LOVE AND JUST

CHAPTER 2 : OUT OF THE ORDINARY

WESTBROOK POLICE HEAD OFFICE ~ 11AM

“Hel... Hello, hello 911, I’m calling from Westbrook Downtown. There’s... There was a robbery,” a frightened voice came through, stammering.

“Ma’am, can you please calm down and talk to me? Where are you now?” the officer asked.

“Westbrook Downtown... Thieves... They’ve got guns, please hurry,” the old woman’s voice was heard again.

“Ma’am, can you please tell me the street number?” the officer asked, with a calm tone.

“Yeah... It’s 1... 08... Downtown Street.”

“Okay ma’am, be safe. We’ll be there in 5.” The line went dead.

The Westbrook police head office had just received the call. The Sterling City Bank had been robbed. The police, upon reaching the scene, realized the robbers had fled minutes before their arrival.

The officers did a lot of interrogations with employees and witnesses but couldn’t get any substantial information. The robbery was flawless. No traces, nothing.

“Dispatch, Officer Hobbs speaking, badge 184, Westbrook branch. There was a robbery a few minutes ago at the Sterling City Bank. We need the FBI. Looks like a case for detectives.”

One of the officers called to inform the head office.

“Detectives will be sent in 5, over,” the person on the other end responded. The line dropped. He strolled around the bank, looking at the surroundings.

At the Ashford Hills police office, the dispatch phoned the detective.

Detective Andrew Cole was appointed to investigate the case. A renowned senior police detective with a very impressive record of criminal cases. He strove to get to the root of any case he was assigned to, but this very case couldn’t be compared to any.

A black Mercedes E-Class stopped in front of the bank a few minutes after the call. The door opened and a man stepped out of the sleek car with a presentable lady beside him.

A tall, lively man, 6’2”. His broad shoulders were drawn out by his crisp black cotton shirt which was tucked into his black trousers. His trousers were made of fine wool, with his leather belt highlighting his narrow waist. He had a Rolex watch on his wrist.

His face — breathtakingly handsome, with deep blue eyes that captivated everyone who glanced at him. He had a sharp jawline which added a magnetic allure to his striking appearance. He was the kind of man whose appearance alone commanded attention. He didn’t have to speak to be noticed. He looked noble yet elegant.

The beautiful lady by his side wore a white shirt with decent black trousers tucked in neatly. Walking side by side, they both strolled into the bank. His black leather shoes gleamed with every step.

“Detective Cole,” the lady beside him started speaking. “The Westbrook police couldn’t find any suspects nor traces. What do we do?”

“We do our job,” he answered simply, with confidence. Taking sharp glances around the bank before walking in.

He got people staring immediately he entered. He began his inquiry. He interrogated the security first, the employees, and a couple of witnesses. They all couldn’t provide any evidence or suspects.

He walked toward the manager’s desk. A few steps away from the desk, he bumped into a young lady.

“Sorry,” they both said in chorus. The lady looked nervous, and he couldn’t help but stare at the beauty he had stumbled upon.

“Do you work here?” Detective Cole asked the young lady. She shook her head and muttered a “no.” She looked uneasy.

“Are you here to deposit or withdraw?” Andrew asked the apparently lost lady.

“No, please,” she answered with eyes lowered, as if avoiding his gaze.

This lady’s reaction was quite intriguing. Her actions were giving a ‘I don’t want to talk to you’ vibe. Which only made the detective more curious.

“Why are you here then?” Detective Cole asked with a casual smile, his blue eyes assessing her.

He stared down at her. She raised her head to meet his eyes. She was about 5’4”. He was eight inches taller than her.

“I came to find a job,” she said simply. With her innocent face, she looked uneasy. He bought her lie.

“Okay... Are you a witness to the robbery?” he asked the lady.

“No... Can I take my leave now, sir?” she asked.

“Sure. This wasn’t an interrogation. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. You may leave.”

He watched as she walked away with quick, steady steps. She was pretty, that was undeniable.

He proceeded to the manager and requested forensics. Surprisingly, nothing showed. The camera couldn’t capture anything, not even when the robbers broke in. It only showed a man throwing stones at birds. Then the screen went blank.

He made professional IT experts check all the cameras at the bank, yet saw nothing. Detective Cole was amused.

“How is this possible?” he asked his colleague as they inquired with witnesses. No one was harmed, but everything was gone. Normally, robbers who break into such institutions leave in a hurry because the chances of the police coming in on them is very high. When they leave, they leave behind traces that are easily noticed due to the haste. These robbers were an exception.

“This robbery is out of the ordinary,” he said to himself, staring at the broken camera with squinted eyes.

“Detective, any info now?” his colleague asked. He shook his head and murmured “no.” She went ahead to give him the reports of her inquiry.

“So what now?” she asked after she was done reporting.

“That will be all for today. Let’s head back to the office and work on other cases. We’ll keep on searching,” he said firmly. Detective Cole and this young lady had been partners for years.

They’d worked on a lot of cases together, which always turned out successful. This was why the dispatch always put them together. Alfreda admired Andrew for how diligent and confident he was. He had a higher rank than her, yet he was down to earth, noble, and unwavering in all his duties. He was handsome too. He was indeed a nice man.

They drove in his Mercedes E-Class to Ashford Hills, about a 40-minute drive from Westbrook. While in the car, they both stayed silent. Andrew’s eyes were glued on the road and Alfreda was writing statements in her notebook.

“Freddie,” Andrew called, with his gaze still on the road, gripping the steer firmly.

Alfreda turned to look at him, finally taking her eyes off her book. “Did you see the lady I was speaking to... the one at the bank?” he asked.

“You spoke to a lot of ladies,” she said simply, going back into her notes. Of course he did. He was making inquiries.

How did he expect her to know the lady? He had to be precise, but he didn’t bother adding any further details.

“Anyways, I’m famished. Should we get something before getting to the office?” he asked her.

“Sure, I don’t mind,” a knowing smile appeared on the corner of his lips. “I don’t even know why I asked. You can never say no to food,” he said, chuckling.

Alfreda took a quick glance at him, as if taken aback. “Oh really, I’m not saying anything.”

“The least you can say is thank you,” he said with a sly smile. No one would deny that he wasn’t handsome anytime he did that.

He was just a charming man, the kind that are seen in Hollywood — every woman’s dream guy.

“Oh, thank you so much, sir,” Freda said sarcastically, with her palms together as if saying a prayer, and gave him a little bow, mimicking Chinese greetings. They both burst into laughter.

Aside from being good working partners, they were also very good friends. They knew much about each other — family, work, and even personal matters. They got to the head office later and gave their report.

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