LOVE AND JUST

CHAPTER 8 : I SAW HER AGAIN

ASHFORD HILLS - CITY LIGHT | 11:00AM

The precinct sat like a concrete block in the center of the city. Glass doors swung nonstop as officers, civilians, and reporters poured in and out.

Detective Andrew Cole arrived.

Inside, the air buzzed with ringing phones, static from radios, and the sharp smell of coffee mixed with printer ink.

Desks were crammed wall to wall, drowning in case files, blinking monitors, and half-eaten takeout.

Uniforms moved fast down the hallway. Boots squeaked on linoleum. Everyone talked over each other, but somehow, work got done.

Alfreda was already at her desk when he got to the office. She sat in her swivel chair, flipping through files and pulling out documents.

“Good day, Officer Guanuvett,” Andrew said, trying to get her attention.

“Good day, Detective,” she replied without sparing him a glance.

She’d noticed him the moment he walked in. She just didn’t bother to look at him.

“Were you planning on skipping work today?” she asked, eyes still fixed on the file in her hands.

“No. Something came up and I got a bit distracted. I nearly forgot we have a board meeting,” Andrew said, shrugging off his suit jacket.

He wore a navy suit, tailored. No patterns. No logos. Just clean lines that fit him perfectly.

Crisp white shirt. Top button open. Sleeves pushed up once.

A slim leather holster at his hip.

“What could make you of all people forget about work?” Freda asked, surprised. “Anyways, the meeting’s been canceled,” she added.

“Hilary’s home. She wanted me to make her something,” he said, pulling back his office chair to sit.

“Really? When?”

The mention of her name alone got Freda excited. Hilary was a lovely girl. That was the only thing that made her finally look at Andrew.

Freda wasn’t just Andrew’s partner. She knew his family well. She and Hilary were pretty good friends.

“Yes. Just today,” Andrew chuckled.

“And she didn’t even tell me?” Freda said, picking up her phone to call Hilary.

“What are you doing?” Andrew asked.

“Calling her,” she said simply.

“We’ve got work to do, Freddie,” Andrew said, pulling her mind back to business.

“Oh, right. I’ll text her instead.”

Andrew shook his head. “Can you hand me the Sterling Bank case files?”

She brought them to his desk.

He went through the files, photos, and witness statements. That was all there was.

“What do we do, sir?” Freda asked.

“We need forensics. Since there are no traces, that’s the only way to get the suspects,” Andrew said seriously.

“How? We checked everything last time and found nothing,” she asked, confused.

“We’re going again,” he said, organizing the files on his desk.

Alfreda gathered the necessary items. Pen. Notebook. Everything.

Andrew took his jacket off the rack and put it on. He cleared his desk and walked toward the door. Freda followed.

They took the elevator. On the ground floor, Freda told the desk sergeant, “Sgt, Detective Cole and I are heading to Sterling City Bank to continue the investigation.”

Andrew’s car was parked outside. He slid into the driver’s seat and Freda hopped into the passenger seat. He started the engine, and they drove off toward Westbrook City.

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WESTBROOK COUNTRYSIDE | 2:00 PM

The old house stood at the end of a quiet street.

Caleb sat in the living room, eyes fixed on the big TV on the console against the wall. A remote, a game controller, and a stack of bills sat on the coffee table.

He was alone until Julien walked in.

“Hey, what’s up?” Julien asked, dropping onto the couch beside him.

Caleb didn’t answer. He just lifted the remote toward the TV.

“It’s been a while since we went on a mission, you know,” Julien said, tugging at the drawstring on his hoodie, trying to get Caleb’s attention.

“Ohh… yeah,” Caleb said, nodding slowly. “That’s true. It’s a great spot.”

He traced his jawline with one finger.

“So when?” Julien asked with a smirk.

“I don’t know yet. But we’ll need info before we go in. You know how we do it.”

They exchanged a knowing smile.

A few minutes later, Caleb called for Eliza. She came into the hall and saw them seated. Belle, Julien, Marco, and her brother. The look on their faces told her exactly why she was called.

She didn’t speak. She just sat on the arm of the couch.

“Eliza,” Caleb began. “We’re planning another mission. We need you to get us the information we need. We have to plan well and do it without leaving any traces.”

All eyes were on her.

She had nothing to object to. If anything, she had something to add.

She’d always been the one to go out for information on their missions.

Caleb made her. He always said she was smart, swift, and brave. He made her find out about every institution or shop they hit.

This time it was Max-Inn. A famous boutique where you could find every brand. Shoes, clothes, accessories, bags. Everything wearable.

Eliza only nodded. “Where?”

“Max-Inn. It’s a big shop. Our catch will be huge if this works,” Caleb said. Everyone nodded.

“You’ve got this, right?” Caleb said, squeezing her shoulder lightly.

Eliza nodded.

Caleb used to plan with her how to get the information.

Go in for a job interview. Walk around the building. Go in as a customer. Sometimes even work there part-time, if she qualified.

Eliza was the most educated of them. A university graduate. Caleb made sure she went to the best school in the state.

It hurt Eliza that this was what her degree was being used for. Secret investigations. Vital information.

Now Caleb expected her to figure it out alone. And she always did a good job.

Eliza left the hall, her expression unreadable. In her room, she stood in front of the mirror and buried her face in her palms for a few seconds. She was trying hard to hide something.

She forced a small smile, nodded to herself, and got dressed. Blue shirt. Black skirt. Small black purse.

In the living room, she saw Belle.

“I’m going to work,” Eliza said with a dry smile.

“Sure. Take care,” Belle replied.

She understood what that meant.

Eliza walked out and took a cab to Max-Inn Boutique. She got off about a three-minute walk from the store.

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WESTBROOK - CITYGATE | 2:25PM

Andrew and Freda had just arrived in Westbrook City when his phone rang.

“Detective Cole? This is Dispatch. You busy? ”

“Hey, dispatch . I'm on Main and 3rd . What's up?”

“Just a heads up . The captain called a meeting for 3pm at the station today. All on-duty officers need to be there.”

“Got it 3pm at the station. I'll be there "

The line went dead.

“I guess the meeting’s still on,” Andrew said to Freda.

“So what do we do now?” Freda asked.

They were parked on the highway. 15 minutes from Sterling Bank. And they had a meeting to attend.

“We’ll have to head back. We can’t miss it,” Andrew said, turning the wheel.

On the way back, Freda complained of hunger, so they stopped to grab something to eat. They saw a bakery by the roadside and pulled over.

Andrew went in while Freda waited in the car.

Inside, the shop had a full glass front. You could see everything happening outside.

Andrew placed his order and waited to pay. He glanced out the window at Freda in the car. A woman in a blue shirt walked by and caught his eye for a second. Then a man walked in, blocking his view.

Andrew stepped back to see her again. But just then the cashier called his number. He paid quickly, even forgetting his change, and rushed out.

She was gone.

He scanned both sides of the street but didn’t see her. Freda watched him from the car as he stood in front of the bakery, searching.

He finally got back in.

“Were you looking for a cab?” Freda asked.

“No,” he said, shaking his head.

“Didn’t you see that lady? The one in the blue shirt?”

She shook her head.

“I saw her again,” he muttered, looking outside.

“Who?”

“Never mind,” he said, starting the engine.

“Can I have mine before it gets cold?” Freda asked.

He chuckled. “Eating should be your hobby, you know. What about cooking?”

“Cooking, eating… same side of the coin,” Freda joked and laughed.

Andrew just shook his head with a smirk.

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