Red Alarm [A Detective/Thriller Story] DISCONTINUED

Chapter 22

"Detective?" Atarah asked, both a mixture of confusion and anger.
One side of her was telling that he could be the wanted persona they were looking for all along and that they were just pure gullible to believe he was an ally. He'd fit right into the description: Tall man, broad shoulders, skin color.

However, the other side of her wanted the opposite. That he was a friend not a foe. She should also consider the time frame. If she was up dancing with Cole then he couldn't have been the one she saw past the crowds, right? Or maybe he hired a stunt double or he had an accomplice? Then that will explain who broke in her room.

No, that can't be. She doffed the thought out of her. It was wrong to be crafting and spilling guesses. It wouldn't benefit the organization neither their team.

Detective Carter, who must've overheard the familiar tune from the mansion, quietly leaned on the wall. The music somehow subsided but the tension was still there. Atarah's anger and confusion gave way to fear.

"It's coming over there," her head, pinpointing the woodenware.

  They made a beeline to her desk, a bedside lamp and lastly, into the wardrobe.

"On three," he proclaimed.

"One," she set the timer.

"Two..."

"Three."

The handles diverged different paths. Resting on a soft fur coat was the causality of their trepidation.

A mobile phone.

The lieutenant went to pick it up. It showed a clock logo in the center, the time set was 10:30 p.m.
He timed it precisely - the exact moment she'd arrive.

"Check if there's anything missing with your belongings," Cole suggested.

She gave a quick nod before trailing to her things. Cash, jewelries, appliances - all intact in their places. It wasn't burglary because nothing precious was taken.

"Nothing I can tell," she replied.

He gave it a quick thought then said, "If nothing is missing, he must've took information."

If that someone was disturbed during his scavenger hunt, he couldn't have had time to fix up the mess after planning a quick escape.

"Unless..." she supposed, knitting her brows together.

Her eyes fixated on the ajar cabinet door. She hearken back to when she stored her journals and the Reaper case files inside. If what was precious to the crook wasn't sellable items, it could've been this.

She sorted through the bundled folders. The files were there, neatly placed secured with the white paperclip she left it. That's not right. It should've been messed up, the files shouldn't have been in order. Unless he was the flash then that would make sense - if they were in an alternate dimension and also it'd be another story to tackle on.

"So?" He said impatiently.

"Everything's neat and clean," she sighed.

"I'll go check the CCTV cameras in the hallway," he stood up from his crouching position and headed for the door. He hesitated on his tracks and shot a glance at Atarah. "On second thought, you're coming with me."

~ ⚜️ ~

The security guard in the front desk paused the monitor. He was a bearded man in his 40s. As a matter of fact he wasn't just bearded, he looked like a bear. His uniform buttons waiting to pop any second, his beard looked like the brown version of Santa Claus, and his belly, bloated from drinking too much caffeine and eating doughnuts.