Eden didn't even bother to mask her disgust at the hand wrapped around her wrist. She tried to throw it off but the grip only tightened.
'' Babes,'' Taylor pleaded. ''Why are you doing this to us?''
Eden could help but ask herself of this man was serious. She expected him to be jumping to the moon with this news. He was officially a free man and could go on seeing that bitch from his work for all she cared.
Eden took in a deep breath. ''Taylor,'' she said as calmly as her emotions would allow. ''Don't you feel as if our relationship has... I don't know... Somehow expired?''
Taylor's face dropped for a moment and Eden took the opportunity to yank her arm away. She fixed her purse on her shoulder before walking away.
She paused halfway and turned around. ''By the way, don't call my workplace anymore or show up to my place for that matter. It's pretty annoying." She turned and walked off to the direction of the car.
Taylor got her so wrong. Three months ago Eden had a suspicion. She secretly went to investigate and that's when she found out her boyfriend was seeing another woman. She had three months to come to terms with the news so right now all this was was residue. Instead of having a secret relationship, she wished he'd simply just broken up with her. It was if Taylor didn't understand that she was a cop. What exactly did he think he could hide from her?
What was most upsetting and insulting was how low he thought her intelligence was. Did he think she could ignore all the signs just because he could perform in the sheets? She just needed to find someone to take over her lease and she could completely disappear.
She was so sick of men sometimes. She was on the verge of just giving up on life all together. But this was a good thing anyways. She had things she seriously needed to focus on and she doubted she could get it done with a boyfriend around.
**********
Marcus watched the vehicle pull out of the drive way. In the fifteen years since he'd last been here, nothing changed. He felt his throat constricts with anger. He wanted to just run that man over but he knew he shouldn't do it. At least not yet. He tapped his fingers against the dashboard in a Crescendo to calm his nerves.
Marcus selected the tracking app and watched as the car moved further away. When he was certain it wasn't coming back, he picked up his gun bag from the passenger side and fit out the car.
This man, David Stan, was suspect one on his list. For so many years he'd wondered how he lived. This man had single-handed ruined his whole family and helped to take is identity away from him.
He was going to find out if this man was a traitor living in glory or of there were others connected to this case. One way or the other David Stan would end up guilty by association. He was the one who lead his family into death and he would surely repay the debt.
He got out the car and walked up to the door as if he lived there. He took out a key and opened the door with a gloved hand. The house alarm went off and Marcus quickly put in the code to stop the chiming. He took a look around the house. It looked as if a single man really lived here. There was takeout containers and beer cans littering the tables and counters and a blanket on the couch.
David's wife had separated from him about seven years ago but there was nothing to be found on the reason why.
The walls still held family pictures, all from when years ago. Nothing was added since he was away. He inspected the house and found a light later of dust with a few finger marks. This was probably the most used room in the house.
Marcus didn't dwell on that and preceded to open his bag. His goal was to set up some quick spyware. He placed listening devices deep into the folds of the couch and underneath the cupboards in the kitchen. He then replaced the light in the living room with a special bulb that looks identical to your regular bulb. He checked for their functionality of each device before making his way upstairs.
He opened the first room door and looks inside. This room clearly belong to his youngest daughter Eden.
The next room over if he remembered correctly, the next room over belong to his eldest daughter, Amanda. He entered Eden's room first. It looked as if no one had entered for a long while. It looked as if though there was a body imprint on top of the sheet but nothing else looked as if it was disturbed. The room did not look like a teenagers or young adults for that matter. The walls were painted plain white. It was as if no one really lived here except for the belongings on the dresser. He took a look around and decided that there was no need to wire inside here. He closed the door and moved on to Amanda. When he tried her door, he noticed it was locked. He decided to leave it alone. It was best not to disturb that place. He skipped the guest bedroom and moved on to the masters. This place also looks like it was hasn't been disturbed in a while. The closet was door was open though. One side was empty while the other had closed messily hung.
