Abandoning what he had just experienced, Laxus hurried to Nessy. It was getting dark now, and from what Nessy told him, she was still at the store. Laxus knew he shouldn’t be going there, especially considering the fact that Mr. Henry fired him, but he could not get over how scared and frantic Nessy sounded, as though she was in danger.The moment Laxus got to the shop, the sign there was close, which means they had closed for the day. However, Laxus tried to push through the door, but he was stopped by Drake.“What are you doing here?” Drake asked harshly. “You have been fired already, so why are you here?” Drake questioned, facing Laxus menacingly.“What have you done to her?” Laxus asked, breathing hard.He was breathing hard from rushing over to the shop and he was also breathing hard because he was ready to fight Drake if he had hurt Nessy. Laxus did not have any feelings or attachment to Nessy, but he just hated it when people, especially women were being bullied, especially the

Laxus staggered backwards, shocked.“What is it?” It was now Nessy’s turn to ask him. “Do you know him?” Nessy asked further when she saw that the color in Laxus’s face had disappeared.Laxus could not tell Nessy that he knew this man well enough. The man in question lying in his own pool of blood was Mr. Gary, an old staff of the company, and also, the same man who worked closely with Laxus’s father. Laxus had no idea that a staff of the company lived around these parts, and he could not tell if the man retired from the company and moved down here, because Laxus had been away from home for long now, but all the same, this was a messier situation than Laxus had thought it would be. If the cops got here and found him here, he would be in a deeper shit. First of all, they would think he possibly murdered the man, because he was kicked out of the Kinkaid Distillery company, and secondly, his family would buy that story and watch him rot in jail.Laxus could not risk it.“We have to go,”

Laxu would be a fool to believe or trust any word that comes out of the mouth of someone like Linnie.“I don’t want to know anything, Linnie. Get out of my apartment, right now!” Laxus said and meant every word.Now that they were alone, Laxus could not stand the sight of her. He had thought that Linnie was the only good thing he had going on until she betrayed him without any iota of remorse. “This shabby thing is what you call an apartment?” Linnie asked condescendingly. “Laxus, this place is a shithole that even pigs should not live in,” Linnie said.Laxus jaw tightened with annoyance. It was one thing to have to deal with her betrayal from afar, and it was another thing entire to have her stand in front of him and bring him down after all he had been through. “Get out,” Laxus ordered Linnie, more sternly this time around.He was ready to lay his hand on that delicate skin of hers and throw her out himself, because he knew without a doubt that Linnie was here for a suspicious mis

Fear and dread gripped Laxus as he stood behind Mr. Henry, but he had to keep himself from being noticed, because the moment anyone sensed any unusual behavior in him, they would suspect him, especially the detective.Mr. Henry gasped upon hearing the words of the detective.“Mr. Gary is dead?” Mr. Henry asked, genuinely shocked.“Unfortunately, he is,” the detective said and his eyes met Laxus’s.Laxus removed his eyes immediately, and he wondered if that would be considered a suspicious act. Laxus hadn’t expected that his eyes would be met with Detective George’s gaze, and that was because Laxus was consumed with thoughts of what happened and guilt as well.“Someone, or some persons went into his home last night and killed him in cold blood,” Detective George said.Mr. Henry gasped in shock again while the other two waitresses covered their mouths with their hands. Laxus did not know the right thing to do that would make him act as surprised as the others. Should he gasp too or cove

“You didn’t see this staff in question at all throughout the night last night?” The detective queried, looking intently and deeply into Laxus’s eyes, as though he was looking to detect a lie in his eyes.Laxus knew that now that he was being suspected, he could not afford to look away. If he did, it would give the detective the chance to rope him in, because somehow, Laxus felt that the detective was trying to hold him responsible for anything at all. Laxus had this feeling that the detective was holding something against him, or maybe the man did not just like him. Laxus could not tell, but the feeling was strong and it was there and it was unsettling.“No, I did not see her at all,” Laxus lied again. But even as Laxus lied, his heart beat faster, because it was not certain that Nessy was missing. Maybe she went over to a friend’s apartment last night, or even returned to her parents, and if either of those options were the case, it meant that Nessy would be found and equally interr