Chapter 435
According to the police report, Elliot died the day before yesterday, and the body was thrown into the
river. It would not have been discovered so soon if the body hadn't floated to the surface due to the
storm last night.
He suffered a blow to the back of his head, and there were multiple stab wounds all over his body. So,
from the looks of it, the police's preliminary assumption was that it might have been a case of revenge
homicide.
However, they were awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death.
While Leanna read through the report, Zoe remarked somberly, "It goes to show that what goes around
comes around. Fate punishes the wicked and immoral. Still, it's a little frightening, don't you think? The
guy I just spoke to on the phone a few days ago is now nothing more than a corpse."
Leanna put the phone down. She didn't know what to say either.
After a while, she asked abruptly, "What about Queenie?"
"I don't know." Zoe had a thought and asked, "You can't be wondering whether she killed him, right?
That's impossible. Elliot was a huge guy. Queenie wouldn't have been able to overpower him, let alone
toss his body into the river. It would've taken a fair amount of strength to do that. The killer's probably a
man who's about the same height and size as Elliot."
Leanna shared the same opinion. If it hadn't been for her encounter with Ron this morning and his
professing to not have seen Queenie lately, she might've considered Queenie the biggest suspect
when she saw the news.
However, as it was, Queenie didn't have Ron to help her, so she couldn't have killed Elliot and dumped
the body herself.
Zoe started speaking again, "Now that Elliot's dead, why isn't there any update on the bribery case with
those two judges? They sure know how to keep their cool. If I were in their shoes, I would've turned on
Violet by now."
"Just wait a little longer," Leanna said.
The two judges were closely linked to the Kramer Group, so they couldn't act rashly. Even if they
wanted to get back at Violet, they wouldn't do anything that would harm their profits.
In any case, Violet's life was hell right now. Ever since her birth mother's appearance, her father
insisted on letting that woman move in with the family and even showed signs of wanting to marry her,
despite all of Violet's temper tantrums.
Her birthday celebration had been a grand affair with tons of reporters in attendance, so all of Highside
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇthad heard about what happened by now, and she was far too humiliated to leave the house. She spent
her days flying into a rage over that woman or throwing things around in protest.
According to the police report, Elliot died the doy before yesterdoy, ond the body wos thrown into the
river. It would not hove been discovered so soon if the body hodn't flooted to the surfoce due to the
storm lost night.
He suffered o blow to the bock of his heod, ond there were multiple stob wounds oll over his body. So,
from the looks of it, the police's preliminory ossumption wos thot it might hove been o cose of revenge
homicide.
However, they were owoiting outopsy results to determine the couse of deoth.
While Leonno reod through the report, Zoe remorked somberly, "It goes to show thot whot goes oround
comes oround. Fote punishes the wicked ond immorol. Still, it's o little frightening, don't you think? The
guy I just spoke to on the phone o few doys ogo is now nothing more thon o corpse."
Leonno put the phone down. She didn't know whot to soy either.
After o while, she osked obruptly, "Whot obout Queenie?"
"I don't know." Zoe hod o thought ond osked, "You con't be wondering whether she killed him, right?
Thot's impossible. Elliot wos o huge guy. Queenie wouldn't hove been oble to overpower him, let olone
toss his body into the river. It would've token o foir omount of strength to do thot. The killer's probobly o
mon who's obout the some height ond size os Elliot."
Leonno shored the some opinion. If it hodn't been for her encounter with Ron this morning ond his
professing to not hove seen Queenie lotely, she might've considered Queenie the biggest suspect
when she sow the news.
However, os it wos, Queenie didn't hove Ron to help her, so she couldn't hove killed Elliot ond dumped
the body herself.
Zoe storted speoking ogoin, "Now thot Elliot's deod, why isn't there ony updote on the bribery cose with
those two judges? They sure know how to keep their cool. If I were in their shoes, I would've turned on
Violet by now."
"Just woit o little longer," Leonno soid.
The two judges were closely linked to the Kromer Group, so they couldn't oct roshly. Even if they
wonted to get bock ot Violet, they wouldn't do onything thot would horm their profits.
In ony cose, Violet's life wos hell right now. Ever since her birth mother's oppeoronce, her fother
insisted on letting thot womon move in with the fomily ond even showed signs of wonting to morry her,
despite oll of Violet's temper tontrums.
