Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Beth entered the foyer of the police headquarters ten minutes after leaving the bar. The pieces of the puzzle, although incomplete, were starting to fit together, and might convince Detective Cooper to help.
This had all started two days earlier, on a Friday night, when Eric had parked in the city garage before coming to the bar with his laptop bag. The events in the bar were a mystery, although the owner of Lanigan's knew more than he was letting on. After Eric returned to the garage, all signs pointed toward a black-clad man stalking and kidnapping him, probably in the elevator. The blacked out elevator footage proved foul play was involved — at least to Beth. Perhaps it would convince the police detective, too.
When Beth arrived at the police station, the old man in the foyer informed her that Detective Cooper was no longer on duty. At her request, the old timer called back for Officer Jennings. A few minutes later, the policewoman led Beth back to her office, where a middle-aged man waited in one of the guest chairs. He was slightly overweight, with a round face and close-cropped brown hair, and wore a pair of khaki pants and a blue blazer.
"This is Detective Clark," Jennings explained. "He's the other senior detective on the force, along with Cooper. When he heard you were here, he wanted to hear what you had to say."
Beth detected an almost apologetic tone in the woman's voice, as if the policewoman were forewarning her not to expect much help.
Detective Clark rose and extended a meaty hand toward Beth. She shook it.
"I'm familiar with your situation, Ms. Harper," he said, releasing her hand and returning to his seat as Beth remained standing. "You have a friend who has been gone for a little, and for some reason you think there must be foul play involved."
"I guess that's one way to put it," she said, giving him a stern stare.
He leaned back in his chair. "I guess you're here again because you have new information that's going to turn this into a crime?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Beth replied, as she pulled the garage photographs from her bag. She placed them on the desk in front of her, as Detective Clark and Officer Jennings leaned forward for a closer look.
"This is Eric Stump — the missing person — leaving the garage on Friday night and heading to Lanigan's, the bar just down the street," she said as she pointed to one photograph.
"And this one was taken just a few moments later, as the time stamp indicates," she continued. "Pay attention to this individual here, following him." She pointed to the man in black headed toward the bar.
"I don't think you can necessarily say he's following him," Clark interjected. "He's just walking down the sidewalk in the same direction and happens to be behind him."
"Fair enough," Beth conceded. "But stick with me." She placed another photograph on top. "Look at this next one. This is the same man in black, leaving the bar. Notice the timestamp on the photo." She moved another photograph on top. "Now look at this next one, which is Eric Stump leaving the bar, just a few minutes later."
"So what's your point, Ms. Harper?" Clark asked her. "All we've seen is that the nighttime meanderings of these two men overlapped a bit. Nothing more." The man slumped back into his chair and crossed his arms, a frown on his face.
"A few more things," Beth said, and placed another image on top of the pile. "These screenshots show the elevator feed, which had been working earlier in the evening. Strangely, each camera went offline at the same time Eric Stump would have been in view."
Beth paused for effect, letting Clark and Jennings examine the black image. The two police officers said nothing.
"This next photo here," Beth said, pointing, "shows our mystery man leaving the garage in his car. It has to be him, because he doesn't show up in any other footage. As you can see, dirt covers his license plate, and he's wearing a ball cap pulled down low." Beth paused again as she waited for the officers to react. Clark wore a poker face, but Jennings peered in with a raised eyebrow.
"Last but not least, compare these two photos of Eric Stump on the sidewalk," Beth said, placing two photos side by side. "In the one on the left, he is approaching the bar and carrying a laptop bag. In the other, taken after he left the bar, he is empty-handed."
Beth sat back and folded her arms across her chest. Clark did not seem impressed. A frown contorted his face and his head shook slowly.
"Ms. Harper, that's not probable cause of anything," he said.
"I'm not saying it is," Beth said, after gritting her teeth. "What I am saying is it is enough to suggest we need to examine this more closely."
Clark made a quiet clucking sound with his tongue, as his forehead wrinkled in thought.
"I'll tell you what, Ms. Harper," he said. "Perhaps you're right. There isn't enough there for us to open an official investigation, but maybe this is more than nothing. When Detective Cooper and I are on the same shift again together, we'll get together on this, and figure out a way to dig a little deeper without going full bore on this."
"And when are you both on the same shift together again?"
Stephens thought for a moment, before saying, "The day after tomorrow. We're not on the same shift, actually, but the end of my shift overlaps with the start of his. He usually comes in early, so I can talk to him then."
"The day after tomorrow?" Beth said, disbelief dripping from her words. "You know as well as I do that every minute counts at the start of a case like this. The day after tomorrow will be too late."
Clark shrugged. "I wish there were more I could do. I really do. But that's the best I can offer."
Beth stared at him before giving a curt nod. She wasn't going to change his mind.
"I guess that's it then," she said.
Five minutes later, she was back in her car, knowing it was time for Sapphire Angel.
Beth drove back toward Lanigan's Bar, but didn't park in the parking garage. She didn't want Ted to see her. Instead, she found a parking spot along the street, about two blocks from the bar, and walked the remaining distance.
Along the way, she ducked into an alley, glancing around to make sure she was alone and there were no cameras. The alley was clean, as far as alleys went, and, best of all, was devoid of any windows. She headed for a metal door, set back in an alcove.
After moving deep into the alcove, with her back pushing up against the metal door, Beth pushed her long blonde hair back over one ear and listened for any approaching footsteps. Hearing nothing, she closed her eyes and raised a fist to the base of her neck.
A brilliant flash of light filled the alcove, but somehow didn't spread out into the alleyway. When the light subsided, Sapphire Angel stood where Beth Harper had been, her radiance bringing life to the surrounding area. Her blue-and-white costume clung to her body, with the short white skirt highlighting her slender legs.
Sapphire Angel took a survey of her costume, making sure her boots, satin gloves, and necklace were in place, before she stepped out into the alleyway. She turned toward the main street. It was time to find some answers.
Other links:
Sapphire Angel, Superheroine (Book 1)
Power Play (Book 2)
Deconstruction (this book - Book 3)
Oh, dear......doesn't this make, Iike, ONE heIpfuI person (Ted) versus THREE unheIpfuI ones (Detective Cooper, Detective CIark, and Don Lanigan)? Like I said before.....you're reaIIy naiIing the reaIism aspect.
I guess Sapphire's doing this mostIy by herseIf. I guess Ted couId heIp out on occasion, Iike he did earIier, but then again, he onIy knows Beth, so I don't know how that wiII pIay out.
Moving on!