Chapter Nine

Greg & Henry

{Greg's POV}

A cool evening autumn breeze blows through the night. Life can't be more perfect.

On my way returning from an eatery four blocks away from our apartment, a black SUV drive pass me with such speed, I wonder where the driver could be rushing to. If there was a puddle nearby, I would have been drenched in it.

I try to get my mind off it as I walk back home but it's impossible. I keep thinking about the van, why was the driver driving at such a speed at this time of the night? I'm saying almost 100km/hr, if not more than.

I get home and open the door with my key. Alex is probably with Laurel, having the time of his life. Oh well, at least tonight, I have the apartment to myself. At a time like this, I'd have brought friends over or hung out somewhere but ever since I landed myself a job, I've been so serious with life. Parties, gaming with my guys, getting wasted, all that drastically reduced and I'm beginning to see myself as not fun anymore.

On top of that, I'm too stressed to cook.

Since Alex requested for his leave, it's been work! Work! Work! - I really can't wait to have my brother back. Then, the thought of that SUV comes back again. What's wrong with me? It's just a speeding driver who'd probably get caught by traffic officers or get into an accident. Or what if he's rushing a patient to the hospital? This is nothing for me to be stressing about.

I better call Alex and check on him. I pick up my phone and before I dial his number, it goes off. Great! I enter Alex's room and plug it to his charger then back to the kitchen to prepare dinner. I warm the rice and serve it on my favourite plate with a chilled bottle of Coke. Halfway to my dinner, the thought comes back again.

“Oh damn it! Who has cast an evil eye on me today?” I say to myself angrily. I hope it's not Baxter or any of his stupid friends from work. I can't even have a decent dinner in peace. And now, my appetite is ruined!

I sigh, looking up at the ceiling. What is wrong with me today? I was having a peaceful evening until that SUV drove pass me and ruined it. What do I do with my life now? Should I just retire for the night?

“I think I can call Alex now.”

I go back to Alex's room and pick up my phone. It charged to a reasonable extent so I dial his number again.

“Hello.”

“Hey Gregory, sorry I didn't tell you I won't be coming home tonight,” he says.

I roll my eyes. I'm not a baby Alexander, not like this is the first time.

“Where are you?”

“I'm at Laurel's. We are doing some research related to Colin's case. I'll see you by tomorrow when I come back, okay.”

Research on Colin's case! Who is this Colin for Pete's sake?!

“Oh sure. I'll see you tomorrow then. But Alex, wait!”

“Hmm. What is it?”

I can't figure out how to ask him if there's anything wrong going on over there because he seems fine and asking him that would make me look paranoid and stupid but then something strange happens. I hear a knock on the door.

“I'll get it,” I hear Laurel say in the background.

“Don't worry baby, let me get it. I'm closer to the door anyway,” Alex insists.

Why would anyone be visiting Laurel at this time of the night? Don't they have a house to sleep in? On a second thought, that knocking sound over the phone feels more strange.

“Hey Gregory, I'll call you later.” He ends the call.

No, no, no. This is not me being paranoid anymore. What I'm feeling is not some casual strange feeling. I'm actually quite scared.

I put on a jacket and head out. Thoughts starts popping up in my head. That SUV, that SUV… what's so special about that van? I get a taxi and direct the driver to Laurel's address.

{Henry POV}

Meers and I laugh at the joke she made about teaching Gaelic in school.

Me! Teach! That's so funny. How did she picture me standing in front of children or rebellious teenagers teaching them a language they'd eventually fail?

“What is wrong with that?” She asks with a bright comical smile. “You speak Gaelic very well. I didn't know you were so fluent in it.”

“Then you had to picture me teaching the language,” I say with a laugh.

“It won't be a big deal for you.”

“I may be fluent in Gaelic, I might teach someone who is willing to learn, but being a teacher? No way! I can't stand children, not one bit. They'll drive me crazy with their constant whining and misbehaviour.”

She laughs hard.

“I don't want to end up killing someone's child,” I add which makes her laugh more.

Meers has two sides. This side and the side she shows everyone else. She may appear all stern and scary but she can't beat me to it. Maybe that's why we connect so much.

A brief history about Mrs Meers. She was married for five years but her ex-husband filed for a divorce, saying she was too uptight and too busy for him. She didn't give him the satisfaction he needed as a man and so he couldn't continue being restricted to her and her self-righteousness.

I know right, he's a jerk. If he wanted sex every night, he should have married a sex worker.

Meers is an independent woman, and that's a key value I respect in women. She's better off without him to be honest.

But that tragedy stirred up something in her. Something that proved to be her strength. Ever since, she doesn't do anything other than work. It's like she transfers all her energy and emotions to her career making her even more successful than when she started off married to that jerk.

I, on the other hand wasn't really divorced per say. My wife left me for reasons best known to her and disappeared. She left behind our four year old son.

