Chapter Five

"Here."

Leah quickly hung her coat on the standing coat rack situated between her and Jacob's desk. She looked to her partner, who had just returned from the break room with a steaming hot coffee in his hand. She could tell by the overabundance of cream and sugar (that he had no business consuming) the drink had been specifically made for him.

When Leah politely declined, Jacob sighed, shook his head, and placed the drink on Leah's desk. "Haven't drunk from it," he said, going to his seat. He dug into a paper bag and pulled out a muffin and an orange. "It's gonna be a bit sweet for you, but you clearly need it more than I do."

Leah eyed the cup. "Not a charity case," she reminded her friend, slightly out of breath, but she ended up accepting the coffee. Partly because Jacob wouldn't take no for an answer. Partly because she really did need more caffeine and hadn't had the time to make a second stop by the nearest coffee shop.

She hated coming to work late.

Even if it was twenty minutes late.

For once, Leah couldn't blame Lake Shore Drive for being clogged with bumper-to-bumper during rush hour. For once, the red lights had been practically non-existent while she was on the road. For once, she hadn't waited until the second alarm to roll out of bed.

Leah didn't know what was up with her – she just felt so damn sluggish this morning. She had even stopped by a Starbucks Drive-Through for a couple of espresso shots. But to her disappointment, they didn't do shit.

Thankfully, Paul wasn't a micromanager nor a time-demon. As long as you did a full eight-hours, didn't catch the attention of Internal Affairs nor the media, followed the chain of command, and let him know if there was anything he should know about, Paul didn't care. You're adults, he had told the team, Do your jobs, follow the law, and we won't have any problems.

Being twenty minutes late wasn't the end of the world, and judging from the sight of her captain pacing around his office, scowling with a phone in his hand, she was sure her lateness was the last thing on Paul's mind.

Leah took a series of deep breaths to bring down her heart rate.

She hated feeling like she was in a rush.

Leah supposed this was what she got for being so dependent on Jacob being a constant in her morning routine. The one day he couldn't pick her up, she was out of whack – which, she realized, shouldn't be a good excuse. For heaven's sake, she was a grown woman, and Jacob, as much as she appreciated his assistance, wasn't her goddamn chauffeur.

"As you've told me numerous times," Jacob remarked as he took a bite of his muffin. He offered Leah the orange and shrugged when she declined. Seconds of silence passed as he watched Leah move around her desk, trying to find something to keep her interest until Paul emerged from his office with marching orders.

"You good?"

As much as Leah wanted to tell Jacob that she was perfectly fine, he would see right through her. He always had. But she... didn't want to burden him with her problems. He had his own to deal with. So, instead, she took a long sip of Jacob's coffee and replied, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Your scent's off, and your eyes are all shot." Jacob pointed out with a frown. "I could've picked you up this morning. It wouldn't have been an issue; it never is."

"I'm fine," Leah insisted with a wave of her hand. She rolled her shoulders and got herself situated. "It wasn't like I was drunk or moments away from veering off the road."

Perhaps, she should've taken the EL or a cab.

But she had been fine since she rolled out of bed, had no run-ins with the law, and was able to come to work in one piece.

She would most likely be even better by the end of the shift.

Jacob's frown deepened.

Leah checked her reflection through her locked phone screen. Despite the dark background, she could clearly see the bags under her eyes, and this time, she couldn't blame her now non-existent seasonal allergies – it was too damn cold for anything to bloom. She put aside her phone and sighed. "Just tired," she admitted. "Haven't had a good night's sleep in a while."

"Is this about Tia?"

"No."

To be honest, she had been feeling this way since mid-December.

"Then what's up?"

Leah shrugged.

"Not even after the runs?" Jacob wondered. He finished his breakfast and tossed the wrapper into the garbage next to his desk. He scooted closer to his desk and folded his arms. He now had his undivided attention on Leah – Which didn't bode well for Leah's intention to move on from this topic. She wished Paul would hurry up with his phone call and address his subordinates.

"Yeah, up until a month ago."

"That long?" Jacob shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me? Insomnia's no joke."

