| General Fiction posted September 5, 2024 | Chapters: |
...19 20 -21- 22... 
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Tension sets off fireworks in every direction
A chapter in the book Spirited Justice
Spirited Justice Chap 21
by Begin Again
| Background "Beauty, Brawn, or Brains" was a global platform showcasing women's diverse talents, yet murders, accidents, and deceit haunted the pageant worldwide. Was there a common link or merely coincidence? |
"Where do I start?" Johan's voice was low. His head hung down, his chin almost pressed against his chest. Fear, sadness, and even a touch of defiant anger glazed his eyes.
Donatelli seized the opportunity, his tone even yet pressing. "It's always best to start from the beginning and move step by step. We've already established that you've been living a lie —"
Johan's head snapped up, defiance sparking in his eyes. "You can't accuse me of something my parents chose to hide from me."
Donatelli leaned in, the air between them growing thick with tension. "Can't I? You've been playing their game, Johan, and now you're losing. Or do you believe you're just an innocent pawn?"
Johan's jaw tightened, and he glanced at Danni, who remained quiet but attentive, her pen hovering over the notebook. The silence was suffocating.
"From our background research on you, we know your family's influence at the university runs deep," Donatelli continued, his voice steady. "Your grandfather was the founder of a pharmaceutical company. That kind of power doesn't just disappear. It buys silence, control — and a lot of guilt."
Johan's gaze hardened. "Things aren't always as they seem."
"Enlighten me, then." Donatelli's eyes bore into Johan's. "Are you telling me you're not the heir to one of Germany's most powerful families? Because last I checked, German tabloids have you pegged as the most sought-after bachelor on campus."
Johan scoffed, making a bitter sound. "Do you believe everything you read? It's all a charade. A facade to keep the university from crumbling under the weight of its lies."
Donatelli feigned confusion, pushing Johan to reveal more. "I guess I don't understand."
"My grandfather and his associates — they gambled with the university's future," Johan admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "They invested in a project that failed spectacularly. It wasn't just the financial ruin they were facing — there were talks of prison. But none of this was shared with me until recently."
"So, when did you learn the truth?" Donatelli asked, his tone sharpening.
Johan hesitated, then continued, his voice strained, "A large pharmaceutical company stepped in, offering to fix everything. But it wasn't a loan or an investment. They wanted something in return. The university had been on the brink of a breakthrough in cancer research, but the drug company saw it as a threat."
Donatelli seized the opportunity, his tone even yet pressing. "It's always best to start from the beginning and move step by step. We've already established that you've been living a lie —"
Johan's head snapped up, defiance sparking in his eyes. "You can't accuse me of something my parents chose to hide from me."
Donatelli leaned in, the air between them growing thick with tension. "Can't I? You've been playing their game, Johan, and now you're losing. Or do you believe you're just an innocent pawn?"
Johan's jaw tightened, and he glanced at Danni, who remained quiet but attentive, her pen hovering over the notebook. The silence was suffocating.
"From our background research on you, we know your family's influence at the university runs deep," Donatelli continued, his voice steady. "Your grandfather was the founder of a pharmaceutical company. That kind of power doesn't just disappear. It buys silence, control — and a lot of guilt."
Johan's gaze hardened. "Things aren't always as they seem."
"Enlighten me, then." Donatelli's eyes bore into Johan's. "Are you telling me you're not the heir to one of Germany's most powerful families? Because last I checked, German tabloids have you pegged as the most sought-after bachelor on campus."
Johan scoffed, making a bitter sound. "Do you believe everything you read? It's all a charade. A facade to keep the university from crumbling under the weight of its lies."
Donatelli feigned confusion, pushing Johan to reveal more. "I guess I don't understand."
"My grandfather and his associates — they gambled with the university's future," Johan admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "They invested in a project that failed spectacularly. It wasn't just the financial ruin they were facing — there were talks of prison. But none of this was shared with me until recently."
"So, when did you learn the truth?" Donatelli asked, his tone sharpening.
Johan hesitated, then continued, his voice strained, "A large pharmaceutical company stepped in, offering to fix everything. But it wasn't a loan or an investment. They wanted something in return. The university had been on the brink of a breakthrough in cancer research, but the drug company saw it as a threat."
