Hush, My Sweet Darling

Chapter 26: Giving the Game Away

Kai observed the young man sitting in the dull room with spartan furniture from behind the one-way mirror. Duncan looked bleary-eyed and had an overnight growth of stubble on his chin. He was rubbing his face with his hands, listening to his lawyer talk at length, reminding him to keep his mouth shut.

"Last night, he talked like he had a severe case of diarrhea of the mouth. But look at him now. Seems like his lawyer's managed to shut his pie hole, after all. He's been refusing to talk since this morning," Kimmy scoffed. She was standing next to Kai.

"Is he a first-timer?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, no criminal records before this."

Kai smiled faintly. It wasn't unusual for first-time offenders to spill their guts voluntarily. They would always try to justify their actions. If not that, then it would be a this for that— another—way of helping themselves by implicating others.

"Why talk to him, sir?" Kimmy asked. "After we bring Grace in, we'll be able to find out from her whether Victor Tse was her client. I'm sure she would willingly give out any information if it could help lessen her charges."

"Because he's the one with more information," Kai answered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "And didn't you say he showed negative emotions when you mentioned his father?"

"Yes, sir. It was fleeting, but his facial muscles clearly showed contempt when I probed him further and found out he's the son of Desmond Lo."

"Interesting," Kai remarked, his expression inscrutable.

After studying Duncan for a good while, Kai made his move to enter the interrogation room. "I'll go in by myself," he said to Kimmy.

As soon as he entered, Duncan recognized Kai as the man who almost broke his wrist last night. He immediately hung his head low, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Superintendent Wu?" Duncan's lawyer was taken by surprise. It wasn't usual to see a police superintendent interrogating a suspect directly. Especially on a Sunday.

Duncan lifted his head, widening his eyes upon hearing how his lawyer addressed this man. His mouth turned dry. He had threatened not a mere police officer last night, but a superintendent. And from what Duncan remembered about the way the man had reacted, it was clear this particular superintendent was acquainted with the girl that he had drugged.

Right. Just his luck. He buried his face in his hands, cursing Grace under his breath.

His lawyer jumped to his feet and demanded, "Superintendent Wu, why is my client still being detained? I have requested for him to be released on bail. This is his right. If you deny that request, you have the duty to bring him to the Magistrates' Court as soon as possible."

"Correction—as soon as practically possible," Kai countered, his tone lazy and indifferent. "It's Sunday; let's not bother the Magistrate on Sunday. Besides, we already have enough evidence to incriminate your client on three charges. I won't be interrogating him on that matter anymore. Those charges will stick. I'm here for something else," he added.

Duncan automatically protested when he heard he would be facing three charges, "What about Grace!? That bitch started all this!"

"Rest assured, Mr. Lo, my subordinates are arresting Miss Cui as we speak," Kai told him.

He then sat down in front of Duncan, giving him a half-smile.

"Mr. Lo, I'm Superintendent Kai Wu, and I'm here to ask you some questions about Victor Tse, the owner of the Blue Ladder Construction Company. You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so, but whatever you say will be put into writing and may be given as evidence," he bluntly stated as he laid down a photograph of a man in front of Duncan.