Guys, Where's Wesley? (Emblem3 Fan-Fic) COMPLETE!

CHAPTER 14: Taking Steps

Lorenzo burst into what seemed like an antique shop. He rushed to the counter out of breath, “Hi, I’m Detective Lorenzo,” he stopped as he remembered he didn’t have a badge. He looked back at Tony. “This is my partner, Officer Tony.” He nodded to him as Tony took out his badge instead and the elderly cashier inspected it.

“How may I help you, Detective?” He asked with a smile.

“Look, I know we don’t have a warrant or anything that makes you, but could we please see your security footage from a couple weeks ago? It could be really helpful for an important case.” Lorenzo said, anxious, bouncing foot to foot.

The man simply turned and flicked his wrist for them to follow. “I get it Detective, I’m ex-force myself. Warrants can waste precious time.” He led them to a back room with a single computer screen. “My son just taught me how to use this thing, it saves a month of footage. Good on you too,” he said with a laugh. “My other method only did three days.” He pulled up the file Lorenzo pointed, skipped to a specific hour frame, and they all sat and watched.

Soon, a car pulled into the grainy view. One man got out, looked around, and grabbed a cage from the car, the dog named Wesley inside of it. He walked into the pet shop. Exactly 20 minutes later, he came out and got back into the car and drove off. To anyone else, it may have been nothing, but Lorenzo smiled. He showed the man how to email the video and were on their way.

Back at home, Lorenzo set to work. He opened the video and took a still of the man looking one way, him looking the other way, and him with a slightly clearer front view. He then emailed them straight to his sister, thanking God that his sister went to college computer programing. He had called earlier on their way back from the house so it took only a few minutes for her to email them back in practical HD quality. Lorenzo cheered to himself and printed the pictures.

“Tony, we need to go to the station, now!” Lorenzo said, again jumping from foot to foot but this time in excitement. This was a as good a lead he needed. Tony walked next to Lorenzo, almost to hide the fired detective, until they came to the Chief’s door.

Once more, Lorenzo burst through. “Chief, I need to be put back on the Wesley case!”

Chief William Stock was an older, black gentleman. He was strict on all his policies but he always had a soft spot for Lorenzo, who always put 110% in his cases. He credited Lorenzo with many of the station’s saved lives, including his own nephew’s. Firing him almost broke the old man but it had to be done. Now, the excited younger man stood in front of him, eager for the second change he just couldn’t give him. He sighed, “We’ve closed the case.”

Suddenly, Lorenzo couldn’t breathe. “Sir, I have new evidence, we run it through the face recognizer, we might even have a suspect!”

“You lost one of them, it’s changed to a body rescue, I can’t have the media on us any longer, Lorenzo.” Another sigh. “I’m sorry, whoever said bad publicity is still publicity must have been a real cook.”

“Chief, I’m begging you, let me just run these through the scanner, if it gets nothing, than drop it and I’ll walk out forever.”

The Chief put his head in his hands. Without looking, he took Lorenzo’s badge out of his drawer and slid it to him. “I’m giving you this chance, the state isn’t. Something goes wrong, I never saw you, understand?” Lorenzo laughed, nodded, and grabbed the badge, rushing out and to the techs of the station.

Wes moaned quietly. His head was banging and his body felt heavy and stiff. He slowly opened his eyes, noting the dusty ceiling. He forced himself to turn on his side with a grunt. He let out a big breath, forcing himself not to grind his teeth.