Private Investigator Hais sat in his dimly lit office, staring at the computer files before him. He had been working on the case about Conal's, Logan's, and Orson's disappearance, or, as he used to call it, the COLD case, for weeks now, and it seemed like the only possible explanation for the trio's disappearance was that Erik Romano, Frant's only awakener, did something to them.
Hais rested his eyes for a couple of minutes as he was straining them to look at his computer; after a while, he opened them and stared at the files once again. It was filled with witness statements and surveillance footage that cleared every single person he had doubts about. His brain crystal power was in full gear, giving him the power to think so fast as to actually make a mental reconstruction of what could have happened. In his mind, there was no alternative.
It had to be Erik Romano who made the three disappear; he probably killed them. Everything pointed at him in his mind, but he didn't have proof. He decided to gather more information about the young man and his whereabouts during the time of the disappearance, hoping to find evidence that would confirm his suspicions. In the past few days, the old man tried to find the awakener, but apparently, he never left the Red Palace, and even if he did, the investigator doubted someone would tell him.
He knew that he needed to speak to Erik himself to get to the bottom of this, but getting permission for a meeting was not easy. However, thanks to his perseverance, he was allowed to talk to someone there. Maybe they wanted to learn his purpose for going there and decide after they ascertained he wasn't dangerous.
The Red Palace was known for being a place for the rich, a place for the strong, and a place for the nation's future, but many people had unsavory characters, and he was well aware of that. Hais had never set foot inside the institution before, but he had heard enough stories to know that it was not a place for ordinary people.
As the time approached, Hais stood up from his chair, straightening his tie and taking a deep breath. He grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, making his way toward the part of the city where the Red Palace was located.
The man rapidly got to the street and called a cab, which rapidly came and landed in front of the old man. He entered. Hais nervously checked his watch, hoping he wasn't late for the meeting. As the cab driver weaved through traffic, Hais couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building up inside him. He had been preparing for this meeting for weeks and knew that it could potentially change the course of his investigation.
"Bring me to the Red Palace," he said confidently. The driver looked at him incredulously, and there was no way someone who needed a cab to travel would be welcomed there. However, he inserted the address and quickly gave gas; the vehicle floated in the sky, and after a short while, it accelerated toward Hais's destination.
After a short while, the old man arrived and was determined to chat with Erik. As he approached the gate, the cameras scanned his face, and the gate opened. From there, the man had to walk and clearly appreciated the garden's beauty.
"Fucking show-offs…" Hais said. He did really hate the Red Palace and everything it represented inside the nation.
After he arrived in front of the door, it automatically opened, making some clicks and clanks. The old man stepped inside warily; he could feel his heart racing in his chest.
The inside of the Red Palace was even more pompous than the outside. It wasn't enough for these pricks, as Hais called them, to make several giant buildings in the middle of the city.
No, they also had to show off their wealth and connection to the government by showing off the place's grandeur. In the investigator's mind, it was like they were trying to further distinguish themselves from the poor masses as if they needed to establish they were better; they were elites.
Hais quickly saw a woman sitting at the only desk on the ground floor, and he assumed he had to talk to her. The old man went to the desk, but despite the woman's beauty, he didn't try to make a good impression; he was there to work, and he didn't have a good impression of her already.
"Hello," Hais said. The woman looked up and smiled politely, but her eyes betrayed a hint of annoyance.
"Good morning, I'm Amanda Smith; you should be Mr. Hais, am I right?" Miss Smith asked.
"Indeed, you already know who I am. Should I assume you are recording my stay here?" Hais inquired.
"Of course, we have several cameras and many people standing nearby if you do something you shouldn't. So, I would like to ask you to refrain from doing anything stupid. Given your profession and reputation, I'm certain nothing bad will happen," Miss Smith said.
"Of course, you know who I am, and surely you know what I do for a living… Well, whatever, I'm here to see a student," the investigator said without beating around the bush.
"Any contact with students must be authorized by the student in question, even if you are a family member. After that, there is the need to schedule an appointment. Security here is a big deal." Miss Smith said.
"I guessed, especially after what happened recently." Hais referred to the attack in the forest, in which Erik and his friends were the unfortunate targets.
"Your reputation is indeed well earned, Mr. Hais," Miss Smith said with an intrigued look. "So, who is the student you would like to talk to?" The woman asked.
"Erik Romano. I need to ask him some questions; it is for a case I'm working on, but I can't say anything more." Hais looked at the woman; he wanted to see her reaction. Did she know something? Was the kid here under their protection? He was open to any possibility.
To be honest, his thinking was spot on. Erik was really under the Red Palace's protection, but not entirely because of the Crystal Cross gang attack.
The fact that they targeted him was given; they were not stupid and knew they wanted him; however, they didn't know why and wrongly assumed it was because of his awakener status. The other reason was that General Becker was closely monitoring the kid's development. The young man was an asset in his eyes, and he needed him to grow enough to protect himself and later work for him.
After Miss Smith heard about Hais's request, despite being troubled, she didn't change her expression. She was a professional working for Frant's best institution, so she knew she could not give reasons for the investigator to suspect anything. She didn't know what he was searching for, and it could be anything; it was better not to let the old man make wrong assumptions.
"To talk to the student, Erik Romano, as in every other case, we need to get his permission. After that, an appointment will be held under strict supervision inside the Red Palace. If you accept these conditions, there shouldn't be problems unless the student refuses," Miss Smith said.
"There is no problem."
"Good; we will soon contact the student in question about the meeting and get his consent. In the meantime, we require you to leave a phone number, and you will be contacted by us as soon as possible." Miss Smith assured the man there wouldn't be any issue as long as the conditions were met and the student agreed to attend the meeting. The request for a phone number only ensured prompt communication with the concerned party.
"All right…" The man quickly gave his contacts to the woman, and after that, he left the building. However, not even half an hour later, he got a text message.
________________________________________
RP: The student, Erik Romano, agreed to meet you. The appointment has been scheduled for 19/08/3040 at 18:00.
________________________________________
Hais grinned. Finally, he could solve this crime.
***
[EARLIER]
Erik got a message from the Red Palace. He quickly read the message, and his expression changed.
"Fuck… A private investigator wants to talk to me…"
He was curious as to why this was happening. Did he mess up when he killed Nathaniel? Did someone find out about the biological supercomputer? Or was it because of Conal, Orson, and Logan?
The young man didn't know. However, he had a feeling that declining the meeting would lead to missing out on an opportunity that could potentially change his life, aside from making him look suspicious. He decided to take the risk and attend the meeting.
Maybe something happened, and he wanted to see if he knew something to which he was unrelated. He knew the police often interviewed many people when someone disappeared or got killed.
He quickly told the Red Palace that he was willing to meet the man; this way, he would learn what was happening and take countermeasures if needed.
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