Disclaimer: You know the drill, Anna is mine, everything else belongs to them. sigh
As Anna sat there, still mulling over her discovery, she heard footsteps coming down the hall, and made a quick decision not to tell Alfred about the bullets. After all, she was working on an assumption, albeit a very logical one, and she could be completely wrong. No need to worry Alfred over a circumstantial bit of information.
Slipping off the bed, she hurried out into the hallway. Alfred was standing at the door to her room, hand poised to knock.
"What's up Alfred?" Anna asked.
Anyone else would have been startled by her unexpected appearance, but Alfred took it in stride, and calmly turned to face her.
"I was coming to let you know that I have placed a call to the Gotham police department, and that two officers should be arriving shortly." Alfred informed her.
"Thank you Alfred." Anna glanced down, realizing she was still in her pajamas. "I guess I had better get dressed," she commented.
"That would probably be a good idea," Alfred said, smiling. He turned and went back downstairs.
Anna threw on a pair of jeans, and a soft sweater, and headed down to the kitchen. Alfred was there, brewing more tea, which made her smile.
"I looked in Bruce's suitcase, but I didn't find a phone book, or anything useful," Anna told him.
Alfred nodded and said, "Well, it was a bit of a long shot anyway. I called the university and spoke to one of his professors. Through him, I obtained the phone number to the dorm where I was told some of Bruce's friends live. The counselor that I spoke to there fetched one of the young men to the phone. Andrew, I believe his name was. He said he hasn't seen or heard from Master Bruce since last week, but that he would check with some more of their friends and see if any of them had heard anything, and call us back if he found any useful information."
"Oh, well maybe he'll turn something up," she replied. Anna helped Alfred carry the tea tray and platter of cookies that he had prepared into the formal sitting room.
A knock sounded at the front door, and Alfred left to receive the officers. Anna chose a pale blue chaise lounge and sat down. She hated this room, though she didn't know why she felt so vehemently about it. It was a lovely, well decorated room, which she was told still retained some of her mother's personal touch. Maybe it was too fancy, or perhaps it was just because it was seldom used, and those occasions which warranted utilizing it were generally serious ones.
Alfred appeared in the doorway, followed by two uniformed officers.
As they entered the room, Anna stood to greet them. She found herself slipping into very formal manners in situations where she felt like she was on display, representing the Wayne family. As the lady of the house, which she had repeatedly argued was not her place, but had been firmly informed by Alfred that it most certainly was, it was her job to be the gracious hostess, no matter what the circumstances were.
Pleasantries exchanged, the officers took a seat on the antique sofa, and after accepting a cup of tea and a few cookies, got down to business.
Watching the officers, Anna shivered, feeling a sudden chill. Somehow, their presence made everything seem so real, so serious. As long as it was just her and Alfred looking for Bruce, she could pretend that he was just late to supper. But once you involved the police, it made it much scarier.
The officer that had introduced himself as Detective Gordon spoke first. "When was the last time you saw Mr. Wayne?"
"Yesterday. He was home from college to attend Mr. Chill's hearing, and he left around 1:30, headed down to the courthouse," Alfred answered.
After establishing that Bruce had indeed reached the courthouse that day, and having Alfred explain in detail the efforts made thus far to locate Bruce, the officers were silent for a few minutes, contemplating what they had learned.
"One of the first things we'll need to do is obtain Mr. Wayne's financial records, to see if there are any unusual expenditures from before his disappearance, or any activity since then. We'll need your permission to do that," Gordon explained.
"Of course," Alfred replied.
"With someone of Mr. Wayne's financial position, we have to consider kidnapping as a possibility. If that is the case, you can expect some sort of ransom message. Have you received any unusual communications today? A hang up phone call, or wrong number?"
"No, nothing of the kind. The only incoming phone calls that we have received today have been from reporters looking for an interview with Master Wayne about yesterday's events, and a call from one of Miss Wayne's close friends." Alfred responded.
"If you should receive any ransom demands, please inform us immediately, even if the note says not to involve the police, we need to know what's going on. Of course, should Mr. Wayne turn up on his own, please inform us of that as well. With your permission, we would like to put a tap on the phone lines, in case someone should call, we will have more to work with," the detective instructed.
"Do what ever is necessary," Alfred said. "Given the area where Master Wayne disappeared, do you think that Carmine Falcone might be involved?"
"We'll look into that probability as much as we can, and with that in mind we'll expand our search to new areas if we don't find anything in a couple of days," Gordon answered.
"Like the bottom of the river?" Anna asked bleakly, speaking up for the first time.
Gordon turned to regard the girl. She looked young, but there was a quiet maturity in her eyes. Poor kid, first her parents were killed, and now her brother was missing. He hesitated before replying, not wanting to seem negative, but she obviously didn't have a rose-tinted view of the situation, and he felt it was important to be honest with her. "Depending on what happens between now and then, yes, that is a possibility."
