Brian, Alex didn't ask me to help him," Timothy said. "It's my duty to find out the truth and not let an innocent man be wrongly charged."
Brian ignored him, keeping his eyes on Alex. "Do you expect him to sort out your mess and then get into trouble? You're good at committing crimes, so don't think you can claim ignorance of the law. You can't use that excuse with me. I will do everything in my power to make sure Timothy doesn't get involved in your case. I will write to all the relevant departments if necessary."
Tamara and the other officers smiled.
Brian had influence over his brother, so if he could stop Timothy from getting involved in the case, Alex would be under great pressure.
Although Brian wasn't involved in this matter, no one underestimated his power to put someone in their place.