The Echoes of Betrayal(Chapter 16)

Chapter 16: The Interrogation

Detective Sarah Mills sat across from Michael Harris in the cold, sterile interrogation room. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed softly, casting harsh shadows on Harris’s haggard face. He looked like a man who had aged a decade in a matter of days. His once confident demeanor had evaporated, replaced by a palpable fear that clung to him like a second skin.

“Michael, we have substantial evidence linking you to the embezzlement from Richard Langley’s accounts,” Sarah began, her voice steady and devoid of sympathy. “You’ve admitted to that. But what we need to know now is your involvement in Langley’s murder.”

Harris ran a trembling hand through his thinning hair. “I’ve told you everything. Yes, I embezzled money from Richard, but I didn’t kill him. I swear to God, I didn’t.”

Sarah leaned forward, her eyes boring into his. “If you didn’t kill him, then who did? You must know something. Someone was pulling the strings, and you’re clearly terrified of them.”

Harris swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly. He glanced nervously at the one-way mirror, as if expecting someone to burst in at any moment. “You don’t understand. The people involved... they’re dangerous. They don’t just threaten you; they destroy your life, your family, everything you care about.”

“Then help us stop them,” Sarah urged, her tone softening slightly. “You’re already in deep with the embezzlement charges. Cooperating with us could help your case. We need names, Michael.”

Harris hesitated, his eyes darting around the room as if seeking an escape. Finally, he exhaled heavily, resigning himself to his fate. “Alright. But you have to promise me protection.”

“We’ll do everything we can to ensure your safety,” Sarah assured him. “Now, tell us who was behind this.”

Harris took a deep breath. “It all started with Margaret Langley. She approached me and Henry Caldwell with the idea. She was bitter, vengeful, and she knew exactly how to hit Richard where it hurt. She had the financial acumen to set up the shell companies and funnel the money out of his accounts without raising suspicion.”

Sarah’s mind raced. Margaret Langley’s involvement had been a lingering suspicion, but now they had a direct connection. “And the murder? How does that tie in?”

“Margaret... she wasn’t satisfied with just taking his money,” Harris continued. “She wanted him out of the picture permanently. She hired someone to do it, someone who wouldn’t be traced back to her. I don’t know his name, but he was a professional. She made sure of that.”

Sarah exchanged a look with Michael Carter, who had been silently observing from the corner of the room. They were getting closer, but they needed more.

“Do you have any idea how we can find this hitman?” Carter asked, stepping forward.

Harris shook his head. “I’ve never met him, never seen his face. Margaret was very careful. She handled all the communication through burner phones and encrypted messages.”

“What about the money?” Sarah pressed. “The transactions you made. Were there any that stood out as unusual, something that could lead us to this hitman?”

Harris thought for a moment. “There was one transaction. A large sum, much larger than the others, sent to an account in the Cayman Islands. It was right before Langley was killed. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now... it makes sense.”

“Do you have any records of that transaction?” Carter asked.

“In my office. There’s a file with all the details,” Harris said. “I can get it for you.”

Sarah nodded. “We’ll get a warrant to search your office. In the meantime, you’re going to stay here, under protective custody. If what you’re saying is true, you’re safer here than anywhere else.”

As Harris was led away, Sarah and Carter immediately set the wheels in motion to obtain the warrant. They were closer than ever to unraveling the final threads of this intricate web.

***

Hours later, armed with a warrant, Sarah and Carter rifled through the stacks of files in Harris’s office. Amidst the clutter, they found the file Harris had mentioned. The transaction was there, a significant sum wired to an offshore account in the Cayman Islands.

“This has to be it,” Carter said, holding up the document.

“Let’s get this to Rachel,” Sarah replied. “If anyone can trace this, she can.”

Back at the precinct, Rachel Lewis went to work. She cross-referenced the account details with international banking records, using every resource at her disposal. After several tense hours, she finally had a breakthrough.

“The account is linked to a known alias used by a hitman named Victor Rinaldi,” Rachel announced. “He’s a ghost, but we’ve got enough to track him now.”

Armed with this new information, Sarah and Carter prepared to bring Victor Rinaldi in. The noose was tightening, and they were determined to see justice served for Richard Langley.

As they prepared for the next phase of their investigation, Sarah couldn’t help but feel a mix of anticipation and dread. They were closing in on the mastermind behind the murder, but she knew that the most dangerous part of their journey was still ahead.

And Sarah Mills was ready to face it head-on.