Adam – Ok! I bring them with me!
Adam went to his car and came back with two brown files in hands.
Jack pulls a round medium desk to the center of the living room and there they open the docs, having the new files, the pictures. Jack examines those strictly, with a keen and experienced eye. On the first picture, the "supposed" Stacy, was wearing a baby pink shirt, with what seems to be a child cartoon on front, and jeans trousers, her hair was combed, straight on the top and curly on the end, and she was wearing a white sneaker.
On the other image, she was completely different, using what seems to be a black dress, with long sleeves and the hair was all straight from top to bottom, and instead of a sneaker she was wearing a black boot, probably leather, also she has a neckless on, which you couldn't see pendant. Jack doesn't find much on the first picture, but he noticed a singularity: It was made on a 24/7, and the other one was made on a alley of a utility store, both taken from above, probably by a security camera.
Jack – They're not some outstanding images, they look like the stuff that we received to deceive us, but there's something interesting there.
Adam – I know, the images are made in real time, and the owner of the utility shop close to the alley recognized the "supposed" Stacy, and therefore keep the record from the camera, it was him also the one who send it to us.
Jack raised one of his eyebrows:
Jack – The photos came from different people?
Adam – Yes, and as far as I know, one doesn't know about the other one photo.
Jack – Yeah, looks like we have a long night ahead of us, clear up the facts, what you say?
Adam agreed, he wanted to get the mystery of the photos cleared, finally. They revisit the testimony of the utility shop guy, and then They look the few files that they had on hands about Stacy. When the clock hit ten to one am, Jack offered:
Jack – I think it's better for you to stay the night here boy, it's late and besides that, isn't good to be wandering around on those dark roads.
Adam was low in spirit, they haven't found anything truly relevant on the photos, not that he wanted to, but it was a hard job, they could at least founded something that made all the effort be worthwhile.
Adam - -Ok, what can I do, right?
Jack nodded with his head, and left a time later with a blanked and a toothbrush, some ragged clothes that look comfortable:
Jack – You can stay on the couch, though it is a couch, it's very comfortable, even more comfortable that my bed.
Adam – hahaha I know that.
****
The Adam sleep was heavy, the night was cold, and the wind was making that creeping noise, that give chill to even the bravest and strongest men's, he dream, or delirious. A nasty and disturbing dream, Where he can see Stacy sneaking through the alleys, and he follow her, until a downtown road, which was completely empty and dark, he saw her above a sewer entrance, she was skinny and her skin totally green, the hair straight and when the finally look at him, he was awake, with a cold sweat and scared.
Adam gets up at five am, barely got any sleep, found it strange that Jack wasn't already up, think that the retirement got the best of him and made him a softie. So as a thanks for the reception, he brews a coffee and left a note saying that he was leaving, that he need to get by the station early, and that they'll meet another time.
On his way back to the city, Adam was wondering about his dream, that even it was silly, was justified, that dream have gotten in him, and out of nowhere the word "Vampire" came to his mind. He didn't know how, or why it came to mind, but it did, appearing almost senseless by that moment, while whe was wandering on his own thoughts, a big bird crossed his path, and he almost hit it with his truck on a tree when he tried to dodge the bird, but he held on tight the wheel, and as if it was a warning he stop the wandering thoughts and focus on the road.
Before he went to the station, he went to his apartment, read some correspondence, and returned a call from his aunt Med, something about a charity dinner, which she wanted him to come. After he took a cold shower, to awake, got ready and went to work.
He was decided to drop the case, or better yet, not even begin a case, he think that the pictures was irrelevant and wanted to forget all of that crap, but then:
Steve – Did you heard it?
Steve as a year younger than Adam, and was his temporary partner, given that rookies should be with experienced cops , although the age, he was a lot more immature than Adam, everything was a motive to Steve make a big fuss about it, and that get on the nerves of Adam, even though he knew that Steve didn't do that to get on anyone nerves.
Adam – hear what Steve? I just got in the station.
Steve- The mayor daughter has been kidnaped.
Adam almost jumps in his feet.
Adam – The mayor daughter what??
Steve – Yeah, I tried to leave a message on your answering machine when I heard about it, but I had to help a colleague and end up forgetting about it, and then I stopped by your apartment, it was past midnight.
Adam – So, why there's no running around here in the station??
Steve – Most of the cops are on city hall, and some on the mayor's house, the ones here are in charge of the phone, in case anyone calls about a ransom.
Adam – I need to talk with the sheriff!!
Steve – He didn't arrive in the city yet.
Adam – What you mean? Where is he?
Steve – He was on his wife city, a neighbor city, you know he was transferred against his will.
Adam – That's irrelevant, he's the responsible for this station.
Both went out of the station, and Adam didn't even have his coffee yet. The movement on the mayors house was big, the first lady was in her robes yet, disheveled and with her make up smudged, probably spent the whole night crying.
The most experienced cop came from the station and explain to both what had passed through the night.