"That will not be necessary." A firm and authoritative voice spoke up, startling everyone present.
While Detective Mulligan was facing the door and hence had caught sight of the one who had silently entered the conference room, the three individuals facing away from the door were obviously surprised at the newcomer's stealthy arrival.
'How did I not sense anyone entering!?' Jodie was the first to snap back to his senses as he stared at the one who was now walking towards them.
Even without his tracking skills, he and the other two with him had heightened senses, which should have alerted them about the changes in their surroundings.
However, neither did he nor the others had caught anything unusual until they had heard the newcomer finally speaking up.
This made him curious about the identity of this person as surely no human could sneak up on them without their knowledge.
"I can vouch for her." The owner of that voice from earlier spoke once again as they finally came to a halt close to where they were seated.
Detective Sam Mulligan had stood up at some point while the rest were in a daze.
He was now standing aside with his back straightened and his hands at his sides as he gazed at this person with a look of admiration.
"Sir?" The detective paused as he could not grasp what this person had just said.
"You can take her off the list of suspects. She never should have been on it in the first place!" The newcomer shook his head in disapproval and chided the detective for his unnecessary suspicions.
Before Detective Mulligan could protest, another confused voice interrupted him.
"Uncle Mikhayel?" Nita frowned while rising from her seat, walking up to the tall and lean man who had entered the room earlier.
Wearing a police uniform adorned with stars on his sleeve, which proved that he was a high-ranking official, this man turned to Nita when she called out his name.
"Nita Darling!" His frown from earlier was swiftly replaced by a wide grin as he stepped closer to her, pulling her into a tight hug.
Nita groaned out loud when she felt his cold arms wrap around her but she did not attempt to pull away from his hug, nor did she push him away.
This sight made the rest stare at the pair embracing each other with a look of surprise and shock.
Rowan and Jodie were surprised that Nita did not mind this man touching her, which was something they knew she heavily disliked.
On the other hand, Detective Sam Mulligan was surprised for an entirely different reason.
"Ahem... Sir Commissioner, you know each other?" The detective inquired after clearing his throat, confused at seeing the stern old man, who often wore a grumpy expression at work, now hugging this young lady a little too hard despite her obvious reluctance.
Nita had not concealed her distaste at being embraced as her arms laid flaccid by her side, without showing any intention of hugging him back.
Yet the old commissioner ignored her lack of interest as he even picked her up off the floor and twirled her around before putting her back down.
"That should be enough, Uncle Mikhayel!" Nita's annoyed voice was heard next, which got muffled by the chuckle the old man let out the very next moment.
"You haven't changed a bit, darling!" Mikhayel Osbourne, the commissioner of the city, shook his head as he finally let go of Nita, whom he had smothered with his tight hug for way longer than she preferred.
Getting out of his grasp, Nita took a step away from his cold body and rubbed her arms as she had been enveloped by that chill for far longer than she preferred.
"Neither have you..." She retorted, scanning the older man's appearance before fixing her gaze on his uniform.
"Though the last time I saw you, I think you were just a Chief." She recalled their last encounter nine years ago.
It appeared that he had risen through the ranks and was now the Commissioner of Police, which made her nod in appreciation of his progress.
'Just a Chief?' Detective Sam Mulligan, who had been observing their interaction from the sidelines, was flabbergasted at seeing the lack of respect she had for a reputed and high-ranking position like the Chief of Police Department.
The way she said it out loud made it seem as though it was an easy position to gain, one without any importance or prestige.
However, what was even more astonishing was the fact that the Commissioner himself was nodding along with her, as though it truly was just as she had put it.
"Nita? Do you know each other?" Jodie could no longer hold onto his curiosity and hence had interrupted the duo, who were reminiscing about the past.
This question brought Nita back to the present as she nodded at Jodie as well as Rowan, who were looking at her with a blank expression, unable to understand what exactly was happening right now.
Both Jodie and Rowan, through the course of the last three days, had met or caught glimpses of the Police Commissioner, who had personally gotten involved in Detrim's case.
However, they had never seen him behave this freely or display such emotions, even when Uri Valken, the Head of the Valken family, was present.
Therefore, it was obvious that the Tuskar brothers were curious to know how this stern-looking man was now smiling so wide that his eyes crinkled when he was speaking to Nita, their cousin who had returned to the city today after nine long years.
"Oh, this is Mother's childhood friend." Nita used brief words to explain their relation and how she knew this important person so closely.
Giana Valken, her mother, had used the same words when she had introduced Mikhayel to Nita as a child.
Her mother had told her that she and Mikhayel had been friends all throughout their lives and he was one of the few people she could trust with her life.
Since her mother chose to trust Mikhayel and had never regretted it, Nita too extended the same courtesy to the older man.
Though it appeared that both her father and brother had not done the same, as they were not as close to him as the women in their family were.
However, neither her father nor brother had ever stopped her from interacting or forming a close relationship with him.
Hence, if she ever needed something when she was younger and could not let her parents know, the only person she would reach out to for assistance was her Uncle Mikhayel.
He, too, had not let her down every time she approached him, which brought a smile to her face.
'He never failed to come through for me...' Her smile brightened when she thought of the biggest favor she had received from him in the past.
Even now, it seemed that he had once again come to her assistance, as she was sure that he had hurried to this conference room after hearing that she was here.