Hello! Sorry for the late update. Got kinda busy in real life 😆 and also for those of you who haven't recently started reading this story and in case missed the notice on the message board, I have added a little bit of something at the start of the second chapter since I had kinda forgotten earlier 😬😋
That's all. Enjoy!
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Zane
A 5-year-old boy, named Liam Millers, with a weak constitution Kidnapped from a children's hospital yesterday evening. It's not exactly a coincidence that he's Jessica's brother. I already knew who's behind it even before I watched the hospital's security footage. She may be disguised but I can tell It's her.
What are you doing Lydia!? Kidnapping a kid? I don't get it. And why won't you pick up the phone!
I click on the Miller family's Instagram accounts on my computer. He isn't in any of the photos. Is there some particular reason? Other than that, the family has also said to keep this whole case private. No getting the media involved. Usually, when this happens we suspect that the family knows who the Kidnapper is. But...ugh...
"I told you there is nothing," the olive-skinned officer sitting next to me says as he chews on an apple and types something on his laptop.
"And the family doesn't want to make it public yet? Wouldn't it be better if it was on social media?" I ask him. Jake is the officer handling Liam's case. Apparently, when they first saw her in the hospital's security cameras, they assumed it was Morgan. But after talking to the witnesses, especially a nurse who had conversed with her, said that the perpetrator's description does not match that of Morgan's. Saying she was taller, had slightly board shoulders and blue almond eyes. Deducting it as a Kidnapping case, their team agreed to take it.
"It seems so. The man is a rich guy with a reputation. Says to try and find his son without getting the public involved. I mean, that was how it was at first but now it's become necessary to announce it on the media." He says as he leans back on the chair and places his feet on the table.
"Did you tell them?" I ask him curiously.
Right now at our work desk, only three people are present intensely working on their computers. The people around us are working diligently too. The noise of a phone ringing and the photocopy machine can be heard mixed with the sounds of people talking. I look up at the clock which hangs on the white wall of the office. It's almost time.
"Yup. They were hesitant at first but after some convincing, they agreed." He replies.
I notice one of my men, Fred, coming towards the room through the glass doors. Getting up, I straighten my suit and walk to the door.
He stretches out his hand towards the door handle and opens it.
"Zane, he's ready for the interrogation." He says.
"Right, let's go" I answer and walk out of the room along with him.
"You know, it turns out he's a young 19-year-old guy. It looks like he may be involved in drugs," he says with a sly grin as we walk down the hallway.
"Really? Ain't that surprising." I answer as we enter the lobby. There's an old lady at the reception complaining to the bored receptionist about a stolen purse. Some people waiting in the lounge. The citizens and the police casually walk through the lobby as I and Fred make our way to the interrogation room.
Suddenly I see something at the corner of my eye. I turn right and see a familiar face with a white bandage on his head, making his way through the crowd, wearing a black hoodie. He's here for his phone.
Richard.
"Go on, I'll be there in a bit," I tell Fred as he watches me with a confused expression.
"Hey, you!" I call out to him through the crowd. He looks my way and makes no effort to hide his disgust.
"What do you want?" He asks as he walks towards me, hands deep in his pocket.
"What's this I'm hearing about a Kidnapped boy?" I ask him in a low stern voice. He blinks at me confusingly.
"What are you talking about?" He asks cluelessly. I frown.
"Don't you dare play dumb! I know without a doubt that you both are responsible for it. Why on earth would you involve a kid into your mess!?" I ask him again. The fact that he's here means he contacted Lydia. She must have told him about it.
He sighs and looks at me with an irritated expression " Look, I just came out of the hospital. I talked with Lydia and came straight here. I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."
I feel a wave of anger rising inside me. I can tell clear as day that they were the ones who did it, so why would they lie to me? As I open my mouth to say something, I notice a small figure running behind him through the crowd.
Feeling like my voice had died in my throat, my eyes frantically dart around the room looking for him. The rage in my heart quickly shifted to fear like a flip of a coin.
I'm just imagining right!? There's no way he's here. He's supposed to be dead!
"Mr Zane...?" Richard's voice brings back my attention to him. He's staring at me confusingly.
"Yeah?" I ask him. Was he saying something? I didn't hear him.
He thinks for a second "...nothing. If that's all, then I'll be going." He says and begins to walk away.
"Wait, one last thing" I stop him. He turns around and I glare at him.
"Stay away from my family, understand?"
He smirks, turns back around and leaves.
I wipe the sweat off my forehead and take a deep breath. Control yourself. Just keep in mind that it's not real.
I regain my composure and walk out of the lobby.
_______________________________________
As I enter the observation room, I see Fred along with another man standing next to the one-way mirror, looking at the suspect in the other room.
I walk towards him and look in the same direction.
The scrawny man, handcuffed, seated on the off white plastic chair across the table bites his nails nervously. He looks around the small blue room with unease. He's an awfully pale man with messy brown hair wearing a red hoodie and grey cargo pants. Looking at his legs, I notice he keeps taping his foot rapidly.
"Drug addict?" I ask Fred, to which he nods.
"When the police reached him, he was at his friend's house. Turns out the three of them were doing drugs while the parents weren't home. Caught them red-handed actually. Had to arrest all of them when they started to get violent." He states seriously.
"Did you contact their parents?" I ask him. The man runs a hand through his hair in an attempt to calm himself.
"Only his friends. Greg over there insisted not to tell his parents about him." The other guy in the room informs me. I pick up the recorder from the table.
"Ok then, let's go," I say and walk out of the room while Fred follows me.
As soon as I open the door to the interrogation room, the guy looks at me with desperation in his eyes.
"Please, sir! They made me do it! You have to believe me" he cries abruptly placing his hands on the table.
