The Beast Within Her Beauty

8

**

"Do you have anything for us, Detective Lakes?" Asked Officer Jones. A mocha skinned police officer with dark brown eyes and a short hair cut. Dressed in the usual policeman uniform.

Detective Lakes is a muscular, hard-working man. He's been a Detective for about nine, maybe ten years. A recently divorced man with a three year old daughter named Alice Lakes and a dark secret. He has worked with Hayden for a few years - about five -. Since the day Lana was found. So he wasn't so surprised about Hayden escaping.

"Nope, not exactly. I'm running the CCTV tapes right now,"

"Right, get on that. Let me know if you find anything, I'll be back in an hour,"

"Of course. You got a date with the lady?" Meaning Officer Jones' wife. Lakes knew it was unprofessional to ask about his personal life, but he just couldn't help it, Jones is his best friend. He has been since the day Lakes started the job.

"Uh, not exactly. More like a lunch appointment with Officer- hey! You know the rules, Lakes. No-"

"Personal questions, yeah, I get it, blah, blah... Officer Miranda?"

"I'm leaving now. Good-bye, Lakes."

Lakes chuckled and closed the door behind Jones.

"Let's get these tapes running..." He mumbled as he sat down in his comfortable chair and began to run through some files on his computer.

"Come on, Moore. I know you're on here somewhere..." Lakes gulped from his cup of coffee, it would be a very long day of investigating Hayden's escape.

After thirty minutes or so of searching through the tapes, he finally came across two that involved Hayden and his brother Alex. "Alex?... What the hell is Alex..."

"Knock, knock, Detective Lakes?"

"Goodness, Jane, what happened to actually knocking?"

"Sorry," Jane laughed. "But I know where we can start with this investigation."

Lakes raised an eyebrow and turned around in his spinning chair. Hmm.

"Do you now?"

"Yes, Mr. Lakes."

"Well, out with it then. We don't have all day,"

"Remember the woman he was arrested for? Well, even though it's been a few years, I think we should find out where she lives and talk to her about it. What was her name... Alanna?"

"Lana Winters..." He said quietly to himself. "Her name is Lana Winters. I guess, pull her file up and find out where she last resided. Any other information would be great too, anyone she's had relations with, any family, her child,"

"I'll be right on it, sir. Anything else you need?"

"Another coffee would be great, my cup is damn near empty."

**
9:00pm. Lakes was finally off duty and able to enjoy another hour or so to himself before he had to go home to send the babysitter away and tend to his three year old. On the way to the store, he couldn't help but continue to think about Hayden. How did he manage to escape? When did he do it? Why? It was a logical explanation though, who would want to be locked up in a hole for the rest of their lives? Not me, he thought, I would probably do the same...

His phone began to ring, distracting him from his thoughts. New call from: M.

"Hello?" He answered. The man on the other side spoke quietly, almost inaudible. "Yeah, where are you?" The man whose name was M asked Lakes to meet him at his building. Lakes agreed. "Yes, I'm off duty, kid. Sure, when? Now? I can't now... Okay. I'll be there in twenty. Be ready." He simply hung up and threw his phone back into his work bag.