Triple Digits

Corey Strickland

There were no further clues to investigate. The videos had been scoured for any sign of where Triple Digits was being kept. The notes analysed. The fingerprints taken from Claire's apartment had turned up no matches, and the knife found on sight was a generic kitchen knife sold in the Mid-City supermarket that seemingly everyone owned a set of.
The only leads were the connections to the races, and the names Strickland had stolen from the university. There had to be a connection. Eclipse had a particular hatred for Claire. Was it because of something to do with Triple Digits?
He didn't have the resources to follow every possible racer who had come into contact with TD. Claire had never mentioned anyone of note, beyond Helix, Maddison, and the other four in the Top Five.
Two of them were dead, with another queued up to die.
The other Officers were beginning to lose hope, by the time eight PM on Tuesday rolled around. All of them had been asked to put in overtime so they could put an end to this fiasco. The two explosions on the Docks, and the death of another racer, had meant they could hide the knowledge of a murderer for no longer. At three, Dunfield had gone and given a public address detailing what they knew so far, but keeping key details out. He'd reminded everyone to remain calm, and lock their doors while the police dealt with it.
They couldn't find any reason for the killer to have kidnapped Claire Miles when all his other victims were dead, or being displayed online, like Triple Digits. What they didn't know was that it was Claire they were looking at...
Dunfield was beginning to rescind on his promise to give Strickland until Friday. Already, he'd requested the contact details for Claire's family be sent to him, so he could begin preparing to notify them of their daughter's fate.
Corey's panic only worsened with every hour that ticked by.
The names were coming up empty. Dunfield had requested search warrant after search warrant, until all seventeen names were cleared, leaving them with no suspects.
The killer was not getting his information from the university.
Shovelling a cracker with cheese atop it into his mouth, the crumbs tumbling across the desk, Corey studied the copies he'd made of all the notes on the killer, including the new ones about the events at the race on Monday night. Dunfield had given him an ultimatum- he could either sit down and have a lunch break where he actually ate something, or be sent home for the day.
So, he was here, eating cheese crackers Dunfield had made for him, and wishing Claire was there to share them with him while he worked to prevent her horrible and brutal murder.
They were turning to dust in his mouth with every new note.
Eclipse was a racer. He'd raced in the last one, and seemed inclined to race again. He took his reputation seriously. Could Claire have been someone who embarrassed him in the past?
He could request a warrant for videos of previous races to be handed over, since he knew several people, including the announcer, who were at every race and filmed them, going back years. But that would mean letting Dunfield in on what he suspected.
It meant telling Dunfield that Claire was Triple Digits.
Tapping his foot on the linoleum flooring of the break room, Corey hesitated.
Claire had said her racer name would be their secret, but if it saved her life, and kept Dunfield reassured that Claire was alive and able to be recovered, he should reveal it to his Commissioner. She would be thrown into jail, but she would be alive.
He needed a warrant to get past videos, and permission to put out a reward for anyone who handed in a video that led to the capture of Eclipse. Hundreds of people would have been attending those races, even years ago. Someone had to have caught something useful!
Fuck. He had to tell Dunfield.
Rising up, he felt his knees wobbling when he made his way to Dunfield's office, knowing the Commissioner was still inside only because the light was still on.
Knocking, he waited for Dunfield to invite him in before opening the door, stepping inside and closing it. He gripped the back of one of the chairs, feeling like a child confessing to a crime.
"Did you eat your lunch, Strickland?"
He hadn't finished it, but he'd eaten enough. He nodded wordlessly, gritting his teeth to stop his teeth from chattering in fear.
Claire very well might hate him for this, even if she was saved.
Dunfield leaned back in his chair, peeling his eyes away from whatever he was searching through on the screen. To the side of the computer were the contact details for Claire's family. He had been writing an email to them, detailing that they call! Dunfield was going to list Claire as deceased! Any search for her would be called off once she was. It would go from rescue to recovery, which would be put on a backburner compared to catching a murderer and freeing hostages that didn't even exist.
It was all Corey needed to know he was doing the right thing.
"Then how can I help you, Officer?"
"I need a warrant, and permission to post a reward for anyone who can bring videos of old street races to the police that lead to the identification and arrest of Eclipse." Mid-City wasn't a huge place. Any promises of a reward would spread quickly. At best, they could rally up a couple thousand. Corey would pay it from his own damned pay if it meant getting Claire back.
Dunfield arched an eyebrow.
"Old races? Why do you believe the killer was present at these races?"
"I think he has a special connection to Triple Digits. I also need all Officers to help me go through these videos when they come in."
"Strickland, there are other people who have been kidnapped, not just Miss Miles-"
"Except there hasn't been, Sir. I..." His voice wavered, and he fought past the hesitation, the urge to backtrack and leave the office, "Nobody else has been kidnapped."
"The killer clearly stated he had Triple Digits friends in his possession. He used that to force her to race, Strickland."
"I know that to be a lie, Sir."
"And how would you know such a thing?" His tone and expression had become annoyed, and Corey swallowed thickly. It was better to just rip the bandaid off, so he spat out hastily, "Because Claire Miles is Triple Digits, Sir! Her friends are Maddison Birchson and Helix, both of which are under police protection in the hospital."
Dunfield paused. He inhaled and exhaled once. Twice.
Then, he opened his drawer and reached for a cigarette, lighting it, taking a long draw from it. The smoke blew up into the air, overpowering the smell of lavender for the moment.
The silence was killing Corey, and he begged, "Sir?"
When he exhaled again, blowing a smoke ring, Dunfield faced his computer again. After a couple clicks, and typing something, he reached for the phone next to him.
Dialling the front desk, he ordered, "Officer Walker, please organise for all Officers out searching for Triple Digits kidnapped friends to be called back to the station immediately."
He hung up the phone, turning to face Strickland. Anger constricted his eyes into narrow slits.
"I should have you fired, Strickland."
Corey nodded slowly, fearfully. He more than deserved it. He'd committed crimes that ranged from breaking and entering to violating privacy agreements, and had lied to his boss. Yeah, he should definitely be fired.
"I know, Sir. I am prepared to resign if I must."
"Do not be a fool, boy. I just... You kept this information- valuable information- from your Commissioner and fellow Officers, wasting resources that were desperately needed, so you could keep your girlfriend's hidden identity in the racing world safe." It sounded as bad as it was, he supposed.
"I didn't want her to be thrown in jail, Sir."
"She can't be thrown in jail if she is dead, Strickland!" Dunfield roared, making him flinch, tightening his grip on the back of the chair. Its presence between him and Dunfield brought comfort.
"I know," he whispered brokenly, feeling like he had betrayed the one girlfriend he'd ever had, "Which is why I have told you now. I believe Eclipse has a past connection to Triple Digit that inspires his hatred."
"I will approve the reward, and put out a request to the public for videos of previous races between Triple Digit and anyone else. Until then, there is nothing else that can be done. I want you to go home, and rethink your choices in life, as well as your priorities."
"Yes, Sir." Was he... keeping his job?
"Be grateful I am not forcing you to reconsider your future in this department, Strickland. I will allow you to keep your job, and consider your lies a result of excessive emotional stress."
"Thank you, Sir." He was! Dunfield wasn't going to fire him!
He slumped in relief. If he went home, he would stay up and wait for those videos to come in.
Now, he was that much closer to catching Eclipse, and rescuing Claire...
He only hoped she would forgive him for what he'd had to do in order to save her.