Protective Arms (Completed)

23. No

Lunch couldn't have gone better. It was a good idea to have it at the salon with all the girls, but Athena makes it the best. I feel a little proud of myself, even after asking Athena to lunch I sorta changed to have it there to include my sister and Bethany since I had remembered Chas talking about how they worked during one of the family dinners with our parents.

I truly enjoy listening to the women talk. Their laughter filling the space as they go over different things they have thought about doing or have done. They all seem to relax with each other and almost like they were sisters and not friends.

Sitting back at my desk the finger print is still running. It is crazy just how many are in the database for our county alone.

"Still nothing?" Brit asks walking up to his desk.

I shake my head.

"Reading over the testimony of the one waiter from the restuarant has me thinking it is not adding up."

"What do you mean?" My interst peaked on where his mind is going.

"Well the guy goes in for his shift but never clocks in. Right before his shift he is seen making his way to the locker room but is stopped by a customer. The next thing anyone knows the worker is gone. I took a look into his bank statements and he ended up depositing almost five hundred dollars cash."

"That still wouldn't be enough for him to just not work his shift at the restuarant."

"No, but it is a young kid basically. He probably thought that was easy money for just one night and went home. Taking more than what he normally makes in even a weeks time."

I nod my head some, soaking in this new thought process.

"So you're thinking someone paid him to take the picture?"

"I would say so. It also makes since why nothing was seen and I bet if we go back over the video feed then he is there at that angle snapping the photo."

"That still doesn't answer who paid him the cash. I doubt the kid would even be able to tell us much on that front."

I rub my face.

My computer finally stops running. Sitting up in a straighter position in my chair, I look at the screen only to see the worst thing making this case even harder.

No Matching Results.

"Fuck." I sigh out loud.

Brit gets up and walks around to look at my screen, only to repeat what I said.

"We can go talk to the kid again and see if he can explain the persons face that paid him?" Brit offers.

"Yeah that is the best thing to do next. Let's update Gaperal on this too."

Brit waves Gaperal over, who at this point should just join being a detective with us too and not a regular patrol cop.

Brit goes over the new front that we are going to try and go off of. I add in occassionally, but our conversation stops when my phone starts ringing.

I pull it out to see it is Athena's number.

"Hey precious. Everything okay?" I answer the call.

"I got another message."

"We are on the way now." I hang up.

Brit and Gaperal hot on my heels as we make it to the vehicles. I jump in my truck with Brit joining, while Gaperal gets in his patrol car. Taking off for the salon, my gut starts to twist in knots.

I walk in the salon first and they are all sitting in a chair. Thankfully, they don't have any clients at the moment but I remember before leaving Bethany's one was a no show.

Athena stands and just hands me the phone.

I look down and can see it has a picture of her bedroom when it was done from the break in.

"I hope you like my gift. All I need is your love and I had expected it long before now. What else will it take for you to be mine? Must I take you to a special place where you can't ever leave me? Don't force me, my love, as it will not end well for you and I hate to scar that body."

My hands shake when I read it out loud, before handing it to Brit.

Gaperal huffs and shakes his head. "We need to find this guy."

I nod.

"What if we can catch him?" Brit hands the phone back to me and I forward it to my email for the file.

"What are you thinking?" I ask, even though I don't think I will like this.

"Hear me out."

"We are listening." Gaperal grunts.

"So far we don't have any hardcore lead but that could all change. It may be possible to catch the perp red handed."

"Just how are we going to do that?" Gaperal thinks over it.

My heart and stomach fall out of my ass. No! He can't be thinking.

"We have to clear it with the Chief and get more Officers to surround an area undercover."

"No." I fume.

Brit shakes his head.

"Right now it may be the best we got."

"It would put Athena in harms way even moreso."

"If we can just send a message back to this number stating that she wants to meet up with him. Even go down to his level and claim she is wrong to have not seen it. The suspect will be drawn out to where we can arrest him"

"We have no clue how violent this person could actually be, Brit. There is more risk to that plan. It is where the good does not out weigh the bad."

"Gatlin is right at the time. If it was more than a rock through the window and breaking in we would know how violent this guy may be but as it stands he isn't officially harmed anyone on this case." Gaperal seems to agree with me.

Thank the freaking stars for this one small miracle.

"You also have to think Brit if a message was to be sent back from this side and say all those things, the court system can throw this case out the window. There is nothing that can jeopardize this when the suspect is caught and behind bars." I try not to seethe.

"We just need to find a way to lure him out and not put her in harms way or mess with court in the future." Brit gets his thinking look on that I know all to well.

A/N---
Hey Hey Guys!!!

They are trying hard to figure something out and finish this for good. What will they come up with?

Zack got a little heated and protective at the thoughts using Athena as bait. Could it have been a good idea still?