Chapter 50 Capturing Ali
As the system's voice sounded, Kendall also pulled her gaze away from Ali.
Although she had found Ali's whereabouts, this didn't seem like the best moment to apprehend him.
Ali's crime was a private matter, and there was no obvious evidence unless she could get his phone or find the other girls to testify.
Plus, Kendall wasn't alone. Nathan was standing right next to her.
If she went to arrest Ali, the anti-loss harness on her wrist would clearly get in the way. But without it, losing Nathan would be an issue she couldn't explain to the Sinclair family.
Kendall turned to look at Nathan. Their eyes met, and Nathan blinked with an innocent expression.
"Come on, let's play this." Kendall led Nathan to a claw machine and expertly dropped tokens in.
Kendall pointed to the small plushies in the machine and said to Nathan, "I like the pink one on the top and the blue one in the back. Get those two out, and I'll treat you to dinner later."
Nathan understood Kendall's words. After Kendall inserted the tokens, he bent slightly and seriously worked the joystick. Every claw machine has a different operating program. Nathan failed on the first and second attempts but didn't get discouraged and continued with the next try.
Kendall's position was excellent, standing directly behind Ali and his young girlfriend. As long as Ali didn't turn around, he wouldn't see Kendall and Nathan, but Kendall could observe his movements at any time.
Ali and his girlfriend seemed to be having bad luck, they played dozens of times and didn't win a single plushie.
When the tokens in his hand were almost gone, Ali placed the remaining few in the girl's hand and gently said, "Sweetheart, you play for a while. I'm going to the restroom."
Kendall, standing nearby, felt her heart move at this. When Ali turned and walked toward the restroom, Kendall pulled Nathan and followed.
The restroom in this arcade was in a secluded area. Kendall slowly followed Ali with Nathan in tow. The restroom was down a winding corridor. Kendall didn't go in but stood pacing back and forth outside the passage.
About five or six minutes later, she noticed Ali emerging from inside in her peripheral vision.
Kendall stepped up to intercept him. "Excuse me, handsome, could you help me with something?"
Ali's gaze landed on the petite and slender girl in front of him. He replied with a hint of gentlemanliness, "What can I help you with?"
Kendall took her car key out of her pocket and said a little awkwardly, "My car is parked in the underground garage.
When I went to get it, I found two other cars had parked next to it.
My driving skills aren't great, and I can't back it out from the corner.
.. could I trouble you for a few minutes to help me drive it out? "
His eyes scanned the Audi keychain in her fair, slender fingers. Ali replied with a warm smile on his handsome face, "Of course. Right now?"
"Mhm, mhm." Kendall nodded, casually pressing the elevator button nearby.
The elevator door opened, and the three of them walked in one after another.
The cramped space seemed to make Nathan uncomfortable. He frowned his handsome brows and moved a little closer to Kendall.
Though Nathan hadn't spoken, his height of over six feet made him hard to ignore.
Ali broke the silent atmosphere in the elevator, "Are you two... a couple?"
"No," Kendall shook her head. She couldn't tarnish Nathan's reputation. She quietly explained, "He's my friend. His brother came with us today, but he had an urgent work matter and rushed back to handle it, so I'm watching him for now."
Nathan remained silent while the two spoke. Ali seemed to notice something, and he didn't press for any more information about Nathan.
When the elevator door opened, he followed Kendall cheerfully.
Kendall and Nathan had walked here, so there was certainly no car of hers in this parking lot. However, that didn't stop Kendall from leading Ali toward a secluded corner.
In those few minutes, Ali and Kendall had been chatting happily. Under the dim light of the underground garage, Ali, walking behind them, didn't hide the calculating expression on his face. He even looked at Kendall with a sense of being in control, like a hunter sizing up his prey.
Nathan, who had been walking beside Kendall, suddenly turned his head and glanced at Ali. Because of this sudden movement, Ali didn't even have time to conceal the look on his face. But Nathan showed no reaction to him, acting as if he hadn't seen the scheming expression.
Ali secretly breathed a sigh of relief, again concluding that this person was a fool.
To mask his momentary guilt, Ali quickened his pace, walking a few steps in front of Kendall. "Where did you park your car?"
"That's strange, I clearly remember it was right here..." Kendall replied, turning in a circle, her expression utterly confused.
Ali realized instantly that Kendall must have remembered incorrectly. He thought about his girlfriends who did the same thing, always forgetting where they parked when they went out together.
Ali looked around and spoke patiently, "Are you sure it was parked in this corner? This spot is very secluded, a dead end, and there aren't even parking lines. You must have misremembered..."
Kendall looked up at Ali, who was standing with his back to her. With a thought, the frying pan materialized in her hand.
"Ali," Kendall suddenly said.
Ali was stunned. "How do you know... my name?"
Before he could finish his sentence, his peripheral vision caught something flying toward him at a speed so fast that Ali didn't even have time to react.
Clang!
The frying pan struck Ali squarely on the back of his head. Ali's tall, slender figure swayed from side to side, and his vision immediately swam with black spots.
Kendall, having struck the blow, calmly put the frying pan back into her system backpack. She grabbed Ali with both hands, slamming him heavily against the wall.
Ali, who hadn't figured out what was happening, was knocked unconscious to the ground.
The entire process, from the frying pan appearing in Kendall's hand to Ali collapsing, took less than a minute.
Kendall clapped her hands, looking slightly disgusted at Ali lying on the floor.
Kendall still wore the anti-loss harness on her wrist. Nathan stood beside her, having witnessed the entire event. He showed no surprise at Kendall's sudden act of violence, nor was he curious about the frying pan she used to commit the assault, remaining perfectly calm.
It was only when he saw Kendall dusting off her hands in slight distaste that Nathan suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Kendall's slender wrist, and gently rubbed it against his own shirt.
Nathan was wearing a white T-shirt today, the fine cotton fabric soft and comfortable. Kendall was being held, her palm rubbed back and forth on his shirt a few times before she realized what was happening.
"That's enough, that's enough, thank you," Kendall quickly withdrew her hand.
She knew that Nathan wouldn't have the same dramatic emotional reactions as a normal person, which is why she hadn't tried to hide her actions from him.
Sure enough, he didn't disappoint. Not only was he not the least bit curious about her sudden attack on Ali, but he was only concerned about whether her hand was dirty.
If she hadn't just knocked Ali unconscious, but had straight up killed him, Nathan might have even helped her bury the body!
Looking at the tall, silent Nathan, Kendall's favourable impression of him grew even stronger.
She really liked those who didn't talk much!
(End of Chapter)