"You're telling me." Leah made a note to ask Dr. Kim Lopez about any canine-friendly remedies. She was too scared to try any of the more well-known sleep-aid medication. She didn't know how her new(ish) body would react. She looked up at Jacob, who still had that look on his face, and dropped her shoulders. Well, fuck it. "Fine. Three on a good night."

"You can't operate on that."

"No shit," Leah mumbled. She let out another sigh. "It's not from not trying. It's like…I can't turn my brain off."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"At night. When it's all quiet, and it's just me, myself and I… I get in my head, and it won't turn off. I've even tried having the TV on all night, even music. Headphones are used, of course, because there are two other people in the house, but… I thought those would serve as a good distraction, but no."

Jacob's concern jumped tenfold. "Not even Housewives re-runs could do the job?"

"No."

"Maybe you need a change of scenery?"

Leah considered it, which was why she continued her search for a new place. But was nothing had caught her eye. "I like where I live," she said. "Mom and Seth give me space, haven't driven me up the wall…." She shrugged. "What else do I need?"

"A change of scenery?" Jacob suggested with a crooked smile, which was almost immediately dropped, followed by an apology. It wasn't necessary. Silence fell between the detectives while Leah cautiously took a sip of the way-too-sweet but very-caffeinated drink. When Leah put aside her coffee, Jacob spoke again, "So, you can't turn your brain off?"

"I can't relax," Leah quietly admitted, feeling embarrassed. Although, of course, there really wasn't a reason to feel this way; insomnia wasn't exactly a rarity in these parts. "You'd think I'd be knocked out following the trips to Sag Valley, but…." She shook her head. "It's like I wanna go on a run all over again. And again. And…" She sighed. "You get the point."

"What are you doing about it?" Before Leah could say anything, Jacob huffed and shook his head. "Let me guess: nothing?"

Leah gave the man across from her a sharp look. Now, he wasn't being. Yeah, Jacob wasn't entirely wrong with his assessment, but still. It was too early in the morning to get called out. "Oh, fuck you," she ultimately said, earning a snort. "Benadryl does just fine, thank you."

"And yet you only get three hours of sleep." Jacob rolled his eyes. "Benadryl is for allergic reactions, by the way. It's not supposed to be a goddamn sleep aid – What's on your mind?"

Leah brought the coffee cup to her lips then almost immediately put it down. "You mean, right now?"

"No, at night," Jacob said somewhat sarcastically. He slightly smiled when Leah's glare returned. Unfortunately, he was slowly and surely becoming immune to such a look, an ability some of the hardest criminals wished they had. "You said you can't turn off your mind, so clearly, something's bothering you."

Leah placed a hand on her forehead. "This case…"

It wasn't about this case.

It had nothing to do with this case. Yes, it was a pain in the ass – but what else was new? The investigation had been a pain in the ass since the damn thing started.

Jacob's frown reappeared. "Why do I have a feeling it has nothing to do with that?"

Leah didn't have the energy to make a comeback. Instead, she begrudgingly took another sip of the sweet coffee and pointed at the wall clock. "Shouldn't we be leaving for the hospital soon?"

Day Five had arrived, and Pereira was still in a coma.

"We'll let you know when she stirs," the doctor informed the detectives for the umpteenth time. "Or any updates in that matter."

As the detectives turned around to leave, once again disappointed by the lack of change in Pereira's status, the doctor remarked under his breath, "Here more than her own family…."

Leah and Jacob glanced at each other but didn't say a word.

"From one to ten, how screwed are we?" Jacob asked Assistant State Attorney Jason Jenks later that morning as he entered the prosecutor's office with Leah not far behind. The detective shrugged off his coat and sat in front of the attorney. "I'm sure you heard the wonderful news."

Everyone had.

Except for the general public. For the most part. As far as the traditional media was concerned, the nameless woman found in the trunk of a Camaro parked on Homan and Iowa was an unidentified lay citizen who had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. One could only imagine the shitstorm that would ensue when everyone discovered that the woman was an undercover agent. People would learn of the story when time permitted.

