Chapter 182: Henderson
After leaving the teahouse, Noah's next destination was the customer's house.
'That person is the only link that seems fragile,' Noah thought, 'I will have to admit that if Ghost isn't involved with this person, then he is really unique,'
Getting into his G-class, Noah drove off the area.
...
Arriving at the neighbourhood, Noah parked up the car.
As he walked towards the house, his eyes scanned the surroundings for anything out of place.
'If Ghost truly used this person, then the trail either ends here or gets more complicated,' he thought, 'Or... he is Ghost,'
Reaching the door, Noah knocked firmly.
Moments later muffled sounds echoed from inside. The door creaked open to reveal a middle-aged man with sharp features peering cautiously at Noah.
"Who's this?" the man asked, his voice carrying a hint of suspicion.
Noah's expression was calm. "Just someone looking for a chat. Are you Mr. Henderson?"
The man narrowed his eyes slightly, stepping further into the doorway. "Depends on who's asking."
Noah offered a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Let's just say, I have a few questions about a certain transaction. It's in your best interest to answer them."
Henderson's eyes flickered, but he quickly masked it. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't deal with strangers."
Noah tilted his head slightly, his calm expression changing slightly. "We both know that's not true, Mr. Henderson. Why don't we skip the denials and make this easy for both of us?"
The man stiffened, his grip tightening on the edge of the door. "You're mistaken—"
Before he could finish, Noah's voice dropped a notch, his gaze cutting through the man's feigned ignorance. "I'm not here to waste time. Either we talk now, or I'll find other ways to get the answers I need."
The man's jaw clenched as an uneasy silence hung between them. "Alright," he muttered reluctantly, stepping back and opening the door wider. "Come in."
Noah stepped inside, his eyes scanning the space as the door closed behind him. 'Let's see if this man has what I'm looking for,' he thought.
Entering inside, Henderson led Noah into a living room. Noah took a seat on the couch.
Henderson sat across from him, his posture stiff and defensive. "Alright," he said, folding his arms. "What do you want to know?"
Noah rested his elbows on his knees, his piercing gaze locked onto Henderson. "You attempted to make a transaction with someone named Leo, correct?"
Henderson's face twitched slightly, a flicker of unease crossing his features before he quickly masked it.
Noah tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. "I'll take your silence as confirmation," he said, his voice steady. "As you know, the transaction was jeopardized by a group who clearly had inside information. What I want to know is how they found out. You were the only outsider who knew the location."
Henderson's brow furrowed, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair. "Hmph," he scoffed. "Maybe you've got a mole in your crew. Or maybe it was just a coincidence. Either way, why are you asking me? Hire a detective."
Noah's calm expression didn't falter. "It's not possible to have a mole in my team. They've completed dozens of these transactions without any of this happening."
"And coincidence? That's an insult to both our intelligence. The attackers didn't take anything else, no money, no valuables, not even the car. Just the gold bar. That's not a coincidence."
Henderson's eyes darted briefly to the side, his lips pressing into a thin line. "I don't know," he said finally, his voice quieter. "You can't pin this on me."
"I'm not pinning it on you," Noah replied, leaning back slightly.
"I'm asking you," Noah began, his tone calm but with an edge that hinted at the storm beneath, "because you were the only stranger to know the exact location of the transaction."
Henderson's frown deepened, his lips pressing into a thin line. He avoided Noah's gaze, instead focusing on the corner of the table. "I don't know what you're talking about. I already told you, maybe it's someone on your team. People get greedy, you know?"
Noah smirked faintly, though his eyes remained cold. "right, where were you when the gold bar was stolen,"
"I've already told your crew, I was on the way but I reversed immediately seeing the exchange," Henderson said with an annoyed tone.
"I know that, but that's not what I'm asking. Were you in the neighbourhood?" Noah asked, a smirk forming on his face.
"Yes... I was,"
"What if I told you that I've checked the neighbourhood's cameras, and I didn't find you there," Noah said, with a grin.
"That's impossible, I was there," Henderson frowned, "You are just trying to put the blame on me, show me the proof of the camera tape."