Anna was pleasantly surprised with the quality of that answer; she hadn't really expected such straightforwardness. Detective Gordon seemed like a nice man, and she appreciated his concise, true answer. She didn't want to think about them looking for Bruce in the river, and what that implied, but she also knew that she had to be realistic. People who disappeared around Falcone usually didn't turn up alive. As pragmatic as she was trying to be, her mind shied away from that thought, and she forced her attention back to the officers.
"We'll call for some technicians to come place the wiretaps, and once they're done, we'll be out of your way," Gordon said. Alfred offered them some more tea, or other refreshments, but they politely refused, and began making some phone calls to get the taps set up.
Anna helped Alfred carry the dishes back to the kitchen. It was only a matter of time now until the media got wind of Bruce's disappearance. She was dreading that, the unending influx of phone calls, the reporters that stuck their microphones in your face if you dared to go out in public, like they owned your life and it was your duty to share it. They wouldn't let up either, not until something more sensational happened. Well, at least she wouldn't have to face it for a while, since she wouldn't be back at school until next week, and she didn't really feel like going anywhere. All she had to do was avoid answering the phone, which shouldn't be a problem.
Besides, as bad as it all looked, Bruce could still show up, and then all would be well. She knew realistically, that the chances of that happening were getting slimmer with each hour that passed. The thought of Bruce being held against his will was distressing, but at least it was an explanation that didn't necessarily end with him being dead.
According to the clock in the hall, it was almost 6. Supper would probably be ready soon, she had smelled something cooking when they took the dirty dishes into the kitchen. She really should call Maggie back. If Maggie found out about Bruce being gone through the news, she was going to be seriously ticked.
Actually, right now would be a perfect time to call Maggie, since it was nearly time for supper, the conversation couldn't go on too long. She headed to the family room, picked up the phone and dialed Maggie's number. It seemed like the phone had barely begun to ring when it was answered.
"Cartwright residence," said a very formal male voice. George, the Cartwright's butler was a bit of a stick in the mud.
"Hello George, it's Anna. May I please speak to Maggie?" Anna requested.
"One moment." She heard a click, and was then greeted by Maggie's cheerful voice.
"Anna! Took you long enough, I was beginning to wonder if Alfred had let me down and not given you the message. Where were you today? I figured you wouldn't be there yesterday, what with the hearing and all, but I was surprised when you didn't show up this morning."
"I took a spill off of Poseidon, and I broke my arm. The doctor's note says no school until at least Tuesday. It's nothing big, but I didn't get to go to the hearing because of it, and…" Anna paused, intending to explain what had transpired since the last time she saw Maggie, but her friend interrupted her before she could go on.
"I saw what happened and I wanted to call last night, and see if you wanted to talk about it, but Mum said that I should wait. She said that you would have enough to handle as it was." Maggie said.
"Well, yesterday was strange, and I'm still haven't quite sorted it out. But it gets worse. Bruce is missing," Anna stated bluntly.
"Missing! What do you mean?" Maggie exclaimed.
After Anna finished explaining the day's events, there was a long pause. Then Maggie finally spoke. "Anna, I don't know what to say. You must be so worried. Is there anything I can do?"
"Thanks Maggie, but I don't think there's anything to do except wait. The police are working on it, and I guess it'll be all over the news by tomorrow evening, maybe sooner," Anna replied sadly.
With a promise to call Maggie immediately if the police turned anything up, or if there was anything that Maggie could do, Anna hung up the phone. Normally the two girls would talk for hours, even if they had just seen each other. But this call had been far from normal, and depressing to boot.
With a sigh, Anna wandered out into the hall. She knew that Alfred probably had supper ready, but she wasn't hungry. Her arm was aching, and all she really wanted was to go to sleep and wake up to find that this was all a dream.
Reaching the kitchen and finding it empty, she headed to the sitting room where they had received the officers. Alfred was there, with Detective Gordon.
"They didn't find anything unusual, no large expenditures and no activity since yesterday," Gordon was saying as Anna walked in.
"So aside from waiting to see if we receive any ransom demands, what else will be done to find Master Bruce?" Alfred inquired.
Detective Gordon hesitated, and then answered in a low voice. "As a personal piece of advice, I would recommend that you hire a private detective. That's off the record, understand, but I think that it would be a good idea."
Anna was puzzled. Why would the detective feel like the Gotham police wouldn't be able to find Bruce? She knew crime was bad, but were they so overworked that they couldn't take time out to investigate the disappearance of one of their citizens? A prominent one at that, though neither Bruce nor she herself would want to receive preferential treatment because of their wealth.
Alfred nodded slowly, a thoughtful look on his face. "I'll contact Mr. Earle tomorrow to see if the company attorney can recommend any one."
Gordon seemed pleased by that response, and began gathering his paperwork together. "The wiretaps are in place. They shouldn't interfere with the operation of your telephone. If you should receive any suspicious phone calls, contact us immediately and we'll go with it from there."
"Alright," Alfred said. "Thank you very much for your time and efforts today."
