Rebirth: King to Superstar

The guy was stunned as he heard her question about a van. But he knew what she was asking about. He forgot the date it happened, but he didn't forget what happened that lonely night. His hands under the desk gripped his thighs tighter as he controlled his emotions better. He didn't want the police officer in front of him to find out he was nervous, so his expression turned as if he was thinking very quickly. 

He didn't forget the events which took place that night. It was a normal and ordinary night. The street was dead silent as like always he was watching his daily show, alone in the shop. But something strange happened as he heard a noise from the outside and looked up. He saw a black van on the other side of the road stopped abruptly as a few men rushed out of the vehicle towards a woman walking along the pavement. 

They covered her mouth and rushed her back into the van as it took off immediately. The store owner who witnessed it became very scared seeing that. It was the first time he saw something like that and didn't know what to do. As he was contemplating whether to call the police about it or not, someone walked into the store. 

He looked up and noticed it was actually one of the kidnappers he just saw. This time he froze as the guy took out a gun and played around with it as he went through the shop, took a few things, and walked out. The shop owner could still sometimes hear the words from the man as he walked out.

"You didn't see anything today. If we get to know that you magically did, you know what will happen. So be a good ignorant man and continue your job." 

That day, as soon as the guy went away, the store owner abruptly closed his store and didn't open it for an entire week, scared of those people. After that warning and seeing the gun he was playing around with, he also immediately crossed off the idea to call the police about it and just continued on with his life. 

Now, after an entire month, this female police officer just came into his shop and started asking random questions about the incident while showing him a gun. Even though he saw her gun he didn't feel as scared as he did when he saw the gun in that guy's hands that day. The woman before him can not use the gun without giving the world a proper explanation and this wasn't one. But that guy didn't have anyone to give an explanation for. He could use it as he liked.

So the store owner swallowed once again before he said with some effort to not stutter, "I don't know what black van you are talking about, officer. You saw today, there is barely anyone on the street and it's like this every day of the entire year. So if there was a vehicle on the road I would remember, but there wasn't one on that day you said." While giving the officer a stiff shrug.

The police officer narrowed her eyes as she watched him like a hawk while listening to his answer. It wasn't the answer she was hoping for once again, and she was getting a little frustrated by it. She wasn't experienced enough to notice the slight shock he showed for a quick second and only noticed that the guy was genuinely confused. She also couldn't see his sweaty palms that gripped his thigh tightly. 

She frowned a little after looking at him for a few more seconds and reminded him, "Think once again. I am sure that there should have been a car that night on this very road. My intelligence is not wrong. If I get to know that there was really a van across the shop that night. I can keep you in jail for aiding criminals for at least 3 years and you'll also have to pay 500000 Kros as a fee. The penalty is high. So think carefully." 

The shopkeeper wavered a little when he heard the punishment. He didn't know if it was real or not, but he also didn't have any time to check if it was. So he made a quick decision and shook his head before replying.

"No, police officer. I don't remember seeing any sort of vehicle on this road that night. I'm sure of it." Insisting that he didn't was the only way he had now. He didn't want to get involved in any of this mess and just wanted to live his normal life again. 

The police officer just started to nod, hearing him insisting that he didn't see any sort of van. She was feeling stressed about the case and was finally able to get a small lead and hoped that it might be true, but the guy shut down her hope completely. 

She then remembered something else about the guy before her and asked with a small smile on her face, "Right, let's leave that for now. When I was digging up on you, I heard you suddenly shut down the shop for an entire week following the 6th of last month? Why is that?"

The guy got startled a little when he heard her and didn't know how she knew he even closed the shop for a week. He wondered which idiot gave out this information about him and wanted to give a nice beating to him. His brain thought for reasons as quickly as it could and he answered after a second while acting as he remembered it.

"Ah yes, I was actually not feeling well even in the first week of that month. I had a slight fever the first week, but on the 6th night it rose up quickly and I couldn't even move properly for that entire week. So I had no choice but to close it up." 

She raised an eyebrow hearing his reason and asked, "You had health problems? Do you have anyone who can testify that you had a problem? Or do you at least have hospital receipts? I need some proof that you didn't do anything else that week." She felt he caught the guy now. She was still suspicious and wanted the guy to cough out the truth. 

The guy just laughed a bit and replied, "What is this all about, police officer? It's almost like you have a lifelong grudge against me. But for your answer, no, I don't have any proof. You must have figured out that I live alone in a small apartment in the neighborhood and so there is no one who can vouch for me. Also, I don't have enough money or the energy at that time to go to a hospital and get a check-up. I just wanted to wait it out. If you want proof, then you can check my online food delivery app history. I ordered food that entire week, so that should tell you I was really home." 

He really did stay at home because he was scared. He was so scared that he didn't want to move out of the house and only ordered food that week. His purse had bled a lot that week, but he couldn't do anything else. He was scared that he might run into that guy and die because that guy suddenly changed his mind and wanted to cover all the tracks of the incident.

The police officer really wanted to check that app, but she withheld herself as she already knew the thing was going too far and that she had to stop questioning the guy without a warrant. If the media found out that she threatened the guy with the gun, then losing her job was not the last thing she would get.

She took back the gun and said, "Alright then, give me your paymone number. I'll transfer you a thousand Kros for your time. Also, here is my card. Call me immediately if you remember anything about a black van that night. If the information is useful, then you'll get a bonus prize from the police too." And took out her card from her purse and handed it out. 

The guy nodded as he quickly told her his number and the police officer sent the money right there before him. He smiled when he saw the notification on his phone and said, "Thanks for the money, officer. I thought you were bluffing when you told me you'd give money. I'll think really hard about that night and the black van you asked me once again after work and call you if I remember anything." The police officer nodded before she stood up and walked out of the room. The guy followed her out and sat back behind the counter as she exited the store. 

"And Cut. Nice shot. We got everything." A loud shout disrupted the silent set.