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Liam's Pov
"One more thing" I asked, slightly narrowing my eyes, "The lactose powder."
Ruiz groaned under his breath, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah… that."
Cross leaned back in his chair, jaw tight. "We thought it was another bag of coke. Bagged it, tagged it, did everything by the book. Then the lab comes back—milk powder. Freaking milk powder. Whole precinct had a good laugh, including the captain. You can imagine how that felt."
Ruiz muttered, "Like clowns on parade. We put our necks out thinking we had a serious bust, and instead, we're the joke of the month."
I studied them both carefully. Their frustration wasn't fake—it ran deep.
I gave a slow nod, voice calm but firm. "Don't worry—I'm not here to laugh at you. But tell me… aside from the embarrassment, does anything about that powder still bother either of you?"
Cross hesitated, then muttered, "It was packed too neat. Perfect folds. Like it wasn't something casual. But hey, lab says milk, so milk it is."
"What do you mean it's too neat?"
Cross exhaled, rubbing his jaw. "Look, I've been on the job long enough to know sloppy from pro. Hale's car didn't look like some street punk's stash. The bag was sealed tight with no leaks, no cheap plastic wrap. It looked like something packaged in a lab or factory, not scooped into a baggie from the corner dealer."
Ruiz nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, I thought the same. I didn't say anything because… well, milk powder. What was I supposed to do? Stand in front of the captain and argue over grocery store stuff? Everyone was already laughing their asses off."
I tapped a finger on the table as I replayed the words in my mind. 'Professional packaging. If it was just milk powder, why pack it like that?'
Ruiz shrugged, still bitter. "All I know is, Hale's lawyers loved the screw-up. Makes us look like we were out to frame him."
I let silence stretch for a moment, then tucked the thought away. 'Even milk can stink if it's in the wrong hands,' I told Eve silently, before rising from my chair.
"Thank you, detectives. That's exactly what I needed to hear."
Cross raised a brow. "You think there's more to this?"
I gave a small, measured smile. "Let's just say… I don't ignore details just because others laugh at it." and left
Outside the 9th Precinct, the afternoon heat clung to my shoulders as I slid my phone out and dialed Beth. She picked up almost immediately.
"Mr. Harper," her voice was calm, professional.
"When will the lactose powder sample be available to me?" I asked without preamble.
"It'll be in your hands tomorrow morning," she assured.
"Good." I exhaled, already moving toward my parked bike. "Also, coordinate with Detectives Ruiz and Cross. I want the body cam footage—every second of it. Don't let it get lost in red tape."
"Consider it done." She paused, then hesitated, her tone softening. "There's one more thing… Hale's lawyers filed a Motion to Dismiss. The hearing's scheduled in on wednesday."
I smirked faintly, though there was no amusement in it. "Of course they did. If I were them, I'd do the same. They know we don't have anything."
There was silence for a beat before Beth asked quietly, "And what are you going to do now?"
"It's fine," I said, my tone steady, almost casual. "I'll find a way." Then I ended the call with a curt, "Bye."
I slid the phone back into my pocket.
[Two days. That's not enough to build a full case.] Eve's voice flickered in my head, sharp with concern. [Dismissal is practically guaranteed unless you pull off something.]
'I know,' I answered, unlocking my bike and swinging a leg over. 'Which is why I need help and I'm going to get it tonight.'
There was a pause, then Eve's tone shifted, realization dawning. [Mr. Wick]
I gave the faintest grin as the engine roared to life. 'Yeah. If anyone can dig up something in the shadows… it's the boogeyman.'
Eve sounded almost relieved. [Then we're not out of this fight. If it's him, he'll find something.]
I revved the throttle, eyes narrowing ahead. 'He better. Because this whole case smells wrong, and I'm not planning on losing.'
My engine was live, but didn't roll out just yet.
'Eve, before we move further, I want you to run a task,' I said, keeping my voice low inside the helmet.
'Search the internet for anything—news, interviews, posts, mentions related to Hale in the past—main focus on the last six months. Scrape everything available to the public eyes and compile it into a full report for me to review later.'
[Already on it] she replied, her tone crisp and efficient. [News outlets, podcasts, social media chatter, even archived posts. By the time you sit down tonight, you'll have a clean file ready.]
'Good,' I muttered, twisting the throttle. 'We're going to need every angle we can get.'
The bike growled to life, and I eased it out into traffic. For now, the cops had given me their version, the powder would come tomorrow, and Beth would secure the footage. That left me with one more card to play tonight
The late afternoon air in Central Park carried that faint sweetness of roasted nuts and the laughter of kids running around the fountain.
I sat on a bench with an ice cream cone in hand—mint chocolate, the small kind of victory treat you allow yourself when persistence pays off.
Three hours. That's how long I'd been grinding at this—pushing my Sharingan, pulling it back, straining to keep it beneath the surface without the crimson color or tomoe glowing in my eyes.
Eve had said it was possible and She wasn't wrong.
[Congratulations. You've succeeded] Eve said in that cool, even tone of hers. [Though the output you're generating is roughly fifty percent of what your active Sharingan delivers.]
I chuckled, licking at the ice cream before it melted down the side. "Half power, huh? That tracks."
'It consumes only half the stamina and mental load as well. A value trade-off. This hidden state may be more efficient to use on people without spooking others around us.'
That was good to know. Half power for half the drain—that meant I could keep it running for a few hours if I needed for basic things like reading, without burning myself out.
Still, the thought of capping out at a single tomoe gnawed at me.
'Eve, what about evolving it? Getting to three tomoe's?'
[That will happen when your Intelligence and Strength increase further. You are not at the threshold yet.]
My HUD flared to life at her words. The familiar stat screen hovered before my eyes
Liam Harper
Strength - 20
Intelligence - 30
Agility - 21
Off to the side, two potions in the shop menu pulsed faintly, highlighted like they were tempting me—one marked Low levelStrength, the other was Low levelIntelligence.
I sighed, leaning back on the bench, letting the evening breeze cut through the city's heat while the ice cream slowly disappeared. "Guess shortcuts come with price tags," I muttered to myself.
Still, tonight was about more than stats.
John was my first play. If he found something, I'd have a foothold. If not... Well, I do have a backup plan. One that would need Mom's hand in it.
I didn't want to go to her unless I had no choice, but it was there—sitting in the back of my mind like a loaded chamber.
For now, I just let myself enjoy the cone, before the storm picks up again.
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Advanced chapters at:
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