Ch. 20

Killian parked outside of the apartment complex and they quickly moved into the building to look for Al and Naveen. The smell hit her just as before. "See what I mean? Disgusting right?" asked Emma.

Killian wiped his nose lightly." Oh yes, it's quite pungent in here. Reminds me of some of the sea men quarters from my Navy days. "He said.

She laughed. "Our best chance of finding them is to go to the penthouse to see if they have a party going on. If not, we'll try the old-fashioned way and knock on some doors." She said.

"Sounds good to me. Lead the way." He said.

They climbed the stairs to the top towards the penthouse. There was in fact a raging party going on as before. This time Emma knew her way to the back-room party, she figured that would be the best place to look first.

They maneuvered through the crowd of people bouncing to the music the DJ was playing. She recognized some of their faces as she passed them. When they got to the back room she stopped. "We should be careful about this. If the Shadow Man is there, he will not take kindly to me showing up again." She looked inside and noticed a curtain barrier was put up since her last visit. "They've obstructed the view." She said.

"Maybe I should go in, they've never seen me before?" he said.

She nodded. "Good plan. I'll wait for the signal. Be careful." She whispered.

He grinned. "of course." Killian moved forward slowly to the point of the barrier of curtains and peered between them. The he turned back to her and waved her forward. She came forward quickly to him. "It appears they are setting up for a game. Just two guys that I assume could be Al and Naveen." He said.

She peered through the crack in the curtains. "Yeah, that's them. Let's go." She said pushing through.

The two guys looked up surprised to see them enter. "Hey, what are you doing here? Did you find the girls?" he asked.

"'Yeah, any news?" Asked Al.

Emma approached them slowly, Killian at her flank. "No, that's why we are here. We talked with the sorority house and the frat house. No one remembers seeing Lottie leave the party. But what they do remember is seeing the two of you with her before she disappeared." Said Emma.

Both of them looked startled at her statement.

Naveen spoke up first. "I don't know anything about this."

"Yeah, I don't either. We both just want our friends found." Said Al.

"Then maybe you can explain why the crowd said that Lottie was seen yelling at you at the party and that you and Jazzy were pulling her back Al?" she asked.

Naveen shook his head. "I don't remember that." He said looking forlorn.

"I don't think that answer is good enough. You have to know something." said Emma.

Naveen plopped into a chair and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I tried to remember. I just can't. That whole night is a blur. I remember getting there and watching the guys pregame with the keg stand competition. I was nervous the whole time because I know Ti was coming. I just wanted to explain to her and try to get her to see I wasn't what she thought I was. "he said.

"So, you weren't even drinking?" asked Killian.

Naveen sighed. "I remember someone handed me a glass of punch and it tasted good. But that is the last thing I remember. Maybe I had more." He said.

Killian looked at Emma. "Sounds like he was drugged."

She nodded and looked at Naveen. "Has that ever happened before? Have the brothers ever drugged their punch?" asked Emma.

Naveen stood up in an outrage. "No, No, the brothers would never do that."

"Mate, calm down. It does seem as though you were drugged if you hadn't been drinking and you don't remember anything." Said Killian.

"One of the sorority girls said that they thought Lottie also looked as if she had been drugged." Said Emma.

"I swear, the frat does not drug the punch." Said Naveen.

"Al, when I asked you the other day, you said Naveen was drunk. Did you think to get him home.?" Asked Emma.

"He's gotten drunk before. I just figured he would be fine." Said Al.

"You also said you were with Jazzy and that she is your queen. Where did you stay that night? The guys said that you and Naveen both live here and not at the frat house." Said Emma.

Al sat down at the table next to Naveen. He started to look very nervous. " I don't know." He said.

Emma looked puzzled. "What do you mean you don't know?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know. I don't remember either." He said.

Emma pulled her little notebook from her pocket. "You said that Jazzy was your queen, she wore you out and you retired for the evening." She read.

Al huffed. "I lied, look I don't remember how I got home or what happened." He said.

"Why did you lie?" she asked.

"Look, I didn't want any trouble from the cops. Jazzy and I haven't been together in a while. For some reason she was all over me at the party and I missed that. I remember playing games and she came to join me. We were having fun. I remember seeing Lottie yell at Naveen but after that, I don't remember much. I think I remember dancing with Jazzy and that was the last thing before it all goes black." He said.

"Did you stay at the Frat house that night?" asked Killian.

Naveen looked up. "Wait, no you were here with me when I woke up. I had a slamming headache." He said.

Al looked like a light went off. "You're right, I was sleeping on the side chaise and I woke up when I fell off onto the floor. You were already drinking a beer." He smiled.

"Hair of the dog." Said Nav.

"Ok, so neither of you remember most of the night that your friends went missing or how you got home." Said Emma.

