Chapter 267

​Cody followed Ida, heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. He wanted to melt into the floor to escape the heat of Ida's gaze, but the sight of Leon disappearing into the VIP elevator ignited his professional instincts. The need to act finally wrestled control away from his embarrassment.

​"Leon must be working with Vale," Cody muttered, striding quickly to the front desk. "Vale is known for his connections to high-end human trafficking—the VIP clientele. Leon could be facilitating."

​Ida, right on his heels, kept his eyes locked on the elevator doors. "Or he could be a client, or worse, a victim. Either way, we need to know which floor the elevator stopped on."

​Cody flashed his badge—one Sebastian had custom-made for their discreet operations—to the receptionist. "We're with hotel security. We need the manifest for the VIP elevator, last use, five minutes ago."

​The receptionist paled, checking his screen. "It stopped on the penthouse floor," he whispered. "The whole floor is leased out to Mr. Vale."

​Ida didn't wait. He grabbed Cody's arm—a firm, non-negotiable grip this time—and yanked him toward the main elevator bank. "Penthouse. We're taking the staff lift. Stay close, yeah?"

​Cody felt the sudden, electric shock of Ida's touch override all rational thought, but the cold finality in Ida's voice was enough to steel him. He nodded once, the drama of the mission overriding the drama of his feelings.

​The moment the staff elevator doors hissed open, they were met with silence—the kind of unnerving silence that swallows sound and suggests danger. The penthouse hallway was opulent: thick carpeting, dark wood, and a single, heavy oak door at the end.

​Ida moved with the practised stealth of a predator, pressing his back against the wall. Cody, his training taking over, pulled out his silenced sidearm and checked the chamber.

​"Stay back," Ida mouthed, but Cody ignored him, mirroring his position against the opposite wall.

​Ida sighed—a barely audible release of air—and pulled out his own weapon. He approached the door, inserting a slim electronic device to bypass the lock.

​It clicked open.

​They slipped inside, scanning the vast, dimly lit apartment. The air was heavy with the smell of stale cigar smoke and expensive liquor.

​"Clear," Ida whispered after checking the immediate entryway. "Vale is using the whole floor."

​They moved past a large, empty dining room and approached the living area, which faced a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.

Suddenly, Cody tugged Ida's shirt, stopping his movement. 

"What?" Ida asked quietly, turning to Cody.

"I hear something... out in the hallway," Cosy pointed outside the room.

Ida frowned and nodded.

Stealthily, they walked out of the room and went further down in the hallway toward the door where the sounds were louder.

As they approached, Cody's cheeks gradually flushed as the sounds became clearer and clearer. 

"I don't think we should go in," He reached out and grabbed Ida's wrist, stopping him from opening the door.

Ida raised a ci fused briw as he faced Cody, "Why not?" He questioned.

Cody gently released Ida's hand, stepping back, "The people in there are quite busy." He said without looking at Ida's eyes.

Ida suddenly took note of Cody's flushed cheeks and sighed, "Come on, Cody, you've seen people have sex all your life... we have –"

"Yeah, let's open the door," Cody moved in a blur and pushed the door in, stumbling in and standing right in front of the couple on the long sofa. 

"Don't stop, keep going," The young man with his face covered in ink held the girl's waist above him and urged her on.

Obediently, she resumed rocking her hips against his.

"Who the fuck are you guys?" The young man pulled a gun from his back and pointed it at Cody.

Ida was in front of Cody in a flash, his hands raised with his fake badge showing, "We mean no harm, we're the hotel security and we just need to –"

"For my father, I know, that's his business badge not security. You don't have to lie-fuck! Faster," he lowered his gun and guided the girl's waist faster down his length.

Cody was feeling embarrassed on their behalf, he would never want to be watched while doing it with... no one. He cleared his throat and paid attention to the case.

"Mr. Vale is your father?" Ida asked cautiously. 

"Yes. You can see I'm trying to get an orgasm over here. Walk through that door, that's where the Leon guy went through, too... Fuck me faster, you fucking bitch!" He groaned loudly. 

Not wasting time, Ida grabbed Cody's hand and walked toward the door the young man had pointed them to.

It was a very narrow and dark passage, behind them was a wall, giving no other choice than to walk forward.

"Are you okay?" Ida's low voice asked as they forged. 

"Yeah... just a little weirded up," Cody replied, slowly sliding his hand out of Ida's. 

Ida suddenly paused, causing Cody to collide with his back.

"Ouch, what the... why did you stop?" Cody whispered, pinching his hurting nose.

In the dark, Ida turned, tracing his hand over Cody's arm, "We'll talk when we get back, okay?" He asked softly. 

Cody's body suddenly sizzled with warm, fluffy tingles as he heard that familiar tenderness in Ida's voice.

But he didn't want to hold any 'conversation' with Ida... it was dangerous for his heart. 

"I... we need to get going, Ida. We might just miss Leon and Mr. Vale again," he muttered.

"I could stay here all day, Cody –"

"Fine, yes, yes, we'll have this talk. Can we go now now?" Cody asked, shaking Ida's hand off him.

"Yes," Ida said and resumed walking. 

After a few seconds, they met a locked door and Ida easily bypassed the lock, allowing them into the brightly lit room.

"Shit, we're back in the living room," Cody murmured as he stared at the first room they had walked into the first time.

