Part-157

  After a grueling workout at the gym, James returned home, his muscles sore but his spirits high. As he was about to step inside, his phone vibrated, indig a new message. He pulled it out and saw that it was from Ryan.

  "We're outside," the message read. "eet us."

  James was surprised. It hadn't been long sihey had parted ways after their visit to the shop. What could they have found out in such a short time?

  Curious, James stepped outside and looked around. There, in the distance, he saw Ryan and Sourov, standing near a street er. He walked over to them, his mind filled with questions.

  "Why did you call me back out here?" James asked, curiosity evident in his voice. "I thought we were done for the day."

  Ryan and Sourov exged knowing gnces but remained silent.

  James smirked and teased, "What’s this about? You guys ’t get enough of me, huh? You must have fallen in love with me."

  Sourov immediately bristled at the ent, snapping, "Shut up! What kind of vulgar nonsense is that? I’m only ied in girls with the right curves."

  James chuckled and replied, "So then, why did you guys drag me out again when we just saw each other a couple of ho? We could’ve just talked over the phone."

  Rya out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, you’re just joking, but it still sounds pretty creepy ing from you."

  James finally dropped his teasing tone and burst into ughter. He then asked more seriously, "So, what’s the real reason you called me out here?"

  Ryan grinned. "We've got a lead," he replied, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "You remember that shop we were at earlier? Well, I have a friend who lives nearby."

  James nodded, his i piqued. "What does he have to do with anything?" he asked.

  "He could help us keep an eye on the shopkeeper," Ryan expined. "If we know who's visiting him, we might be able to ect the dots."

  James frowned. "Isn't that a bit risky?" he asked. "We may get wrongly accused of stalking them if we get caught."

  Ryan shrugged. "It's worth a shot," he said. "Besides, we're not doing anything illegal. We're just ."

  James hesitated for a moment, but he khat Ryan was right. They o gather as muformation as possible.

  "Alright, let's do it," he said, finally agreeing.

  They followed Ryan to his friend's apartment. The friend, a young man named Karim, greeted them warmly and offered them a pce to sit. As they discussed their pn, Karim listened ily, his eyes filled with curiosity.

  "You're sure this is a good idea?" he asked, his voice filled with doubt. "The shopkeeper might not appreciate being watched."

  James nodded. "We know," he replied. "But it's our only ce."

  Karim sighed. "Alright, I'll help you," he said, relutly. "But if anything goes wrong, don't bme me."

  With Karim's help, they set up a surveilnce operation. They took turns watg the shopkeeper's apartment, noting the ings and goings of visitors. They have doing that for four evenings and they gathered a wealth of information. But still, no crete evidence emerged.