So here we are, two divorcees having a nice time, chilling with ice-cream by an ice-cream truck. As the ice-cream truck owner closes for the night we walk to the parking area.

“Have you ever thought of getting remarried?” I ask.

She recedes.

“If you realized there's someone out there interested in you,” I add.

“No! Henry, you already know me. I'm over marriage and being with a man. I'm happy with my life now.”

No lie, I can tell she is. Even if I want to, it will never happen so I won't even try.

I change the topic. “Have any idea on what next to do?”

She looks at me in confusion. She must think I'm still talking about her personal life.

“I mean about the murder case,” I clarify her.

“Oh!” She exclaims. “It will be very difficult if we continue handling this case with care and cautiousness.”

“How do you mean?”

“We've been playing by the rules since the beginning of this case. What if we try something else? Who knows, it might eventually give us a new lead.”

I nod. “I see what you mean. Like keeping tabs on Kelvin's movement and operations?”

“And Ivy too. Ivy may be innocent but I still don't trust her.”

“I don't either,” I say. And I really mean it. Ivy is not what she seems. “If only there was a mole we can use to uncover everything for us,” I add, rubbing my chin.

“If not a mole, at least a breakthrough. This case just keeps getting slower by the day.”

“But at least, we're making progress.”

We arrive at the parking lot.

“Let me drop you home,” I offer.

“In your police car?”

“Would you rather I steal a fancy car for you?”

She smiles, “I'll manage.”

We get in the car and I drive her home.

{Greg's POV}

It's like the closer I get to Laurel's, the more scared I am. I call both Alex and Laurel all through the long drive but no answer. Then the SUV thought comes back again. Maybe there's something with that car that is connected to this strange feeling I've been having. Something is definitely wrong.

Just as the taxi driver takes the last turn to Laurel's apartment, the same SUV drives towards us at the same reckless speed.

What's that van doing at Laurel's neighbourhood? An irrational side of my brain tells me to follow the van while the other tells me to just check on Laurel and Alex first. If I can't look inside the van with all the tinted glass, I can at least check out the number plate.

201 - D - 9024

I bring out my phone and take a quick picture of the van. A bit blurry but still visible.

The driver stops at Laurel's apartment building, I pay him his fare and he drives away.

Oh Lord! I hope nothing bad has happened to Alex or Laurel. I quickly get into an elevator and stop at the second floor. I run as fast as my legs can to Laurel's door. My heart beating uncontrollably in my chest, my mind racing. I open the door, it isn't even locked. Something happened here, I'm sure.

“Alex!!! Laurel!!!” I scream.

I maraud the apartment and behold, I find a body on the kitchen floor lying unconscious. It's Alex. At first, I agitate before checking him, he's still alive thank the heavens. I turn on the tap to soak my hand in water and sprinkle on him. He doesn't move.

“Who should I call now? Laurel! Where is Laurel!” I panic.

Oh my God! I knew it! That SUV. They must have taken Laurel! After getting my mind settled from jumping thoughts to thoughts, I pick up my phone to call Mrs Meers.

“Laurel!” A sudden scream screech in my ear. “Where is Laurel?”

I turn around, Alex's eyes are open but still on the floor. “Alex, calm down,” I go to him to help him stand up.

“Those guys! They took Laurel!” He yells.

“I know Alex, just calm down.”

“How can I calm down? They have taken my fiancée!”

Okay, there's no point soothing his temper. I better call the cops.

“Call Officer Henry now!” He commands me, like I don't know what to do. So cranky all the time.

After a while, Mrs Meers enters the apartment. “Alex, are you okay?” She says immediately she arrives.

“No I'm not okay! Laurel has been kidnapped, how can I be okay?”

I know the situation is dire but Alex can't just throw out his frustration on people who wants to help him. I won't be able to understand what he's going through but this agitation won't bring her back.

“What about Officer Henry?” I ask Mrs Meers, since all Alex cares about is Laurel being kidnapped.

“He has secured the perimeter. No car will be able to leave the city.”

I exhale. “I saw the the van that took Laurel.”

“You did!” Alex and Mrs Meers echo.

“Yes. I also got the number plate.”

“Greg, you're really smart. We have to submit this evidence to the police and trace that van.” She turns to Alex. He looks less agitated now. “Were you able to see the face of the people who came here?”

“It happened so fast, before I knew it I went unconscious. But I saw the face of the man that put the handkerchief over my face.” Alex confesses.

“That's good enough. You have to give every detail no matter how insignificant.” Mrs Meers says.

Alex, Mrs Meers and I leave the apartment to the police station.

{Henry's POV}

“Captain. All checkpoints have been duly secured, over.”

“Good. Search every vehicle going in and out through the borders as well, over.”

