Two Hundred and twenty nine

CHAPTER 229

Alicia took a sip of the caramel ice in her glass, contemplating the gravity of the situation. "Nick, Angela isn't just Ace's mom. She and my parents are connected in ways I'm still trying to figure out. Ace's disappearance and my parents' murders may be connected, and Angela seems to have the missing pieces."

Nicholas looked at the chocolate before him without interest. His appetite for a good time was gone in an instant. He looked around. His face looked serious, he was thinking about things. And Alicia was quite aware of that and allowed the son of Emma and Alan to take his own time.

There was silence for a while, before Nicholas spoke up again. "If Angela is involved in this case, it means that everything related to Ace is probably related to her presence."

"Are you going to investigate?"

"The police team checked on Wilson Blake before he fell into a coma and was hospitalized, I heard that Mr. Blake and Mrs. VashylChenko's romantic relationship didn't work out. They separated, although not officially. And I heard that Mr. Blake's wife is ill and undergoing treatment in England." Nicholas' brow furrowed. "Didn't Ace also admit that Mrs. Vashylchenko was poorly treated in New York, which is why she was transferred to England and settled there."

"Do you still remember her name, Nick?"

Nicholas nodded. "I think Ethan was talking about another Angela. She's Angela Vashylchenko, a political operative in New York, she left her career and settled in England. That's why the police minimized the checks and took her off the list, but if we can confirm that she's been in New York since your parents' murder, maybe we'll find a big lead."

Alicia took another sip of her caramel ice, a cold sensation running through her clean, white teeth. She mumbled, then looked at Uncle Chuck who had just come out of the kitchen. Alicia had an idea! "Hold on, Nick! I'm going to talk to Uncle Chuck."

"All right. I'll wait here."

Nicholas watched her leave the table, Alicia talking to Uncle Chuck. From that distance, Nicholas could not hear their conversation, but the man who worked as a police chief knew that Alicia had invited Uncle Chuck to come to their table. Because within minutes, Uncle Chuck was walking with Alicia towards Nicholas.

A friendly smile was painted on Nicholas' face when Uncle Chuck arrived at their table. "Hello, Uncle Chuck! How are you?"

"I'm fine, how are you?" Uncle Chuck replied, he chuckled. "You must be busy taking care of the body of that mysterious man from the village, right?"

"Ah, yes, well, it's a complicated case. We haven't found the culprit yet." Nicholas felt embarrassed when he had to admit that, but he still smiled and respected Uncle Chuck. Alicia sat down in her chair, then pulled out a chair for Uncle Chuck to sit beside her. "I was hoping to find information to solve this case."

Alicia then interrupted the conversation, "I asked Uncle Chuck about Ace's mother."

Uncle Chuck chuckled, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Nicholas seriously afterwards. "Ah, about that woman. She came to the shop, cut through the line of people who wanted to order ice cream and asked for Alicia's whereabouts like a possessed person."

"Possessed?" One of Nicholas' eyebrows raised, he gave a puzzled look.

Uncle Chuck played with the whiskers above his lips and nodded his head. "She was screaming, forcing Ethan to tell her where you were. I had to come out of the kitchen, even though I was very busy, you know, I came out just to throw him out of the shop so he would stop making noise! He seems to be out of his mind and troubled."

Nicholas exchanged glances with Alicia, when she finally asked, "Did Angela say why she was looking for me?"

Uncle Chuck sighed. "She didn't say much. It's just that it's urgent and it has to do with someone. She kept saying your name and asking where you were."

Alicia's mind was spinning, connecting the dots. "Nick, this is more than a coincidence. Angela frantically searching for me might be related to Ace's mysterious situation and my parents' murder. We need to find out what she knows."

Nicholas nodded. "Agreed. Uncle Chuck, did she mention anything about her time in New York or her relationship with Alicia's family?"

"No, he didn't mention anything other than yelling for Alicia." Uncle Chuck frowned. "Is he someone dangerous? Should I avoid her too? That woman isn't the reason you quit this job, is she?"

Alicia smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "It's indeed a hassle that's one of the reasons I quit my job. I was worried about putting you and Ethan in danger. But the truth is, I don't really know that woman."

"If she comes here next time, should I call the police?" Uncle Chuck asked hesitantly.

Alicia and Nicholas exchanged glances again. "She does have an alleged relationship with the people we suspect, but there is no concrete evidence, arresting someone without evidence and guilt is also the wrong attitude, we are violating the rules."

Alicia then added to Nicholas' words. "Or put it this way, Uncle Chuck, if she comes again, can you call me? I'll come to check on her with Nicholas."

Uncle Chuck nodded, his concern evident. "Alright, I'll do that. But be careful, Alicia. If she makes a scene, it might attract unwanted attention."

Alicia and Nicholas thanked Uncle Chuck, and when he returned to his duties, they both sat in silence for a moment, taking in the gravity of the situation.

"We need more information, Nick," Alicia said, breaking the silence.

Nicholas nodded in agreement. "I'll ask Noel to double-check on Ace Blake's family. I heard rumors that Mr. Blake recovered from his coma and regained consciousness, but I haven't confirmed it with my own head. I'm also very curious."

Alicia's brows furrowed deeply. "Will Mr. Blake's recovery affect things related to the murder, Nick?"

Nicholas was silent. He wasn't sure what to answer, so he just stared at Alicia in confusion.