Danni finally interjected, her voice soft yet probing, "A threat? Why wouldn't they want a cure for cancer?"
Johan's eyes flicked to Danni, a shadow of shame and anger clouding his expression. "Because curing cancer doesn't make money. The current treatments, the endless procedures — they're worth billions. A cure would destroy that."
Donatelli leaned back, letting Johan's words settle. "So, they made an offer — a deal with the devil."
"Yes," Johan said, his voice cracking. "They agreed to bail out the university, but only if they buried the research. The problem was that Hilda had already left for the States, taking crucial data with her. That's when they came to me."
Donatelli's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly did they expect you to do?"
Johan swallowed hard, his composure unraveling. His hands twitched, and his voice caught between anger and an unspoken plea. "They told me to follow her, gain her trust, and retrieve the papers — by any means necessary. If I succeeded, they would ensure wiping clean the university's debts and keeping my family's reputation intact. But if I failed..."
"You'd be the one to pay the price," Donatelli finished for him, his voice laced with disdain.
The room fell silent. The gravity of Johan's confession hung in the air like a heavy fog. Danni looked at Johan, her pen hovering above the notebook, as she considered her next question.
Before she could speak, the door to the interrogation room cracked open, and a uniformed officer stepped inside. "Detective, there's a call for you. It's urgent."
Donatelli shot a warning glance at Johan before standing up. "I'll be right back. Don't get too comfortable."
As Donatelli exited the room, Danni seized the moment, leaning forward slightly. "Johan, you mentioned earlier that this isn't the first time they've covered something up. What did you mean?"
Johan's eyes darted toward the door, his fear apparent. He took a deep breath, lowering his voice to a whisper, "There have been — other incidents. Accidents. People who got in the way — were silenced. I wasn't involved in that stuff. Much of it was the other guy they brought in — Jose. I don't know his last name." He stopped as if realizing he'd said too much.
"Don't stop now. If you want to salvage any part of your life, you need to be open and honest. What do you know about this Jose?"
"I know the guy scared me. He wanted to be like the guys from Germany so much and didn't care what he had to do. He got drunk one night and was telling me about people he'd murdered and how he'd blackmailed other people."
"Do you think he was telling the truth or just making himself look tough in front of you?"
"At first, I thought he was all talk, but then when he was telling the CEOs how he'd taken care of this lawyer woman and would soon have more research papers in his hands — they seemed to sit up and take notice of what he was saying."
Danni inhaled sharply. "Did he say what he meant about taking care of the woman?"
"Not to me, but later, I overheard the others talking about how he was a loose cannon, especially murdering some Beckett guy's partner."
Donatelli returned to the room. "Okay, where were we?"
Danni needed to talk to her boss, but not with Johan here. "I think we should give Johan a break."
"Are you crazy? He's going to tell me everything he knows right now."
Danni bit her lip. Whatever had happened when he left the room, he'd come back in a foul mood. She knew he wasn't going to listen to her, and what she had to say was important. "I think —"
Donatelli's frustration boiled over as he slammed his hands on the table. "Enough games, Johan! Start talking, or we're done here."
Danni flinched at the sudden outburst, but she quickly composed herself. She knew his temper well, but something else was at play here. Eleanor was trying to tell them something.
One moment, the room had felt stifling, but now a chill was settling around them — a true sign that she was nearby. Danni tried again.,"Matthew, I think we need to consider —"
He cut her off, his eyes narrowing as he leaned closer to Johan. "He's hiding something. I can feel it."
Johan trembled, whether from fear or the cold, Danni couldn't tell. "I'm telling you everything I know," he stammered, his breath visible.
But the detective didn't notice. His focus was entirely on Johan, pressing him for more information, unaware that the room had grown impossibly cold. The lights flickered just once, but it was enough to make Johan jump.
The suspect shivered and looked around. "This place feels like a freezer."
"You're right. Something must be wrong with the air conditioner." Danni nodded, hoping Donatelli would end the questioning for now.
Distracted, Matthew snarled, "Shut the thing off then if you're too cold. I want to continue."
Danni didn't say a thing. She just stared at him. The lights flickered again, finally drawing the detective's attention to the change in the room.
He snarled, ensuring those in the room knew he wasn't pleased, "This better be good!" Turning to Danni, he nodded and growled, "Tell the guard to put him in holding."
