Catching Shadows

Day Two

"Thursday January 27th, 2007 6:00 A.M. It's Detective Felicity Ambers again. We found out that another one of the guys that were at the pub got taken, his body hasn't turned up yet but he was kidnapped. We are heading to the bar to get the remaining guys identified that way we can question them. All I have to do is wait for Detective Sanders and then we can head out."
I was sitting in the office about thirty minutes early hoping that Detective Sanders would follow suit.
I knew that he must have arrived because I heard Victoria start flirting,
"Hey cutie, if you need anything let me know," she said while giggling. I rolled my eyes and kept listening.
"Okay," he responded quick and simple. He walked in about fifteen minutes early and seemed to be startled by my presence.
"Look who woke up bright and early," he said with a wide grin on his face.
"I was expecting you to be a little late because of yesterday, but it's good that your early, we have to get back to the pub," I said smiling.
"Well I had to make up for yesterday somehow."
I grabbed my keys and walked out the door and ran to the car "SHOTGUN," I yelled going towards the drivers side.
"Damn, I really wanted it ...why do you get shotgun all the time," He said sarcastically looking like he was about to burst into laughter.
"Because I yelled it first, if you yell it first you can have shotgun," I said while sliding into the driver's seat.
I messed with him a little more that day and as he tried reaching for the handle I would inch forward. He thought I was done every time I said I was but me being me, I wasn't. After we got to the next building over I stopped and promised him that I wouldn't pull forward anymore... so instead I backed up once then allowed him into the car.
He slipped into the car and we sped off on our way back to the pub with a printed pictures of the each of the men that were sitting at the table together in with the copies in our hands. He stirred up a conversation to pass time
"Where does superman put his clothes when he like gets into his costume?"
"...What?"
"Maybe he like uses he superpowers and puts them underneath his suit."
"No because he's all muscle-"
"I'VE GOT IT! He like air vacs the suit to him that's it!" he was so excited when he said it
"I don't buy it..."
"Okay, okay well... what about a zipper on his cape and he can airvac that too! And kinda spread it out a bit because it still had to flap in the wind when he flys."
"Okay I believe you, write a letter to DC and see for yourself." I said laughing
I started drifting off into my own thoughts, I felt different I felt confident about the case, this was HUGE but I still somehow I had convinced myself to be confident. I started fiddling with the radio trying to find something to lighten the mood Sanders looked tense, agitated maybe. His blue eyes seemed to thaw and he looked at me blankly like he had never seen a radio before. A smile snuck its way onto him. He still looked serious but it seemed like his mood had lightened. Instead of those cold blue eyes they returned to the familiar navy blue I started to get lost in his eyes looking at them through the rearview mirror. Again thin---
"Ambers I think that was our exit...."
Embarrassed I got into the left lane hoping to take the next exit and just backtrack. "Are you okay Ambers? Maybe I should drive," he said as he pointed towards a rest stop.
"I'm sorry.." I said shaking my head as I pulled into the rest stop. I had this feeling that I couldn't shake and I knew I just needed time to think or at least nap.
We arrived at the Pub after ten extra minutes was added because of the missed exit. I got out of the car almost instantly and walked into the pub as fast as I could trying to avoid conversation with Sanders before we went inside. I walked up to the counter and flashed the photo at the bartender who seemed intrigued by the group of men.
"Oh they're are cute, but their all engaged it's such a bummer," she said pouting while staring intently at the picture.
"Can you tell me their names," I asked almost instantly.
She nodded "well I can tell you most of them. I don't know a few though. The one on the left with blonde hair is Kenneth Rogers , the one next to him is Jordyn Stevenson, the one at the head of the table is Howard Peters , and the other ones I'm not sure of. I wish I could help but there were never the ones getting the drinks and they never really said their names during their conversations. The man two tables away is Derek Johnson, he has been thrown at plenty of times for stalking some of the women and men here, along with being in fights with some of the men and the woman at the stool two at the bar is Jamie Lexington, she is my best friend. Oh and the person that is at the corner of the photo is Leo... Leo Fisher... I think that's his last name. They are all a sweet group of people. But I've got to go detective I can't leave my customers waiting too long or my tips go to shit."
I laid a hand on her shoulder and told her to be expecting a call to restate the information just to make sure I had not missed anything I pulled out my notepad and wrote all of the names along with a description that went along with it. I turned around to see Sanders standing right beside me which made me jump.
"Dammit Sanders. You about scared me half to death."
"Well you should've known I'd be right here Ambers, we were asking for information and I didn't want to miss it," he said while obviously trying to hold back the laughter. He hesitated a moment then asked if I was feeling any better, but again thinking to myself I knew it would be another long night of documenting everything copying and, well dealing with all of the stress of the case. I nodded in reply and we walked out the front door. went straight to the passenger side and got in.
"She mentioned some unfamiliar names, now seeing the tape and having somewhat of a confirmation on our unidentified body possibly being Howard Peters, we can try to get in contact with him or his family, sad thing that they may have to come identify him.
"Sanders where are we heading," I asked as he was staring down the road in complete silence.
"This way." he responded while smirking as if he were the funniest guy in the world.
"What do you mean this way?"
He tossed out a finger pointing straight ahead and repeated "this way." with a very serious look.
I rolled my eyes and then laid my head against the window. As I was looking at the trees on the side of the street zooming past my eyes started to flutter shut and soon after that I had fallen asleep.