The vibrant lights of the city pierced through the thick darkness of the night. Even the constellations scattered across the horizon were drowned out by the human-made light pollution. Yet, in the quiet that should have accompanied the night, towering skyscrapers buzzed with the constant activity of those still caught in the rhythm of their endless work. Among these buildings was the Binar Bangsa Company, a place that never truly knew silence.
As Derian and Rona stepped into the building's lobby, their eyes scanned the scene. The modern, elegant furniture gave the space a sleek, professional air. They walked toward the reception desk at the far end, where a polished and professional-looking receptionist greeted them with a friendly smile.
"Welcome, how can I assist you?" The woman asked, her voice polite and accommodating as she addressed the two strangers approaching her desk.
Rona returned the smile with equal cheer. "Hi, we'd like to speak with Mr. Andi Mahendra. Is that possible?" She asked directly.
The receptionist's brow furrowed slightly. She glanced briefly at the man standing beside Rona—a man in a black jacket, leaning casually against the desk, arms crossed in an indifferent manner. "Excuse me, do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.
"We—"
Before Rona could finish, Derian cut her off by pulling out his police ID and placing it firmly on the table. "We're here for investigative purposes," he said flatly, his dark eyes fixed on the receptionist's face as her expression shifted to one of surprise.
"Uh, right... Okay, please wait a moment," the receptionist replied, now sounding a bit flustered. Her movements turned slightly hurried as she reached for the phone on her desk and began dialing a number.
Derian remained indifferent as the receptionist spoke with someone over the phone. He leaned casually against the table, his eyes wandering around the busy surroundings. Meanwhile, Rona was absorbed in her phone, tapping away at the screen.
Noticing this, Derian glanced at her briefly. "Call Candrasa," he instructed.
Rona rolled her eyes in irritation. "Why do I have to deal with Mr. Grumpy?" she replied, her tone indifferent.
"Tell him to gather the team. We'll start the meeting as soon as we're back," Derian explained.
Rona turned to him with a look of disapproval. "Huh?! No sleep again tonight?" she exclaimed, her voice rising slightly. "Lieutenant, this case isn't even urgent! Why do we have to turn into zombies for two nights straight just to work on it?" she protested.
Derian sighed, his gaze dropping to the cold tiles beneath his feet. "Urgent or not, it'd be better to wrap this case up quickly," he replied, though he chose not to mention the time limit warning he'd received earlier that had been weighing on his mind.
"But, Lieutenant—" Rona's protest was interrupted by the receptionist's voice behind them.
"Excuse me, Mr. Andi has asked me to take you to his office," she informed them.
Derian gave a curt nod. "Alright."
The receptionist smiled politely and gestured for them to follow. "This way, please."
Derian and Rona stepped away from the desk and followed her across the lobby. The trio entered one of the elevators, and the receptionist pressed the button next to the door. The elevator hummed to life and smoothly ascended to their destination. After a short ride, the familiar chime of the elevator announced their arrival.
The doors slid open, and they exited, following the receptionist down a corridor. After a brief walk, they stopped in front of a large door.
The receptionist knocked politely. "Mr. Andi..."
"Come in," came a man's voice from within.
The receptionist pushed the door open after hearing the response, and Derian and Rona stepped in behind her. As soon as they entered, Derian's dark eyes immediately locked onto a formally dressed man standing by the large glass window, his back turned to them, seemingly lost in thought as he gazed at the city below.
"Sir, they're here," the receptionist announced.
At the sound of her voice, the man turned around, suddenly aware of their presence. Andi Mahendra, the man in question, offered a polite, friendly smile as his gaze fell on Derian and Rona. "Welcome," he greeted them in a formal tone. He walked towards his guests, gesturing for the receptionist to leave.
Once she exited, Andi invited Derian and Rona to take a seat. "Please, have a seat," he said, settling onto one of the sofas in the room.
Derian and Rona sat as well, but Derian's keen eyes couldn't help but size Andi up. He mentally compared Andi's height to the estimated height of the perpetrator. "He's shorter than 6'5," Derian silently noted, his gaze narrowing slightly.
"So, you came here..." Andi's sudden voice interrupted Derian's thoughts.
His dark eyes immediately refocused on Andi, now looking colder and more calculating. Without wasting a moment, Derian asked bluntly, "Did you know your friend Nando is dead?"
The friendly smile on Andi's face slowly faded, replaced by a solemn expression. "Yes," he replied quietly, his tone somber.
Derian didn't pause, pressing on with another question, this time even more direct. "Did you know that Rian also died today?"
"What?!" The sadness drained from Andi's face, replaced by shock, his eyes widening in disbelief. "How—how could that be...?"
Rona quickly filled in the details. "He was killed today by the same person who murdered Nando."
Andi still looked stunned, his head lowering slowly as he processed the news. His expression was a mix of confusion and sorrow. Meanwhile, Derian remained composed, leaning back against the sofa, his eyes never leaving Andi as if trying to dissect every reaction the man made.
Rona crossed her arms casually, leaning back against the sofa with an air of indifference, completely unconcerned by the shock written across Andi's face. "Those two people just happen to be connected to you," she pointed out. "And, coincidentally, each of them had problems with you in the past."
Hearing the suspicious tone in her voice, Andi rubbed his face and let out a long sigh, as if a heavy burden had settled on his chest. "If this is about the eviction or embezzlement, I can explain everything," he said quietly.
He paused, as though collecting his thoughts and emotions before continuing. "Regarding the eviction, it's true that Nando stirred up trouble and provoked the residents. It's also true that it created some issues for the company, delaying the project. We did send some people to deal with it, but all we intended was to scare the residents a bit. As for the violence, it was actually the other way around—the residents attacked our men first."
Andi sighed again, his expression clouding with sadness as he lowered his head. "As for Rian's embezzlement of company funds, the amount he took wasn't all that significant. Especially for a company like ours, which makes considerable profits each year." He shook his head slowly. "That's why I decided to turn a blind eye to what he did and kept it quiet from the higher-ups in the company."
Rona raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why would you do that?"
Andi glanced at her briefly. "Rian was in a tight spot," he said softly. "And... he's my friend. I didn't want to add to his troubles," he explained.
Derian, having silently observed Andi's every word and gesture, remained quiet for a moment longer, his sharp, appraising gaze fixed on the man. "You didn't seem the least bit nervous answering those questions, Mr. Andi," he said suddenly. "Normally, even if someone is innocent, they'd still be a little uneasy, especially when their answers sound exaggerated, like they're trying to make themselves look innocent as a way of denying or defending themselves."