Blind Billionaire Bride

CHICAGO, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

AT RIA ROBERT COUTURE

A soft knock sounded on the door. “Come in.” Ria answered.

Ma’am Elise walked in with Detective Chad behind her and a box in his hands.

Ria sat beside Ian while Ethan sat with Attorney Ava. “Ma’am Elise, please join us.” Ria said when ma’am Elise was about leaving the office. She didn’t want ma’am Elise to feel left out in the plan.

“Okay.” Ma’am Elise bowed her head slightly before settling down beside detective Chad.

Ethan cleared his throat and performed the introduction. He introduced Chad to Ian and ma’am Elise. Chad hasn’t met them.

“So let us get down to business.” Detective Chad said as he opened the box he had brought in. “This box contains all the evidences and files which detective Derrick gathered eight years ago.”

“So what about Derrick?” Ian asked.

“He is not coming.” Detective Chad answered.

“Yes. Derrick doesn’t want to work on the case. And he also rejected the money you sent to him.” Ava added.

“I will just tell you everything he told me.” Detective Chad said.

**********

FLASHBACK

IDAHO, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA

DERRICK’S APARTMENT

Derrick walked on without responding and Chad followed him. “A friend of mine told me that you were the detective in charge of a murder case eight years ago.”

Derrick stopped on track.

“My friend’s name is Ethan Dantes. The case was about a family that was murdered in one night, husband and wife, a missing child whose body was later found in the woods… dead.”

Derrick turned to face Chad immediately. He stepped closer to Chad and whispered. “Why are you in Idaho?”

Chad covered the gap left between them and bend over to whisper into his ears. “I am a secret detective reinvestigating the case. That child is alive and she demands justice for the death of her parents. And I am-”

“Come with me.” Derrick cuts him off his intended sentence and he led Chad to his house.

“So you work as a Detective in Chicago?” Derrick asked detective Chad when they stepped into his house.

“Yes.” Detective Chad glanced around the small apartment.

“Don’t mind the condition of my apartment. It is an eyesore.” Detective Derrick sniffed as he sat on the couch.

“I am on a private mission to find the truth about The Roberts case. Ethan Dante’s already explained his part of the story to me, I mean when you both worked together to uncover the truth. Please tell me everything that happened right after you turned in the information you gathered.”

Detective Chad requested.

“I lost everything. Everything I have ever worked for… in my whole life. My job, my wife, my home, marriage… everything.”

Detective Chad arched his eyebrows. “Who fired you at work?” He asked.

“My boss. He wanted to get promoted so badly so he felt that solving a first class murder case would get him that promotion. So he asked me to work on the case. Unfortunately, he fired me after I told him the suspect and tendered the necessary information that could uncover the truth.” Derrick explained.

“Who was the suspect?”

“Frederick Robert.”

Detective Chad shook his head. “Oh… well it is possible that Frederick ordered your boss to fire you in exchange of getting him promoted.”

Derrick nodded in agreement. “Exactly. I figured that out a long time ago. Frederick Robert was the brain behind the case. He manipulated everything, the assassination, fake body, false witness, false killers… the whole case was falsified to hide the truth.”

“And the cops allowed it?” Detective Chad smacked his lips.

“You don’t know Frederick Robert.” Derrick chuckled lightly.

“I know he is a murderer.” Detective Chad said.

“Aside that… Frederick Robert owns Idaho. He is ruling here and he is highly connected in the judicial system.” Derrick munched on the loaf of bread.

“How did you know Frederick manipulated everything?” Detective Chad questioned.

“I worked on the case secretly even after I got fired at work. A colleague of mine provided me with every information I needed. I even talked to the witness and she admitted that she saw them that day… I mean the money make life gang. The woman saw them when she came out to tend to her dog that won’t stop barking. And even before that it wasn’t hard to figure the killers. I knew it was the MML gang because I have worked on several cases which involved them. To top it all, Frederick claimed the inheritance after they closed the case and then I found the truth. He covered up the whole truth so o one would ever trace it back to him.”

“Listen Derrick, I need to know every detail. Tell me about it.”

“Frederick sent the gang to get his brother to sign a transfer of inheritance paper and get rid of him and his family too.”

Detective Chad snapped his fingers. “Transfer of inheritance. That’s it. The whole plans centered around this inheritance. So what did you do after finding the truth?”

“Nothing.” Derrick shrugged.

“Why?”

“There was nothing I could so since the case was closed and my life was already miserable by the time.. when my wife left me.” Tears clouded his vision.

Detective Chad shook his head. “I am sorry about that.”

Derrick snorted. “Don’t feel sorry.”

“Ethan told me everything.” Detective Chad added.

“Yeah. He worked with me secretly. He was the one that gave me the idea of the inheritance. He hired you to reinvestigate the case?” Derrick asked.

Detective Chad nodded. “Yes.”

“Is really she alive?” Derrick asked again.

He wanted to be sure about it. He had gone to the cyber cafe that night Matthew came around. He searched for Ria Robert on Google and he found her among the list of top Clothe Designers in USA. He found everything! He recognized her with the pictures he had taken from her home eight years ago. Her face didn’t change but she was older now. It was hard for Derrick to believe that she was alive and he wondered how she had survived!