The boys were about to respond when the police and feds pushed through the curtains. Emma turned around to see a familiar face in the group. She turned to Killian. "Feds are here." She said.

A slender woman with smooth dark shoulder length hair came forward holding a bag. "Al Kannan, I'm going to need you to come with me." She commanded.

Al stood and held up his hands. "Me?" he asked.

Emma stood and turned around. The woman pursed her lips when she recognized her. "Swan, what are you doing here? You are mucking around in my investigation, are you?" she questioned.

Emma approached her slowly. "What investigation would that be?" she asked coyly.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Oh, I think you know. You better not get in my way." She commanded.

Emma held her hands up and stepped back. "No issues from me." Said Emma.

She turned around and walked towards Killian. She felt her face twist and she let out a breath so she could keep her composure to watch what was happening.

Regina held out the bag with the jacket that had Street Rat embroidered on it. "Is this your jacket?" she asked.

He looked over the table. "Yeah, where'd you find it?" he asked innocently.

Regina turned to her side man. "Cuff him and bring him to that rat trap they call a station house." She commanded.

"Wait, what did I do?" he asked.

Regina turned around and gave her a slight look before marching out f the room.

"Naveen, help me. I didn't do anything." Said Al.

Naveen sat frozen at the table as they took his friend away in handcuffs. When the room had cleared, he looked up to them. "Why did they arrest him. Do they think he had something to do with the girls going missing?" He asked.

Emma shook her head. "Nav, his jacket was found in Tiana's car." She said.

He looked up in surprise. "Ti's car?" he said.

"Yes. Her car." She said.

Nav got up and slammed the chair into the table. "His jacket could have gotten into her car anytime. We were friends. I remember one-night Lottie gave us a ride home when neither of us could drive. She used Ti's car." Said Naveen.

"Mate, do you remember when that was?" asked Killian.

Nav thought about it. "I don't know, maybe a few weeks back, could have been longer." He said.

"Jazzy said that he was her man and they were going to get together. Was she here when you woke up too?" she asked.

Nav looked puzzled. "No, she wasn't here. She might have left in the morning." He said.

"Was anyone else here when you woke up?" asked Killian.

"No, Sam doesn't stay here. He usually stays uptown. That is why he let's Al and I live here." Said Nav.

"So, you are care takers for his parties and games?" asked Emma.

Nav scratched behind his ear. "Yeah, you could say that." He said reluctantly.

"Do you think he will be here soon." Asked Killian.

Nav suddenly stood. "Look you need to get out of here. When he gets wind that the cops were here, he is going to be back. He is not going to like that they were here again. You got to go!" he shouted.

Emma remembered what happened last time. "Killian, he's right. We need to go." She said.

"Mate, don't go far, we may need to talk to you again." Said Killian.

Nav nodded. "Anything to help get them back safe. I have to make a call to help Al. Go on, don't let Sam catch you here." He said.

Emma and Killian quickly moved through the stunned group of people at the party. Some of them noticed the police had come through, others were oblivious. The DJ was playing EDM loudly. Emma noticed out of the corner of her eye that Sam was walking into the room. "Killian, quick over here." She said as she pulled him behind the couch.

"Was that him?" he asked.

"Yep." She said as she crouched lower.

Killian peered from behind to see Sam and his men moving to the backroom. "He's got quite the posse with him. They seem to be jacked too." He said.

"Yeah, not a group I want to mess with." She said.

"Nice to see you are starting to be cautious, one gang fight at a time, right?" he grinned.

She slapped him on the shoulder and smiled. "Right. Come on let's get out of here before they come back." She said.

When they got to the car Emma pulled out her cell phone, called David and put it on speakerphone so Killian could here too.

"Mills is on the case." She said curtly.

David: I suspected it would be her. Did she see you?

"Yep." She said.

David: laughing… I guess it wasn't a happy reunion.

"She threatened me not to get in her way." She said.

David: I'd expect nothing less from her. Did you get anything out of the guys?

"Apparently they felt the need to lie in front of Humbert. It also seems that they were drugged the night of the frat party. Given the number of guys that were passed out, I wouldn't be surprised if more of them were drugged too. It definitely explains why no one remembers seeing Lottie leave the party." Said Emma.

David: Really? The guys didn't remember either.

"No, and the lies they told me covered things up. They really set us back." Said Emma.

David was just about to speak when Emma's phone started buzzing for another call. "David, looks like Nairobi is calling me. I have to pick that up." She said.

David: OK, keep me posted.

Emma clicked over to the new call.

"Nairobi, its Emma, what is going on?" she asked.

Nairobi: Emma, they've changed the plan. They dropped another note at the gate. The drop is tonight. Can you come to the house?

"We'll be right there." She said.