Chapter IV CONNECTION Part 2

-CATHRYN-

This is no mere coincidence. First of Bea has been missing before the meet and greet even occurred, this is impossible that she showed up at an event only 3 weeks ago. Could it be, she fabricated being missing?

There is more I need to know. If this is Bea, this photo sure can lead us into a bigger picture of what could've happened.

I took out my phone from my pocket and start dialing my partner from the station. "Chris?... Yes, I was busy so I couldn't go back on time." I sighed, I knew he'll rain quarrels at me. But this is not the time to joke around. "Hey, can you send me pictures of the missing reports 3 weeks ago on my desk? Do it quickly, I need it right now." I said as I return my eyes to the picture I'm still holding.

I ended the call and waited for Chris to send me the photos I need.

"Was that the officer beside you last night at the station?" Peter asked.

I almost forgot that I'm still here in the eatery with Peter. I should've told him to leave first because I might be wasting his valuable time by waiting for me.

I felt a vibrate on my hand from my phone. I instantly opened my messenger to see the photos Chris sent. I compared the girl in the photo that I got from Peter and the one from the missing report.

"It is Bea," I muttered her name once again in disbelief. The hair, the mole on her right cheek, her small lips, everything, all her resemblance. The girl in a red cardigan in the crowd with Peter is Bea S. Banawi. But how??

I bit the tip of my thumb as I wonder how on earth this could be possible.

"They are sure so look alike. What's wrong Cathryn?" I didn't notice that Peter is already looking at my phone. "It says here, she's missing?? When? Is it after the meet and greet happened???" He looks confused just like me.

"I am not sure, she was reported missing for almost four weeks now. The surprising thing is, you said this meet and greet happened three weeks ago which she went." I explained further.

"That is impossible! Could it be someone that just looks like her?!!"

"Just as you said, they are look alike. The only way to know is to make sure she went in this event." I stared at Peter busy checking the photo on my phone.

He then stared back at me, I rapidly avoided his gaze because I felt embarrassed.

"Do you want me to help you? I can ask to give the list of names that attended the meet and greet." He took out his phone and start dialing a number to make a call. "If I recall correctly there were only 45 people who went there, so it'll be easy to find her name." He suddenly made a gesture telling me to excuse himself because he's calling someone on the phone.

There could be only one possibility that will explain this case. First, Bea set up everything to make Martin look like a criminal. Martin isn't the bully here, it is Bea. That explains his reaction just hearing her name and the bruises on his arms. Bea hid far away from her school in fear of getting caught. But then, because she is a fan of Peter, she would go to the meet and greet.

It also says here that it's her teacher who reported her missing after two days of not appearing in school and her dorm. The same goes for the other three students who went missing.

However, something has been bothering me. Did Bea only run away because of her transgressions or....someone abducts her? Is her case connected to the other three missing students?

But before I go further from this possibility, I must find some answers first. Thank goodness Peter is here with me, if this never happened I wouldn't know!

After I did something terrible to him yesterday he still managed to keep a smile in front of me and he's also generous to assist. He must be a fallen angel.

After a few twinklings, he finally finished talking on the phone, he walked back at me and gave me an 'excited' look. "My company is willing to cooperate with you. If you want we can go there right now." He said beaming me with a smile.

I nodded in agreement. I took my phone and the photo on the table then we left in hurry.

-ꜱʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɪɴꜱᴏᴍɴɪᴀ-

We took a taxi to Peter's entertainment company. I feel so awkward sitting beside him. I have no idea what to say to break this irksome silence.

A question suddenly passed into my mind. Maybe this is an opportunity to ask him about that.

"Last night, when we were questioning you, that manager...Mr. Jung, he whispered something on you. You look frightened after that....did he threaten you??" I asked but soon regretted it because that's an awfully weird thing to ask when we just met again.

"Let's just say it is a threat. But not life-threatening. You see, I have a big brother and he's expecting a lot from me. Because of that, he became my weakness." I didn't expect he would answer my question with a very personal answer. He looked down on his feet then scratched his head as if he felt ashamed telling me those.

"I see. Sorry for asking such a question when I'm just a stranger." I said giving him a little smile just to light up the mood a bit.

It appears that his manager compelled him that he'll tell his brother what is Peter's doing. And of course, Peter would feel scared for he has big respect for his big brother.

One thing I realized today about Peter is that he's not behaving like a child. He just wants to be himself but because he's always in the eye of the public, he also needs to be reluctant about his actions or else it will ruin his image and people would misunderstand him.

"How old are you by the way?" Peter unexpectedly asked to break the loud silence.

"I am thirty-one," I responded.

"You look way younger than your age!" He gasped. "I thought you are like 27!"

Can't blame him to be surprised like that. It wasn't only him who reacted like this when they discovered my real age, by the way.

Now let's go back to my main objective right now, shall we? After 9 minutes of the ride, we finally reached our destination, the SZ entertainment. I waited in the lobby patiently while Peter went to the 3rd floor to see his manager.

I looked around the place. All the furniture and the interior designs look so fancy. It feels more like I'm in a Luxurious Hotel than an entertainment company.

Some time has passed, Peter with some people went down and called me. They want me to come with them to the management office to talk with the manager who was assigned at Peter's last meet and greet. When we arrived in the office, I showed them my identification card for security.

"Are you sure it's her officer?" The female manager asked as she checked the photo I'm holding from Peter and my phone with Bea's picture on the screen.

"Which is why I need to make sure by checking the list of names who attended the event," I replied.

She then handed me a copy of the list I needed. Just like what Peter said, there were only 45 people who came. So, I immediately searched Bea's name on the list.

"That is weird," I mumbled.

Bea's name isn't on the list. I kept looking from the start to the bottom of the list but her name couldn't be seen.