As I silently walk over to the other chair, I wonder if he's talking about Lydia and Richard. This will get quite troublesome for me if that turns out to be the case.
"Greg Jeffery. Tell me what you were doing early morning on the day before yesterday around 4 am " I ask him as I turn on the recorder and place it on the table. Fred stands near the entrance of the room.
He looks surprised and anxious. He looks down at his lap, unable to answer.
"Greg, I asked you a question. What were you doing at that time?" I say coldly.
His eyes start to tear up a little. He must be a real sensitive fellow.
"Please don't tell my parents. They're really strict." He says with a crack in his voice.
"It depends. What did you do?" I ask him staring down at him.
He gulps and starts to speak " My friends told me to do it. I didn't want to but they forced me. I was scared but...it went smoothly, just as planned."
I'm a bit confused. Is he talking about something else here? What does he mean his friends were involved? He looks like he's dodging the question.
"Look, if you really feel wronged here, you have to tell us what happened and what you did, otherwise we won't be able to help. Drink and calm down." I point at the glass of water placed on the table. He reaches for it and takes a sip. After he's done, he places it back on the table.
"The deals are made at the abandoned orphanage near the 'Moonlight burger' restaurant. I...had to buy some drugs and to go to a hotel." He says.
Oh, so that's what he's talking about. Drug dealers. I thought he was talking about the hit and run but I suppose he committed more than one crime that day.
"You'll have to tell the officers about this drug dealing in more detail. Now, were you drunk on the way to the hotel?"
He seems even more perplexed.
"I...I just had one bottle. I swear!" He insists.
"No. There were three empty bottles of alcohol in the car that was found outside the hotel. Which by the way seems to be stolen." I say to him bluntly.
"Wait! That...I admit I had three but I really didn't know about the car! My friend said he rented it that day. You gotta believe me!" He cries miserably.
I sigh heavily.
"Please, I told you everything now. You have to let me go!"
I look at him confusingly " When did I say I'll let you go once you tell me your crimes. I haven't even gotten to the main reason your here."
His eyes widen and he looks at me, completely shocked. It's amusing how he thought this whole time he was arrested because of everything but the hit and run. Could it be that he doesn't remember it? Or is he hiding it?
Realising that he foolishly spilled all his crimes, Greg looks like he's out of words "Then...why didn't you ask that from the start!?" He yells, frustrated. I did though.
"While you were drunk driving, you hit a young girl on Maplestreet, 4th lane and drove away. Do you remember?" I ask him.
He is so easy to read, like an open book. His expressions reveal everything. Pale as a ghost and breathing heavily, his eyes shift towards the door.
He's thinking of running away.
"Fred!" I yell as soon as he gets off the chair and tries to dash towards the door. Fred stands in front of the door as I get up, catch him and hold him down on the table, swiftly.
"Please! I didn't mean to I swear! She came out of nowhere! I didn't know what to do! I panicked!" He cries. Tears flowing down his face and landing on the metal table.
"Did you see anyone else there except her ?" I ask him as I keep holding him down. I sigh in relief as I see that the recorder didn't fall on the floor during the commotion.
"...no....I don't remember. I'm telling the truth. Please, it was an accident!" He insists as he sobs.
"Try to remember. Anything at all. There was definitely someone there." I persist and turn my head towards Fred ushering him to show him the picture.
Fred takes out a picture of Morgan and comes towards the table. He brings it near Greg's eyes and he stares at it with teary eyes.
"Did you see anyone that looked like this on your way to the hotel?" He asks.
"No...I don't think so. But...wait! Now that I think about it...I remember seeing someone...red!" He says.
Red?
I release him and make him sit back on the chair.
"What do you mean red?" I ask him as I sit down too.
He wipes his face " I don't know exactly what it was but...before I hit that girl, I spotted something bright red at the corner of my eye. That's all I know."
I think about it for a few seconds. Was the person wearing red clothes or...
My eyes widen with realization. Of course!
"Fred, get me a laptop and the video footage from a day ago! Hurry!" He quickly goes out of the room.
"You won't call my parents, right?" He asks meekly.
"Kid, you were involved in drug dealing, drunk driving in a stolen car and crashed into a girl who belongs to a rich family. It would be extremely stupid of you not to call your parents and ask them to get a lawyer to bust you out of here. You're going to be charged with multiple crimes along with your friends. So be prepared for some courtroom drama." I tell him bluntly as he proceeds to cry pathetically upon realising his fate.
"Here it is!" Fred comes into the room carrying an opened laptop with a footage paused on the screen.
I take it from him and turn it on. The room is silent with only Greg sniffing in the background. Fred and I stare intensely at the video. I remember I saw it. It didn't strike me as odd before but now, I have a feeling it's her.
Suddenly when a girl with a box on a foldable came into view, I pause, zoom in and turn the laptop face towards Greg.
"Was this it?" I ask him pointing at the red hair of the girl in the picture.
He leans forward and inspects it closely, trying to remember. Then he lifts his head up and nods.
"Yeah, that's the one. I'm sure of it." He says.
Finally!
"Lock him up and contact his parents," I tell Fred as I get up from my chair.
"No...wait! Please!" Greg calls as Fred walks over to him. Closing the door behind me, I walk back into the observation room.
I witness two men as I enter the room. They look at me with a girn.
"Figured something out?" One of them, named Tom says.
I show them the paused video from the laptop screen and they realise it too.
"Contact Trevor, the forensic artist and tell him to draw Morgan in this hairstyle without glasses and make it public. We'll also need to get in touch with the real-time crime centre and ask them to give every past footage they have containing this disguised Morgan." I say to them, determined to find her at last.