Homeless Boy Shouts ‘Don’t Eat That!’ Billionaire Freezes When He Finds Out Why
Chapter 2
The police arrived quickly.
The restaurant was closed to the public.
Every employee was questioned.
Daniel sat in a private room while detectives examined the food.
Sam sat beside him, wrapped in a blanket someone had found.
He held a cup of hot chocolate with both hands.
He didn’t drink it.
Daniel noticed.
“Are you hungry?”
Sam nodded.
Daniel ordered food.
“Anything you want.”
Sam looked embarrassed.
“Can I have pancakes?”
Daniel smiled.
“Of course.”
“And eggs?”
“Whatever you want.”
Sam nodded.
For the first time that night, the boy smiled.
Daniel watched him eat when the food arrived.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
It was obvious he had been hungry for a long time.
Daniel looked away.
Something inside him hurt.
Detective Harris entered.
“Mr. Mercer.”
Daniel stood.
“What did you find?”
“The toxin appears to be a concentrated pesticide derivative. It’s dangerous.”
“Fatal?”
“Potentially.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“How did it get into the food?”
“We’re investigating.”
Daniel looked toward the kitchen.
“Someone deliberately poisoned my plate.”
“That’s our working theory.”
“Why?”
Harris shook his head.
“We don’t know yet.”
Martin entered.
“Daniel, we should leave.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Not yet.”
Martin frowned.
“We’ve already called security.”
“I said not yet.”
Martin glanced at Sam.
“Who is this?”
“His name is Sam.”
“He’s the kid who caused this?”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“He may have saved my life.”
Martin said nothing.
Detective Harris approached Sam.
“Can I ask you some questions?”
Sam looked at Daniel.
Daniel nodded.
“It’s okay.”
The detective sat beside him.
“Sam, how did you know the food was dangerous?”
Sam stared at the floor.
“I saw the bottle.”
“What bottle?”
“The little bottle.”
“Where?”
“In the kitchen.”
“How did you get inside?”
Sam hesitated.
“I was looking for food.”
Harris softened his voice.
“Did someone let you in?”
“No.”
“Then how?”
“I know the back door.”
Daniel frowned.
“Why?”
Sam looked embarrassed.
“Sometimes restaurants throw food away.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“You’ve been sleeping outside?”
Sam nodded.
“For how long?”
“Since summer.”
Daniel stared at him.
“Where are your parents?”
Sam’s fingers tightened around the cup.
“My mom died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“My dad left.”
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
Daniel didn’t know what to say.
Harris continued.
“Do you know the man who touched the food?”
Sam shook his head.
“Not his name.”
“Can you describe him?”
“Gray hair. Blue shirt. Scar on his hand.”
Daniel exchanged a look with Harris.
The description matched one of the kitchen employees.
A chef named Robert Ellis.
Police immediately searched for him.
But Robert was gone.
His locker was empty.
His car was missing.
Daniel’s security team searched the parking garage.
Nothing.
Then Sam suddenly spoke.
“There’s another man.”
Everyone looked at him.
“What man?” Daniel asked.
“The one who gave him the bottle.”
Daniel’s heart began beating faster.
“What did he look like?”
Sam closed his eyes.
“Black coat.”
“Anything else?”
“He had a silver ring.”
Daniel froze.
His face changed.
Martin noticed.
“Daniel?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
He was staring at Sam.
“A silver ring?”
Sam nodded.
“With a black stone.”
Daniel slowly sat down.
He knew exactly who wore such a ring.
His former business partner.
Ethan Vale.
A man who had been declared dead nine years earlier.
