C19 Another dead end?

Kristine's flight landed at the Riley International Airport at exactly half past noon. She check out of the airport before she switched on her phone, and a continuous peeping sound was heard as messages popped in.

"Sam is currently around Wreton Street. I will send you the exact address. Message me once you read this message." Kristine read Taylor's message and sighed.

She came out of the airport turning the heads of people in admiration of her beauty as she approached. Some teenagers wondered whether she was an actress and began clicking photos of her due to her great sense of fashion. However, the expression on Kristine's face made her unapproachable as she exited the airport and hailed a taxi.

"Good day Maam...Where are we going?" The friendly taxi driver drove for a while without a destination in mind from his passenger so he got tired and asked instead.

"I might need your services for the rest of the day, so how much do you think that would cost?" Kristine took off her sunglasses to look at the driver since the car's glasses were tinted, which was why she chose it.

"That's no problem Maam...The machine here normally calculates the prices, if that's okay with you." The driver replied and pointed toward the fare meter.

"Okay. One more thing, I hope you know every location around this city. I don't think I could work with an amateur in my current situation." Kristine inquired patiently.

"Of course Maam...I have been working as a taxi driver for the past ten years now and there is no street or place that I don't know." Kristine nodded at the driver's reply. She was glad she had a good eye for her choice. The instant she saw the driver's face, her intuition told her he had years of experience but she simply wanted to confirm it.

"For now, we are heading to Wreton and this is the address". Kristine tapped her phone to show the address Taylor sent her a while ago. It was Sam's current exact location.

"Yeah, I know there. I am from Wreton myself." The driver spoke as he stepped on the gas to head towards the destination shown to him.

A few minutes into the drive, Kristine instigated a conversation to find out everything about Wreton, so she could figure out what to expect, or the situation concerning that area, and maybe, ponder her options on why Sam would be around that area at this particular time of the day.

The chatty and easygoing driver told her everything about the entire city of Riley instead, but truth be told, she enjoyed his discussions and she didn't know why but from his explanations and explorings along the way, she couldn't help but love Riley State and its pleasant atmosphere.

In any case, she had a mission to accomplish and that's the reason why she was here, so no need for any diversions.

The taxi driver later stopped in front of a lone house with a creepy surroundings and dogs barking here and there, which increased the suspenseful atmosphere within that area. Kristine got down from the taxi when she notice the signboard and read the exact address she had shown the driver written boldly on the board in front of the house. She looked around hoping to catch sight of anyone but the entire environment was filled with an unknown silence.

Kristine adjusted her sunglasses and put on her huge floppy hat to cover her face before she began her short trip to approach the house.

However, Kristine paused in her tracks at the sudden sound of an approaching car, hence, she turned her face the other way to hide, taking a few steps background.

Soon, a silver-gray car parked not far from where she stood and Kristine moved quickly and got back into the taxi to prevent getting spotted.

Meanwhile, what shocked her out of her wits was the sight of Jason as he got down from the car. He walked towards the house and then rang the doorbell. Sam came out moments later to open up. But what intrigued her was that, instead of allowing Jason into the house, Sam stood in the doorway to stare at Jason. They spoke for a while before Jason handed Sam a brown envelope and turned to leave as hurriedly as he had arrived, leaving Kristine to wonder what words were exchanged and what was in that envelope Jason handed to Sam.

This sequence of events displayed before Kristine nearly diverted her cause of action and she wondered if she should follow Jason instead. But she noticed that, before Jason entered his car, he turned to stare suspiciously at their taxi for some time before he entered his car and left. It left her wondering if she was nearly discovered by Jason, but she didn't want to risk her doubts so she decided to stick to her plans and target Sam first.

After confirming with her own eyes Jason and Sam's connection to each other, with a shot of photos she took with her phone as evidence, Kristine decided to run a full background check on Sam Wilby. So she took out her phone to call Taylor.

"I want a fully detailed background check of Sam Wilby...I don't know how you do it but I want it as soon as possible. I want to know everything about him including his entire family." Kristine spoke nonstop until she ended, only to hear a yawning sound from the other end.

"Taylor...are you there?"

"Oh yes, I barely slept last night so I guess the tiredness is wearing me out! where are you now?" Taylor asked.

"Still at the location you sent me. I just found evidence of Sam and Jason together. Were you able to hack the number I sent you?" Kristine replied as she tapped her phone to send the photos she took to Taylor.

"I track down the number but it seems it doesn't belong to Jason. It's a private number registered under a different name... James Turtle. Does that name ring a bell to you?" Taylor inquired.

"James Turtle...James Turtle. No! It doesn't sound familiar at all. Who might that be? I hope this is not another dead end!" Kristine exhaled to calm herself.

