Blake's Pursuit

The station was busy. A few prostitutes sat on a bench, while several officers shuffled papers behind a high counter. In one corridor, a drunken man was being led away, while a well-dressed man argued with a police officer in a cubicle. From down the hall, somebody yelled for somebody else to be quiet. A female police officer stood at the counter with a receiver pressed between her ear and shoulder, scribbling onto a clipboard and simultaneously leafing through a stack of papers.

“Uh-huh,” she said into the phone while she waved at one of the prostitutes, motioning to a door on the left. The door opened a second later and a transvestite stalked out, grinning from one ear to the other. She turned toward the open plan area and blew air kisses to the working officers.

“Get out of here, Veronica,” one of them called out to her. “Or I’ll book you myself.”

With a laugh, the transvestite sauntered to the door and left.

“Be right there, Ma’am.”

Lilo’s head snapped to the female police officer behind the counter, who’d spoken, and nodded gratefully.

A police officer in plain clothes came around the corner and approached the counter. “No worries, Mandy, I’ll take that.”

Lilo took a step closer to the counter, Blake by her side, and gave a faint smile.

“I’m Detective Donnelly. How can I help you?”

Encouraged by the man’s friendly demeanor, Lilo sighed with relief. “I’m here to report my friend missing. And also a break-in at her apartment.”

He reached for a clipboard and a pen. “Alright then. Your name, please.”

“Lieselotte Schroeder.”

“I’ll need to see ID.”

She rummaged for it in her bag, while the police detective addressed Blake. “And you, sir, are you with the lady?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll need to see your ID, too.”

Lilo handed her drivers license to Detective Donnelly.

He looked up. “You’re far from home, Miss Schroeder.”

“I flew out here, because I’m worried about my friend. Hannah Bergdorf. She’s missing.”

“Okay.” He reached for Blake’s ID and looked at it. “Thanks, Mr. Bond.”

Lilo whirled her head to Blake. His name was Bond? And he drove an Aston Martin? Really? She managed a glance at his ID. Indeed, it said Blake Bond. Not only did he look like Morgan West, he shared a last name with a fictional secret agent? If she wrote something like this in one of her books, nobody would believe her.

Too far-fetched, her editor would say.

Not believable, her critics would write.

“When did you last see your friend Miss Bergdorf?” the detective now asked.

“Over a year ago.”

He raised his eyebrows. “And you’re only now filing a missing person’s report?”

“She’s only been missing for three days. I flew out here as soon as I could to try to look for her. But she’s not in her apartment. Her dog is gone. And then this guy broke in and attacked me. He stole my phone, too. And then—”

“You were assaulted? And there’s a dog missing? And your phone was stolen?”

She nodded.

“So let me get this straight. We have a missing person, a missing dog, a burglary, an assault, and a stolen phone. Were there any witnesses to any of these alleged crimes?”

“Alleged?” She huffed. Did this man not believe her? But before she could say anything else, she felt Blake’s reassuring hand on her forearm.

“I witnessed the assault,” Blake said calmly. “I can give a description of the burglar who broke into Miss Bergdorf’s flat and attacked Miss Schroeder.”

She nodded, thankful for Blake’s presence, and added, “And I also think I know who might be behind Hannah’s disappearance.”

Both Officer Donnelly and Blake stared at her.

“You know?” Blake asked.

“Ronny, her loser boyfriend. I think she wanted to leave him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about him earlier?”

She looked at Blake. “There wasn’t exactly time for that. I mean, between the break-in, the assault…”

“Miss Schroeder, can you elaborate on this Ronny? What’s his full name?” the police officer asked.

“I don’t know. Hannah never talked much about him. But from the few things she did tell me, I can tell what kind of person he is.” And that he wasn’t the kind of man who was good for a sweet and generous woman like Hannah, a woman who believed that everybody deserved help.

The police officer raised an eyebrow, but Lilo continued undeterred.

“He didn’t seem to have a regular job. And he was very possessive and jealous.” Something she abhorred in a man. It was a character trait that only led to trouble.

“Jealousy is not a crime, Miss Schroeder.”

“But it can lead to one. I’m telling you, you have to find Ronny. If anybody knows where Hannah is, it’s him.”

The police officer sighed. “Fine, Miss Schroeder. But let’s start with details about your friend, Miss Bergdorf.”

For the next few minutes, Lilo answered questions about Hannah’s appearance and habits, which the officer took down diligently.

“You wouldn’t have a photo of Miss Bergdorf, would you?”

“Not on me. I have some on my cell phone. But it’s gone.”

“Not to worry,” Blake interrupted. “Hannah works for the same company as I. I can get HR to send over a photo from her personnel file.”

Lilo gave Blake a grateful smile. It was lucky that he’d shown up—in more ways than one. Not only had he physically saved her, he was also here to support her in her search for Hannah. And right now she could use all the help she could get.

“Good,” Officer Donnelly said. “Now about the break-in and assault. Did you get a good look at the intruder?”

“I did. He was tall.”

“How tall?”

Lilo pointed to Blake. “About as tall as him.”

“Six foot two,” Blake offered.

“But heavier.”

Blake nodded. “About two-hundred-ten pounds.”

“Any identifying marks? Tattoos? Scars?”

Lilo shook her head. “None. He looked pretty average. Brown hair.”

“Brown eyes,” Blake continued. “Pretty ordinary.”