“Yes, Ria Robert is alive and she wants nothing but justice for the gruesome deaths of her parents.” Detective Chad replied.

Derrick dropped the bread he was eating back in the nylon. He stood up and motioned towards the box close to the fireplace. “You should go back with this box.” He gave it to Chad.

Detective Chad opened it and saw some stack of papers, a white envelope and a small black recording device. “Everything you need is in that box. They are evidences from the past.” Derrick said.

“And this?” Detective Chad took out the recording device.

“A guy came around and gave me that device and envelope.” Derrick replied.

Detective Chad looked up at him. “Who is he?”

“Matthew Alley. He is an ex convict and a close friend to a former member of money make life gang.” Derrick responded.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

“And about the money make life gang, do you have anything about them? I have been trying to find information about them. Are they-”

“They are all dead.” Derrick cuts in.

Detective Chad screwed up his face. “The five of them?” He demanded.

“Yes. Three died during the failed operation, one died in custody and the last one was sentenced. The only member that survived was in jail for eight years but he died a couple of weeks ago.”

“Darn it!” Detective Chad cursed under his breathe and he frowned deeply.

“His name is Dane Julio but was nicknamed Speedy. He did a recording and wrote that note before his death.”

Detective Chad checked the writing on the envelope. It was directed to “RIA ROBERT” and it was sealed. “Do you know the cause of his death? Tell me all I need to know.”

Derrick sighed. “Matthew said that Frederick visited Speedy in jail few days before he died. He didn’t know what they talked about but he suspected that there was a deep secret between them. And days later Speedy had a fight with an inmate and was stabbed.”

“Perhaps was there a grudge between Speedy and that inmate?” Detective Chad asked.

“Yes. Scorpion used to be the don of the prison before Speedy took away that title. Speedy survived and at the infirmary he told Matthew that he needed him to find someone as soon as he regains his freedom.”

“Hold up…” Detective Chad raised a finger. “Speedy asked Matthew to find someone when he gets out of jail? Did he know he was going to die?” He was confused.

“Yes. Speedy told Matthew that someone wanted him dead. He told him the place to find the note and device and asked him to find me and deliver it to me.”

“And who wants him dead? He didn’t say?”

“Who else?”

Detective Chad raised an eyebrow. “Frederick Robert.” He replied.

“Yes. Matthew went back to the infirmary the next day during lunch but was told that Speedy passed away during the night.”

“But… why did Frederick have to kill Speedy?”

“You will find the answer in that recording.” Derrick itched the bridge of his nose. “Everything you need to put Frederick in jail is in that box.”

They lapsed into silence. Detective Chad was busy checking out the papers in the box. He saw several pictures. Two of the pictures were of Ria and her parents.

“I will advice you don’t deal with Frederick here in Idaho and also get the best attorney to help you on this case.” Derrick broke the silence.

“Thank you. Derrick, the best attorney will be in town soon to request for the files. Ria isn’t fighting Frederick alone.”

Derrick rubbed his palms together. “Good one. But I hope they don’t tell her that the files are missing.”

“They won’t do anything silly. Attorney Ava isn’t an ordinary attorney. She has the right connections to fight this case and win.” Detective Chad closed the box.

“Then tell her to request for a transfer of case to Chicago because that will render Frederick powerless.” Derrick advised.

“Frederick is already powerless in this case. Ria Robert is not the hopeless blind girl people around here know her to be anymore. She is rich now. And she also has rich and powerful people helping her on this case. You know Ian Bryant?”

“Ian Bryant?” Derrick repeated.

“Yes. He is a business mogul.” Detective Chad said.

Derrick nodded. “I haven’t met him but I have heard of his family history… pretty famous.”

“The Bryant are the richest in USA. Ian Bryant is Ria Robert partner and he is determined to put Frederick in jail. And I can assure you that he won’t get away this time.”

“You can’t be sure Detective. Frederick is smart. And as a matter of fact his spies at the station will call to him inform that an attorney tendered a reinvestigation note. I am certain-” He paused. “Frederick Robert will leave town.” He completed after some seconds of silence.

“We will arrange for his arrest before he leaves town.” Detective Chad replied.

“We?” Derrick shot him a confused look.

“Yes. Me and you. Derrick, you are a detective.”

Derrick shook his head in disagreement. “No. I am not a detective in Idaho anymore and I don’t want to work on the case. It is the reason I lost everything.”

“Ria Robert will be happy see you.” Detective Chad added.

“I am not interested.” Derrick spat.

“I can get you a job in Chicago. I am sure my team will be happy to have an incorruptible detective like you on our team.”

Derrick was silent. It has been eight years since he got fired at his workplace and he hasn’t worked on any case so far. Detective Chad dropped his number on the table.

“Give it a good thought.” Detective Chad stood up and carried the box with him and walked out of the house. He sent Derrick’s home address to Ava.

Attorney Ava went to Derrick’s house the next day she arrived at Chicago. She gave him the money Ian offered to give him but he refused it. Ava tried to convince him to join them to work on the case but he didn’t say much. She had dropped her card and told him that she awaits his response.

Derrick had a second thought. It was a chance to start his life again. To live a normal life and forget about his wife that had left him and also forget the miserable life he has been living in Idaho.