She couldn't think properly if she get agitated so she fought to gather her composure.

However, Kristine wondered if James had something to do with Jason or could it be Jason's real name or something. They knew Jason was an orphan so it could make sense if he had later figured out his real identity. Meanwhile, how could he play double smart to use a different registered number for his crime?

"Oh, the suspense is killing me!" Kristine breathed amidst nervousness.

Could it be that Jason didn't want any link to his name in case Rhea decided to sue him, so he made a flawless plan to torture her and made sure to leave no evidence whatsoever?

"That's quite smart of him actually...but not as smart as me. Let's see who gets the last laugh." Kristine thought to herself as she returned to her phone call with Taylor.

"Just forget about that for now, we have more pressing matters at hand right now. It seemed they are up to another mischief again and whatever it was, it can't be good. For now, I want to see what is in that envelope Jason gave to Sam. I fear it might be photos of my sister or maybe worse...." Kristine paused when Taylor interrupted as if in an emergency.

"I gotta work on something right now Kris...I just received a signal from what I have been working on. Let's stay in touch!.

"Okay, in case of any discovery, report to me right away no matter how small it is."

"Sure...bye!" Taylor hung up the phone to track the James Turtle he had placed across for a match.

With the hope to get full details of the owner of the registered number, Taylor compared the data he processed from James Turtle's number and plugged it into the database to get a match. And it seemed there was a match, hence the signal.

"James Turtle...

"Oh shit! He looks quite old for a match. Maybe it's not him I suppose. I have to keep trying." Taylor continue matching his data to other prospective candidates while he continued yawning nonstop.

Back at Kristine's hideout, Sam Wilby later came out of the house after Jason left and entered a red truck. Kristine signaled her driver to follow closely behind him.

"Don't lose him, and make sure to maintain a reasonable distance so he doesn't spot us." Kristine warned the driver.

"Okay, Maam!..

The trail behind Sam was getting heavier and more suspenseful as minutes turned to hours but still they kept going, since Sam never stopped. Sam later stopped before a motel and entered, while Kristine ordered her driver to wait. She exited the car and followed Sam.

As Kristine hastily made her way behind him in order not to miss where Sam enters, the receptionist at the motel stopped her to inquire about her presence.

"I am sorry but you can't enter without booking a room first." The guy at the counter uttered when he blocked Kristine's path.

"What about him? Did he already booked a room here?" Kristine replied pointing towards Sam who was allowed entry a while ago.

"Of course, I wouldn't have allowed him if that was not the case." The guy added.

"What room number did he check into? And who is he here to meet?" Kristine curiously asked.

"I am sorry but I can't disclose private information about our clients here. If you are not here for a room, the door is right there." The receptionist pointed toward the door Kristine entered from.

"Okay, Let's do this. you don't have to tell me his room number or anything, but just book me a room next to his." Kristine reasoned wisely.

"And why should I do that...Are you here to spy on him? What if it gets me in trouble? I am sorry!.

Kristine removed a few bucks and placed it on the counter to convince the guy, but from the expression on his face, it didn't look enough, so she added a few bucks before his expression changed. And he took the money in a hurry and handed her a room key which had the number thirteen written on it.

"That's the next room to his, but make sure you don't get me in trouble and make me lose my job!.

"I can assure you...you won't!" Kristine took the key and dashed towards the room but paused to ask, out of curiosity.

"One more thing, who was he here with?

The receptionist opened his mouth to speak but shut it as if in fear.

"Look here, I am not a stranger...I am his girlfriend and he has been acting weird lately. That was why I decided to follow him. I fear he might be under the influenced of a bad company or maybe blackmailed. I don't want to suspect him of cheating on me without giving him the benefit of the doubt. But in case he was cheating on me with another girl, you telling me right now would lessen the blow of that betrayal instead of me witnessing it myself. Which I might not be able to recover from." Kristine put on her pitiful look which convinced the guy of her lies and he bent to whisper it in her ears instead.

"It's a girl! But I am not sure if he is cheating on you with her because I heard her call him brother twice...And the cleaner here also confirmed it. It seemed she was his sister so there is no need to worry." The guy uttered, turning left and right to see if anyone had spotted him spilling secrets.

Kristine cleared her throat at the information. So Sam had a sister which he had never told them about. Or was this receptionist guy just misunderstanding the entire situation? Well, since the cleaner also confirmed it, maybe, it was the truth.

After all, Sam wouldn't drive this long distance just to meet a hooker at a motel right. The girl inside must be very important to him.

Meanwhile, the question now was, why did he hide the girl here? Her intuition had never been wrong, something was quite suspicious but she was sure Sam was hiding his sister here, or whatever she may be to him. But the reason behind it was what bothered Kristine as she contemplated the news.