JAMES
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I wake up with the sound of her car leaving the driveway, it's only been a couple hour since she went to bed and I've spent the last hour pacing around the downstair office waiting for Lang to call me back before I finally fell asleep down the couch after I drowned myself with the third whiskey, Shit.
I let out a rush of breath before I turn around, staring at the desk in front of me for a moment untilI start noticing a yellow stick notes on top of the photo frame.
" Emergency in the OP, don't wait up for breakfast.
I'll see you at lunch."
I read the notes twice before I finally toss it into the trash, letting out a sigh as I grab my phone off the desk the second I gather myself together, for one thing it's best that I don't let whatever happened last night continue to the next day and although I know Sharon doesn't take out her phone out while driving- I decided to leave her a voicemail," I'll pick you up before lunch," I stop myself shortly," I'm sorry," nodding my as I let out a sigh of breath and hang up, not minding to wait up for her response, not when she often told me a lot of times about handling so many traffic accident casualties from working at the ER, I have a fair share on worrying about the late night drive she often took, driving 25 minutes long from Brooklyn to downtown Manhattan as early as 2:25 am by herself isn't something I take lightly when it comes to my fiancé's safety.
" Wedding is just a ceremonial event to celebrate and show off what we have in present, but you and I both know we shouldn't celebrate something we haven't had in the last five months," Her words starts to echos behind my ear as if she just said them a minute ago. I know there was no use to try to sidestep the conversation last night besides admitting my mistakes and I have fucked so many things up long before Sharon and I made the agreement to take a step back from the wedding after our arguments few months ago. I stare down to her picture on my lock screen, it's a candid picture of her in a white knit sweater from our last vacation almost a year ago, my mom's ring still wrap around her finger after I proposed to her just two days before the trip.
Looking back neither one of us have imagined how much things have changed just shortly after that.
Shit
I sigh as soon as her picture switched to a phone call with Lang's name on top of it," You've got anything?" I waste no seconds as I take the call," Well Barnes your detail's shit, there's nothing here," Scott says as he takes my full attention, m" What do you mean?" I try to ask the questions calmly but failed miserably," The CCTV from Avalon's gone, Barnes- whoever you're dealing with she did things quick, and for that license plate you told me, it's a fake,"
Fuck- I know I should've taken pictures of her before to avoid all of this mess just to look up for her again, not after my failed attempt on a simple internet search on her before," What about the address? is she back yet?" I ask as I try to hold myself back,
" Look, Barnes- I don't know if you're drunk and imagining things but no one's name Grace in her too, you sure it's the right address?" Scott says in a rush before I hear a car horn blaring behind him from his line, I sigh a breath out of frustration," I was just there, Scott," I say coolly, retaining my violent thoughts. " Tell you the truth there's just one guy living in that address which I can barely blame him for being pissed of when I knocked at his door at this late," Lang chuckle before he continue," Heading out man, I'm not risking myself for another thief," Scott says before I'm the one hang up the phone without giving another word before I say things I knew I'd regret later. " Shit," I mutter to no one but myself, can't believing how I let things slipped off from me again, I should've had copied the CCTV records before I tailed on that damn car and followed her to her address, worst- I shouldn't have let my anger took over and left her place without having any leverage on her. I rush to the door and grab my keys as I dial down on Spector's number, " I need help," I say in a rush in the same time I pull my car on reverse," 113 4th Ave, Manhattan- That's her address," My car bumper hit a side road just outside the garage sending a jolt which I try to ignore," Weren't you just there?" Spector asks in the same time I stepped on the gas pedal," Yeah but something's up, I just send Lang and somehow he couldn't find shit," I stop short, trying to pressed down my anger as I take the highway road, " And what do you want me to do?" I hear Spector groan as he says it, I grip the steering wheel in one hand and hold the phone closely on the other as I'm trying to come up with a new plan," I think she stashed out her place to sidetrack me from following her, I don't know but seems like she might have paid someone to be a plant for the night," I lets out a deep breath, knowing I can't really get into anything with a heated head, " Get me the landlord, anyone she might rented or bought the place from, I just need her details, Marc," I nod to no one but myself just before I take an exit turn out off Brooklyn," Dude," Spector mutter from his lines before he sigh out a rush of breath," Give me two hours," He continue shortly,
" Call me back in thirty minutes," I tell before I hang up and throw the phone to the empty passenger seat, the same one Grace sat on just few hours earlier, I shift my eyes from the seat to fix the visor mirror before it catch my reflection, for once I sigh out of relief because at least I look less exhausted than what I'm feeling- the couple hours of sleep definitely starting to make a show but I know better than wasting my time until I could found the ring.
" Damn it, Grace," I mutter to no one but myself in the same time I keep the meters up and rush my way out off Brooklyn Bridge.
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Spector couldn't find anything on her profile, not even on any details behind the apartment I walked out from just last night, exactly where I caught Grace's wall slipped out as she was frantically looking for her missing things- which I've been staring at from my car window in the past hour. The place been stashed out I know it that much and for one thing I'd give her credit for effort on turning her apartment contracts around by not having a single trace of her details, instead Spector found a whole different files and contracts how the place have been rented by a middle-age man named Ross for the last two years, not a single files has the name Grace.
