"Hello, Lee, are you back from the NCI?"
Since Elise was close to the phone, she heard the man ask loud and clear and her brows shot up instantly.
Discreetly, she sent a signal to Derek who was already watching her. Bolting as quickly as lightning, he restained Lee who was yet to react, and covered his mouth.
Lee kicked and thrashed as he tried to break free. But Derek's hold on him was strong and he could get away from him.
Daniel too entered the room quickly and helped his colleague restrain Lee who was going berserk in anger and anxiety.
Elise looked at Lee who was glaring at her as he struggled to escape from the two officers. Smiling sardonically, she placed the call on loudspeaker, allowing everyone to listen to the conversation.
"Lee, why are you silent? Were you able to trick the NCI? Did they fall for your lies?" The man continued and Elise tilted her and cocked an eye at Lee who was still putting up a fight.
"They believed I'm dead, right? Lee, why aren't you answering?" The man started to suspect and Elise's smile widened as she ended the call.
"So Mr. Lee, can you tell me why your Mike Wang is alive when he was supposed to be dead?" Elise dropped the phone on the table and stood up. She didn't call the man again. He was now alarmed and he wouldn't pick up calls anymore. There was a high chance that the number would be non-existent by now.
"How did this miracle happen? Hmm?" Elise glanced at Derek and he moved his palm away from his mouth, allowing Lee to catch a breath and speak.
"Well, you see I have a few people I want to revive. Please tell me how you managed this impossible miracle?" Elise squatted before him, her eyes cold and dangerous.
"This is blatant assault. I want to talk to a lawyer. You are threatening and assaulting me," Lee shouted and Elise nodded as if she was seriously considering his suggestion.
"Sure, we'll call a lawyer for you. After all, you'll be here for a long time."
"You can't do this to me. You're abusing your authority," Lee argued, his English now impeccable, without a Cantonese intonation.
"I am impressed, Lee," Elise praised suddenly, diverting from the topic for a minute. "You can change your accent on a whim. That's not easy and not many can do it."
Lee went blank and stared at her as if he was looking at a monster. His face had lost all its color and he had broken into a cold sweat. He was just short of urinating in fright. Elise had scared the crap out of him.
"You..you...you.." he stammered, his eyes turning hazy before he fainted.
"What a moron!" Elise sighed and stood up.
Derek and Daniel checked he had fainted for sure before they too stood up.
"Officer Winslow, we never expected Lee to be lying to us. We were blind and easily deceived," Daniel accepted his shortcomings and lowered his eyes.
"It's not your fault, Officer Blake. He had managed to fool all of us. If not for a reminder from someone, I too would have overlooked his blatant lies like you two," Elise replied, not giving away much but enough to ease the guilt and self-reproach in the two men's hearts.
"We now have a direction. Lee and the man on the phone could be our lead to the truth," Derek remarked and glanced at Lee who was still unconscious by his feet.
"Probably," Elise mumbled, unsure if Lee would be of any use to them. Since his mask was torn down, he now had four chances - confess everything, deny all the claims, kill himself, or be killed. Elise was inclined to believe in the latter two than the former two.
"We have three more people to interrogate and they will be tougher to handle," Elise alerted the two police officers.
Since Lee had fainted, Elise decided to give him a break. It would be easier to shatter him once he woke up willingly or be forced by them.
Elise, Derek, and Daniel left the interrogation room and the two policemen who had escorted Lee picked up the unconscious man as if he were some trash and took him to the room beside the one they had previously been.
There was a vast difference between the two rooms. While the previous one gave the suspects some freedom, the other room didn't. It was meant for culprits and criminals and Lee was handcuffed to his table, making it impossible for him to escape.
Elise twirled the phone in her hand. She had brought Lee's phone with her on her way out. Since no one had used it for a minute or two, the phone was now locked.
While they waited for their next interrogatee, Elise handed over Lee's phone to Sarah. She would dig up everything in it using her expert skills.
"Do you want to have some coffee while we wait?" Elise asked gently. She desperately needed some caffeine in her system. None of the three men they'd catechize next were easy to deal with and they'd need a lot of patience.
Knowing the truth, Derek and Daniel nodded and the three went to the canteen to energize themselves.
"Umm, Officer Winslow..." Derek hesitated as he ran his finger on the rim of his cup.
"Yes, Officer Lewis?" Elise already knew what the man was up to but didn't raise the topic herself. She had seen Derek trying to speak to her quite a few times in the last five minutes.
"About Sarah.."
"What about her?" Elise intervened and sipped her coffee, enjoying the awkwardness she had put the poor police officer in. The man was clearly flustered and kept fidgeting in his chair.
"I want to give it a try," Derek said, finally making up his mind.
"Try what, Officer?" Elise didn't let go of him and Daniel shook his head when he saw what she was up to. But he didn't come to his friend's aid and watched from the side.
"Can you arrange the blind date you spoke about before?" Derek was careful as if he was afraid he would irk Elise.
"Officer Lewis," Elise smiled and spoke teasingly, "you do know it won't be a blind date anymore. You and Sarah now know each other."
"Uhh, yeah."
'Is that a blush I see on Officer Lewis' face?' Elise wondered, seeing the man's cheek turn red. How wonderful!
Deciding not to tease the man anymore, Elise relented. "Since you asked so sweetly, consider it done, Officer Lewis."
Derek heaved a sigh and Elise laughed silently. The small talk released some of their nerves, prepping them for the intense grilling that would ensue in some time.