"Furthermore, you can't even access other people's CCTV without being part of the police,"
"You're right," Noah said with a soft chuckle. "I was just messing with you." His voice was calm, but the underlying current of amusement sent a chill through Henderson.
Henderson's frown deepened, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of his chair. "What kind of game are you playing? Are you here to mess around, I don't have time for this," he said, his voice edged with frustration.
"Alright, I guess it's time for me to leave. Thanks for your cooperation, Mr. Henderson," Noah said smoothly, his eyes locking onto Henderson's as he stood up from the chair.
Noah extended his hand for a handshake, his expression unreadable but calm.
Henderson hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering from Noah's hand to his face. Then, reluctantly, he reached out and shook it.
Noah turned toward the door and walked. His back was now to Henderson, but his posture remained relaxed, almost casual. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, he paused, his head tilting slightly to the side.
"Henderson," Noah said, his tone light, almost conversational. "Do you like ghosts? If you do, I think you'd enjoy playing Ghostbusters. Quite the fun game."
Henderson's face froze, confusion and unease rippling across his features.
"And," Noah continued his hand still on the doorknob, "if you're into open-world adventures, you might try Grand Theft Auto. Franklin's a real gem of a character, don't you think? Shame he doesn't make it to the end."
Click
Turning around, Noah's gaze locked on Henderson. The gun trembled slightly in Henderson's hands, betraying his unease.
"What's going on, Henderson? Why are you pointing a gun at me?" Noah's voice was calm, laced with faint amusement, as though the weapon aimed at him was little more than a toy.
"Enough games!" Henderson barked, his face twisted in desperation. "How did you know? How do you know about Franklin, about all of this?"
"Well," Noah began, his tone light, almost teasing, "it wasn't really hard. Just a little adventure here and there, a few conversations, and voilà—I happen to stumble upon these things."
Henderson's lips pulled back in a snarl. "You think you're so smart, don't you? You don't know anything!"
Noah tilted his head, his eyes glinting. "Oh, but I do, Henderson. Like, for instance, why you killed Franklin. Let me guess... It wasn't because he was a possible lead for someone like me. If that were the case, you'd have gotten rid of Tyrell and his goons as well."
Henderson flinched slightly, his grip on the gun tightening.
"No, no," Noah continued, his voice soft and almost sympathetic. "You killed him because you wanted all the money for yourself. You were drowning in debt, weren't you? The gold bar—every last dollar of it—had to be yours. And so you stabbed your friend, someone who trusted you. Someone who thought you were his ally."
Henderson's face contorted further, a mix of rage and shame swirling in his eyes. "What do you know?" he spat, his voice rising. "Franklin didn't understand my reasoning! I'm being followed by loan sharks, for God's sake. I needed that money! He wouldn't help me, and every second I waited, they got closer to finding me!"
Henderson's voice cracked as he continued his tirade. "Do you think I wanted to kill him? I didn't have a choice! I had to use part of my money just to cover the gun, the setup, and even the fake bills to keep those idiots believing I was legit! Two thousand dollars were wasted just to make it look convincing. And Franklin… he was always selfish. Always about himself."
As Henderson ranted, his eyes burned with bitterness, his attention entirely on the justification spilling from his lips.
He didn't notice Noah's slow movements. The gun wavered further as Henderson lost himself in his anger.
"You keep talking about how he didn't help you," Noah interrupted smoothly, his grin unwavering. "But it seems to me you're just making excuses for stabbing a man in the back. Figuratively and literally."
"Shut up!" Henderson snapped, his face a mask of fury. He pointed the gun closer to Noah, the barrel trembling in his unsteady hands. "You don't know anything about what I've been through!"
"Oh, I know plenty," Noah said, his voice dropping to a deadly calm. His eyes glinted dangerously as he took another step closer. "I know you are a... dead man,"
Before Henderson could respond, Noah moved like lightning. His hand shot out, gripping Henderson's wrist with an iron grip. The gun fired a shot, and a muffled sound rang out due to the suppressor attached.
Noah remained unscathed as he had already twisted the weapon away, the bullet harmlessly embedding into the ceiling.