The Dream - Part 9

Chapter 9

A threat

“It seems you are being shaken” I spouted. “Why? Are you scared that I might unveil something?” I continued. “What could that be?? Aahhh!!! Do you have any slush funds, or do you carry on illegal businesses or are you afraid that I might open up the Miracle Pharma case?” I said in a teasing tone. Mr.Cruz turned back and smiled.

“Don’t worry I would unveil everything one by one.” I said.

“You know a lot, it seems.” Mr. Cruz replied with a smile. “Now you are making me curious, what do you know?” He enquired.

“Curious or nervous? Nervous about whether I have your secret that you couldn’t get from my dad in last 8 years.” I realised just after I spouted it out. Me and my so called over smartness.

“Ohh!!!! So, you knew it. But how??” Mr. Cruz inquisitively said.

“Well that doesn’t matter actually. Now that you have told me, you need to know this. For your dad to live you have to get me those evidences Lawyer Browns. Don’t be stubborn like your dad.” He said while he sat on his chair.

“Get me all that I need like a good daughter and before your hearing, else you can imagine what can I do.” He said while showing me the door.

“Such a jerk, I must say.” Steve angrily said as I narrated the whole incident.

“We need to find out what evidences did my father had and where has he kept them, else.. else..” I couldn’t complete my sentence thinking about what could be my father’s fate.

“We will.” Steve assured me.

Again the giggles and my dad’s voice echoed in my head. This time things were quite hazy. Is it the bright sun or the fear in me that had blurred my memories? It seemed that I am watching a movie, movie of my life. Bright and filled with love. Suddenly the bright sky is filled with clouds. It’s the same rainy day, the day I lost my father. We were in the car. Dad seemed quite nervous while driving. Despite of me asking so many times about the reason he would just put up a smile and say nothing. But suddenly he said something that I couldn’t hear clearly. “What did you say dad?” I asked and that is when the truck hit us.

I screamed aloud and woke up. Steve came running into my room “What happened? Are you ok?”.

“I found it.” I said. “What??” Steve was puzzled.

“I found the locker for which we have the key. It’s a key to every problem.” I said in an affirmed tone.

“We are being tailed.” Steve said while driving as he looked through his rear view mirror. I turned around, a black sedan and a red colour motorbike where behind us. That reminded me of see them yesterday afternoon post the trial and also behind the alley of Steve’s house. “They have started tailing us from yesterday.” Steve said as if he read my thoughts. “Don’t worry, I would stick to you 24*7. Your personal bodyguard.” He said while caressing my hands.

We reached office. Steve had already told the trio about what had happened, so there was quite a tense atmosphere inside. “Attorney Brown, you are here. Did you sleep well?” Asked Attorney Shin. First time after I joined in he has shown such care. Andrew handed me a can of coffee. “Drink up, you would need it” He said with a smile.

We all clustered and were thinking how we proceed. All of us were being tailed. “Did you check on Racheal?” Steve asked Andrew. “Hmmmm, She has two cars outside the hospital and one tailed us when I dropped her home.” Andrew replied. “Crap, they are tailing all of us. It would be hard for us to check the PO box.” Steve said in distress.

“Is Racheal Ok?” I asked with concern. I didn’t want her to be troubled because of me. “Don’t worry, his husband is back. He called when I dropped her home that his plane has landed and he would be home in 2 hrs.” Andrew assured.

While we were talking the cleaning lady came in and started to clean the room. We were so out of it that we didn’t even bother to take a look at her. “How do we get the evidence? None of us could go and check on it.” Andrew said impatiently.

“I’ll get it. I’ll go.” The cleaning lady said. It’s then we realised that she was Maria’s mother. “ohh, what are you doing here?” we three exclaimed apart from Andrew.

“Andrew helped me find a place and this job. If I can do anything to help, I would do it. Just save my daughter.” She pleaded.

“Let’s do it then. You have to be our body for next few days. We would get in touch with you from different numbers. So keep your phone on. You have to visit a few places and get few things for us.” Steve said. “We cannot meet outside so we all would meet at office. Be careful, if you are in any kind of trouble just call on this number it’s one of my friend’s number.” Steve continued as he handed her the phone number. We gave her the key and address to pick the evidences. And we started our normal tasks. We told her that she should not rush to the place immediately but should go there in a few days. Also before that she should visit Maria again and ask her about all the transactions and meetings she was offered as a pleasure. Though the memories wouldn’t be that great but anything from those meetings, people involved or projects discussed anything would help.

Andrew and Attorney Shin started working on Maria’s case. Steve got them the recording recovered. We planned to delay Maria’s case so that we could get it scheduled on the day of my father’s case, so they can’t manipulate anything. Next day, Maria’s mom came with a file. It was list of people and places Maria visited. Andrew and Attorney Shin planned few group lunches and parties in the restaurants and hotels were Maria visited and we enquired in our own way. While Attorney Shin and Andrew carried on their investigation, we received the investigation orders for my dad’s case. We started with investigating Miracle’s Pharma case first, as we didn’t want them to suspect us.

We studied all the reports and visited Mr. Cruz’s company at least 10 times. Already 5 days were gone and Maria’s hearing was scheduled today. Attorney Shin started the trial with few week evidences like few pictures of Kevin(Mr. Cruz’s eldest son) and Maria at different events. He changed the case little. He introduced Maria as a Sex worker instead of a victim to sexual assault. He also proposed that she was introduced to Kevin by acquaintance in a party where Kevin offered her money for sexual pleasure and as she was in need of money she agreed. Kevin became her regular customer and he introduced him to quite a few powerful people. They just pleaded non-guilty for illegal drug trading. Attorney Shin produced a drug rehab report and a psychological report confirming the she doesn’t show any symptoms of a drug addiction and her bank transaction report that doesn’t have any sudden transaction. She had few lumps of money coming in that was her fees as a Sex worker. He asked the jury to consider her financial background and needs and also requested a week’s time to produce more evidences, which he got.

The trial was about to finish when I received a video clip. I stepped out to check it. Steve and Andrew followed me. It was Maria’s mom who was tied onto a chair in a dark room. She was beaten badly. Video showed torture done on her. We were shocked to see it. They found out our plan it seemed. We were looking at the clip when I received call from a restricted number.

“Did you thought I would not know what you are scheming? Katherine dear, don’t try this hard. The more you try more harm will be caused to people near you. Just get me your father’s file. And now you have 48hrs to get it to me else…” The voice on the other side said with a scary laugh in his voice. “Ohh!! I forgot I have sent you a special gift, a thank you gift beforehand. Byee.” He said and disconnected the phone.

I received another video clip. This time it was of my dad.