Leah handed Jenks a complimentary cup of coffee, made with all of his preferences, before sitting down next to Jacob. The detectives had decided to stop by their favorite prosecutor's office on the way back from their visit to Tia's hospital.

The prosecutor thanked Leah, almost down the whole thing, and thanked the detective again. "Unfortunately, paying attention to the news is a part of the job," he said, setting aside the paper cup. He folded his hands on the desk. "To answer your question: I haven't received a strongly worded phone call from US Attorney's Finest: Carolina Barba, the State Attorney General, or the DEA, so… I'd say a three."

The detectives looked to each other and nodded, both pleasantly surprised. But then again, this was Jenks. If anyone were truly in hot water, he would've demanded the detectives' (and their captain's) presence the moment he found out about Agent Catalina Pereira.

"That's not bad," Leah said. "That's not bad at all."

"I'd personally prefer a zero," Jenks continued, taking a sip of his coffee. "But given what's been happening the past couple of years, I realize that's too much to ask." He snorted lightly. "Good thing for me, I don't have a say in the matter. Barba's team will be the one bringing it to court, whenever that would be."

"I'd thought you'd want this," Jacob teased, knowing good and well that the prosecutor wanted the complete opposite. The man aimed to retire by the summer of 2021 in peace. And in one piece. "An attempted murder of an agent? Talk about high profile."

Talk about a headache, Leah thought.

Jenks seemed to agree with Leah. "I prefer to deal with cases on the municipal level," he said. "Plus, your agent's a fed, so let the feds handle it. I have enough on my plate." He took a deep breath and relaxed his hands. "Off the record: anything on what the hell happened?"

"Whoever did this probably knew she was a fed," Leah said. "We found her actual identification on her body. Nothing about a 'Tia' or any other persona."

She purposely didn't mention anything about Tia – Pereira – possibly being involved in nefarious activities. She didn't want to say anything about that until they had proof. Being dirty was a serious accusation, and too many people got in trouble based on allegations.

"It's up in the air whether or not we were supposed to find her dead or alive," Jacob added. "She's still alive, though."

Jenks nodded. "Any suspects?"

"Not exactly," Leah admitted, wrinkling her nose, still troubled by the lack of progress in Tia's investigation. "But I suppose our favorite supernatural crew was somehow involved. She was doused with an agent, rendering detecting her scent useless."

"That certainly shortens the list," Jenks said, tone full of sarcasm mixed with exasperation. He re-folded his hands. "This is interesting, though. People, even the bad guys, tend to leave law enforcement alone, especially when there's an investigation involved. Everyone understands that it's just a part of the game. And no one wants that kind of smoke, and for good reason. So… question is: assuming we believe that the perps knew about Pereira's true identity, how did she find herself in such a situation?"

Leah raised an eyebrow. "Victim blaming, are we?"

Jenks shot the detective an unimpressed look.

"We don't know what she did, but we'll find out," Jacob vowed. "It's not like we have a choice."

Leah nodded. "No, we don't," she said, standing up. "No, we don't – Have a nice rest of the day, counselor."

Jenks lifted his cup. "Keep me posted. I know this is the fed's problem, but judging on past experience, I'm ninety-nine percent sure I'm going to be dragged into that shitstorm. So I'd like to be somewhat prepared."

Leah fought a smirk. "Of course, counselor."

"So, you're having trouble sleeping."

Leah looked down at her hands folded over her lap and nodded. She considered bolting out of Dr. Murad's office and catching a cab back to Evanston, leaving her car behind to be picked up tomorrow morning. But she quickly shot down such a foolish thought – she had to pay for the therapist's hourly late whether she left forty-five minutes early or not.

"Apparently, so," was her quiet reply.

Dr. Murad made an affirmative sound and made note of Leah's short response in her notepad. "Has any natural sleeping worked?" she asked. "Such as melatonin?"

"No."

"Chamomile Tea?" the therapist tried. "Soothing background noise?"

Leah finally looked up from her lap and relaxed onto the couch. "Doesn't do a thing," she says. "Benadryl works, but it takes time to kick in."

