A look of surprise flashed in her eyes and she chuckled. She should have known that he was not a simple man.
"Do you know about me?" she asked, "how do you know that I am chief?" she had not mentioned her position. If he would have asked, she would have announced herself as a normal officer.
"No, but I know those stars too well." he pointed at her chest where two bronze stars were gleaming. She looked at them with her gaze softening. It was a surprise that the culprit knew about the value of respect and integrity.
"I say, Ethan. I know that my men might have done something they should not have. But as a civilian, you are wrong to beat them too. If I drag the matter to the court, you would be punished badly.'' Though her tone was not threatening and she still had that kind smile on her face, Ethan was not a fool.
He could notice how cold and distant she was. More than that, she had no other reason to come to him.
"There are underworld gangs who are blackmailing us normal people and demanding high protection fees.
They wanted to beat me when they felt the money I was offering was not enough. But I am trained. So not only did I stop their attacks, but I also beat them in return. But I would have never done it if they would not have initiated it.
I am a man following responsibility and integrity. I would not accept if someone would threaten me and come to beat me in my own area.'' There was arrogance laced in his voice. She would have laughed if a meat seller would have said such words.
But the statement did not look strange from his mouth. Her eyes fell on the simple shirt he was wearing. Her eyes narrowed.
"Who are you, Mr Ethan?" Ethan found the question wrong. She knew her name. So she must have investigated him before coming there. But how did he respond to such a question? Who was he?
"I am a common man you can find on any street or road. There is nothing worth mentioning to the police chief." he finished the noodles hurriedly. "I have not broken any law or ever had a fight with a righteous person. I only have beaten those thugs in self defense."
He followed her gaze with confusion. His brows furrowed as she kept staring at his shirt.
It was a comfortable one. It Is nicely fitting. Even the material felt luxurious but he had checked and there was no brand or logo on this shirt. The man must have been lucky to find such a piece in the black market. But now that a police officer was staring at it, he was not sure anymore.
"You are wearing a handmade Indian shirt that was booked for their royal families without a logo on it and using the pink diamonds that were only found there and known as their treasure as buttons as if they were cheap fake stones and yet you are telling me that you are an ordinary citizen?" she laughed with no mirth in her eyes.
They were cold like two vortexes that would absorb all the light from their surroundings.
"You came with police officers, beat them, and then left the police station without anyone else knowing and you want me to believe that you are a simple man?" her smile only broadened, making him shift on his seat.
He was wearing such an expensive piece? This Ethan was more than he could ever fathom. If only he could get Ethan's memories. His eyes twitched to see the rare pink diamonds she was talking about but he did not tilt his head to look at them. Knowing well that her intent gaze was like a hawk keeping an eye on its prey.
"I have not beaten any police officer? They came to look for me, but after asking a few questions, they left already. I do not know what youre talking about. If you do not trust me, you can confirm from them." he laughed softly and then signaled the waiter to bring the bill for them.
"Since the officer is stern, I am sure she would not want a commoner like me to pay the bill. But I, as a commoner, do not mind if the authorities pay my bill." too bad, that he could not rob more money from this meeting.
He decided to stand up. But her hawk-like gaze did not leave him even for a second until he left from there.
She took out ten dollars and paid the bill with a generous tip. A few steps away, his jeep was waiting for her with a guard inside.
"Did something happen chief?" he asked when he noticed the gloomy look on her face. He had been on alert all the time but the lady did not give him any signal.
"Dig more about him, Jack. I am sure we are missing great leads in this case. It is not a simple feud between two underworld families. And add security around him. He did not know he had awakened a sleeping snake." the man frowned as he knew Sara well. Mostly she did not care about the internal fights between two underworld parties but this time she looked more than concerned.
"And release Mike. His statement was proven right. Ethan never entered the police building, it was just a misunderstanding." she added as she sat in the office jeep. Jack started driving but his eyes kept looking at Sara's reflection in the mirror.
She had already closed her eyes and looked too exhausted for any reply. But when Jack kept staring at her, she snickered.,
"Do not stare at me like I need your protection. If you need anything, just ask me and end it right here." Jack stiffened at his place and then looked away. His eyes on the empty roads as he drove their police jeep but it was hard to keep his silence.
"Chief, the man who had been beaten.."
"Beaten?" she frowned, "you must have some misunderstanding. They both slipped in the room and one of them got a rusty nail piercing his gut. It was just a pure coincidence that someone got wounded so foolishly."
"....."