Paint the town blue

Chapter XXXI

Alex's POV

While all station is looking for my partner, I've already read all the reports on his case with Verstappen. I read every report, every expert opinion, every transcript of interrogations of both suspects and the Dutchman himself, in order to understand at least a little what kind of person he is and what to expect from him. Of course, I could ask Liam to describe him, but knowing his attitude towards Max, it would hardly be a good idea and would bring at least some results. So reports and other writings are my only reliable sources of information. It's just a pity that I can't find the information I need by pressing a simple keyboard shortcut, as it was in the cybercrime department. Oh, I still miss the old days.

And while I was reading, Liam, our profiler, visited Leclerc's therapist. If I remember correctly, then their meeting is just today, and after it Liam promised to visit me and tell me what he learned from the doctor. However, I'd be very surprised if that man would let Lawson dig into my partner's medical history without a warrant.

I was sitting in my office and reading another transcript when a call came to my phone. Well, who it might be?

"Hello?"

"Alex? Hi. I have a problem."

"And what is it?"

I already knew the answer, but still I wanted to hear that I was right and to amuse my ego a bit.

"The warrant. I need a warrant."

"How unexpected, isn't it?"

"Alex, don't start. Ask Frederic to issue a warrant to read Charles's medical records."

"Liam, did you get something wrong? You're not a detective, Fred won't give you anything, because you're not working on a case."

There was a sigh, more of disappointment than annoyance. And I don't think I could've helped him, because Fred definitely wouldn't issue a warrant in the name of the profiler, no matter how hard I tried to convince him. While Lawson continued to protest, I ran my eyes over the transcript of Max's second interrogation, which was conducted by Charles.

"Liam, where are you now?"

"Guess it three times. I'm still at home, but I was going to go to the clinic, but it's unlikely that there will be any point in going now."

"I have an idea. Drive up to the station in twenty minutes."

"What are you—"

"Do as I said."

I finished the call and got up from my chair, then hurriedly left the office and went straight to the boss. It's not torture to try, so I'll still try to get a warrant and get Leclerc's medical record.

When I reached the office I needed, I knocked on the door and went inside without even waiting for a response from Fred. The boss looked at me in surprise and folded his arms, obviously waiting for an explanation.

"I need a warrant to get Charles's medical records."

"And why do you need it?"

"I read the transcript of the interrogation and saw how easily Max could get Charles emotional. I need to find out if he has so far succumbed to his provocations just as easily or not, and only his doctor can know about it."

"You know how secretive he's been lately. Are you sure he told the doctor at least something?"

"I'm not sure, but it's worth a try."

Fred didn't really buy my argument, so I started putting forward a version on the go. I said that if Charles was still being led by Max's tricks, then it was quite possible that Max hadn't kidnapped him. Perhaps this is a staged kidnapping, and Charles left with him on his own free will. Frederic said that this version was contradicted by traces of his blood on the fragments of the bottle, and I said that since this was a staging, then he could get the blood in the simplest way. The boss raised an eyebrow questioningly, looking at me intently. I told him that since it was impossible to determine from which part of the body the blood had flowed, it was likely that Charles could have simply cut his hand, smeared the fragments and evaporated with Max. This time, Fred seemed to doubt the unreality of my version and shook his head. What's more, I myself now began to consider this a completely working version of events.