She opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat before syncing her phone with the car’s Bluetooth function and sharing the location on her phone on the display screen.
She said to Josiah, “Follow this car. He’s a private investigator that I hired.”
“Okay.” Josiah glanced at the screen. “I’m on it. How is Xavier, by the way?”
“He’s sleeping soundly. Nothing serious. But I can’t guarantee he’ll call us once he wakes up. Remember to silence your phone after catching up with Yolanda. It’ll ruin everything if your phone suddenly rings later.”
Josiah nodded. “You have a point. I’ll do as you say.”
Winnie grunted, and the pair did not speak further as they followed the car ahead.
Around ten minutes later, a major traffic accident happened.
A collision of five cars had caused the traffic to come to a standstill.
“What’s going on?” Josiah smacked the steering wheel impatiently. “It would take at least half an hour to take another way. If we don’t, who knows how long more we’ll be stuck for? We are getting further and further away from your private investigator.”
Winnie gazed at the two points on the screen. They were stuck and unmoving while the other red dot was accelerating ahead.
“Let’s take another way. Who knows when the accident ahead will be taken care of. This is a rare opportunity we must not miss out on.”
Because of the slight hiccup, Winnie’s private investigator had already arrived at the destination when they finally got back on track.
“Spa Village?” Josiah took the opportunity to enlarge the map for a closer look when the traffic light turned red. He could not resist a chortle when he saw the location. “Hah! Yolanda sure knows how to pick a spot. A motel like this is unlike your typical hotel. There are almost no surveillance cameras. I wonder who she’s going to meet.”
“I’ve no idea.” Winnie frowned. “They might be one of ours for all her secrecy. Otherwise, she wouldn’t need to meet them in the dark like that.”
“Good point,” Josiah muttered. “We just don’t know who it is.”
“Who cares?” Winnie narrowed her eyes, sounding grim. “We must catch them in the act today.”
“But,” Josiah protested, dashing her hopes, “he had a head start. They might have already met long ago while we were still stuck on the way.”
“Be that as it may, we still have somebody powerful on our side. Don’t forget that.”
Just as Winnie said those words, the traffic ahead cleared up miraculously. Not only that, but they did not encounter a single red light throughout the rest of their journey.
Josiah sped up, as it was smooth along the way. The estimated time of thirty minutes needed to complete the journey only took ten for them.
Josiah gave Winnie a thumbs up after he parked the car. “Your luck is incredible.”
“Oh, please, you were the one who drove. Who’s to say it wasn’t your luck? We’re heading in. Don’t forget to put your phone on silent.”
After Winnie spoke, she took out her phone and silenced it.
It was at that moment that she realized that the private investigator had suddenly stopped sharing his location with her.
She sent him a question mark at once but received no reply.
Josiah noticed the sudden change and could not resist asking, “He couldn’t have been found out, could he?”
“Very likely.” Winnie frowned. “I’m even suspecting that his phone has been controlled.”
Winnie closed her eyes to recall the private investigator’s last known location.
“Southeast,” she told Josiah. “Let’s head over there and take a look. From the looks of the photo he sent me, the building bears a traditional architectural style. Keep your eyes peeled.”
“All right,” Josiah responded. “Your memory is incredible.”
Winnie appeared pleased with herself. “Are you just finding that out now?” she said as they walked.
Before they went very far, her phone vibrated all of a sudden.
“It’s yours,” Josiah said instinctively.
Winnie froze in her stride. “It’s not just a call,” she announced while raising her phone. “It’s a video call from the private investigator.”
“What’s so urgent that he couldn’t just make a regular call and have to make a video call instead?” Josiah mused. “It must be Yolanda or her accomplice who’s calling. She discovered the private investigator and must have asked him who he works for. Based on how things look, your private investigator has not yet ratted you out. Otherwise, Yolanda and whoever is with her will not need to make this video call.”
“That’s right,” Winnie said. “The private investigator doesn’t know my actual identity, anyway. Even the number I used to contact him is not registered.”
“What do we do now? Should we answer this video call?” Josiah asked.
“We’ll pick up and see what she wants,” Winnie said and covered the front camera with her hand before answering the video call.
The first image that greeted them was a fat yet haggard face as soon as the call connected. It was the private investigator hired by Winnie.
It was evident from the angle of the video that the private investigator was holding the phone, but it was also apparent that he was forced to make that call as there was a cold glint of a thin, long silver needle just visible at his neck.
Immediately after, the voice of the owner of the needle rang out. It was Yolanda.
“Aren’t you going to show yourself? Your man has been caught in the act. Who are you? Why did you send somebody to follow me? What is your motive?”
Yolanda bombarded Winnie with questions to which the latter did not respond.
“Refusing to speak, are you?” Yolanda grew impatient after waiting several seconds. “It seems you’re in a bamboo forest. You must be close by. I’ll give you five minutes. If you don’t show up by then, my needle will not be diplomatic. I’m sure you must have had me investigated since you took the time to follow me. You should also know that silver needles are my weapons. The five-minute countdown begins now!”
Winnie furrowed her brows.
“Yolanda is vicious,” Josiah whispered in Winnie’s ear. “Her needlework is formidable; I have once been on the receiving end. She might be capable of harming the private investigator. Why don’t we just confront her?”
Winnie had her reservations. She was still unsure if only Yolanda and the private investigator were in the house.
If a third person, Yolanda’s backer, perhaps, is present, it will not be the end of the world to surrender now. If, however, that person does not show up today and is still hidden, I’m not going to reveal myself so easily.
Winnie began to tap furiously on the phone screen before the video call ended.
The duration of each tap was different, with every note representing a different signal.
It is the communication method known as Morse code.
Soon, Winnie relayed the most succinct question to the private investigator in the shortest time.
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