Until recently, this drawer contained a luxurious box containing platinum-coated cigarette packs with his name engraved on. Now it was full of sour candies wrapped one by one in fancy wrapping paper. He took one of them to soothe his bored mouth. The tingling sour taste served as a stimulant instead of a cigarette. He was hesitant to touch his child because his hands were never free from the smell of tobacco. Giving up smoking was difficult, but definitely worth it.

“Could it be my ex-wife’s minions?”

“I did consider this possibility, I sent someone to look into it but it doesn’t seem likely in my opinion. I don’t think she could afford to commit such a thing, as she was abandoned by her family because of her excessive drug use.”

“It could have been the father.”

“I’ll try to gather all the clues I can.”

“Get out.”

Killian gave the order as stood by the window while pressing down his throbbing temples. However, there was no sign of  Jenok going out. Killian turned back around and raised an eyebrow at  Jenok, who stood at a distance.

“Is there anything more you wish to discuss?”

“Why didn’t you punish Benedict after hearing Melissa’s confession? Even on this case now, I think he’s the lead suspect.”

“Gertrude is dead. How can I punish him when the only witness willing to speak out is a mere maid?”

“But!”

“I have already told you that we must gather more evidence. That is why I sent him away to a remote place under the guise of a business trip. And yet, this happened in spite of that.”

“That is…., actually…, as of yesterday, I lost contact with my men who were secretly monitoring him.”

“……What?”

Killian’s quiet expression hardened at the sudden news.  Jenok, who had lowered his head, reported with a grim expression.

“Benedict seemed to have found out and went into hiding after killing some of my men. From my findings, as well as his past, he seems to be the culprit. I have also secured evidence of his connections to the heads of the various organizations. He has always been greedy and blinded by wealth.”

“…….”

“If what happened five years ago began with excessive loyalty, this time when Miss Philone was brought in again, it may have been prompted by a sense of fear and betrayal.

Heavy air fell over the office.  Jenok slowly concluded his speech as the tension lingered in the room to the point where it was hard to breathe properly.

“With all the possibilities in mind, we will double the number of guards around the townhouse.”

****
I mean.. isn’t it common for people to replace cigarettes with candy?
Slightl-.. Barely edited