The Missing Teen

Chapter 1

Mixing business with pleasure was something that Adam Cole enjoyed, if the opportunity presented itself. Tonight was one such occasion. He was about to attend an auction party at one of Stamford City's finest hotels, the Four Seasons. Expensive wine and food would be on offer, while high quality jewellery was auctioned off to the rich and famous guests. On Cole's arm for the night would be Lucy Thorne, his boss at Stamford City Police Department's Intelligence Division, and, unbeknownst to the rest of the team, his girlfriend of several months.

"Nights like this are exactly my kind of thing," Lucy said in a prim and proper English accent as they got out of opposite sides of the chauffer driven black saloon car that had brought them to the Four Seasons.

"It definitely is," Cole said, almost drooling as he waited for her to join him for the walk into the lobby. She sure looked the part, with her hair styled in loose curls that reminded him of an actress from the 1940s or 50s. The vintage theme continued with a sleeveless light grey dress that tastefully accentuated her athletic figure. The look was completed with glamourous black leather opera gloves and matching black high heels. She looked more Hollywood starlet than a former MI6 operative, and it turned Cole on big time.

For his part, Cole didn't look much like a detective either, with his long hair down and wearing an all white business suit, dark grey shirt and black bowtie. By his own admittance he was quite a vain, cocky man, and he looked forward to himself and Lucy putting the other guests to shame.

"Let's go knock them dead," he said as Lucy linked arms with him.

"Poor choice of wording," she said quietly.

Ideally, there would be no knocking anyone dead on this particular evening, although they were attending the event on undercover Intelligence Division business. One of detective Charlotte Flair's confidential informants had provided a tip off that the auction was going to be the target of an armed robbery. If so, it would be the third such auction robbery in Stamford in as many months. Commander Thorne intended it to be the last, too, if it happened. If not, then it would be an enjoyable night out, paid for on expenses.

"Good evening, sir, ma'am," a member of the hotel staff said when they made their way through the revolving door into the lobby. He was fairly young, with short black hair. Befitting the hotel, he was wearing an expensive back suit. "Are you here for the auction?"

"Yes, we are," Cole said.

"Take an elevator to the fifteenth floor. It is marked 'Conference Hall'. Have a good night."

"Thank you," Lucy said. They proceeded across the lobby, arms still linked.

"I have commander Thorne and detective Cole inside the hotel. Are you receiving me?" The voice belonged to officer Bayley Martinez, Intelligence Division's newest recruit. It came through a small earpiece that would be all but invisible to a casual observer. Lucy was also wearing one, along with a tiny microphone hidden in her left glove. Cole had one in his left cufflink.

Thorne made like she was scratching an itch on the side of her nose with a finger of her left hand. "Receiving you, Martinez," she said quietly, but loudly enough for the microphone to pick it up.

Martinez was outside the hotel, parked just up the street in an apparently ordinary and insignificant dark blue van. With her was Clementine Everett, Intelligence Division's tech expert, and Lucy's adopted daughter. The two of them were out there for surveillance, in case there was any sign of a crew of armed robbers arriving at the Four Seasons. Uniformed officers were staking out the rear entrance, able to make radio contact with Martinez if anything happened there.

"Do you think those microphones will pick it up if I tell you how sexy you look tonight?" Cole said once they were in one of the elevators.

"I don't know, but if they can, they probably picked up when you said it in the car, too."