Marcus looked around. This place looked as if no one really lived there but only slept there. He looked under the bed and found a box. He dragged it out. It was covered with dust so thick that it would be best to just throw it away. It looks like a case box. He opened it and was almost surprised at what he found. It was his family's case. Mixed in it was also Amanda's case.
Marcus knew that his and hers case were both connected. He didn't know whether Amanda's disappearance had something to do with retaliation. Or maybe it was because he was never caught and somebody else had to pay the price. David had his run-ins with the other side of the law while working as an officer. He was not a good man. This was what made Marcus doubt his integrity.
For all Marcus, David's daughter could have been held hostage in exchange for him.
Marcus flipped through the files and found nothing he didn't already know. This case was a definite dead end. But Marcus new who his enemies were. He just didn't know where to find them and that was where David came in.
As he looked at the box Marcus heard a low rumbling. It sounded like a car engine. His mind went to the alarm. It was turned off. He looked at his phone and notice that David's car was in the driveway. He shoved the box back under the bed and ran downstairs to turn on the alarm again. As he entered the code he looked outside and saw that David was still in his vehicle. He couldn't leave the house yet. So, he decided to run back upstairs.
Within 2 minutes the front door opened and the alarm went off again. Marcus heard the code being punched in to stop the alarm and David mumbling to himself. Marcus watched from upstairs as David turned in circles obviously looking for something. Marcus watched as he picked up his wallet from underneath a beer can and walk back over to the alarm to put the code in again. David wasn't even aware somebody was watching him.
Eden read the text again. She was in the right room but where was everyone else? Had she known, she would have slept in a little longer. The door opened and two people stepped in. One was an older man, in his late fifties. He looked like he was always happy. But the other man caught Eden's attention.
She stared at him for sometime, taking in every detail of his face before making a judgement. she took in his height, the wrinkles that were more evident around his eyes and mouth and the few grays that reflected light. He looked even more haggard than she remembered and he'd even put on more weight. Was this her father?
Shock wouldn't even describe what she felt in that moment. There was also annoyance. Of all the places she could end up, why was it here? She lightly scuffed. Today was indeed turning out to be a good day.
She didn't really want to see this man although she knew that sooner or later she would have to run into him. But you did not realize that later actually meant and now.
Father and daughter stared at each other for a good moment. David was staring hopelessly at his other child that suddenly disappeared from his life for almost ten years. She looked like her but not exactly.
But before either of them could make a decision on if to speak, the other man in the room Jeffery Hugh, spoke, "Are you new?"
Eden stood up and walked over to Jeffery. "Is this for the task force meeting?"
"Yes it is"Jeffery responded.
Eden smiled, "Then I guess I'm on the right place." She held out her hand. "Detective Eden Hines."
David flinched at the mention of Eden's name. She'd changed her name and taken her mother's name.
Dt. Jeffery Hugh shook her hand. "Well Eden, I'm Detective Jeffrey Hugh and this here is Detective David Stan, the squad."
She lightly greeted her father. She was going to die.
"I'm sorry, I briefly got a chance to go over your profile," Jeffrey said. "You seem to be a woman on a mission."
"I'll take that as a complement," said Eden. "Thank you"
Soon, other people began to stream in until the was 12 people in total. They were all varying in age and size but it looked as if half the team was on the younger side and the other half was on the more seasoned side. Eden realized she was the only female at the table.
It made her feel a little uncomfortable to be stuck in a room without another woman near or far but she told herself she could handle it. They didn't look harmful.
Eden looked at all the faces and made a note of who she thought could be her friend. That Jeffery guy was okay but he seemed too close to her father. She could easily be found out if they were too close. There was one other younger guy, he looked like he was transferred in too. He didn't seem to interact with anyone. She heard there was four transfers. There was two other people that stood out. One was a young man with a military cut. His shoulders were broad and straight. He must have been a soldier. The other man, really caught her eye though.
There was something really familiar about him but at the same time not so. His face didn't seem like one she could forget but she could not place it at the same time. There was something about the way he moved. It was filled with grace and sharpness. If she didn't know better she would have thought he was some rich family's son or a model. But maybe he was just good looking and it was getting the better of her.