Chapter 4
"I'm sorry did you say dead?" Kevin asks
"I apologize that was a bit too blunt." Lawrence says.
"No, just please explain." Kevin begs and Lawrence sighs looking between Mendez and Macy.
"Kevin, I think you might just want to let it go for now. We're not sure about anything. It was just an assumption, it means nothing." Macy says.
"No I don't think he should let it go. This is our brother we deserve to know everything there is. You have no idea what it feels like to lose someone close." Nick retorts.
"Alright, let's just take a 5 minute break there. We'll gather up more information and tell you later. Maybe you could help by getting us coffee." Lawrence intervenes.
"Fine, what do you guys want?" Nick asks.
"Black, two sugars." Lawrence states.
"Normal with cream." Mendez says.
"I'm fine." Macy says.
"I didn't ask you." Nick says bitterly.
Macy throws her hands up in the air in defeat before walking back to the table with all the evidence. Kevin looks torn between his brother and his old friend. He hates seeing them like this. I mean it's true that they never got along in high school; Nick's closed off personality prevented her from being able to befriend him and her aggressive attitude scared him also their similar personality clashes. Nick calls for Kevin and he follows him.
"Are you okay kid?" Mendez asks.
"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Macy asks.
"Well after what Nick said I thought it would remind you of your fath—"
"Let's just get back to work okay?" Macy interjects.
After hours of looking back and forth at every inch of the evidence on the table the agents and Macy were beginning to feel restless. Macy has been watching the security camera countless of times and probably has memorized every movement. They were all starting to get frustrated. Kevin and Nick sit impatiently on the sofas watching their phones like it is their life lines in hope for Stella to call.
"I don't get it? I thought you can't go in unless you were called in or you had an ID. So either Joe knew the person who kidnapped him or they forged an ID card." Macy says.
"Impossible. To forge an ID card you still need a serial number which would register you in the buildings database, forging it would take months, a year maybe to be able to get the right serial code and sneak it into the database." Lawrence explains.
"So the culprit steals an ID card?" Mendez suggests.
"Can't. All residence have been noted and counted and were all there. They all had an alibi." Macy explains.
"So we're left with him knowing this person." Lawrence says.
"How does nobody notice a person dragging Joe out of the building?" Macy asks.
Macy looks at the surveillance recordings one last time just to make sure. Everyone that goes in and out of the building is all residence of the building…even Joe. She pauses at one scene and checks the time, 10:41 pm.
"What time was Joe kidnapped?"
"Well neighbors called at 10:15 that's when they heard the gun shot." Lawrence says.
"How is it possible that Joe can get out of the building by himself walking at 10:41, after the police arrives his home?" Macy asks showing the image.
"How do you know that's even Joe?" Mendez asks.
"You can tell with those sideburns of his and his stubble also his nose." Everyone turns around to see who said that.
"Stella! Freaking hell Stella, you scared us half to death! Where the hell did you go?" Kevin asks running up to Stella.
"I went back to my office to clear my head so I did more designs." Stella replies.
"Are you sure it's Joe?" Lawrence asks.
"It's Joe. The face recognition has confirmed it." Macy states.
"How in the world did you get face recognition from that?" Lawrence asks.
"I took the images from the mirrors reflecting around him and used the other surveillance cameras. But you know what I don't understand? His face, it's clear, no bruises and his shoulder seem fine."
"And that's a problem because?" Stella asks.
Macy stands up and drags everyone to Joe's bedroom. She pulls Kevin over next to the bed before walking away back to the door way. She points a gun towards Kevin causing everyone to panic even Kevin; he was moving side to side frantically trying to find a way to escape. Click. Macy pulled the trigger but it had an empty barrel much to everyone's relief.
"Are you fucking mental kid?" Mendez asks.
"What was that for?" Kevin shouts.
"According to the lab the shot's trajectory came from here considering the pattern of the splatter. To be able to shoot from this distance and having a moving target but be able to shoot Joe in the shoulder is insanely good." Macy says.
Macy walks up to Kevin and pulls him over the bed before pushing him towards the direction of the closet. She orders him to run towards the closet but before he was able to get to him she knocks him to the ground.
"Now, the blood stains shows that it is evident that the culprit was on top of Joe since there is a concentrated area. Therefore Joe must've had a bruise on his face at the least being slammed down to the ground this hard." Macy explains.
"So what? The person who walked out of the building was not Joe but an imposter? Don't you think the face recognition would've picked that up?" Mendez says.
"Unless make up and disguise was too thick." Stella adds.
"She's right." Lawrence notes.
"Sir, we found something!" A police woman shouted.
They all ran towards the shout which came from the kitchen. It all confuses them because they couldn't find anything. The lab technicians gave them goggles before turning the lights off and turning on the UV light. Written across the wall 'Bathing in the blood of revenge'.
"This isn't a ransom, this is about revenge." Mendez states.
"On who though?" Stella asks.
The team searched and searched through Joe's personal phone and laptop for any sort of clue about the revenge. The agents could see that Macy is straining herself too much so they tell her to go and take a rest however she refuses. But they couldn't take no for an answer so they give to her as an order she couldn't disobey. Macy gets up and walks towards the table rubbing her temple to release some of the strain. Behind her she could hear sniffling so she turns around to see Stella on the floor crying. Macy debates either to go there or not but she ends up sitting next to her.
"What do you want?" Stella asks coldly.
"It's funny how everyone hates me for just leaving." Macy says nonchalantly.
"Macy, you left with no warning or anything! You completely cut yourself out of my life and it hurt. Mace, you were my best friend, it killed me that you were not there." Stella says.
"I'm sorry." Macy says honestly.
"Thank you."
"Stella, phone. It's from the office." Nick calls and Stella runs off leaving Macy on the floor.
"What are you doing on the floor?" Nick asks.
"Taking a break." Macy replies and much to her surprise Nick slides down next to her.
"Don't you get tired of this?" He asks.
"Of what?"
"You're only 20 and you're already working on cases like these. Doesn't get to your head?"
"You know, it was my first case. A pair of twins, a boy and a girl, they were only 5. They got abducted in the park where their parents were too. On the case the mother and father would argue with each other, blaming each other constantly." Macy starts
"Do you find them?" Nick asks.
"No. We were too late, the children were murdered. Every night when I close my eyes I always see theirs, staring at me."
"Why do you stay around after seeing something like that?"
"Because, even after telling the parents the bad news they still thank us because the culprit was caught and he would not do that to another child again. If they come back or not, justice will always be served and another person would not have to suffer like their other victims again. That is why I stay around." Macy explains.
"Guys…They found Joe." Stella says
"That's great! Why do you sound so sad?" Nick asks.
"He was found murdering someone." Stella says quietly in disbelief.
AN: Chapter 4 everybody :). Hope you enjoyed it! Review please :) take care x