"I hope he's not messing with us, I'll cut his dick when next I see him," Ida muttered, glancing around the room.

"Let's look over there," Cody pointed farther into the living space. 

A few steps in, they both stop dead in their tracks, eyes narrowed in disbelief. 

​In the centre of the room, Mr. Vale, a paunchy man in a silk dressing gown, was slumped on a velvet sofa, a glass of amber liquid tilted in his lifeless hand. He was clearly dead.

​But the more alarming discovery was right beside him.

​Cody's breath caught, a silent gasp stolen by the shock.

​Leon was standing over the body.

​He was dressed in a pristine white suit, and he wasn't looking at Vale. He was looking at something on a nearby coffee table: a small, dark leather journal.

​"Leon!" Ida barked, raising his weapon.

​Leon spun around, his face devoid of the playful, annoying charm Pole had known. It was cold, sharp, and utterly ruthless. His eyes—usually so animated—were flat and empty.

​"Well, well. The bodyguards are here," Leon said, his voice a low, mocking drawl. He didn't raise his hands. In fact, he looked completely unconcerned. "Did Sebastian send his puppies to sniff me up?" He asked.

​Cody lowered his gun slightly. "You killed him?"

​Leon scoffed, picking up the journal and tucking it inside his jacket. "Vale was a pig. Did he deserve to live? Perhaps not. But no, Cody. I didn't kill him."

"Fuck! Cody?" Ida grunted, limping away from Cody, who suddenly stumbled on his foot.

"If you didn't kill him, then I didn't just step on Ida's foot," Cody said, glaring. 

Leon shrugged, "Your words, not mine." 

"Do you think this is a fucking joke?! We already have the police involved in this, come clean, now!" Cody demanded, pulling out his phone from his pocket. 

​Leon took a step toward them, but Ida raised his gun immediately, "Don't fucking move, Leon." His voice was lethal, "I wouldn't want to kill you... not today." 

Leon sighed, "Put the gun away, Ida. I was just trying to get Cody not to text Pole, that's clearly what he's doing." 

"Too late, already sent a photo," Cidy waved his phone in Leon's face.

"Really?" Leon asked, hurt flashing in his eyes.

"Leon, you need to tell us more if you insist you didn't kill him. You know how this looks, right? It's really bad. Plus, you already poisoned Zeno once and seeing this man who was clearly killed by poisoning... it paints a picture, Leon." 

​Leon paused, a ghost of a smirk touching his lips. He glanced at Ida, then back at Cody. "I hated the man. He was my stepfather. And this journal," he flashed the leather journal in he had pucked from the table, "Is the list of our business transactions over the years. I recently got my hands on it and realised he'd been cheating me." 

"So you kill him to get revenge?" Cody questioned.

"I didn't kill him. Why would I kill a man who had two cargoes of my latest shipment hidden? He was trying to set me up with his drug stuff to make me look like the bad guy, but, I guess someone else got interested in my shipment and decided to kill him and keep it all to himself." Lein explained further. 

"Cut your shit, Sherlock. I'm calling the police in –"

"I already did, the forensics, too. See? I wouldn't do that if I were the killer. I, too, need to find this killer, fo ding hin means I find my shipments." Leon shrugged.

"Okay, I called in the police. We need to get you out of here, if they see you around here, you'll be taken in for questioning, no matter the alibi you present," Uda paused and pointed to the door. 

"And, you need to tell us what kind of 'shipment' Mr. Vale was withholding from you," Ida said as they headed into the elevator. 

"What about Kendrick?" Leon suddenly put his hand between the sliding doors, causing them to open again.

"The tattooed face?" Ida questioned, pressing the button for the ground floor and blocking Leon's path.

"Yes, I think we need to take him, too," Leon stated.

"Aww, the crime family protecting each other?" Cody taunted.

Leon chuckled, "Far from it, I think he's the killer." He stated.

Cody shared a look with Ida and then back at Leon.

"The officers will take care of him. Even if he's the killer, he's not going to admit, just like you're not admitting to us. But the forensic team will let us know in a week." Ida explained. 

"I'm glad you did nothing with Pole yet... he would have been so heartbroken," Cody snarled.

"You shouldn't have sent that picture, Cody," Leon muttered, clenching his jaw.

"Well I did, and I'll follow it up with stories when we get back," Cody scoffed, marching out of the elevator the moment it opened.

"You're riding with us, Leon," Ida ordered as they stepped out of the building.

"I drove my car, I'll just –" A loud explosion cut him off, startling all three men.

They turned to the side to see a car burning up after an explosion.

"Well, there goes my baby. Do you still think I'm the killer?" Leon asked, gritting his teeth.

"Who knows? Burning one of your fancy cars to keep yourself from rotting in jail is worth it." Cody shot out.

"You're right, Cody. Why not become a detective? Unfortunately, you're wrong in my case. I did not kill Mr. Vale. Now where is that car of yours?" Leon asked Ida and walked away from them.

Ida shook his head at Cody before walking toward his car.

Leon sat quietly at the back as they drove away. His mind was thinking of Pole, how he would react, what he would say.

Would he still be welcoming as before? Or is he going to shun him out like the rest?

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Author: I have been denied the application for book removal on here... so... I guess we'll continue?

Look out for my new story: In-Between Lines: Players Or Lovers.
Thank you.