The Crime System

Angela’s Strangeness

"Thought you could outrun me?" Luke Sullivan growled, adding a firm slap before collapsing beside the thief, his muscles screaming from the wild ride. The horse, finally calm, stood watching them with what looked like amusement.

With the thief subdued and the chaos settling, Luke sat there catching his breath, wondering how he'd ended up in this crazy situation—all because of a woman named Angela Grant.

The precinct was absolute bedlam. Street vendors from the alley packed the place, demanding compensation for their destroyed merchandise. The horse stood proudly outside, while inside, Luke found himself surrounded by the thief, Bella Lane, Angela—the purse owner—and a growing crowd of angry citizens. The desk sergeants were struggling to maintain order as complaints filled the air like a swarm of angry hornets.

Luke's mind kept drifting between worry about the impending disciplinary action and thoughts of Angela. The moment he entered the station, he couldn't take his eyes off her. When a sergeant approached for his statement, he absently slapped his detective's badge on the desk, barely registering the sergeant's growing frustration.

She was just as stunning as his Angela had been, with that same radiant presence that had haunted his dreams for years. Was this some kind of cosmic second chance?

"I've missed you so much!" His heart wanted to shout it, but his head knew better. This Angela wasn't his high school sweetheart. She was different, and so was he. The painful reality hit him: his Angela probably wouldn't even recognize him now.

"How can you stand so close, yet not know who I am?" Luke watched as Angela gave her statement to the officers, his heart aching. Despite sharing a name with his first love, she was her own person—a head nurse at New York General Hospital, worlds away from the shy girl he'd known in high school.

His intense staring didn't go unnoticed. Angela shifted uncomfortably, blushing as she finished her report. With a gentle smile, she approached him, clutching the recovered purse. "Thank you so much! I had no idea you were a detective. If you hadn't been there..." She glanced toward the horse outside. "I would've lost everything!"

Her voice was intoxicating, making Luke's head spin with memories and possibilities. She seemed uncertain how to handle his obvious attention, thanking him again before turning to leave.

"Wait!" he called out, hope fluttering in his chest. "Angela, please—do you remember me at all?"

She turned back, confused. "I'm sorry? Have we met before?"

"Don't blow this, Luke," he thought to himself. He motioned to Bella Lane urgently. "Partner, call my phone!"

"What?" Bella Lane looked as confused as Angela, but Luke was insistent. "Just do it!" He pulled out his cracked phone, holding it toward Angela.

Bella Lane finally complied. The ringtone filled the station—the theme song from "Sweet Dreams," a TV show Angela and he used to watch together. The precinct fell silent as all eyes turned to him.

"Does this bring back any memories?" he asked hopefully.

"Excuse me?" Angela's expression hardened with annoyance. "What are you trying to pull?"

Reality crashed down around him. This Angela wasn't his Angela. The girl he'd loved had changed, or maybe she'd never been who he thought she was. His Angela would have smiled at that song, not looked at him like he was crazy.

"Miss Angela," Luke said, steadying his voice. "Would you mind if we exchanged contact information?"

"Oh..." She hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. His heart sank, but he recovered quickly. "For any future hospital-related matters, of course."

After a moment's consideration, she nodded. "How about we connect on social media? Here's my profile."

"Perfect!" Luke tried to hide his eagerness as he captured her profile QR code, knowing his phone's data was shot.

"Detective Sullivan, thank you again," she said, shaking his hand warmly. "If you're ever around New York General Hospital, stop by. Though hopefully not as a patient!" She laughed softly before walking away.

Luke watched her leave, the warmth of her handshake lingering. At that moment, he made his decision. Even if this Angela wasn't the same as his first love, he wanted to know her.

Everyone could see he was smitten, especially Bella Lane, who stood with arms crossed, clearly unimpressed by his obvious infatuation. But Luke didn't care; he was ready to chase this new chapter, wherever it might lead.