Beyond The Worst Case Scenario

Chapter 12: Finding Carter Bellshaw

Beyond The Worst Case Scenario

Chapter 12

Day 3

Brooklyn Bridge Park

13:35

                The bleak, grayish-black sky let loose a bounty of snow flurries as soon as the detectives arrived at the nearly empty Brooklyn Bridge Park. The wind screeched as it tried to steal the last bits of remaining warmth from the two friends as they trudged up and down the gray woodchip covered paths. Finally reaching their destination, Gabriel chose to sit at a worn wooden picnic bench under a leafless tree in the center of the park, while Nathaniel leaned his back against the tree. He stood on one foot, using the other to balance himself against the trunk. Nathaniel regarded the dismal clouds with distain as Gabriel glanced around the park for the familiar face of Dr. Carter Bellshaw. With no such luck Detective Krause let out a soft sigh that was torn away by the furious, howling wind.

                A tornado picked up the dead leaves scattered about the blanched lawn, flinging them up into the air and whirled them around in a tight, dizzying vortex. Gabriel watched wistfully as the brittle, brown leaves settled back down, only to be picked up again a moment later by another unsettlingly strong gust. The lull of voices could barely be heard from the scattered pedestrians as Krause peered at each face of the unknown strangers yards away.

                “How long have you known her?”  Gabriel asked suddenly, startling Nathaniel out of their shared silence.

                “Who?”

                “Dominique.” Krause stated bluntly, crossing his thin arms over his chest.

                Nathaniel answered vaguely, “We met before I joined the force.”

                “That doesn’t answer my question.”

                Nathaniel let out a harsh breath, then answered his pushy friend, “Well, I’m twenty-eight now, so that would mean we met about seven years ago.”

                “How come you never brought up the fact you had a friend in the CIA?” Gabriel questioned, but Detective Lietiz stayed silent.

                Krause rolled his eyes in a juvenile fashion and decided to try again with a different question, “What was your relationship?”

               That caused Nathaniel’s head to snap back to face his partner so fast he got whip-lash. Rubbing the back of his neck, Nathaniel muttered, “Wha’d’ya mean?”

                “I’m not bind Nate.” Gabriel stated impatiently, glancing over his right shoulder at his troubled friend.

                “I suppose.” With a painful pause, Nathaniel started the tale of is past relationship with Dominique. He knew that if he didn’t just get the story over with now, Gabriel would constantly nag him about it until he was forced to cave. ‘The phrase: curiosity killed the cat, would fit Gabriel perfectly’ Nathaniel thought to himself as he gazed over the wide open expanse. A faraway look appeared in his eyes as he recalled the memory that was so dear to him from all those years ago.

                “We met at a small café in Queens. I was a college student at the time, so I used to go there to cram for the next day’s test. Dominique worked as a barista, though I later found out that was only field work for an undercover operation she had been working on. It was love at first sight, all the right signs were there. We dated for a few months and fell madly in love with each other.