Edict 42

Chapter 9 - Frank

Frank was outside by his car with Mark seated inside. He was waiting for Mia to come down to them. He didn’t want anyone to see them walking together more so now that he noticed that the secret police were also here. They continued their investigations like normal and pretended that they had not gotten anything further to go on. Frank interviewed all that would allow him and they both got nothing more to go from. No leds nothing new that was not in the report, he would have another go at the husband maybe tomorrow and a look around the house if permitted but for now Mia was there only lead.

Frank got inside the car and closed the door.

“You think that she knows something more that can lead us somewhere?” Mark asked.

“We have to see how it goes, I don’t want to assume anything at this moment.” Frank looked at his watch and then towards the entrance of the building. “She should be coming out soon. Then we will leave first and she will follow behind us.”

“Don’t you find it strange how many secret police were there?”

“Yeah, it was very suspicious in a way they were even trying to listen in on the conversation but I doubt they could object to us checking over the clients.”

A missing person takes precident and they can’t interfere with the investigation and although they might have wavered Dr. Matters for now if he has any involvement in this he won’t be able to get off the hook with a blantant lie and a cover from the Chief of Police.”

“I am still in shock over the whole thing I can’t believe the Chief would do something like that.”

“The Chief’s hands were more than likely tied. If he doesn’t play ball they hold back funding and would probably make up a false story to pin the media against him. Its like this you have a well respected top ranking scientist in the world. At his own workplace, where they claim he wasn’t breaking in. How much weight would that have even if the CCTV shows differently. I bet they will come up with something or instigate court proceedings. Its not enough what we need is to find out the link between him and Dr. Cox.”

Mark pointed towards the building. “There she is.”

Frank started the car and slowly pulled out passing beside Mia the two acted as if they didn’t know one another. He circled around once noting the car that she went towards it was a red sedan.

“You think they might follow us?” Mark asked as Frank pulled up to the security hut.

“No, they wouldn’t want to raise any suspicion, we’re investigating a missing person if to much interest is put on seeing what we do it might come off the wrong way.”

The security guard waved them off and Frank nodded in return. Frank kept a steady pace looking in his rearview mirror for Mia to keep track.

Frank phone rang, he glanced the number it was Sally, he handed Ryan the phone.

“Hello,” Mark said, “Ok, ok.”

Frank kept his eye on the road looking for an area which he deemed safe to talk. He pulled into what use to be an old fast food location car park. The building now abandoned.

Mark was now finished with the call.

“What did she say?”

“She wants to meet up with us later, she wants to get in on the case.”

“In on the case and she is suspended?”

“Frank you know how she is, she is going to go mad without anything else to do. I guess we can brain storm on it.”

The red sedan now had parked next to them.

“I know, roll down the window let her get in the back seat of the car,” Frank said.

Mark rolled down the window and told Mia to get in the back seat. She got out of her car and got into theres.

In the mirror Frank saw that the woman was tense. It would be best to reassure her that whatever she said would be confidential between them and that it wouldn’t come back to bite her.

“Miss. Chrichlow whatever information you reveal here is safe between us. You don’t have anything to fear if you feel that someone is threatening your life, someone at work. We are the police and we can protect you and your family if necessary, okay?”

The woman didn’t respond she just sat there in the car her eyes focused on the window looking back at the way they came.

“Miss. Chrichlow?”

“Detective tell me who would protect me if the police are the ones that can’t be trusted? I saw, I saw Dr. Cox being kidn*pped by the police. They took her out of the board room. I wasn’t supposed to be in there but Dr. Cox had forgotten some notes that I had brought wih me. If I were anyone else, I probably would have been taken too. I---

“You saw the police took her? Were they wearing uniforms? How were they dressed?”

“It was the secret police, I know it, they had been coming to work since that case with Dr. Matters started. The floor was supposed to be cleared that day that was the order from the president. My job revolves around the security he ordered that the cameras be turned off that day for scheduled maintance for three hours.”

“The secret police,” Mark whispered to Frank.

It wasn’t what Frank thought he would hear he was mostly expecting an office worker. Truthfully he was expecting to hear Dr. Matters being responsible and that she over heard or saw a conversation. This changed everything. There was now a connection between Dr. Cox, Dr. Matters the company and the secret police but how far up the chain did this go?

