In the Belly of the Giant

Part 33

Joey wasn't able to follow Trent out of the grocery store to see where he went. He was off duty and was walking home, so he didn't have a car. However, he did have the tools of the police department at his disposal. Instead of buying groceries and returning home to sleep, like he had originally planned, Joey went back to the police station.

Before he left, he asked the grocery store owner if he could see the surveillance footage for the parking lot and the inside of the store, and the owner happily complied. Joey wrote down the tag number, make, model, and color of the car Trent was driving, and made a note of what direction the car had left from, as well as where it entered from. Armed with this knowledge, he hoped to track down the criminal and find out where he lived.

Unfortunately, when Joey started his investigation and ran the plates, he learned that the plates didn't match Trent's car, and indeed weren't registered in his name at all. He hadn't anticipated this development. He looked up Trent's name to see if he had a criminal record, but couldn't find anything on him in the database, which was surprising. He knew Trent was a career criminal. He must have been either lucky or cunning enough to not get caught.

Joey kept searching. He eventually unearthed an old address tied to Trent's name that might yield some clues. As he worked, his eyelids started to grow heavy, and his head felt like it weighed a million pounds. All the stress, sleepless nights, and overtime were starting to catch up to him. He jerked awake in his chair a couple times before finally dropping his head down on the desk and passing out.

Ray found Joey the next morning, snoring and drooling all over the table. He debated with himself on whether to wake him up or let him sleep, but ultimately decided to leave him alone. Joey urgently needed the rest after all. Ray looked over with curiosity at what Joey was searching on his computer and surmised that he must have gotten a lead. He gathered up the notes and files and started researching for himself while Joey slumbered.

Joey must have been exhausted, because he slept all day, through most of his shift. Ray covered for him. He didn't get very far in his investigation, so eventually he decided it was time to wake Joey up. He placed a fresh cinnamon roll in front of Joey's face and waited. Joey's nose twitched and his eyes cracked open. He heaved himself up off of the desk and groggily began munching on the cinnamon roll.

"Ugh... I guess I fell asleep. What time is it?" Joey asked, turning sleepily over to Ray. Half his face was red from pressing into the desk. He wiped the drool off his chin with the back of his hand.

Ray consulted his watch. "About three in the afternoon."

"Are you serious, Ray?" Joey balked. "Shit! I need to get on this!"

"You want to start by making a house call to this address?" Ray inquired, holding up the location tied to Trent's name. Joey affirmed and the two officers went to the parking garage to retrieve their car. Joey absently ran his hand over his holstered handgun. What would he do if Trent was home, and answered the door? It's not like Trent would just let two cops waltz in and search the place. He wouldn't be inclined to open the door for them, either. Joey got the feeling Trent was the type of guy who would shoot first and ask questions later. He frowned. They needed to stake the place out. Either way, he at least wanted to drive by and check it out.

Joey plugged the address into his GPS and drove off. He was beginning to get nervous, that same jittery feeling he had before they entered the warehouse. The buildings around them began to look worse for wear, crumbling to pieces as they penetrated into the deteriorated part of town. Even Ray was looking disconcerted. Eventually, they came up to the apartment building at the address. The structure was a wreck.

"Well... this building certainly isn't up to code," Ray remarked. "Do you think anybody actually lives in there? This place looks abandoned."

"So did the warehouse," Joey pointed out. "Come on, let's get a closer look." The two giants stepped out of the car and cautiously approached the building, hands ready to pull their weapons. As they entered the building, it was immediately apparent that nobody had been inside for a long time. The hallways smelled like mildew and dust. Joey coughed; he felt like he was inhaling particles of fiberglass and asbestos. The place has been stripped of any valuables, leaving the walls and floors bare except for mold and spiderwebs.