The Royal Contract

“I will be on my way,” David informed whoever was on the other line.

It appeared the police found a card that said the body they had in possession worked for his company. They just needed confirmation of his identity and to contact any relatives.

He quickly prepared to go to the hospital after receiving such news. He still could not believe what had just transpired. He knew it was possible in their profession but hearing it happened to someone close to him. It still sounded surreal.

Thankfully, it was not about the woman he loved. Still, it was horrible news since Gerald was a good partner and a friend at some point in their lives before he discovered his other identity.

“Evan, I am heading out for a few hours. If you need me, I will be at the hospital.” He did not bother to tell his partner about the situation since Evan had plans to leave and visit his fiance.

He did not want him to cancel his trip unless he had confirmed that the body they found dead was indeed Gerald. In the meantime, he would keep to himself, not even planning to inform Dani, who only had her baby.

There was still a chance that the authorities made a mistake. But he wondered if Haley already knew about it. But like the rest of their friends, he would only tell them once he had proof that Gerald was dead.

“David, say hi to Rosella and Roseann for me,” Evan told him, making him feel guilty that Evan knew more about Roseann than him. “I hope she wakes up soon.”

.....

But he was trying to remedy that as he started to get to know Rosella’s family a bit more. The only thing missing was Rosella, still in a comatose state.

“I will tell them,” David answered his friend, letting him think that he was on his way to the hospital to visit her fiance. For now, he believed it was the best choice.

He drove calmly on the road, taking his time as he thought of the man. In comparison to him and Evan, Gerald took on more controversial cases, especially with his pro bono.

Then, he realized his partner only used those to hide his underground organization activities. He had made a perfect camouflage of his other lifestyle, using his career as a well-decorated lawyer.

He would not be surprised if the culprit behind his death could be the people he associated with his illegal businesses. Although the authorities could not also discount the people, he had fought hard to lock behind bars.

“I am here to identify the body of Mr. Gerald Brown.” He walked into the information desk.

“I am the one investigating his case.” A man showed him his badge, indicating that he was the detective in the case. “Would you mind following me? I need you to identify the body.”

He did not mind. He was here to assist in any way he could. But he could not discount the possibility that they were looking for suspects in this case.

He was not worried since he knew the drill. It was a standard procedure, and anyone related to the victim could be a suspect unless they had a good alibi.

“Would you mind telling me what happened?” He asked the detective, hoping to gather more information about his partner’s death.

“You are a lawyer, right?” The detective asked as they neared the morgue, where he assumed Gerald’s body was stored.

It was not his first time entering such a place, but he could not say that he had acquired the smell as he covered his nose with a handkerchief, preventing the foul odor of dead bodies from penetrating his nose.

“Yes, then you know the drill. We still have to investigate the cause of death. And inform only the family members. In which case, do you know anyone related to Mr. Brown?” The detective asked.

“Both his parents are dead, and he was an only son,” David told the cop as he walked toward a lifeless body covered with a white sheet lying on the cold metal plate.

“What about a wife or a child?” The detective persisted with his questions as he finally gripped the edge of the blanket on his hand. “I hope you are not queasy with dead bodies.”

“No, to both of your questions.” He answered as he waited for the face reveal.

But as expected, he could hardly identify the man’s face since whoever killed this man also decided to torch his body. Not even the hair escaped from the fire.

Then, the man pulled the blanket off the dead man, revealing the entire naked body on the table. “Would you say after years of working with Mr. Gerald Brown that this is him?” The detective asked.

There were a few portions of his skin left untouched, but Gerald had no markings that he knew off. At least on his exposed skin. It was not like he had seen the man naked before.

“The size seemed to be the same. But other than that, I would not know if this could be Gerald.” He told the detective. He could not be a hundred percent certain.

“How did you identify him?” David asked, only knowing that they had found his calling card.

“His wallet and other identifications we found in his possession. His friend, Mr. Mike Carter, helped us identify some of his things. But we need further identification before we can rule that this is indeed Mr. Brown.” The detective told him.

David was surprised to hear a familiar name. But that was not unlikely since he knew that Gerald worked with Mike in his previous employment. Therefore, their paths might have crossed paths again.

“I am sorry if I might not be much help to you,” David stated. In his opinion, the dead man before him could be anybody.

“That is ok.” The detective assured him. “We will still be running tests on this body to match what we have on file about Mr. Brown. Hopefully, that would help.”

The other man covered the body again and escorted him outside the room. He took a deep breath when he was finally in a freshly ventilated area.

“If there is something else I can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask.” He informed the detective as they continued to walk in the empty hallways.

“Speaking of asking for your full cooperation. Do you mind if you will indulge me with several more questions before we part ways?” The detective interjected before he could excuse himself.

He already knew that the detective would still have some lingering questions. The other man still had to rule him out of the suspect lists. But that was not a problem since he was innocent and had an alibi.

“Where were you last night at around midnight?” The man asked him, point blank, without hesitation.

“I assume you wish to rule me out of the list.” He asked the man, who had this silly smile, telling him that he was amused but also serious about his job.

“You know the drill.” The man said as he studied his face when they finally stopped in the middle of the hallway.

“I was here last night until around three. I was visiting my girlfriend.” He did not give the full details. But the nurses on duty would verify his proof.

“That is good to hear.” The detective told him. “If you have any information that you can share with us, don’t hesitate to call us.”

David did not doubt the detective would call him soon. He was aware of the other man’s reputation. The investigator was thorough with his responsibility.

But as he left the detective to visit Rosella, he could not help but wonder if the man on the table was indeed Gerald. It was hard to tell with the body’s current condition.

He took his phone out, knowing that this was not something he should keep to himself. If Gerald was alive, he should be in his office, but he was not. The police should be talking to him, not him.

Therefore, there was every chance that it was him on the table. “Hello, Alex. I am sorry to bother you, but can I come over? I have an urgent matter to discuss with you.” He listened to the line.

He thought that his friend would still be in the hospital. But he learned they were already on their way home after the doctors discharged the mother and son with a clean bill of health.

Then, “Give me more or less an hour. I need to deal with something first.” David informed his other friend. “Anyway, congratulations Alex.” He knew he should have visited them sooner.

But he did not want to rub off on the happy couple the heaviness that enveloped his heart. He was not a hypocrite. It was hard to watch and celebrate a new life when it felt like he was about to lose one.

He took the elevator to another floor and walked straight to a room. He breathed a sigh of relief to see that the woman he loved peacefully slept on her bed.

He just needed a reaffirmation that she was still alive. But he also wished she was going out through the front door and not the back door.