CRYPTO: Infidelity (Book 1)

CHAPTER 15: STOLEN

I sprinted down the sidewalk, hoping I could catch up to Neil and Adi before they left, but when I passed the cafe, I didn't see them or their car. I had to assume they had driven away and were safe so I walked back to my car, but it wasn't where I parked it. It was gone and I realized then that my car keys were gone too.

I went looking for a cop so I could report that my car was stolen. All my belongings were inside and I didn't have a place to sleep so I really needed at back as soon as possible.

When I spotted a police officer, I left my raincoat with the gun inside beside some abandoned homeless junk and walked up to the officer.

"Excuse me, officer," I said. "I'd like to report a missing car."

"Get in line, kid," he replied. "We get auto theft reports 50 times a day on average."

"Well, it was just stolen a minute ago. It shouldn't be hard to find. It's a white sedan with an Arizona license plate. I can tell you the license plate number."

"Alright. If it makes you feel better, I'll jot it down and bring it to the station."

"Thank you."

The officer took out a notepad. "What's your name?"

"Crypto Federici."

"And what's the license plate number?"

"CCX4..." I saw out of the corner of my eye some homeless guy pick up my raincoat. "Hey! That's not yours!"

The hobo stole it and ran.

"Get back here!" I sprinted after him.

He turned into an alleyway and I followed him out the other side. He tripped me on the turn and I skidded on the pavement, leaving a burn mark on my forearms. The hobo crossed the street and disappeared into a crowd.

"Ow," I said as I got up. I walked back to where I left the cop, but he was gone. "Just my luck," I said. I turned around to see the gun laying where I had left my raincoat. It must have fallen out of the pocket when the hobo picked my coat up. I made sure no one was watching and picked the gun up along with an old, smelly jacket. I stuffed the gun into one of the pockets and put the jacket on.

If the police wouldn't help me, then I would have to get my car back on my own. I refused to spend the night in the streets of the most violent city.