The Bursting Heat (Book 2) ✓

19 - New lead

Ralph

When she looked at the third picture Ali's whole body got rigid. I looked at the photo and immediately understood why – this was one of the men she drew, one of the lieutenants. The scar on his right cheek, a line that was starting from his eye down to his chin was the dead giveaway. The more I looked at the photo the more similarity I saw with Ali's drawing.

"That's...umm...that's..."

"That is one of the men from the house." I said instead of Ali. She was watching the shoted face of the man and it was obvious she couldn't formulate her thoughts.

"I wasn't asking you, officer. And by the way, how do know, have you met the guy?"

"No, never, but I did my homework and actually looked and remembered Ali's drawings of the men. This one looks the same as one of sketches."

"Catch."

"Umm, what Ali?"

"Catch. This man was known as Catch." She was still looking at the photo, analyzing every little detail she could get from it.

"Where are her drawings, detective?" Akerman looked around her messy desk and after a while she got some papers and right on top was the man's face. She took the photo and put it next to the drawing, switching her gaze from one to the other.

"I guess they look similar..."

"Bullshit! They are the same, detective, and you know it."

"Officer Romero, I highly suggest you change the way you speak to me or I'll have you escorted from the building..."

"I'd love to see you try it, Aker..."

"Rafi." I looked at Ali's eyes full with all kind of emotions. "Don't." One word. That was all it took for her to take my attention from the detective and stop in my tracks. I just nod and drop everything I was ready to say to the woman on the other side of the desk. I looked at Akerman and knew she wasn't happy, but luckily didn't say anything more to me.

"Well, I guess we could try to put the drawings through the database and see if we can have any success recognizing someone." She was looking at the men's faces one after the other with little to no interest until she looked at the fourth and froze in her place, the paper shook a little in her hand, there was shock in her eyes for a second. Just as I was going to ask what was going on, the detective school her features and stood up. "I better get this thing done right now." And just like that she was out of her office.

"Umm, shouldn't I look at the last photo? See if I recognize the man?" I took the left one from the desk and show it to Ali.

"Do you?"

"Umm, no."

"Great. We are finished here. Let's go." We quickly left the police station and went back to the bakery.

"What do you think happened back there with the detective?"

"I have no idea, Ali, but be sure I'll figure it out."

When we were back at the Cupcake's Dream there were some customers in the front, but it was mostly empty...well, except the whole SWAT team that was occupying big part of the place. I wasn't sure if Ali was ready to meet everyone at once, but one look at her and the determination in her eyes let me know she was going to try. With her small hand secured in mine we went to my team. The first to see us was Cleo, who looked at Ali with big and reassuring smile on his face.

"Hey, there Southpaw, how are you doing?" The nickname stopped Ali on her tracks.

"Southpaw?"

"Yeah, you know, because of the mean punches with your left hand..."