Danni wasted no time moving across the room, opening the door, and asking the guard to remove the suspect. As Johan passed her, his eyes pleaded with her to understand, but Danni was already focused on what was about to unfold inside the interrogation room.
The sound of the door clicking as it closed was the trigger that set Donatelli into explosion mode. He snapped, searching the room, "This better be important, Eleanor!"
The ghost materialized across the table from him, calm as she shook her head. "Matthew, you need to learn to take signals from your partner. I believe Danni has something very important to tell you."
He spun around. "So why didn't you just say so instead of turning this place into an icebox?"
"Believe me, I tried!"
"Spit it out! What's so important that we had to stop the questioning when we had him right where we wanted him?"
"It's Naomi."
"Naomi! What's she got to do with Hilda and this guy?"
"Nothing that I know of. But Johan said a guy by the name of Jose was bragging to him and the other men that he took care of Beckett's partner and would soon have more papers in his hand. Then they'd know how important he was to their plan."
Donatelli's eyes widened as his body revolted at the possibilities. Spinning around, he screamed at Eleanor, "What about Naomi?"
"Have you talked to her?" Of course, Eleanor knew he hadn't, but rules were rules, and she couldn't reveal what had gone down until he discovered certain things himself.
Matthew grabbed his cell and dialed Naomi's number. It went straight to voice mail. He dialed her office and got the same thing. "I don't like being in the dark!" Without hesitation, he knocked over his chair and headed to the door.
"Where are you going?" Danni asked.
"To Naomi's apartment — you coming?" He was out the door, not waiting for her response.
Danni looked at Eleanor. She'd never seen him so out of control. "Should I go?"
Eleanor nodded, her eyes filled with sadness. "You better go. He's going to need you."
*****
Breaking all traffic laws, Donatelli made it across town in record time. Lumbering across the front square, he'd entered the elevator, punched in Naomi's floor, and pounded his fist against the elevator walls. When the doors opened, he rushed toward Naomi's door.
With his revolver drawn, he tapped on the door, praying for a response but fearing the worst.
Eleanor's voice filled the space. "Open the door, Matthew. It's unlocked."
"I need a warrant." His breath was ragged.
The doorknob turned and the door opened, leaving a small crack. She sighed, "Now you have probable cause."
Matthew stepped inside, his breath catching in his throat. The place was a wreck — furniture overturned, drawers pulled out and dumped, papers scattered everywhere. His heart slammed against his chest as he moved toward the bedroom, his gun at the ready.
Danni followed closely behind, her eyes scanning the chaos. "This isn't good," she murmured, more to herself than to him.
Donatelli didn't respond. He was already at the bedroom door, pushing it open. The sight that greeted him made his blood run cold. The bed was soaked in blood, the sheets twisted and stained. He staggered back, bile rising in his throat.
"No," he whispered, his voice breaking. "No, no, no..."
Danni placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off, anger surging through him. "I knew it," he spat, fists clenching at his sides. "I knew something was off with her. Beckett's murder, the way she was acting — damn it, I should've done more!"
"Stop!" Danni's voice was calm but firm, trying to ground him.
He shook his head, pacing the room, the guilt gnawing at him. "She was hiding something, and I ignored it. I ignored it because —" He stopped, taking a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Because I didn't want to believe it."
The anger drained from his face, replaced by a crushing sense of guilt. He stared at the blood-soaked bed, his thoughts a tangled mess. But then, something clicked. He needed to think like a detective, not a grieving friend.
He turned to Danni, who had pulled out her phone. The sight made his frustration flare again. "Who are you calling? What are you doing?"
Danni met his gaze, her expression unyielding. "My job," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "We need a forensic team in here."
His shoulders sagged as he nodded, finally accepting that she was right. He needed to focus. Naomi needed him to focus. He started searching the room, looking for anything out of place, any clue that might point him in the right direction.
A sudden chill swept through the room as he rummaged through the mess. He froze, his breath catching in his throat as he turned slowly, knowing what — or rather, who — he'd see.
Eleanor stood in the doorway, her presence both comforting and unsettling. She looked at him with a mixture of sorrow and determination. "Listen to me," she said, her voice soft but urgent. "Naomi is alive. She's in a hospital, but you won't find what you need with her. Your efforts need to be on finding the clues and on Jose."