" Where are you?" I mutter under my breath as I continue watching the balcony on the fourth floor right across the street and to my frustration seems like locked shut, " If you even dare to bring up the cops here, I swear you'll never gonna see your precious ring ever again," I heard her voice as clear as day which only pushing my patience," Fuck it," I shut the door behind of me as I rush out off the car and run across the street and before I find myself climbing to the 4th floor and not wasting a single seconds when I knock on the door, the same one I entered just last night when I followed Grace down here where I was hoping to get my ring back.
" Where is she?" I ask as soon as the guy, Ross open the door, one hand in his pocket while the other holding a coffee cup," And who the fuck are you?" He asks aggressively with a confused look on his face," I'm looking for Grace," I say quickly with a nod, trying to be as civil as possible," Ah, the famous Grace again, did you happen to know someone who was just banging on my door at 3 in the morning asking the same question? because guess what, my answer still the same no one's name Grace in here, leave or I'll call the police," Ross says before he nods and slam the door shut in front of me.
I scoff under my breath as I try to hold myself together, it's funny to think how just last night Grace insisted to not bring up the cops around the place yet this guy just easily bring it up, but whatever games Grace trying to play out really starting to pissed me off, I knock on the door for the second times, impatiently waiting until Ross open it," What do you want," He says almost yelling, I look at him for a seconds but changed my mind quickly because trying to find any shred of information from him would be a waste of time," Need to look inside," I say instead before Ross let out a humorless laugh quickly in the same time he put his cup aside,
" Yeah not a chance buddy, unless you have a paper for that, please leave or I'm calling the p-" I rush my way inside before Ross manage to finished his sentences," On second thought go ahead and call the cops," I look back at him as soon as I'm inside the living room before what I'm seeing take me aback for short second.
It's funny how everything seems exactly the same as it was last night if you only take a quick glance around the room yet so many things have been missing from its spot because for my advantage I spent long enough of time to noticed the difference aside from the missing broken furniture from the break in," Look, whoever you are there's no one name Grace here," Ross says with his now shaking voice as if he's nervous by my presence alone,
" Where are the frames?" I mutter," What?" He asks in second, I chuckle bitter as I let out a rush of breath before I look over him," There was a white empty frame next to that plant and a pair of ballet shoes hanging under that white console, I know because I was just here few hours ago," I mutter as I look around before Ross walk in front of me looking all confused," Top counter there's a half empty whiskey behind the coffee cups,"I say pointing to the kitchen counter, Ross furrow his eyebrows before he walks to the kitchen, surprised with what he found before he shot a look at me, " Did you break in here before?" He snaps," No," I scoff as I walk around the living room before letting out a sigh of breath," Just tell me where is she," I tell him calmly as I turn my back on him, keeping my eyes on what was a broken vase which now replaced by a small red stool.
" Grace, yeah you don't say," Ross let out a humorless laugh," No one's name Grace here, you're clearly delusional, I was here last night eating takeouts after a meeting-" Ross pauses in the same time he opens a bottom counter to show me a plastic bag full of takeout trash, " Look, I need to get to work and you get out," Ross sigh a rush of breath, stands his ground as he points to the door, I chuckle and shake my head as I walk back toward the hallway leading to the door, the same one where I stood next to just few hours ago as I waited for her to get changed.
Shit
" Fucking jerk," I hear Ross saying as he shut the door close just before I reach to the 3rd floor.
The sun start to rise above my head, leaning my back against the car with a cheap cup of coffee in my hand as I think over for my next move because never once I've met someone who wishing to be so invisible before I met Grace, a thief, a ghost, a dark shadow in the corner of your eyes slipping through the crowd stealing things off your pocket before she disappeared in a blink of an eye- I let out a rush of breath after finishing the whole espresso and toss the empty cup to the nearest trash and I climb back into my car, trying to process what just happened as I drive back to Brooklyn.
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Grace, the name's starting to pissed me off not over the fact that she lost the ring during the break in, but because she hides and cleans up her trace better than any other cases I've dealt with for running a security company, I know she only doing it just to get me off her track, but turning the apartment around and put up a fake profile under it and switch a different set around her place within hours seems a lot of work for a single person, unless of course she's not working alone, I've been in the business long enough to see the pattern Grace's trying to pull out and I won't stop before I'm ahead of whatever game she's trying to play.
Because one way or the other she can't keep hiding and when that time cones I won't let myself from losing her trace again, not before I get a hint about the break in that stole her jewelry box along with my ring in it, one way or another I'm getting that ring back.
" Do you even listen to me?" Sharon voice starts to fade in before I finally collect myself together," Yeah, sorry," I say dryly, looking up at her with a blank expression from the menu I've been blankly staring at for who knows how long, Sharon stares at me for a good ten seconds before she lets out a rush of breath and looks down to the menu in front of her, " I'll have the mushroom risotto, skip the garlic bread and my husband will have the grilled chicken, extra salad on the side," Sharon says casually before the waitress takes both menu and walks away.