“Sir, yes sir, over.” I hang my walkie talkie in my back pocket.

When I asked for a breakthrough, I didn't mean someone should get kidnapped. As if we don't have enough problems on our plate, this just had to come along. Where do I start? Dublin is such a big city to look for one citizen, they could be virtually anywhere.

Meers, Alex and Greg alight a taxi and walk towards me.

“We have some good evidence,” Mrs Meers says.

“Tell me,” I say expectantly.

“Greg saw the van that took Laurel and we have the number plate.”

“That's good! We have to take this new information to the station pronto,” I declare.

“I also have a picture,” Greg says.

My happiness goes beyond the sky's limit. That's a very smart move there Gregory Rae Kester. I turn to face Alex who is still a bit shaken.

“Alex, did you see something?” I ask him.

He looks lost. “That man, I've seen him somewhere,” he says out of the blue.

We look at ourselves.

“Can you describe him?” I ask.

It takes a short while before he blinks severally like coming out of a trance. This kidnapping might start to affect his psychology if care is not taken.

“So?” Greg tries to get his attention and answer.

“I can describe him.”

“We should get to the station then,” I tell them.

Alex walks ahead of us to the police car while the rest of us exchange looks. We are definitely worried about how he is going to deal with all of this. More importantly, the trauma this incident might cause on his mental health. He's our only eye witness, I hope this doesn't affect him too much.

I use my head to tell the others to follow him behind.

*

Alex and Greg give their testimonies at the station. With the car descripion Greg is able to provide and the picture sketch Alex describes of the man he saw, I'm sure the kidnappers will be caught in no time.

“We have CCTV cameras placed at strategic points of the city. No way that van could have missed all of them,” I inform them.

“How long will it take to trace the van?” Greg asks.

“It might take a while but two days should be enough to have that vehicle located.”

“Two days!” Alex exclaims.

Alex is at it again. He must be so scared, thinking of the possible things his fiancée might be going through.

“Don't worry Alex, whoever kidnapped Laurel must have their reasons and I'm sure they won't do anything to her. Until their coast is clear, they won't leave the city but that is far from happening,” I reassure him.

“What about the man in the sketch,” Mrs Meers asks.

“We will have the police at alert at every checkpoint and stations will be notified once they find any suspicious activities.”

I feel a bit relaxed knowing that this kidnapping was reported immediately and the entire police force of this city's district are on top of the matter. We are doing all we can to solve this case. Sadly, it has gone from a private investigation to a public issue.

{Greg's POV}

“They won't have gone very far and as long as the borders are full-proof, they'll remain in this city. Another team will conduct a thorough search with every lead we get.” Officer Henry does his best to bring the agitation to a minimal, especially for Alex. He's been so confused and traumatized since the kidnapping.

I'm just glad that we are able to provide sufficient evidence for this case and I'm very sure Officer Henry and his men will bring Laurel back in no time. Truthfully, this case with Colin, whoever that is must really be more than just false accusations. I hope Laurel and the others put an end to this soon.

I step out of the office to the desk at the reception after giving my testimony.

“Can I use the restroom?” I ask the officer at the reception desk.

“That way,” she points at a door at the end of a passageway.

“Thank you,” I say and walk towards the door.

Walking along the passage is more dreadful than the aftermath of a world war. The smell of dispair keeps getting stronger and stronger. Maybe the prison cells are somewhere around the corner.

I enter the so-called restroom and my oh my! It's a mess. This must be the toilets for the prisoners because that is the only excuse I can give myself to see such a disaster. The smell of dispair and that from the toilets is just one word. DISGUSTING. The urge to urinate disappears so I decide to just wash my face and leave. I don't think I can tolerate this smell anymore.

I get the water running from the tap and bend over to wash my hands and face. While doing so, one of the doors to the toilets opens and a guys walks out trying to pull up his pants. I look to my right to catch his face for no reason. I don't know what comes over me but he has this aura that keeps me staring at him. From staring blatantly, I start to notice his features.

He is so darn gorgeous. From his silky brown hair to his brazen-faced appearance. He looks like a bad boy who doesn't deserves to be here. I want to stop myself from staring at his jawline and goodness, I catch a glimpse of his torso while he buckles his belt.

I have never looked at someone his long, especially a boy. This particular boy just broke a record and for the first time in a long time, I get awestruck by a stranger.

When he notices me staring, he gives me a 'shoo away, stop staring' look and walks ahead. My eyes follow him out. Oh my word! He might probably think I'm gay and I'm interested in him. I flick my hands dry to catch up with him and clarify that thought but getting out the door, I decide to let it go.

A fellow prisoner comes out and calls his name with a manly handshake and a shoulder bump.

My mouth agape when I realize that he's the Colin we've been fighting for.

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Q&A

Who do you think is the best match in the love triangle between Colin, Jane and Greg?