His mind raced, processing her words. Naomi was alive. Relief flooded him, but the reality of the situation fueled his anger. He screamed, "You knew! Why would you not tell me instead of putting me through this?" He stepped menacingly toward Eleanor. "What's wrong with you?"
"I'm sorry. It wasn't my choice, but you needed something to jolt you out of the stagnant place you've been wallowing."
"Do you know what happened?" His nostrils flared. "Where is she?"
Eleanor shook her head. "I can't tell you that. Not yet. You must trust that she's safe for now and focus on what's here. Who did this, and more importantly, why?"
Danni recalled Johan's words — "This guy bragged about killing Beckett's partner." She cleared her throat, knowing she was moving into dangerous territory with her own partner. "Matthew, while you were out of the room, Johan mentioned another man, a guy he thought would do anything to climb to the top."
"What's that got to do with this?"
Danni took a deep breath. "He said that Jose said he'd killed Beckett's partner, and soon he would have more of the papers."
Blood rushed to Donatelli's face as his anger climbed. "He told you! That should have been the first words out of your mouth. Are you an idiot? Some detective you are!"
Eleanor stepped between Danni and the detective. "Stop! Listen to yourself! She tried to tell you, but you were your usual belligerent self and failed to listen." She paused, wondering for a fleeting moment if he would strike her. Her voice was softer when she continued, "You need to think like the detective you are and stop blaming everyone else. I can't tell you whether Naomi will survive. What I can tell you is that you need to find who did this and bring them to justice."
"Why can't you just tell me?"
"You know why — I can't change what is yet to be. That's your job."
He nodded, his focus sharpening. His mind clicked into gear, and his eyes scanned the room with renewed purpose. Something had to lead them to Jose or whoever was responsible, something that would make this right.
As Danni stepped out to make her calls, Donatelli felt a cold determination settle over him. Naomi was alive, but she wouldn't be safe until this ended. He owed her that much.
Dr. Rosa Galotti -- Morgue Medical Examiner
Danielle "Danni" Delahanty -- Ghost Detective
Eleanor Bennett -- Beloved Ghost Advisor
Matthew Donatelli -- Detective
Jenna Bradford -- Journalist and Pageant Consultant
Emily - Jenna's faithful assistant
Naomi Henderson -- Lawyer/ex-lover of Donatelli -
Arthur Beckett - deceased lawyer, friend, and enemy of Naomi
Patti Beckett - ex-wife from a nasty divorce
Lila - a pageant contestant who was murdered for her research
Thomas Whitaker - Lila's father
Sophia - :Lila's sister (blind)
Max - Sophia's best friend and guide dog
Hilda - a pageant contestant and medical researcher
Klaus - Hilda's older brother and protector
Johan - a supposed friend of Hilda's family with a connection to Jose
Angelo Carter - a private investigator with a dark side
Carlos Hernandez - a Mexican landowner with power
Jose Hernandez - Carlos's son - a reckless playboy
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent
Tango and Poppa - FBI agents under Garth
Allie - his love who died of cancer (an investigative reporter)
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Danielle "Danni" Delahanty -- Ghost Detective
Eleanor Bennett -- Beloved Ghost Advisor
Matthew Donatelli -- Detective
Jenna Bradford -- Journalist and Pageant Consultant
Emily - Jenna's faithful assistant
Naomi Henderson -- Lawyer/ex-lover of Donatelli -
Arthur Beckett - deceased lawyer, friend, and enemy of Naomi
Patti Beckett - ex-wife from a nasty divorce
Lila - a pageant contestant who was murdered for her research
Thomas Whitaker - Lila's father
Sophia - :Lila's sister (blind)
Max - Sophia's best friend and guide dog
Hilda - a pageant contestant and medical researcher
Klaus - Hilda's older brother and protector
Johan - a supposed friend of Hilda's family with a connection to Jose
Angelo Carter - a private investigator with a dark side
Carlos Hernandez - a Mexican landowner with power
Jose Hernandez - Carlos's son - a reckless playboy
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent
Tango and Poppa - FBI agents under Garth
Allie - his love who died of cancer (an investigative reporter)
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