#20

Erik locked the door of his house. He kept the key in his pocket and joined Rubina who was standing outside. They began to have a walk together.

She said, " I saw Morrison at the memorial. Who is he? "

" They call him 'Linker'. He acts as a liaison between the Brownfields and its associates. "

" Oh, so the Brownfields has its subdivisions too. "

Paul (Carla's husband) was standing at the washbasin facing the mirror of the bathroom of a hotel room. He was topless and was looking into his own eyes in the mirror with a mixed sense of anger and grief. A few minutes later, he was sleeping on the bed while holding his phone in his left hand. He was scrolling through the gallery of the phone having pictures of his wife, Carla and daughter, Venice in order to reminisce the moments he spent with them. He heard the doorbell. He got off the bed and went to the door. He opened the door where Erik and Rubina were standing outside.

Erik said, " Are you okay Mr. Devins? "

Paul nodded and asked them to come into the room. Paul pulled out a drawer from the side table of the bed. He took out an envelope shaped transparent document holder. He opened the holder and took out a photograph and gave it to Erik who was standing by the bed. The photograph had a CCTV image of Perkins who could be seen standing before a reception desk.

Paul said, " Upon my request the investigating officer gave a copy of this photograph. As per them a day before when Carla was killed this man had come to the hotel where she was staying in order to enquire about her with the desk clerk. "

Rubina walked into the room. Paul flipped the photograph towards her.

" Do you know him? "

She took the photograph and took a close look at the person in the image. She couldn't withdraw her eyes from him as if she had a past with the man.

Three years ago in New York (USA), Rubina went upstairs to an apartment at the second floor of the building. She rang the doorbell. She kept her hands in her pocket of the jacket and waited for a couple of seconds. The door was opened by Rizwan. A smile appeared on his face when he saw her.

" Hi! "

He hugged her and kissed on her forehead.

She asked, " Why didn't you attend the call? "

He sighed.

" Actually I have kept the phone on silent. I am very close to the deadline of my project that's why I am quite busy nowadays in order to finish the work. "

" Oh. I am sorry if I disturbed you. "

He chuckled, " No, that's okay. I was just planning to go out for the dinner. We should go together I think so. "

She gave a bashful smile.

Rubina and Rizwan were walking while having their personal conversation.

He said, " Once I submit the project I will mail my resignation to the HR. Later on I will start working on my startup. "

" Education industry has become highly competitive nowadays. Are you sure you are going into it? "

" AI is the future of the corporate world. People who are planning to begin their career will have to learn about Machine learning, data management and various other AI tools. This is what my application will be used for. I'll help them to prepare before stepping into the corporate world. "

She hummed.

" It's a good observation. You are visionary about the market. "

" This is how a business works. Every entrepreneur has to have a vision about the long term situation of the market. "

A car stopped behind them. Perkins opened the door and came out of the car. He called them.

" Excuse me. "

They stopped and turned around to him. He stepped towards them.

He said, " Can I see your green card? "

" Sorry? "

Perkins took out his FBI badge and showed him the one.

" FBI. "

He kept the badge back behind his belt.

He said, " Please, show me your green card. "

" I don't have it right now with me. It's in my apartment. "

Rubina asked, " What's the matter, officer? "

" Stay away from the conversation, girl. "

He asked, " What's your name? "

Rizwan replied, " Rizwan Ahmed. "

" Rizwan, you have to come with me. "

" Why? "

" Show me your hands. "

" I won't. "

" Listen to me very carefully, Rizwan. I am politely asking you. Show me your hands. "

" Never. I am not going to do that. "

Perkins took his gun out of his holsters.

" Obey me. I am saying it for your own safety. "

Seeing the danger before him Rizwan agreed to him. Perkins kept the gun back in the holsters.

" Turn around and keep your hands behind your back. "

Rizwan faced away from him. He kept his hands behind. Perkins handcuffed his hands.

Rubina said, " Officer, I think there is some sort of misunderstanding. I don't think Rizwan has done anything wrong. "

Rizwan added, " That's what I am trying to explain you, sir. I am just a software engineer. I just do my job here. Why would I do something that's against the law? "

Perkins pat on his back.

" Your first step in this territory was your biggest mistake. "

" I don't understand. "

" Get in the car. You'll get it soon. "

Rizwan sat at the backseat with his cuffed hands. Perkins fastened his seat belt. He ignited the car and drove away. Rubina was sitting before an NYPD inspector Romi Jensen (in her mid thirties) next morning.

Rubina said, " He called himself an FBI. I don't know what's the Rizwan's connection with the FBI. "

Romi asked, " Do you know everything about Rizwan? "

" As far as I know him he is a software engineer. He is a good person. I can't believe he is involved in something which is unlawful. "

" Do you really know about his friends, his circle, the people he talk to? "

She shook her head.

" I never met his friends. "

A telephone kept on the table began to ring. Romi attended the call.

" Hello. "

The police car arrived near a ruined bridge. There was a canal under the bridge. Romi and Rubina came out of the car. They ran towards the bank of the canal where two young men were standing near a dead body. Two sports bikes were parked at the bank. Rubina's voice was caught in her throat when she saw the friend whom she had always loved the most was lying dead before her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Romi asked, " What you were doing here? "

" We just stopped at the canal for having some rest when we spotted him. "