Chapter 297
The sheriff sighed and tucked the file away.
The sheriff found the case to be somewhat tricky.
In this case, if Ben and Susan are really involved, the fallout would be massive.
Ben held the reins of Coraland’s information sector. If anything happened to him, the local economy might take a step backward.
Besides Susan’s own abilities, she now had the added advantage of her parents being the king and
queen of Tonico.
The couple, finally back together with their long–lost daughter, stood firm against relentless pressure to return home, choosing to remain in Coraland instead.
What would happen if they were told Susan had to be arrested?
What would the couple’s reaction be?
Could the relationship between Coraland and Tonico remain as harmonious?
See, the case was not considered such a big deal.
Yet, since it involved Ben and Susan, it also bore implications for the very fate of Coraland as a nation.
Now, this case must be investigated.
Not only must it be investigated, but it must be clear and understandable.
But the entire investigation process must be covert. It absolutely couldn’t be leaked to the public.
The sheriff thought this way, carefully securing the file in the safe.
What a mess!
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Chapter 297
The sheriff was busy for a long while, only returning home in the middle of the night.
He had just dozed off when a phone call startled him awake.
He hurriedly picked up the phone.
He suddenly looked pale after a brief exchange, “What? It’s out there? The info hit the Internet! Seriously? I thought we had a deal that it was top secret!”
“Fine, wait at the station. I’ll be right there.”
The sheriff threw on his coat and rushed out the door.
By the side of the safe, several police officers were already on standby.
The sheriff glanced at the empty safe and his face soured instantly.
At this moment, his cell phone rang again.
He answered the call and his face instantly turned a shade paler.
Then he hung up the phone and set it down.
His voice took on a grave tone, “The archivist took his own life. At his place, they found the missing files along with a suicide note. He wrote that he took the documents to shine a light on the wrongdoing of
Ben and Susan, all in the name of justice.”
After the sheriff spoke, a hush fell over the room.
Whether the archivist spoke the truth or not, he had taken his own life.
And with that, what was false seemed to become true.
This case, which they had always wanted to handle discreetly, was now exposed to the public.
The possible media frenzy and its unforeseeable repercussions were anyone’s guess.
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The sheriff inhaled deeply and said, “Now, the press is probably having a field day. At this point, we
need to…”
“Wait a minute,” one of the officers said. “Sheriff, It’s not that bad.”
The sheriff was puzzled.
He mused, “The archivist taking his own life to reveal these documents, especially with the high–profile names involved, is bound to cause a media frenzy.”
Sensing the sheriff’s point, the officer gave a wry smile and said, “Generally speaking, public opinion would indeed go against us. But this time…
“Never mind. Sheriff, have a look at this.”
The officer handed over his cell phone.
The sheriff glanced at the first hot comment under the exposed post and fell silent.
The hot comment went like this.
“I totally bought into your nonsense! A year ago, when Susan got into Storm Group, you all claimed she slept her way to the top. I fell for it and badmouthed her. Turns out, it was just envy talking; she’s actually got the chops. A few months on, you said Susan was two–timing. I bought into that too, and gleefully spread the word. And who was this so–called lover? Ben himself? Fast forward a few months, and you’re accusing Susan’s ‘Starry Romance‘ of being a rip–off. I was so gullible to believe that, only to be proven wrong again! Just recently, there were rumors that Susan is bossy and picks on her sister, and there I was, still stinging from the last rumor, backing you up. And now? Before I can even recover from the last debacle, you’re pinning a murder on Susan? If I fall for that, I’m the biggest fool around.”
This hot comment was liked over fifty thousand times.
And underneath, there’s a crowd of people showing their support.
“Mrs. Landor has been the target of slander a lot this past year, but every time there’s been a new twist.
Now, even with this latest scandal breaking, it looks like folks online are hesitant to drag her name through the mud again,” the officer said.
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The sheriff was suddenly embarrassed.
How should this be put?
Is it that Susan has bad luck, being slandered so many times?
Or is it good luck that she’s been cleared after being slandered so many times?
After all these instances, whistle–blowers, no matter how earnest, can no longer persuade anyone to believe the negative rumors about Susan.
The sheriff cleared his throat and said, “Seeing as the public is being reasonable, let’s start with a tweet on Twitter to clarify things, and then take the investigation public. That should speed up getting some
truth.”
“Alright.”
Everyone chimed in together.
At the Landor residence.
Ben glanced at the tweet that had been leaked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“How interesting!” Ben thought to himself.
All this just to set him and Susan up in a trap that might not even succeed.
In this short time, three lives have already been lost.
Jane, the security guard, and the archivist.
To frame them completely, who knew how many more lives would get tangled up in this mess later?
Ben was clueless.
All he was certain of was that average folks couldn’t pull off such wicked deeds, nor could they set such a sophisticated trap.
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Chapter 297
years
Ben looked into it; the security guard who took his own life had been with Storm Group for five and had made it to team leader. The archivist had put in eight years with the police force, which is how he got his hands on that kind of sensitive info.
Yet, both of these individuals committed suicide without hesitation.
The sheriff said they passed away peacefully, smiles still on their faces.
What kind of person, what sort of force, could make them face death with such composure?
Ben had a creeping suspicion that there was a huge force at play behind the scenes.
This was definitely not the handiwork of just one person or a small group.
It’s very likely a vast organization.
This organization had been quietly operating in Coraland for years, and now, for some reason, they set their sights on him!
So, Jane, the security guard, and the archivist, all became pawns.
Just pawns in a high–stakes game of human chess!
How cruel! How vile!
Ben’s brows furrowed slightly.
Though the archivist’s revelation cost him his life, thankfully, because of earlier incidents, no one has. yet dragged his or Susan’s names through the mud.
But if the truth doesn’t come to light soon, there will inevitably be continuous trouble.
The current situation was not in their favor.
If this matter were to follow legal procedures, it would certainly not result in a conviction for them, as they have not done such things and naturally no substantial evidence would be found.
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The problem was that all the people involved had been dead.
It was not easy to find out who the real culprit was.
Without identifying the real culprit, he and Susan couldn’t shake off the suspicion.
Who could be the person behind the curtain?
Ben’s eyes narrowed slightly.
