HDMGF Book 2- Part 21

Detective Lin’s POV

“I can’t believe he turned himself in.” My partner, Detective Sargent Grayson Harewood, said. “You think we jumped the gun on the warrant for his arrest?”

“No, even if he wasn’t going to flee the country, it looked like he was. We made the right choice.” I told him. “Which interrogation room is he is?”

“Room two.”

At that moment, an officer named Matthew walked up carrying a stack of papers. “Detective Lin, here is that financial report on the Vandal case you wanted.”

“Thank you, Matthew. Anything interesting in it?” I asked.

“I’ll bet you five quid it’s mostly expenses for gym memberships. I mean, did you see the guy?” My partner joked.

“Actually, yeah. He does go to the gym, but that isn’t the interesting part.” When Matthew said that Grayson was right, Grayson smirked like he had won something. “The part you may want to take a look at his how often he has visited those gold for cash places. Specifically the one closest to his house. He’s been over thirty-seven times this year.”

“We’ll go talk to the shop owner when we get a chance. Thanks Matthew.” I said and took the paperwork from him.

“No need, I already did.” Matthew answered, proudly.

“You shooting for a promotion Matthew?” Grayson asked.

“Well, I’m taking my detective’s test in a few weeks. I figured a little practical experience wouldn’t hurt.” Matthew smiled.

“So, what did the shop owner say?” I asked.

“Apparently, Vandal has sold him more gold than anyone this year, and all of it was gold coins, but he stopped a few weeks or so ago, maybe a few months ago.” Matthew said.

“Wasn’t he in the hospital for a while not too long ago? Maybe he stumbled onto some kinda treasure and hurt himself getting it out?” Grayson sat back in his chair and started to theorize. “How long ago was his hospital visit, and his last trip to the gold place?”

“The hospital records were sealed; we’re still waiting on a court order for them to be unsealed.” I told him.

“The owner of the store says Vandal’s last visit was about three to five months ago, but he couldn’t remember exactly. I asked him to email me any paperwork he found about it.” Matthew explained.

“Thanks, let us know if anything comes of it.” I said.

“Sure. See you later, I gotta get back to patrols.” Matthew said, and walked away.

“So, do we think he is trying to flee the country?” Grayson wondered aloud.

“I don’t know. But here is a better question, where did he get all that gold?” I said.

“Why don’t we go ask him, then?” Grayson stood up and collected several of the documents before putting them into his desk. “So, do you wanna question him, or me?”

We started walking to where Vandal was and I told him, “You can do it. I want to watch.” A minute later, Grayson was in the interrogation room with Vandal, and I was in the observation room next door; watching everything through one-way glass.

Vandal and his lawyer were sitting at a metal table, handcuffed and looking bored when Grayson walked into the room. “Jake Vandal. So, tell me, why turn yourself in?” Grayson asked.

“Because I didn’t do anything. I just came to clear up this mess.” Vandal said.

“My client has done nothing illegal, and yet you issued a warrant against him without proper cause.”

“I don’t know about that, you left your flat, emptied out your bank account, and changed your legal residence to your mother’s house. You were planning on going on the run, weren’t you?” Vandal’s Lawyer side eyed him, like he was hearing this all for the first time.

“No, that’s why I came in. I wasn’t going to do anything.” Vandal denied.

“So why move? Why get rid of all your money?”

“Be-because… I only put the money into my Mum’s account. And I moved in with her because my dad died, and she has been really lonely. Plus, with all the legal trouble and my health, it just made sense.” Vandal said. But he stumbled over his words, like he was trying to think. He was lying, and he wasn’t very good at it.

“Maybe you answer a few more question then. Where did you get all those gold coins from?” Grayson asked. Vandal looked shocked, like we had caught onto something he didn’t think we would know about.

“I don’t- uh. I just.” He stuttered.

“That’s enough, Jake. You don’t have to answer any more of these questions. My client complied with an unjust warrant and turned himself into the police to clear up this confusion. Now that you have seen that he has no intension to break the law, we demand that he be released immediately.” The lawyer interrupted. Grayson was silent, he and I both know we don’t have enough to hold him, not since he turned himself in willingly. No jury would be on our side for this. I texted Grayson to end it for now. His phone buzzed and he looked at it.

“Fine, I’ll go get the paperwork ready. Would you please follow me sir?” Grayson said to the lawyer. They got up and left Vandal alone in the room. I stood there watching.

“Suma, you there? I’m about to leave the station.” He was talking to someone who wasn’t there. I wondered if he had a phone on him we didn’t know about. “No wait! Not yet!” He started yelling. I didn’t know what to think, what to do. I couldn’t believe my eyes, because right in front of them… Vandal disappeared. I didn’t know what to think, what to do. I just stood there like a knot on a log; just trying to figure out what just happened. I was going to call Grayson, tell him that Vandal escaped... or something, but just a few second later he reappeared. He quickly glanced around the room, and sighed when he didn’t see anyone. “Okay, no one saw. I think we’re good. Just tell me what you wanted to like this.” He said. There was a few moments of pause, like he was listening to a response. “Okay, and what does that mean?” Another pause. He was definitely talking to someone. “The king, huh? Okay, is that good or bad?... Oh, yeah, I guess they would want to see it.”

His conversation continued for another three minutes, and Grayson and His lawyer came in about fifteen minutes after that to let him go. I watched him walk out the door, looking uneasy. He got bad news, I think. I wonder which of the two of us looked more freaked out in that moment.