Dr. Murad frowned as she put aside her notepad and folded her legs. "Benadryl is an antihistamine, used to quell allergic reactions. It is not designed to be a sleep aid." She slightly frowned. "This isn't something you've mentioned before. About a month, you say? Why is this the first time we are talking about your insomnia?"

Leah twisted her mouth as she remained quiet for a second. Goodness, she hated when Murad used that particular tone, used for scolding children. Though, it was somewhat deserved. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal," she would admit with a half-shrug. "Thought it'd come and go."

"Until?"

"I arrived late to work this morning without an excuse."

"You're extremely punctual when work is concerned," Dr. Murad said. "Ah, there lays the problem – What is the problem?"

Leah frowned. "I'm not too sure, actually…."

And she wasn't even lying to the therapist, nor herself.

"How is your physical health?"

"Hasn't been better... minus the no-sleeping part."

"So, likely you have a lot on your mind," Dr. Murad observed. "What is occupying your thoughts? Anything work-related?"

Leah bit her lip and thought about the day she had. It was chaotic, but that was normal. Standard. And no one had been found dead, which was a plus for the Voldemort Unit. "Yet another wrench was once again thrown into the investigation last week, but what else is new?"

Dr. Murad nodded. "Home?"

Leah shook her head. "Mom's good. She's been bit by the travel bug, so she's been traveling all over the place since the year started. Which is good, of course. She's retired, you know?" She paused. "Seth's doing well. He's on patrol, but it's not in a rough area, which is a relief… Besides the usual, the family's been good."

"And your personal life?"

Leah lifted an eyebrow. "Personal?"

"Love life," Dr. Murad clarified.

Leah snorted. She was damn sure she wasn't losing sleep over being single. She wasn't that pathetic. "Dates here and there," she said flippantly. Bella's cousin had invited her to yet another mixer, but Leah had politely turned down the offer. "Not looking for anything serious… I think I will stay on the single route for a bit. Take a break."

Dr. Murad nodded. "Nothing wrong with that," she said, and following a moment of silence, she asked, "How's the pack?"

"They're good."

"And Jacob?"

"He's good," Leah quickly responded. She crossed her arms and nodded. "Yeah, he's good – we're good."

Dr. Murad studied Leah for a moment – it only lasted seconds, but Leah felt like it had been hours. She hated when Murad looked at her like that... like she knew something Leah didn't know. And she wasn't going to say anything outright because that wasn't how Dr. Murad did things. "Is it the time of year?" the therapist asked.

Leah blinked. "What?"

"You being restless," Dr. Murad said. "Is it due to the time of the year?"

Leah blinked again. "You mean time of the month?"

"No, I mean time of the year," Dr. Murad said. "As in the season."

"I mean, I was never a fan of winter," Leah carefully said, eyeing the therapist. "I mean, I'd usually get irritated during the spring because – you know, allergies. Which I have seemingly been cured of…." She shrugged again. "I don't think – unless, you're referring to the second anniversary of the Dahlia's death, which just passed…."

Dr. Murad shook her head. "I wasn't." She uncrossed her legs. "I remember you mentioning something about being in peace when you're in wolf-form. Do you think more runs and hunts would make a difference?"

"We have pack runs every other day," Leah said. "Sure, it'd been nice to go every day, but everyone has their own lives, and then there's the pack's arrangement with the park…."

"Do you have to be with the pack?" Murad asked. "And do you have to always go to Sag Valley?"

"It's our territory," Leah said. She still might not fully understand pack dynamics and wolves, but she did know about that. "If I venture off to somewhere else, that'll lead to more problems."

Dr. Murad slowly nodded. "Ah, yes."

"How's your day been?"

Leah couldn't help but sigh at the question.

She had only been at the station for an hour, and she could already feel the headache coming in to ruin her day. Despite the much-needed run last night, she had only slept for a couple of hours. Thankfully, this time – despite her protests and insistence that she could take the EL – Jacob had driven her to work.

"It's going," was all Leah could honestly say as she stifled a yawn. "Same shit, different day."