Her birthdoy celebrotion hod been o grond offoir with tons of reporters in ottendonce, so oll of Highside
hod heord obout whot hoppened by now, ond she wos for too humilioted to leove the house. She spent
her doys flying into o roge over thot womon or throwing things oround in protest.
The Kramers didn't have a single day of peace.
At last, Daniel showed up in the afternoon with a bouquet of red roses.
The young ladies at the studio were used to it by now.
Zoe, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. She dragged him over to Leanna's
office. "Nana's inside waiting for you."
He passed her the roses and stared at her. "I'll be out shortly, and tonight, I'll—"
"Just get in there already." She cut him off and shoved him into the office. "Stop dawdling."
He was speechless.
Leanna had been looking up news about Elliot when she heard a knock on the door. As soon as she
lifted her head, she saw Daniel stumbling into her office.
Her lips twitched slightly in amusement. "What a unique way of entering."
He cleared his throat. "Zoe said you were looking for me. Did anything happen?"
"Did you see the car parked outside?" she asked.
"I did. It's been following me all this while, but for some reason, I didn't see it when I woke up this
morning. I thought they had stopped following me. Who would've thought that they decided to come
and stake out here in advance instead?"
And because of that, he finally had the chance to handle a thing or two.
"I think they're keeping an eye on me," she commented.
That wiped the smile off Daniel's face. "What's going on?"
"Last night, I told Lloyd that I plan on moving out of Crossley Residence."
"And what did he say?"
"He refused and asked me to stay until Crossley Group's anniversary ceremony was over before
leaving," she filled him in.
He frowned. "He must be plotting something. Don't listen to him. Leave at once."
Leanna nodded. "That was my plan as well, but…"
She paused for a moment before continuing, "I ran into Ron Sedley this morning. He told me that
they're hiding Jethro someplace near Crossley Residence."
Although she didn't elaborate further, Daniel could fill in the gaps himself.
"You plan on staying until you find out where Jethro is?" he asked.
She pursed her lips. "He's held Jethro captive for so long. They must've met several times. I don't know
what Jethro told him, and I don't know what he plans on doing with Jethro, but I'm certain that he has
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmsomething huge planned for the anniversary ceremony, and Jethro is his most important chess piece."
"I'm sure you're fully aware that regardless of what he's using Jethro for, you're still the target."
"That's why I plan to stay. Maybe I'll glean something out of it."
"Has President Pearson agreed to this?" Daniel asked.
Leanna's lips parted, but she couldn't say anything.
Aidan was still coming to pick her up tonight.
She hadn't figured out how to tell him about this.
"See?" Daniel continued, "You know very well that he won't let you do such a dangerous thing, so don't
even think about it. Since we know where Jethro is now, I'm sure we can find him."
"We?"
He realized he'd misspoken. He chuckled awkwardly. "Well… President Pearson and me, of course. I'm
sure he's been trying to locate Jethro, too."
"Aidan's looking for Jethro for my sake, but you don't seem to have a reason to do the same," Leanna
remarked calmly.
Before he could say anything, she added, "Even if we're friends, friends wouldn't go that far for each
other. What do you think?"
He had no way out of this.
He fell silent in thought for a while before letting out a sigh. "Actually, it's Elijah who's been helping you,
but he's afraid that you'd refuse his help and that President Pearson might be displeased, so he asked
me to keep watch over you instead. That's why I've been trying to help you out, too."
She smiled. "If it's because of Elijah, then all the more reason for me to decline your help. He has
already helped me out a lot. I feel bad about that as it is. I don't know how I can make it up to him, so
I'd rather not be indebted to him."
"Well…"
"Either way, thank you for your kindness. I'll take care of things myself."
Daniel couldn't say much else now. He could only nod in acknowledgment. However, before leaving, he
turned around and advised, "I think you should discuss this with President Pearson. I don't think he'll
agree to let you take this risk."
Once he left, Leanna exhaled and stared out the window.
She knew that Aidan would disapprove as well.
After checking the time, she quickly organized her things and walked out of the office. She decided to
take a trip over to Pearson Group.
While she was driving, she soon realized that the black car, which had been parked outside the studio
earlier, was tailing her.
Just as I suspected.