I gave Peter a look with confusion. He already knows what is up. "Her name is not there?"

"Yes, which is entirely strange."

The female manager abruptly stood up from her seat raising a brow at me. "Excuse me, how is that possible officer? We make sure that our events are properly organized. If her name is not there then maybe they're just really look alike." She complained while rolling her eyes.

Why is almost everyone here in Peter's company always give me an attitude?!

Peter halted her with his arm stopping the manager to say more. "How can we know that it's really that Bea if her name is not there?" He asked with worry on his face.

He's right. Geez, why is this so complicated.

"Hold on! there's something I remembered!" Peter said loudly that almost startled me. "I remember that she mentioned she's with a classmate that time! I just don't remember who it is." He went on.

Even if Peter doesn't remember, the fact that Bea was with a student in the same class as hers is a huge lead for us. We only need to know which one of these names is that person.

"Thank you, Peter. You've been a great help." I said. "I'll just ask the school for the names of Bea's classmates. With this list, we could easily find that student she's with."

I have to go back to the station first to report all of these.

I walked out of the management office after I bid farewell to them. It's already 3 p.m. I was about to enter the elevator when suddenly a voice called out my name.

"Cathryn!" Peter yelled. Not minding that someone might hear him. He rapidly rushed towards me as if there's something he still wants to say.

"What is it, Sir Nam?"

He played with his fingers before answering, "I umm...I hope to see you next time?" He said with a tint of red on his face. "We can eat somewhere else if you want." He added.

Peter had helped me so much today. He treated me to a meal, accompanied me through here, and cooperated nicely with me. I owe him a lot. I misunderstood him at first, and I feel sorry about it.

"Sure, why not," I answered with a smile.

-ꜱʜᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɪɴꜱᴏᴍɴɪᴀ-

It was already afternoon when I returned to the station. I immediately reported everything I found out to the Police Inspector; starting from the testimony of Martin's mother, the photo where I spotted Bea, and my insights about the case. The inspector listened well.

We proceeded immediately to contact the school where Bea goes, to know which way the student she was within the meet and greet.

It wasn't that long when the school confirmed to us that one of the names of attendees from the meet and greet was a student and a classmate of Bea S. Banawi, her name is Trisha Paelo. We interviewed the student as soon as we found out where she is.

With the help of our Inspector and a counselor, Trisha was cooperative for the investigation. She claimed that she knew Bea since elementary. We later found out that Bea faked a name during the event which explains why her name isn't on the list of attendees. Trisha also confessed that the accusations on Martin are all completely false, it was all made up by none other than Bea with her squad. My intuitions were right, she set up the poor lad just for fun.

She then stayed in Trisha's dormitory for a few days so that the school won't find her. This is where the teacher reported to the authorities that Bea has been missing.

Trisha once tried to stop Bea from all her wrongdoings but she never listened. Then, one day Trisha was forced by the gal to come with her on the meet and greet, after the event Trisha left Bea after an argument.

Later that day, Bea was never seen again, she never came back to Trisha's dormitory. The student wasn't even aware that Bea has been missing for weeks, she only thought that Bea just stayed somewhere far from her.

"Please....find.....Bea." Trisha pleads in a whisper while tears start to fall on her cheeks.

"Last thing we want to know, who were those students with Ms. Banawi to set up Mr. Nero together?" The Inspector asked.

"I also don't know Sir. I saw them in class again. The rumors in our school said they also ran away after the council discovered the three of them smoking in the school grounds."

Three? Wait a minute, then those three students are...

"Are those students' names are Rika Dela, Wendy Castro, and Isabella Vei Santiago, right?" The Inspector raised a question just exactly what I want to know!

"Yes." Trisha politely answered. "No one knows where they are, and none in the school are aware that Bea has been missing."

That is suspicious. No one knew about the student missing case???

We just finished interviewing Trisha in her dormitory. Me, Chris, and another officer are just waiting here in the police car for the inspector to come out of the establishment.

Our investigation's outcome is; the three students and Bea only ran away and hid because of fear of getting caught by the schemes they did to Martin Paul Nero.

"There is still something wrong here," I mumbled under my breath as I tapped the notes on my hand with a pen.

"What is it?" Chris sitting beside me in the police car wondered.

"What if they didn't run away?! They could have been abducted one by one...by the time they were reported missing." I replied with a serious tone. "That is why there were no traces of kidnapping. Because why bother of prompting a ruckus when the suspect can take them away when they are already missing!"

"That makes sense, but who could it be? Trisha?" Chris touched his chin as he wonder.

"I bet the suspect is someone that Bea and the other three victims knows." A huge man in a black leather jacket suddenly entered the car. It's our senior inspector, Police Inspector Rio. "If Officer Navarro's skepticism is right, the suspect could've abducted the four girls calculatedly the time they were reported missing because if he did that no one will have a suspicion. Everyone will just believe the girls ran away from their home." He continued as he took a seat beside the driver's seat.

"Wait, Sir, do you think that Bea and the other three victims have the same suspect?" Chris asked in confusion.

Inspector Rio nodded as a response. He's right, there's just one suspect behind all these. As expected from our Police Inspector!

There's only one more answer I need to know, and that answer is the missing piece in this puzzle. If we look at what Inspector just said, it could be someone the victims also know.

Then an idea suddenly entered my mind.

"What if...the suspect is the one who reported that they were missing..." I mumbled. Because if none in the school knows they have been missing for weeks, then obviously the only one who is aware is the one who reported.

Everyone in the car abruptly froze and glared at me. I gave them a 'what-is-the-problem' look before they came back to their senses.

"Great thinking Officer Navarro." Inspector Rio praise.

I now found the missing piece in this puzzle. The one and purely suspect that the victims also knows, and the only person that reported and informed of them being missing....the teacher.

To be continued~~