Night Shift Windfall: My Partner's Last Message

I acted as if I was guilty, greedy, and terrified. I whisked the insulated lunchbox up and held it in my arms, saying, "I understand, Mr. Frost. I didn't actually see anything. Mr. Rowland has returned to his hometown, and I actually got that ten thousand dollars as a loan from him.

"I will pay it all back to him, little by little."

Tom broke into a satisfied smile when he saw my frazzled reaction.

"That sounds about right. Only the bright ones get to live a long life."

He got to his feet and walked to the door.

"Go on and dig in. The meatballs will turn stale once they get cold."

The door shut behind him. It wasn't until the sound of his footsteps had vanished completely at the far end of the hallway that I let my shoulders drop slightly.

I opened the lunchbox, and indeed, there were meatballs in it. I broke one apart with the cutlery. Its center was still raw, and a deep red liquid flowed out from within.

My stomach churned. This was a warning. I would end up like that meatball if I continued digging into this case. I threw the meatballs into the trash, then grabbed two pieces of tissue and wiped down every finger.

I needed to look for him! I took my phone out. My finger hovered over Peter's number. My call was answered on the first ring.

"Officer Garrett, the reflection in the photog—"

"Will," Peter interjected in a frigid tone. "Mr. Frost has made an official report about you. I've retrieved the surveillance footage and questioned everyone."

He paused, then added in a clear and icy voice, "Every single piece of evidence is putting you at a disadvantage at the moment. Quit rocking the boat."

Then, the line went dead.

I clutched onto my phone, frozen stiff. He had conducted an investigation and questioned "everyone". The verdict was already in before that. I was the "troublemaker".

Not only had they obstructed me, but they had also broken the keys right in my face. I had to head down to the freezer in the basement.

I picked up a flashlight and slipped into the fire exit, avoiding the surveillance cameras in the hallway. The door to the fire exit shut behind me.

The further down I descended, the colder the air felt. The drone of the compressor resonated with the thumping of my chest.

A dead stillness filled level B2. I stood in front of the door to the walk-in freezer and took a deep breath. As I reached out and placed my hand around the door handle, a searing light shone from behind me.

"I gave you a chance, Will. Yet, you didn't take it," said a voice that echoed throughout the basement.

I turned around, blinded by the bright light. Though I couldn't get a good look at the person, I could hear the pounding of my own heart.

I lifted my hand to shield my eyes from the blinding light, squinting to look ahead. Tom stood 16 feet away, with four security personnel behind him, each holding a baton in their hands.

"I'm just patrolling the place," I explained, forcing myself to keep a calm tone.

Tom shook his head. "Your condition has become too serious, so much so that you're already showing severe destructive tendencies."

He took his phone out and dialed a number.

"Hi, this is Mr. Frost from Riverside Residences. Yes, it's about that security guard, Will. He's having another episode. He's now attempting to destroy our cold storage facilities. I need you all to get over here."

After ending the call, Tom stared down at me with a condescending gaze.

"Being a public nuisance and destroying public property. Will, this time, not only are you going to be detained, but your sister's guaranteed admission to college might be going down the drain as well."

The four security personnel closed in on me slowly.

In a cold voice, Tom commanded, "Hold him down. Make sure he doesn't thrash around."

If I fought back, I would be labeled as someone with violent tendencies. If I did not resist, I would be apprehended.

Either way, Tom would win. Nevertheless, this was not the time to take him head-on. I clenched my teeth, not moving a single muscle. I allowed them to twist my arm as they pinned me against the wall.

A few minutes later, police sirens rang out.

Peter and two police officers hurried toward us. When he saw me being pinned to the wall, his brows furrowed. He roared, "What the hell are you trying to do, Will?"

Tom went up to him and offered him a cigarette.

"Sorry to trouble you with making another trip here, Officer Garrett. This guy has lost his marbles. I'd suggest taking him to a mental hospital right away."

"I happened to be working on a case nearby when I received your report. So, I decided to just come by and have a look since it was on the way."

Instead of accepting the cigarette from Tom, Peter stared coldly at me as he ordered, "Handcuff him and take him away."

The handcuffs clicked shut around my wrists.

Tom walked up to me and lowered his voice. "I hope your stay in there helps with clearing your head."

The smirk on his face expressed pure triumph. As I stared at him, I let out a laugh without warning. The sound of my laughter was especially jarring in this basement.

Everyone was stunned.

"What are you laughing at?" Tom asked, furrowing his brows.

I ignored him and turned toward Peter instead. "Officer Garrett, sure—you can detain me. However, before we leave, could you take another look at that photograph?"

"What else are you trying to do?" Peter questioned, frowning impatiently.

"Just have a quick look at the photograph."

I looked into his eyes and continued, "Look at the glass on the door in the background."

After a moment of hesitation, Peter pulled his phone out and brought the image up. He zoomed in and fixed his eyes on the background.

He zoomed in. Then, he zoomed in even closer still. The impatience on his face vanished, replaced by an expression of genuine shock.

He widened his eyes, holding his breath for a second.

"Officer Garrett?"

Upon sensing something amiss, Tom leaned in to have a look.

"Stay right there!" Peter shouted, grabbing Tom by his wrist.

The two police officers advanced at the same time, subduing the four security guards.

"Hands on your heads, everyone! Get down!"

Then, Peter looked back at the officers behind him to give his command. "Lock this place down right now and call for backup."