Days had passed since Tia's assault, and she, Jacob, and their new federal partners were not much closer to finding out what had happened. The agent's personal and work phone were still missing, though Grillo and Leslie insisted they could still get their records; it might take some time. Her immediate family was practically M.I.A, for reasons the DEA's HR department wouldn't (couldn't) say. No one in Pereira's Oak Forest apartment complex knew anything, and to make matters worse, Pereira's apartment – her real one and fake one – had been completely scrubbed, bleached and all. Which could only mean one thing: whoever was responsible wasn't dumb and had resources.

At least Emilio's legal representation finally had made an appearance. Now, Emilio was refusing to cooperate, and the lawyer was now threatening to sue the police department for harassing his client – Though Paul didn't appear to be as concerned about the prospect as the brass, so Leah supposed they weren't entirely screwed. The captain insisted that he would find a way to make Emilio speak, just give him some time.

Time.

Goodness, fuck.

Time was something no one had.

Grillo and Leslie remained in contact with the detectives as they tried to figure out what had happened with their colleague. Leah was still surprised that the agency was still just as much in the dark about Pereira as the Voldemort Unit.

And Maria Perez, Pereira's Tia's apparent best friend, was still out of the country and out of the police's reach, so there was that.

Aisha's laugh was as dry as dust. "Same shit different day."

"Has our favorite mob-liaison said anything about a certain incapacitated federal agent?" Leah asked the woman beside her. It was half-past seven, and both women stood inside the empty station break room, waiting on station coffee to finish brewing. Usually, Leah wouldn't dare to touch the watered-down station brew until she had a cup from the outside, but Esposito was in charge of coffee-prep this week, which meant the brew might have some kick.

The coffee machine chimed, and Aisha poured herself a cup. "They claimed not to know anything about it," she said, returning the coffee pot to its burner. "That's the story they're going with."

Leah turned around to lean against the edge of the counter. "You believe them?"

Aisha snorted as she lightened her drink with half-and-half. "Hell no." They both sardonically chuckled. The Olympic coven had long lost any benefit of the doubt. "But I don't think they had anything to do with it. At least, personally had a hand in it. You know… actually locked her inside the trunk."

"It's a start," Leah said. Truthfully, she didn't think the Cullens or Denalis had anything to do with the DEA agent's assault. They were trying to remain in the law enforcement's good graces, at least for the foreseeable future. "Interviews are getting better?"

Aisha shrugged. "I still maintain Esme prefers you, but she's talking, and that's what matters," she said. "Word on the street is that the Olympic is trying to move into Volturi's territory out west."

"Washington state?"

"Yep."

Leah grabbed her mug. "That'd get the Volturi's attention."

"But would it be enough for them to catch a flight out of Moldova?" Aisha took a sip. "Gotta say this is one of the better brews." She took another sip. "Also, Edward's getting out soon. I'm hearing October."

Leah frowned. Yeah, she had heard. Edward Cullen, the new patriarch of the Olympic coven following Carlisle Cullen's conveniently "natural" death back in 2018, was getting out of prison early. On good behavior, they said. Just what the Voldemort Unit needed, another mobster out on the streets. "You think he'd be able to take the reins from Esme?"

Aisha shook her head. "Doubtful. Everyone knows who really runs the show. Whether behind the scenes or right on stage, everyone knows," was her cryptic response. "How do you think she got away with Carlisle's murder?" She took a deep breath, and her mood suddenly changed into something more cheerful. "We're still meeting up with Bella for Happy Hour tonight, yes?"

Leah was almost offended Aisha had to ask. "Hell, yeah, I'm gonna be there."

Aisha lifted her mug in salute.

"Did you get the chance to talk to Maria?"

That had been the plan. After all, Tia was (perhaps, used to be) Maria's right-hand woman. They had done everything together, even being on the receiving end of a drive-by shoot. Based on past conversations with the widow, Maria appeared to be just as much in the dark about Tia's whereabouts as everyone else – Leah wondered if that had changed during the past couple of weeks.

