Chapter 29 The Source

  Hatch Hotel

The Hatch Hotel resembled a modest two-story apartment, complete with a pool in front and a generally pleasant atmosphere.

Luke and his group of five stepped out of the car.

David turned to Marcus and asked, "How did you find this place?"

Marcus grinned, clearly pleased with himself, and replied, "Want to help me cover the informant's fee?"

Raymond and Jenny approached the hotel counter, where a police badge and a photo of Harry were displayed.

The staff quickly assisted in identifying Harry's room.

Luke and his team drew their pistols and positioned themselves on either side of the door, prepared for a swift entry.

Jenny knocked on the door. "Knock, knock..."

No response.

She knocked again. "Hello, room service."

A gruff voice from within retorted, "Damn it, we didn't order room service. Stop disturbing my sleep."

David nodded at Jenny, signaling to proceed.

Jenny continued, "Sir, there's a special event at the hotel today, and breakfast is free."

Harry's voice came through, irritated, "What event? I didn't hear about it yesterday..."

"Be alert," David warned, making a decisive gesture.

Luke felt a pang of unease.

David wasted no time. He kicked the door open and shouted, "LAPD! Everyone stay still!"

"Get down!"

"Hands on your head!"

"Show me your hands!"

Luke, Raymond, Marcus, and Jenny burst into the room.

Harry, shirtless and stunned, looked around in confusion.

A frightened black woman hid behind him, letting out a terrified scream.

"All clear."

"All clear."

"All clear."

The small room, with only a separate bathroom, was quickly searched.

Spotting Luke and David, Harry waved his hands. "What's going on, officers?"

David holstered his pistol. "Oh, it's Harry. Good to see you."

Harry asked, "Are you out of your minds? Why did you break into my room?"

David glanced at the woman behind Harry. "Who is she?"

Harry shielded the woman. "She's my girlfriend."

"Raymond, Jenny, take her to the next room for questioning," David instructed.

The woman, covered modestly by a sheet, dressed quickly in the bathroom and followed Raymond and Jenny.

Marcus cast a few lingering glances at the woman and Harry, muttering under his breath.

David sat across from Harry. "Alright, now that we're alone, tell me why you didn't answer my calls."

Harry sighed. "You barge into my room just because I missed a call?"

"Don't avoid the question. Answer me."

"Can I get dressed first?"

"No."

"Then answer my question first."

"We agreed that I'd help you find out about Tony Will. In return, you wouldn't pursue my assault on the police. How did that turn into this?"

Harry continued, "I'm not going to be threatened. I'm not at your beck and call."

He looked angry. "Just because I didn't answer your call, you stormed my room with police. What's the difference between you and a robber?"

David shook his head, smiling. "You should consider a career in politics."

Luke also smiled and pulled out a photo of Alicia. "Do you know her?"

Harry hesitated before responding, "No, I don't."

Luke patted his cheek. "Be smart. If we didn't have enough evidence, we wouldn't have come here. Don't make things worse for yourself."

"Alright, I know her. So what?"

"Where have you seen her?"

"At the Ball Club."

Luke, scratching his head, said, "Your attitude is making me uncomfortable. Answer directly instead of dragging it out. If you don't cooperate, I'll hand you over to David. Got it?"

Harry looked between Luke and David. "I had a run-in with her at the Ball Club. She was a dancer. I wanted to see her perform alone, but she didn't take kindly to my comments. It shouldn't be a police matter."

Luke asked, "Do you remember why we asked you to find Tony Weir?"

"He's a suspect in a Taser robbery."

"Yes, and this woman might also be a victim of that robbery. You had an altercation with her, and since you know Tony Weir, we suspect you might be involved."

"What? Robbery?" Harry looked genuinely shocked. "No, I've never been involved in any robbery. Even if Alicia was robbed, it has nothing to do with me."

David said, "Harry, we know how these things work. You might have taken revenge on Alicia for embarrassing you. If you can't give a reasonable explanation, we'll have to take you to the station, and it won't be easy to get out."

"Dammit..." Harry scratched his head. "I admit I tried to get back at her, but not like this."

"How did you get your revenge?"

"I filmed her. Took pictures of her dancing, followed her, and left the photos at her place."

David scoffed, "That's really nasty. You're a piece of work."

Luke, intrigued, asked, "Did you leave the photos at Alicia's home or her parents' place?"

"I don't know. I just followed her, saw where she lived, and left the photos there. I just wanted to teach her a lesson."

"And the address?"

"It seems to be... the Lean community."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I left the photos in the mail locker at the door."

"The mail locker was locked."

"Yes."

"How many photos did you leave?"

"One."

"Who took the photos?"

"I don't know."

"How many photos did you take in total?"

"Ten."

"How did you package the photo?"

"In a light grey envelope."

Luke and David exchanged glances. Harry's description matched the photo found at Alicia's parents' home.

But the Lean community was Alicia and Steven's address, not her parents'.

It was likely someone else found the photo and placed it at her parents' house.

The mail locker at Alicia's home was locked. If not Alicia, then it was probably her husband, Steven.

Discovering a photo of his wife in such a situation would surely be troubling for him.