The man in the room listened attentively to the sounds coming from the room next to his.He didnât even notice Winnie creeping stealthily into the room until she tapped him on the shoulder.He jumped in fright.
âWho are you? You scared me to death! Didnât I say Iâm waiting for someone and donât need your service right now? Get out, quick!âThe man told Winnie off as heâd mistaken her for one of the staff members.Winnie looked down at him wordlessly before digging into his shoulder blade with her fingers.The pain caused the man to realize something was wrong. âYouâre not one of the staff, are you?
Why are you here?âHe struggled to free himself but to no avail due to his disadvantaged position of sitting on the ground.Winnie bore down on his shoulder and utilized her height to flip him over using her knee as a pivot.Her icy gaze remained locked on the man. âThat should be my line. Whatâs your motive, and why are you stalking Josiah?ââIâm not! I came here to have a meal. Who the h*ll is Josiah anyway? Let me go at once, or Iâll call the cops!â the man retorted.Winnie scoffed. âIs that so? Do you think denial will save your skin? Lucky for me, Iâve got a way for you to spit out the truth!âWith that, she took hold of her phone and snapped several photos of the manâs face.The man took the chance to break free from Winnieâs hold and escaped.Winnie did not chase him down as she knew he would not tell the truth even if she managed to catch up to him.Based on the equipment heâd been using, she surmised that he was a professional at this.Those in his line of work usually kept the information of their employers a secret. Thankfully, sheâd taken a clear photo of the manâs face.She was extremely curious as to why he had been trailing Josiah.Besides, what is Josiah talking about in the other room?Winnieâs gaze fell on the listening device before her. She then picked up the earphone and placed it in her ears.As she listened in on what was happening next door, her face fell.Her frown only deepened as she continued eavesdropping.It was not until the person in the other room departed that she removed the earphone.She stared in disbelief at the wall before her as she replayed the conversation sheâd just heard.The private detective took his leave after handing the important documents to Josiah.Josiah was convinced that the Young Lady whoâd had a fling with Rufus was probably Jacinta. It was just that they were missing one piece of important evidence.The detective stated theyâd located an asylum possessing the patient records and photos of the Young Lady.Yet just as they were about to visit the asylum, it suddenly went up in flames. All its records for the past ten years were thereby destroyed overnight.This was too much of a coincidence.Josiah felt that the fire was deliberate arson and wanted to call Xavier to tell him about it after the detective left.It was only then that he noticed heâd unknowingly silenced his phone and that there were several missed calls.He decided after some contemplation that informing Xavier about the detectiveâs findings could wait until he got home.Hence, he called Winnie back on the spot. Her ringtone sounded once the call was connected.Josiahâs eyes widened at that moment. The sound originated from the door of the private room.The door was slightly ajar, and he could distinctly hear that the ringtone was identical to the one he heard on his phone and that they were ringing in unison.He immediately got to his feet and opened the door to the sight of Winnie.Winnie hung up as soon as their eyes met.Josiah observed her stern expression and tried to come up with an excuse. âFancy seeing you here. My phone was in silent mode. Thatâs why I didnât hear you calling.âWinnie stared at him apathetically and didnât bother with any pleasantries as she backed Josiah into the room.The man showed no signs of resistance as he felt a tinge of remorse and guilt.He kept walking backward until he was backed up against the wall.âUm⦠â Josiah forced a smile at Winnie.
âWould you like to hear me out? I can explain.âWinnie replied in determination, âThat wonât be necessary. Where is it?âSince things had come to this, Josiah knew Winnie had heard the whole conversation that took place a few moments ago.He sighed. âInside my briefcase.âWinnie glared at him before turning to rummage through his briefcase.She sensed Josiah following behind her, and she turned to warn him sternly, âStand still, do you hear me?âHe paused. âLoud and clear.ââI canât believe you donât have eyes growing behind your head as well,â Josiah muttered below his breath.Winnie ignored his jibe and proceeded to remove all the document files from his briefcase.It took her more than ten minutes to finish perusing the contents of the documents although she was a fast reader.Josiah was in despair as Winnie shut the files. How am I going to explain this to Xavier? Heck, I might even get a beating from this fierce woman before me.He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat to break the palpable tension in the room. âAm I given leave to speak now?âWinnieâs lethal stare swept toward him in the blink of an eye. âWho ordered you to investigate this?ââCan we take things one step at a time? How in the world di you appear out of the blue? This canât be possible. I even opened the door once to make sure no one was outside. I didnât see you.ââStop trying to distract me. You hope to divert my focus from this conversation, arenât you? Was Xavier the one who asked you to investigate this?ââWinnie, there are certain things we simply cannot agree on.ââFine, Iâll do it myself then.âWinnie proceeded to unlock Josiahâs phone upon realizing that he still wouldnât speak the truth.At that instance, Josiah regretted revealing his password to Winnie at Manchernius.She accessed his call history and saw that heâd been in contact with Xavier before sheâd called him.I knew it. Winnie hit the call button instantly.The call connected quickly, and Xavierâs voice sounded from the other end. âHowâre things, Josiah? Have you met the private detective? Has there been any progress with the investigation of Jacintaâs identity?âWinnie was overwhelmed with mixed feelings upon hearing Xavierâs curt mention of Jacintaâs name.âXavier, itâs Winnie speaking.â