“Was there anything else you saw Miss Chrichlow or overheard perhaps like where they might be going?”

“No, I hid in the bathroom. I was too afraid. There was a loud out burst but I couldn’t make out what then the door was violently pushed open and in there arms was Dr. Cox. From the time I saw them I knew something was wrong like instinct I ran away. The president and the board after that pretended as if nothing had ever happened. I am sorry but that is all the information that I have.”

“What day was it that it happened and what time do you recall?”

“It was a Friday at about ten maybe eleven in the morning.”

“Thank you Miss Chrichlow for being so brave and coming forward with this. You don’t have to worry about anything go to work and try to act as if nothing has happened. We will try to get to the bottom of this.”

“Thank you please find her,” she responded before exiting the car and getting back into hers.

When she had left.

Mark asked, “What do you think?”

Frank ran his hand over his face. “It wasn’t nearly what I was expecting.”

“She did give us a day that the office wouldn’t have a security day for but for me to get access to that information,” Mark commented.

“We would need a warrant and with how things are now that won’t happen at all,” Frank stated.

“So basically we haven’t gotten anywhere,” Mark stressed.

“No but we have gained a direction the thing is where does this direction go.” Frank said as he started the car. “We are going to pay Sally a visit but be quiet about what happened here.”

#

Frank noticed the smog that covered the air around where Sally lives. It wasn’t the best place but Sally’s apartment was cheap and it was the most she could afford after moving here. It couldn’t be hurtful with the immortality right? Although they had never made claim that you won’t die from sickness. They were very few people that didn’t have it implanted in them since it was done at birth. Rows and rows of apartments were on both sides of the street as Frank looked at the numbers on the buildings and watched people moving around oblivious to the glaring smog.

Mark even responded by coughing.

When was the last time many people died anyway. The police force work load was still heavy as a deterent but its workload had been dropping for years on cases. The statisics for last year was three hundred deaths for the city and the majority of them ranged from crime.

One hundred and seven two, the number read and Frank made the stop into a park by the building. The two got out of the car and as Frank looked at the apartments behind him he realized that all the buildings looked the same. If it were not for the street and that one number he could of sworn he was in a maze.

The two men walked towards the apartment and pressed the buzzer with the number assigned.

“We are outside, Sally let us in.”

“Hey Frank, come in,” Sally replied as the gate opened in response.

They made their way up the stairs to the apartment door, they didn’t have to knock before Sally had the door wide opened.

Despite being sent home she still had a bright smile on her face. She didn’t seem to let nothing get her down. He knew he couldn’t tell her the new information that they discovered from Mia, it was far to radical for that.

“Come in, Come in.” She shuffled them inside before closing the door behind them.

This was the first time Frank was here the room was way to small to hold even just the three of them but that didn’t stop Sally for giving them a look of hospitality. Frank took a seat on the couch and Mark sat beside him. On the table was a few CFGS judging from the bag it was the flavourless kind the cheapest of the bunch.

How’s the case going? Found any leads? Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Not really,” Mark replied.

“I have some alcohol but you might not like the taste of it. It might more taste like rubbing alcohol.”

“No thanks, we aren’t here for that maybe another time.”

“Ok,” Sally said as she took her seat.

“What exactly did you say to the chief?”

“I---.”

“You know that wasn’t a smart move, you need the money you cant just tell someone whatever words come to your mind base of a case.You have to think about yourself sometimes and what your trying to achieve.”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“If that was back in my time you would have been dismissed already.”

“Frank can I at least say what happened.”

“Sally I know you, you like to push your radical spin on things. Its not bad, its actually refreshing to hear different takes but you have to understand when it won’t work out for you.”

“I understand that I did kind of step out of line a bit but it was because he let that man off for a crime. That the news has been spinning as if it’s the police fault. Have you seen that the Chief is going to make an apology on behalf of the police? What kind of nonsense is that. Some man in a suit comes in and he’s a different person. When I first met him all he use to talk about was peace so I reminded him about that and who his loyalty lies to.”

Frank placed a hand on his head. “Did you curse the chief?”

“Yes, I did.”