Andi let out a long sigh, his eyes still distant. "That's because I already figured I'd be on the list of suspects the moment Nando died. I knew it was just a matter of time before you started asking me these questions." He forced a bitter yet seemingly honest smile. "I'm not trying to hide anything from you. The guys the locals call thugs... as I mentioned before, they're actually hired by the company. They're part of the company's... well, illicit operations. So yeah, you could say they're involved in that side of things."
He took a deep breath, his mind wandering back to the night of Nando's death. "But on the night Nando was killed, they were out of town, working. You can check for yourself if you don't believe me. I can even give you a list of their names if you want."
Rona wasn't convinced. Crossing her arms, she shot him a sarcastic smile. "Let's say it's true that your guys weren't involved in Nando's murder," she trailed off, her expression growing darker. Without warning, Rona slammed her foot against the table in front of her, her temper flaring up in an instant. "But how do we know you didn't hire a hitman?!" she snapped, her voice echoing through the room.
Andi looked a bit taken aback by Rona's unexpected outburst, but he managed to remain calm. "Feel free to check the company's financial records and my personal accounts. See if there's anything suspicious that indicates I paid someone off," he replied steadily.
Derian, who had been quietly listening to all the explanations, kept his eyes locked on Andi, his expression reflecting suspicion. There was something off, some discrepancy in Andi's words. "That illegal business... how can you talk about it so confidently in front of the police?" he asked, his tone cold, raising an eyebrow.
Andi gave a small, bitter smile, not arrogant. "Because I'm not worried about my business falling apart," he said. "It's all about social hierarchy. The truth is, in this country, the law sits far below the hierarchy of wealth and power."
His gaze, now heavy with bitterness, slowly shifted to meet Derian's eyes. He lowered his voice and added, "You should know that well, shouldn't you? If I'm not mistaken, your father was a man of law ..."
That statement hit Derian like a dagger to the heart. He remained silent, the weight of the words sinking in; his eyes reflected the dark feelings stirring within him.
***
The black car remained parked in the building's lot as the sky grew darker. Derian, with the weight of his thoughts still pressing down on him, leaned his tired body against the steering wheel, closing his eyes for a moment. The silence around them was palpable, broken only by the soft sound of Rona's typing on her laptop as she focused intently on the screen.
"Lieutenant, I've checked the list Andi gave us. Those ten people really are listed as employees tied to the company's illegal business," Rona said, shifting the laptop towards Derian. "And it's confirmed—they were out of town the day Nando was killed. They were overseeing the casino across town."
Derian slowly opened his eyes at her words, turning to look at the profiles on the screen. He studied them carefully before asking, "What about Andi?"
"I looked into him too. That day, he had a shareholders' meeting in the afternoon. Afterward, he stayed in the building, working and attending meetings. It's all on the CCTV," Rona explained, bringing up footage from the day of Nando's murder, showing Andi walking the halls of his office.
"What about today?" Derian asked.
Rona shrugged. "The men are back in town, but Andi's been here all day. He hasn't left the building, just working from morning till now," she said, unwrapping a candy bar and casually taking a bite.
Derian pulled the USB drive from her laptop, his dark almond eyes fixed on the small device in his hand as if lost in thought. After a brief pause, he grabbed his phone and dialed a contact. "Cand..." he said as the call connected.
"Bro! When are you coming back to the office?!" Mr. Grumpy's grumbling voice came through the line, causing Rona, who was listening in, to roll her eyes.
"I'm heading back now, but I need you to check something first," Derian replied directly.
"Huh? What is it?" Candrasa asked, sounding both confused and curious.
Derian sighed. "The lipstick stain found at Rian's murder scene—was there any DNA on it?"
"Yeah, they just informed me there's saliva on the lipstick residue," Candrasa confirmed.
Rona suddenly sat up straight, her eyes wide with excitement. "Really?!"
Candrasa, hearing her voice, grumbled, "Bro, are you still with that crazy woman?"
"Of course I'm still with him, you idiot!" Rona snapped, irritated.
Derian ignored their banter and continued his conversation seriously with Candrasa. "Compare the DNA with Andi's, and also the DNA of the people on the list I'll send you later. Coordinate with the forensics team and ask them to expedite the DNA results. Got it?"
"Okay! I got it, Bro."
Derian smiled in satisfaction. "Good. I'm ending the call now."
"Come back quickly!" Candrasa ordered just before Derian hung up.
Rona glanced at her superior as he slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket. "Lieutenant, are we heading back to the office now?" she asked.
Derian gave a brief nod. "Yeah. As planned, we'll go straight to the meeting," he replied.
Hearing this, the tan-skinned woman rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, clearly objecting to her workaholic boss's decision. Derian, however, remained indifferent to her reaction and proceeded to start the car. Just as he moved to put the car in gear, a notification interrupted him.
Ping!
[System]: Hi Derian, So far, you have executed the assigned mission very well. You've followed the rules, adhering to legal norms and procedures, which brings you closer to earning Good Karma points.
Suggestion: Continue your investigation properly and by the book—you're just one step away from earning Good Karma points! Good luck!
Derian's eyes narrowed slightly as he read the notification, briefly contemplating the message.