Leah glanced at Jacob, who shrugged, before shaking her head, "We left a voice mail," she told Paul with a grimace, worried she'd disappoint the captain with the not-good news. "But we heard from a rather nosy neighbor that Maria's out of the country. Since the morning of the raid. Vacation in Toronto."

Maria tended to choose convenient times to take out-of-country vacations, didn't she? Leah sure hoped Maria had nothing to do with Tia's assault. That would be pretty unfortunate. Despite their messy situation with Ricky, the two women seemed to be good friends.

"Toronto." Paul crossed his arms. "When does she plan on coming back?"

"Next week," Jacob said. "We'll get her in as soon she's stateside."

"Make sure you do," Paul said. "How're our federal partners holding up?"

"They do their thing, and we do ours," Leah said, remembering that she and Jacob were scheduled to meet up with Grillo and Leslie later. "They have their suspicions…."

"Well, that agency wouldn't be bringing in Internal Affairs agents if they didn't," Paul remarked flippantly and walked away before the detectives could ask him another question.

"Fuck," Jacob said moments later as he watched Paul enter his office. "Fuck."

Leah glanced at Paul's office and nodded. "Fuck, indeed."

Around 11:00 am, Embry stopped by the detectives' desks, having recently returned from spending most of the morning at the Iowa and Homan crime scene. "You remember that place I was telling out on Iowa and Homan? The one the HG was talking about? Well, the apartment building belongs to Evgeniy Fedorov – yeah, that one. We got a hold of him, and as one would expect, he claimed he knew nothing." Embry paused to roll his eyes. "He says that the apartment was rented to an Evian Montero up until a year ago. Fedorov evicted Montero due to noise complaints."

"Place's been abandoned ever since?" Leah asked.

"Seems so," Embry said with a shrug. "Fedorov claims not to know about anyone squatting or using the apartment without paying rent – We plan on asking him more questions when the time comes."

Leah nodded. "Yeah, I don't think he's being entirely truthful." She looked up at Jacob, and the detectives shook their heads in unison. "Anything on Montero?"

"Esposito and Jared are looking into him," Embry said.

"Yes, your new assistants," Jacob laughed. "It seems like all you've been doing for the past week is ordering them around, making them do mundane things."

Embry smirked. "You gotta start somewhere, and the captain says I need to find mentees by the next performance review, so…" He retrieved a stack of photos from his large coat pocket and dropped it on Leah's desk. "Pics from the apartment."

Leah studied each photo before stopping at a particularly interesting one. She held it up to the ceiling light then to her face. The place looked like it hadn't been occupied since Montero's department. "What does that look like to you?" she asked Jacob, handing him the photo.

Jacob examined the picture. He lifted an eyebrow. "A discharged UV. Quite a few. With light residue," he said with a frown. "A shooting took place?"

Embry shrugged. "No one mentioned anything about a shooting."

Jacob handed the photo back to the younger cop. "Get all the bullet casings you can find and some more answers from our favorite landlord," he said, then sighing, "And we'll try to get a real search warrant."

"You got it," Embry says with two thumbs up.

"Embry thanks us for the search warrant. He says that he'll give us a report before shift's end."

"Sounds good to me."

"Did you get that text for Jared? The one about Maria trending on Twitter because of her quite entertaining appearance at some Toronto nightclub? Apparently, she was paid a pretty penny – Hey, at least we now know she was in Canada, as of early this morning."

"I often wonder what made her decide to throw away her teaching career…." Jacob remarked in between bites of his chicken fried rice. The detectives had decided to make a pit stop for a late lunch at a Northside fast-food Chinese spot off of Clark Street after spending the better part of an hour interviewing Catalina's (Tia's) neighbors.

Leah took a bite from her spring roll. "I'd imagine the money's better and the fame's addicting," she provided, then cheekily added, "She was a part-time teacher's aid, not a teacher."

"I mean, I ain't one to judge… but being a social media sensation ain't exactly sustainable without a profitable side hustle or endorsements. She's putting all her eggs in one basket. What's she gonna do after her fifteen minutes are up?"