My husband, the words coming out Sharon's red-cherry lips that usually excite me now feels like a blow on my face for having some other woman's name in my head, " You okay?" She asks, taking me aback," Yeah," I nod just enough to hold my card but Sharon continue shaking her head slightly, " You forgot I'm a doctor, babe, you don't look so good," Sharon says in whispers as she leans forward to the table and reaches for my left hand, " I promise you, I'm fine," I try to assurer her better by looking up at her, glad I had enough time to drive back home and freshen up before I picked her up for lunch because I don't need Sharon to keep bugging over my lack of sleep from last might," So where are you this morning?" Her suddenly question taking me aback but in six years I've known Sharon, she always have been the one who can easily switched one subject to another straight forward.
Sharon looks at me as she waits for my answer before she shrug a shoulder," I called the office expecting you're already there earlier but you weren't," Sharon chuckles dryly as she crosses her hands over her chest and lean back on her chair, I stare at her for a few seconds before I nod," Had a phone call about the ring," I let out a rush of breath when I say it as I prepare myself for whatever reaction Sharon might let out in the same time I reach for the drink on the table," Oh?" She pauses, reaching for the water instead," Who'd you call?" She asks instead," Scott," I shrug a shoulder slightly with a sigh of breath," Lang? I thought he's out of the game," Sharon chuckles as she move her glass away," Technically he still owe me a favor or two," I say quickly before I take a sip on my own wine hoping to drop the subject before she could press further.
" You should have just asked Steve," Sharon grins as she take a bread out of the basket and spread a piece of butter on top of it,
" What?" I ask shortly as I watch her closely, " I mean, remember when he helped out the case in Queens? found the thief within two 46 hour didn't he?" She says lightly, I take a swing of my drink before I chuckle along with her,
" Right, I should've just call him on his honeymoon," I finally put the glass aside.
For a second Sharon's face crease into a smile at my dry joke," Oh they already back," Sharon's smile turn wider," Natasha was just texting me before you picked me up actually, says we should go out for dinner with them tonight but of course I had a shift tonight,"
Sharon chuckle before she stares at my furrowed eyes on her, " What, Steve hasn't call you yet?" She asks in the same time the waitress walk in with our food, " No, he hasn't," I let out a sigh as I pull the napkin off the table," Well maybe they're still busy unpacking," Sharon nods before she made sure to thank the waitress for bringing the food," So you have a shift tonight?" I ask her as soon as the waitress leaves us," I'm covering Dani's shift, she could use the night off with her kids," Sharon smiles but you can easily tell they don't reach her eyes, I nod without a word as I watch Sharon take the first taste on her lunch.
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" Look, I'm sorry for losing it at the first place," Sharon begin the second I parked the car just outside the ER lobby, we spend the rest of our lunch talking between light conversation and our schedule for the next week, which for an hour she made me thought how she have dropped the whole thing with the ring," If I didn't insist to lose weight for Nat's wedding, the ring won't keep loosened on me- I shouldn't let the bridesmaids pressure get into my like that," She continues, waving a hand slightly to stop me from saying a word," I know it meant a lot to you so I'm sorry about the ring," Sharon nods before I look over her," Don't worry I'll get it back as soon as I hear from Lang," I say with a knot in my throat, Sharon stares up at me before she let out a rush of breath in the same time my phone ring, stopping her from what she had to say.
" I need to take this," I try to say it casually as I look down to my assistant's name on my phone screen, " Of course, I should get back anyway," There's a strange note in her voice before she quickly slip out off the door," It just a ring, okay? don't push yourself too hard looking for a missing thing," She says standing by the door looking at me before she nods quickly," I'll see you later," Sharon nods in the same time she closes the door, I watch her walks to the ER lobby and for a second I can see her hands wiping her face before she continues walking inside.
I can feel my pulse hammering in my throat, I glance over the ER door before I let out a rush of breath trying to release the knot feeling in my stomach but the more I stare at it the guiltier I feel for being too harsh on her," Yeah?" I mutter, finally picking the call up the that's been ringing four time," You've got a meeting at 2:30," Veronica says lightly as I climb out of the car, shut the door behind me and was about to walk toward the sliding door.
Everything goes quiet for a couple of seconds as I stop listening to whatever Veronica says on the phone the second my focus move to what's right in front of me, or at least fifty feet away from where I watch Sharon's face light up as she signed a bouquet of flowers at the front desk, a bouquet of her favorite tulips which I didn't send the damn thing.
Judging by the look on her face the flowers seems like the first thing that made her genuinely happy in the past week, I nod slightly, because I do regret for being too harsh on her and I can't let things get in a way between us any longer, I need to fix this, starting with finding the ring I'm going to marry her with," Cancel the meeting, " I tell Veronica through the phone as I walk back to the car with anger start to build up inside me," I've got a thief to catch," I hang up and quickly switching the call to Spector's number.