"Just doing our job," Gordon said in an odd tone of voice. He shook hands with Alfred and Anna, then departed.
They stood there, listening to the crunch of tires on the gravel drive.
As the sound faded, Alfred placed a hand on Anna's shoulder. "Why don't we go have some supper?"
Anna turned to face him, her face pale and strained. "Will they find him Alfred?"
"I don't know," he said simply.
Four years later
"Congratulations! We made it!" Maggie Cartwright squealed as she threw her arms around Anna.
Anna staggered slightly under the surprise attack, nearly dropping her diploma in the process. The commencement ceremony had just ended, and somehow Maggie had found her in the crowd. They compared diplomas and chattered excitedly about how glad they were to be done with school, at least until the fall.
Family members were slowly beginning to join the graduates on the floor of the gymnasium. Like Bruce, Anna had attended a public high school, instead of the stuffy privates schools favored by Gotham's elite. Maggie had had to campaign long and hard to be able to go with Anna, but she had emerged victorious.
Anna searched for Alfred in the stream of people coming down from the bleachers, and finally located him. She hurried over to him, and hugged him.
"Congratulations Miss Anna!" Alfred said.
"Thanks Alfred. I still can't believe it's over, it doesn't seem possible. We're still going to Le Cirque, aren't we?" She asked excitedly.
"Of course, I'll go pull the car around front if you're ready to go," he answered.
"I will be by the time you get back, I'll meet you there." Anna replied.
That night in her room, the fancy dinner over, and all the excitement gone, Anna flopped down on her bed. Today had been wonderful, but she was glad it was done.
She rolled over and stared at a picture of herself and Bruce, taken at his high school graduation, that was sitting on her nightstand. Tears blurred her vision, obscuring the image.
Four years. Had it really been that long? In some ways it seemed like it had all happened yesterday, and in others it seemed like Bruce had been a dream, lovely but surreal.
Thinking back, she remembered the hope that had colored those earlier days of Bruce's disappearance slightly brighter. As long as you could make yourself believe that he might come back at any moment, you could breathe a little easier. After the first couple of weeks, that hope had faded, and by the two month anniversary, it was gone altogether. When Detective Gordon had come to them just after the one-year mark to tell them that their case had been designated cold, and put aside it had been a cruel blow. But by the time the private investigator decided that he would have to back burner the case, after almost 2 years of work, Anna was so numb that she hardly acknowledged him.
At least the swirl of media attention had died down eventually. Bruce was the top story for weeks, but even the press lost interest in the end. Anna was glad for that though, it had been impossible, trying to deal with all of the phone calls and reporters.
She lay there, tears falling silently, lost in memories. Big events like today were always bittersweet, always highlighting what was missing.
Like the day she turned sixteen, and Alfred had taken her to get her driver's license. She had been so nervous, convinced that she would fail, but she had passed the test on her first try. All that practicing with Alfred in the old Range Rover had paid off. Glowing with pride, she had presented the shiny plastic card to Alfred in the parking lot. They had driven home, the high spirits that came with success keeping any sad thoughts at bay.
As they had pulled into the drive, Anna caught a glimpse of a shiny, red car parked in front of the house. She was wondering who was there, when she spotted the large bow on top. Alfred stopped the car, and she slowly got out. She had turned to Alfred, disbelief evident on her face.
"It's for you," he had said with a wide smile.
Anna had run to the car and opened the door, inhaling the smell of the leather interior, marveling at the way the late summer sun had sparkled on the glossy paint job. It was a used car; no one could ever accuse Alfred of being impractical. But it was in wonderful shape, and Anna loved it.
Anna smiled. That day had been amazing, and that car had blown her mind. She had loved driving it then, and she still loved it.
As she lay there, reminiscing, she put a hand to her throat, finding the gold chain that was there and drew her fingers down it to the single diamond that hung on it. She watched the gem sparkle as she turned it in the light, and remembered the day she had received it.
It had been two months ago, as she was getting ready for her senior prom. Alfred had brought her a velvet jewellery box, saying that he thought she might like something special to wear tonight. Upon opening it, she had found the pendant, and a matching pair of earrings. They had belonged to her mother; Alfred had taken them out of the safe for Anna. Though she would one day inherit all of her mother's jewellery, that day was a few years off. Alfred had selected this set for her, as an early graduation gift, and a very thoughtful one at that.
These milestones just made her feel Bruce's absence more acutely. Bruce was gone, and she didn't expect to ever see him again. That still hurt, even after four years.
Anna sighed and did her best to push Bruce out of her mind. She got up and started getting ready for bed. Dwelling on the past wasn't going to help anything, and she had an exciting summer ahead of her getting ready for college. That's what she should be focusing on.
To the lovely reviewers: Thanks again! You're the best!
What do you think of this one? The next one is almost done, and unless Anna changes her mind (she's in control here, not me), it will be the long awaited (well, I think a few of you are kinda looking forward to it) back to the present, confrontation with Bruce.