Leah shrugged. "Well, her fifteen doesn't appear to be ending anytime soon," she said. "Did you know her tape with the infamous sicario is still popular on the free adult sites? At least that was what I heard."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "It's been months, and we still don't know where that asshole is," he grumbled. "We only know the hotel the lovers were staying at during filming."

"Which means we know Sancho was in Chicago around that time," Leah pointed out with a light scoff. The whole thing was absurd. "Look, he can run around all he wants, but he can't hide forever. One of these days, he's gonna slip up. You'll see. They all do."

Jacob snorted into his bottle of water. "The guy's a bloodsucker," he said. "For all we know, he'll slip up a hundred years from now. When we're all dead."

"Something tells me it won't take that long," Leah said before tossing the last bite of the roll into her mouth. She pulled out a few folded-up pieces of paper from her inner coat pocket and re-read the content. Thankfully, the restaurant was large and sparse enough to have a conversation without the fear of eavesdropping. "Hey, look at this: Pereira checked in at LaPush a couple of nights before the assault. One bedroom with a king-sized bed. Two guests."

"I'm guessing they didn't provide the name of the second guest?"

Leah shook her head. "I'm afraid not." She gave her partner a pointed look. "She did use her government name."

Jacob matched his partner's gaze and groaned, "Don't tell me we're going back to the LaPush…."

Leah wasn't looking forward to the trip herself. It has been over two years since the murder of Jessica Stanley, and the gruesome crime scene still remained fresh in Leah's psyche – but she and Jacob had a job to do. "We're going back to the LaPush." She finished the last of her hot and sour soup and snapped her fingers. "C'mon, Black, get your coat. We're back on the clock."

The LaPush Hotel looked the same.

It had the same décor. The same feel. The same underlying scent – the detectives hadn't visited the place in months, but they both felt like they had been there the day before. Both wished they didn't have to be here.

"Good afternoon, welcome to LaPush," one of the receptionists greeted with a bright smile, "Are you here to check in?"

"Not quite," Leah said as she approached the desk. When she and Jacob flashed their badges, the receptionist's demeanor instantly (and understandably) changed. "I'm Detective Leah Clearwater from CPD, and this is my partner, Detective Black – do you mind if we ask you a few questions about one of your guests?"

The receptionist gave a stiff nod and a tight smile. Her heart was running a mile a minute, and before Leah could tell her that no, the detectives were not here specifically for her, the receptionist gave another nod, "Of course."

Leah glanced at the receptionist's nameplate. Tara Thompson. "Thank you," she said. "Is this your normal shift?"

"Yes."

"Were you here last week?"

"Yes, of course."

Leah nodded again and pulled out a folded-up copy of Catalina Pereira's professional profile picture. "Does this person look familiar to you?"

The receptionist leaned over to closely examine the photo then stood up straight. The look in her eyes said she definitely recognized her. "She was on the news…" she said, bringing a hand to her mouth. "I remember seeing her on the news."

"Do you remember seeing her here?" Jacob asked, now standing next to his partner. "Sometime last week?"

Thompson jerked her head to the right and, with the detectives, moved to the end of the reception table away from the rest of the staff and guests. She took another look at Catalina. "Yes, I remember her," she said. "She arrived right before I was about to take my break. Hard to forget, honestly. She was dressed to the nines. She had this white mink coat that was to die for. Something you see at a runway show. Definitely a show stopper."

"Was she alone?"

"No, she was with another person," Thompson said. "A man. Hispanic, I think? Bald. Clean face. About six feet. Stocky build. Looked like he could easily snap an arm. I assumed he was her bodyguard by the all-black attire and the wired earpiece he was wearing."

"Caught his face?"

Thompson let out a nervous chuckle. "I tried not to take a good look at him…."

Leah nodded with understanding. "Got a name?"

Thompson shook her head. "His information was not needed for the reservation," she said. "Everything was reserved under…" she paused to check out the reservation record on the hotel computer in front of her. "Catalina Pereira. Even the dinner reservations were under her name."

"For one or two?"

"They were both for two people."

