Chapter 101

#101 “It was A Setup, All of It.”

Sophia couldn’t shake off the unexpected twist in the investigation. The phone call from the police station had summoned her to a place laden with tension and uncertainty. She made her way to the station, she looked calm on the outside, but her heart was pounding hard.

As she entered the bustling police precinct, the atmosphere was charged with an air of urgency.

Detectives moved purposefully between desks, and the low hum of conversations created a backdrop to the unfolding drama.

In a small interrogation room, Cassie sat, her eyes red and swollen from tears. Sophia’s gaze met hers as she entered, a silent exchange fraught with unspoken questions, Alexander, standing nearby, wore a mask of concern, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of resolution.

Detectives greeted Sophia as she stepped in. The room seemed to shrink as they all settled into their respective roles.

“Do you want to tell Sophia what you told us?” Detective Turner asks her and Cassie nods. Sophia took a seat, facing Cassie. ” What happened, Cassie?” she asked. Cassie, her voice shaky, began recounting the events. “I didn’t kill him. It was a setup, all of it.”

The detectives exchanged glances, probing for inconsistencies in Cassie’s narrative. “Take us through it, Cassie,” Detective Turner urged, his tone measured.

Cassie took a deep breath. “I was approached by a stranger. He offered me a large sum of money to help him with something, something that would be easy, he said. All I had to do was incapacitate my boyfriend, and then go to the police.”

The room buzzed with murmurs as everyone tried to comprehend the unfolding plot. Sophia’s eyes narrowed.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into. I just needed the money, and he promised it would be harmless,”

Cassie continued, desperation creeping into her voice.

Detective Turner interjected, “Why did he want you to go to the police? What was his motive?”

Cassie hesitated, her gaze flickering. “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me everything. Just that he had some issue with you, and this was a way to settle it.

Sophia leaned forward, searching for any signs of deceit. “Cassie, you’re saying someone manipulated you into framing me for this? Why?”

Cassie met Sophia’s gaze, her eyes pleading. “I really don’t know, he didn’t give me any details.”

Detective Turner scribbled notes, his mind calculating the pieces of the puzzle. “Did you see this person? Do you have any idea who they might be?”

Cassie shook her head. “No, he always wore a hood or something to hide his face. It was always in the dark. I never saw him clearly.”

The room fell into a contemplative silence as the detectives absorbed the information. Alexander, standing by Sophia, whispered, “This is unbelievable. Who would go to such lengths to frame you?”

Sophia, her mind racing, looked at Cassie. “You have to help us find this person, Cassie. If what you’re saying is true, he is dangerous, and he might come after both of us.”

Sophia wasn’t sure about that part, but she knew it was the way to get Cassie to cooperate with her.

Cassie nodded genuine fear in her eyes. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me.”

The detectives decided to delve deeper into Cassie’s claims, promising to cross -reference her story with any available evidence. As they left the room, the weight of the revelation hung in the air.

Hours passed as statements were taken, alibis verified, and the intricate web of deception slowly unraveled.

Sophia and Alexander found themselves in a waiting room, their minds grappling with the surreal nature of the situation.

Detective Turner returned, a thoughtful expression on his face. ” Sophia, we’ve dug deeper into Cassie’s claims, and there’s more to this than we initially thought. Cassie was, indeed, an accomplice, but not willingly. Her boyfriend was involved in drug dealing, and Cassie was trapped in an abusive relationship with him.”

Sophia and Alexander look at each other in amazement at the outcome of Cassie’s story.

“Cassie was coerced into participating in this plan. Her boyfriend had accumulated significant debts, and the mysterious person targeted her vulnerabilities. They used her desperation against her.”

Alexander, his brow furrowed, asked, ” So, the real culprit is this criminal organization associated with the mysterious person?”

The detective nodded. “Exactly. The person Cassie communicated with used a virtual number, and she only met him once, without seeing his face. Our initial focus was on her, given her involvement, but she’s more a victim than a perpetrator.”

Sophia’s mind raced as she tried to absorb the layers of deception. “What about this mysterious person? Do we have any leads on them?”

“It’s a dead end for now. They were careful not to leave traces.”

“Can I see the messages they sent each other?” Sophia inquired.

Detective Turner handed her Cassie’s phone, and Sophia delved into the messages exchanged between Cassie and the mysterious person. Most instructions were concise, but a particular exchange caught Sophia’s attention. In it, Cassie questioned why they couldn’t meet directly, and the mysterious person replied with an enigmatic statement: “Shadows never reveal the truth.”

“There is something about Cassie’s statement…” Sophia began, her eyes focused. “There’s a detail that seems suspicious. Look here, he texted her that-something about ‘shadows never revealing the truth.””

The detective furrowed his brow, What’s suspicious about that?”

Sophia explained, “I’ve heard that phrase before. It’s a cryptic motto associated with a criminal organization, one that operates in the shadows. They’re known for being elusive, and their symbol is often a shadowy figure. If we can trace any connections to this organization, we might get closer to finding the real culprit.”

The detective nodded, “That’s a valuable lead, Sophia. We’ll dig deeper into this organization and see if there are any recent activities or connections that match the description. It might take some time, but we’ll keep you updated.”

As the detectives continued their discussion, Sophia couldn’t shake the feeling that they were on the brink of uncovering a larger conspiracy. The shadows cast by the mysterious person seemed to extend further, and she was determined to expose the truth.

Leaving the police station, Sophia’s phone buzzed with a message from Benjamin. She glanced at the screen and smiled. The message read, “Megan has been successfully lured in. She’s signed the contract with me and Michael.”

Sophia, a spark of satisfaction in her eyes, showed the message to Alexander. “It looks like our plan is working. Megan is taking the bait.”