Part 2

Fred closed her book, nothing new, she looked around her, the 3 men were also researching. But judging their face, they obviously did not advanced more than her. The phone rang and Fred picked up.

"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless."

"Hello, I'm inspector Alex Cross. Are you a friend or colleague of Cordelia Chase?" The policeman on the phone said.

Fred started to worry. "Yeah, why? Is Cordelia in trouble?"

Angel, Wesley and Gunn raised their head when they heard the name of their friend.

"Well, I'm not sure I should announce you that by phone, but a neighbour of your friend called thirty minutes ago. The caretaker is dead and… " Alex Cross trailed off.

Fred widened her eyes. "Oh my God, but what does Cordelia have to do with it?" She asked, then added in a horrified voice. "She didn't kill him, did she?"

"No, obviously not, I, we're thinking that she was kidnapped."

"What? Why? How? By who?" Fred stammered.

"We're not sure but the witness thought that she heard him presented as Casanova. You should come." Alex answered in a calm voice.

"Yes, yes, we're coming."

She hung up with trembling hands.

Wesley frowned. "What is it Fred?"

"What's up with Cordelia? Is she alright?" Angel asked, his voice full of concern.

"She… she…" Fred stammerd.

She burst in tears, and Gunn went and took her in his arms. Angel felt his heart sank, he had a bad feeling.

Angel tried to remain calm. "She what, Fred?"

Fred said between sobs. "We have to… to… "

Wesley spoke with a soothing voice. "Fred calm down and tell us what's happening with Cordelia. "

Fred took a deep breath and choked down a sob.

"She was... kidnapped... by Casanova and we have to go to her apartment."

"What? But…" Angel broke off.

He looked down and Gunn though he saw some tears. He looked at Wesley, he seemed in shock, as Gunn, he couldn't believe it. Suddenly, Angel jumped on his feet.

"I'm going to find her."

Wesley stood up. "WE are going to find her, but the best we can do for the moment is to go to her apartment."

"Good idea, let's go." Fred nodded.

Alex Cross just hung up when another policeman came near him.

"Inspector, we found this."

Alex put on some gloves and took the sheet of paper that his colleague handed him. It was a note

« And another one in my collection, I must say that it's a beautiful piece, I'll take great care of her. So, how does it feel to know that another young lady was kidnapped and you could have avoided that by arresting me? I'll give anything to see your cops' faces right now! Well, anything except my girls, of course!

Casanova »

Nick Ruskin, a colleague of Alex on this investigation came closer.

"Any news? " Nick asked nodding toward the paper.

"Yeah, it's this damn Casanova, and he allows himself to tease us!" Alex replied, obviously angry.

"We'll get him, I know we will, and he'll pay for that." Nick assured.

"Yes, but I still hope he won't have time to make another victim."

Another policeman advanced toward them.

"The victim's friends are there, and they absolutely want to come in the apartment. One of them nearly hit me, what do I do?" He asked

"Where are they?" Alex inquired.

Angel couldn't keep still, the more he wasted time, the less he'd have a chance to find Cordelia. He needed to come in the apartment but that cop wouldn't let him pass. Angel would have kicked his ass if Wes and Gunn had not been there to stop him.

Fred sighed. "Angel, calm down."

"Sorry, but I can't, and where is the other one?"

Gunn's brows went up. "The one you nearly smashed in pieces?"

"He went to get a superior I think, and there he is." Wesley pointed the policeman was coming back with two other men.

One was black and tall, the other white with blond hair and had about the same size as his colleague. They arrived near Angel's team and the policeman that Angel had aggressed kept a reasonable distance away from him. The black man held out his hand to Angel.

"Hello, I'm Alex Cross, I'm the one who called you." Alex declared still holding out his hand.

Angel looked at Alex's hand but didn't take it.

"I want to see the inspector of the investigations." The vampire demanded.

Alex lowered his hand. "That's me, and here is my colleague Nick Ruskin."

"Hello, I'm Wesley Wyndam-Price, that's Charles Gunn, Winifred Burkle and Angel, We are all friends and colleagues of Cordelia."

"And we want to come in." Angel added quickly.

Nick shook his head. "That's not going to be possible."

Angel went to stand in front of Nick and glared at him. "And why is that so?"

"You are going to calm down!" Nick warned.

Angel stepped closer with a threatening look. "I'll calm down when I'm in my friend's apartment, and if that does not happen in the following minute, I'll be really pissed. Got it?"

Fred pulled at his arm and pleaded. "Angel calm down, you won't get things better by fighting."

"No," Angel said looking into Nick's eyes, "but it'll help me to let off steam!"

Wesley placed himself between Angel and the inspector. "You'll let of steam on the one who kidnapped Cordy." He looked at Alex. "We're private detective and we can help you."

"We don't need help." Nick denied.

Gunn rolled his eye. "We don't give a damn about that, man. Cordelia's our friend and we'll do anything to find her!"

"Don't worry, I'll do anything to find her." Alex assured.

Angel sighed. "Who do you want to make believe that to?"

"My niece Naomi Cross was kidnapped by this fool eight days ago, and believe me, I do everything I can to find her, but he is smart." Inspector Cross explained. He looked really sad.

"I'm sorry for you niece, but we are good detectives, you should let us help." Fred said gently.

"Ok, come in."

Angel passed the policeman and inspected the room, everything seemed normal, except for the broken kitchen's table. There was no other trace of fight, this was not normal. But he smelt blood, Cordy's or this Casanova's? He leaned toward the nutcase's. A policeman passed with one of Cordy's knife with some traces of blood. He heard the cop commented very lowly that Cordelia had wounded the kidnapper well. Angel ignored how the cop knew that, but he thanked God that it wasn't her.

Angel turned to Wesley. "That's not normal."

"What's not normal?" Alex asked.

"Cordelia knows how to fight, I taught her. And I heard one of your men tell that she has wounded her aggressor, so how did he get her?"

"The woman who called us said that Cordelia ran out of the apartment with difficulty, but she wasn't limping, it was as if her legs didn't want to go faster, and that without any reason, she collapsed literally in the stairs, the fall must have knock her out." Alex explained.

Angel shook his head. "No, she's tough, she's been through worse and always got back on her feet, she is strong!"

"Don't you think that you overestimate her a little?" Nick suggested with a shrug.

"No," Wesley said. "I believe that we underestimate her too often."

A rag drew Wesley's attention, he picked it up and leaned to smell the product impregnate in it, but Fred stopped him.

"Wait!" She shouted and indicated a place where there was product. "Look at this colour, I read an article not to long ago about a product which, when you smell it, contracts all your body's muscles."

"Huh?" Gunn asked, confused.

"It means that the person is conscious but cannot move any more, it's like you're paralysed. It's used for operations on animals too big and too nervous. And it has this kind of colour, I'm not sure that it is that product, but better safe than sorry, right?" She told.

Wesley brought the rag away. "Yes, you're right, and what's the name of this product?"

"Er..."

"Amoniant," Alex said. "I read this article." He turned to Fred, "very intelligent of your part, I'll send it to the laboratory."

"NO!" Angel explained. They all turned to look at him and he explained. "It'll take too much time, and we don't have it!" He asked Fred. "Could you analyze it?"

"Of course."

"Good, at least one thing is settled!"