The detectives shared a look before Leah asked, "And it was one room with one king bed, right?"

Thompson nodded.

"So," Jacob said. "Either the man wasn't planning on staying over the entire time, or he was more than just a bodyguard."

Thompson shrugged. "Sure, but they certainly did not behave as if they were in some kind of intimate relationship," she said. "I have done this job for a very long time. You'd learn how to read people and their body language."

"How did they behave?"

"Like she was a client, and he was the bodyguard," Thompson said. "They did not say one word to each other, and the man was constantly on alert. Like a bodyguard."

Leah nodded then asked, "Around what time did they arrive?"

"Around this time," Thompson said, checking her wristwatch. "Around 2:00 pm."

"Early check-in?"

"Yes, hotel reward members have the choice of checking in early."

"What about check out?" Jacob asked.

Thompson reviewed the reservation and shook her head. "They did not officially check out," she said. "Or at least, did not come to the desk to drop off their keys and whatnot. We checked the reserved room around one pm, and no one was there. Nothing was left behind except for their key cards."

"Everything was paid in full?"

"Yes."

"Did she request a parking spot?"

"Yes," Thompson said. "But then she rescinded the request."

Leah nodded. The detail seemed mundane, but she made note of it. "Is the room occupied now?"

"No, but it will be soon."

"Is it okay if we check it out before the guest arrives?"

"Of course."

The hotel room wasn't anything special – it was a standard one-bedroom, located on the fifth floor with views of the next building. With the receptionist at the door, the detectives inspected opposite sides of the room.

"Did someone just check out earlier today?" Leah asked Thompson. When the receptionist confirmed that someone had occupied the room for the past few days, the detective asked, "And there was nothing suspicious about Pereira's stay?"

Thompson shook her head. "Not that I know of," she said. "I didn't hear anything from the maids or any other staff."

As Jacob checked behind the bed, Leah inspected the closet. After spending a few minutes finding absolutely nothing, Leah took a step back, crossed her arms, and frowned. They should've been here last week, then they could pick out Tia's scent. Now, the room's aroma consisted of cleaning products and Thompson's rather strong perfume.

"We're missing something," Jacob whispered to Leah as he walked past her towards the bathroom. "We're missing something."

"I know," Leah muttered before she turned to face the receptionist. "When you were checking in Pereira, how did she seem?"

"Fine," Thompson said. "No red flags."

"Any calls from this room?"

"No."

"Room service?"

"None on record."

"Special requests?" Leah tried. "Extra towels? Extra toilet tissue? Anything?"

Thompson was apologetic. "No."

"No," Leah reiterated, shaking her head, hands on her hips. Nothing about this reservation had seemed out of the ordinary, even when the detectives had viewed the security cameras fifteen minutes before. Pereira had checked in two days before the assault. Her companion had stayed over the first night but not the second one. Pereira had been in and out of her room, but there was nothing out that stood out. And unfortunately, the cameras did not get a good look at Pereira's companion.

Leah thanked the receptionist before heading to the bathroom, where Jacob was, kneeling as he inspected the toilet area. "Picked up anything?" she asked.

"Yeah, the stench of Lysol and the occasional dust bunny," Jacob remarked sarcastically. He stood up and shoved his hands into his pocket. "So, the guy was here for one night but not the next. Not a very good bodyguard, I'd say."

"I highly doubt he was one," Leah said, bending down to check under the sink. It was cleaned out. She checked the nearby drawers. Nothing out of sort. She then stood up and rubbed her hands together. "Her stay ended the day we found her," she said. "It's quite unfortunate that she didn't have many friends who'd know of whereabouts."

Jacob nodded. "Or family she was close with," he said. "We can only hope the phone records would say something."

"Leslie and Grillo said they'll be able to give us text messages by tomorrow," Leah whispered low enough for the receptionist not to hear. "Redacted, of course."

Jacob snorted. "Of course – You think we're done here?"

"Yeah, for now," Leah said, skimming through her notes from her interview with the receptionist, security, and the hotel restaurant's staff. "There's nothing else."