Balotelli-Bale Series Book #4: THE OTHER MAN PART 1

Chapter 32: The Narrator Of The Story

A/n: New Chapter

"...every story has an antagonist and a protagonist
but the two roles depend on
who the narrator is..."

Detective Roland's POV
Another busy day.

Another closed case.

I'm looking forward to a well deserved vacation. My wife is already talking about Hawaii. I was thinking somewhere local. It's not like the job pays enough for vacations in five star hotels. I'm neck deep in loans and they take priority over vacations in Hawaii. But they say, a happy wife, a happy life.

This man in tbe photograph looks like he just got hit by a bus. I leaned into my chair, flipping through the pictures depicting the badly assaulted man. "Hey Fitz?"

My partner swayed in his chair to look my way. "Yeah?"

"Who put these here? I'm going on vacation. I'm not taking a new case." I pushed the photographs aside and barely glanced at the report."

"I think you should look at it. Do you know those cases that make us respectable detectives? This is one of them."

"Assault?"

"The victim is Jason Burke."

He golfs with the chief." I noted in a lower tone.

Fitz got closer to me. "This is where shit gets interesting. You know Nickolas Bale?"

"Who doesn't know Bale?" I chuckled.

"He rearranged this guy's face." He pointed at the photograph. "And kidnapped his wife."

"What?"

"He filed a missing person's report on a..." He took the report from my table. "...a Keira Burke? Yeah. This is her."

I took the photograph of the woman with an innocent face. "I can see why they are fighting over her." I shrugged. "So Bale assaulted Burke and then he kidnapped Burke's wife?"

"She's missing. Take the case. This is the kind of sheet that sends you up the ladder."

He went back to his station. I continued looking through the report. Judging from when the report was filed, Mrs Burke has been missing for twenty nine days. Based on my experience, the first 48 hours are crucial. But perhaps she willingly left. Perhaps Mr Bale wouldn't take no for an answer and he abducted her.

There are many uncertainties when opening a new case but there are three certainties in this. Mr Burke was assaulted. Mrs Burke is missing and Mr Bale is not going to make this go away. This is not like the night he was caught with a trunk full of guns and he wiggled his way out of it. This time, he hangs.

He is clearly the villain.

Margaux's POV
"I lost him." The man I hired to follow Nick around reported.

"Again? How?"

"I swear I had him but I lost him."

"Listen to me Levi. You owe me! You owe me big time! Find out where he goes!" I hanged up.