Constables Crabtree and Higgins stopped their bicycles in front of the town hall where Councillor Best worked. It was mind afternoon so they hoped that he was still in his office. They also hoped that he'd come peacefully once they asked him to come back to the station.
The two men dismounted their bikes and parked them against the wall before the entered the large building. Crabtree walked to the reception desk and hooked his thumbs over his service belt. Higgins stood slightly behind him and off to the side.
"Can I help you?" the receptionist asked as she looked over the two constables wondering why the constabulary was at the town hall.
"We need a word with Councillor Best," Crabtree replied.
"Do you have an appointment with him?" the receptionist asked.
Crabtree glanced over to Higgins and then back at the woman behind the desk, "We're policemen. We're working on a troubling case and we'd like to talk to Councillor Best," he stated.
"He prefers that you make an appointment," the receptionist said.
"Ma'am," Crabtree tried to hold back his growing anger, "We need to speak with Mr. Best, now. It's very important," he stressed the urgency. Higgins nodded, but said nothing.
"He won't like it," the woman shot back. "I'm not taking the blame," she then said.
"Just tell us which office is his," Crabtree requested, impatiently.
With a huff, the receptionist pointed down the hall, "His name is on the door, Constable Crabtree," she said as she made special note of the policeman's name in case Best came back on her for allowing them to see him.
Crabtree drew his lips tight and then ticked his head toward Higgins to follow him down the hall. For such a big building, it seemed rather quite. The two men paused at the door before they knocked. Both men exchanged looks, and with a drawn breath, Crabtree rapped on the oak door. They waited a few minutes, looking around the hall as they did.
"I don't hear anyone," Higgins said a he leaned toward the door.
"Knock again," Crabtree said.
Higgins huffed slightly before he did what he was asked to do. And again the men waited. "I don't think he's in there," Henry said.
Crabtree was growing more irritated so he took a hold of the door knob and tried it. The door was locked. Crabtree stepped back, "Do you have a key for this door?" he called down the hall to the receptionist. He could hear some grumbling coming from the foyer and finally the receptionist came marching along, clutching a ring off keys in her right hand. She glared at the two constables before she unlocked the door. "There," she grunted as she walked back to her station, Crabtree grabbed the knob again, opening the into the office. There was no Councillor Best inside. Crabtree cursed under his breath. "He's got to be somewhere," he then said as he glanced around the office.
"Maybe the receptionist knows where we can find him," Henry suggested as he looked around the office.
"Or maybe this agenda book might tell us," Crabtree said as he walked around the back of Best's desk and flicked the closed book open with the end of his pencil. Henry liked his idea better, and grunted at George's mention of the book. Crabtree flipping the pages to the date, and there were no entries. "For a Councillor, he sure doesn't do much. I mean what with all the tax payer's money, he should have a book full of meetings," he said to no one in particular.
"It looks like a new book to me," Henry noted.
"It does, doesn't it?" Crabtree had to agree as he examined the leather-bound book. "Didn't the Detective have one?" he looked up at his colleague having just flipped through the first half of the book, which was empty of any appointments or messages.
Henry shrugged, "Maybe."
"Well, there's nothing helpful in this one," Crabtree sighed. "Let's go back to the Station and see what the Detective wants us to do next," he suggested as he walked to the door. Higgins followed him and pulled the door behind them as they left the room.
"I bet we'll get an earful," Higgins lamented as they walked the hall to the foyer, passing the receptionist along the way. She thrust her nose in the air as if she pulled one over on the police.
"Why do you say that?" George questioned.
"We're coming back empty handed," Henry stated.
"Well if the Councillor wasn't at this work or abode, we don't now where he is, do we?" George explained.
"Maybe, but I still think the Detective and Inspector will be upset with us," Henry said.
"Henry," Crabtree paused, "you always look at things in a negative way. Just think of this as a cat and mouse game," the constable smiled. "We just need to use a bigger piece of cheese to catch the mouse," he said in a positive tone.
"You mean rat," Higgins suggestion.
"Let's call him a large slippery rodent," George suggested. It made Higgins smile. The two men left the building and mounted their bicycles as headed back to Station House No. 4. Maxwell Best saw the two Constables and turned his back to them as they rode by. He'd seen where they had come from and waited until they where well out of sight before he walked to the town hall; curious to see what they were there about.
The councillor took another look around the street before he entered the building, walking briskly to the reception desk.
"You just missed the police," the receptionist said with a hint of sarcasm.
"What did they want?" Best asked.
"You, apparently," the receptionist stated.
"What on earth for?" the councillor quickly asked.
"They didn't say, but they went to your office," the woman said from behind the desk.
"I see," Best said in a disgruntled tone, partly put on. He knew at some point the police would begin to connect the dots, but as long as he could keep ahead of them, and until he paid off Raquel and perhaps get a few more trysts with her, he'd be happy. Best purposely tugged on the bottom edge of his waistcoat, again displaying disapproval, he trust his nose into the air and began to walked down the hall to his office.
"I told them you wouldn't like it," the receptionist called after the councillor. She then went back to work, "I guess I was right," she smiled to her self.
Murdoch was at this desk, leafing through Councillor Best's agenda book. There were a few meetings prior to the entry of R.W. And then afterwards there was virtually nothing as if the man never planned ahead. This puzzled the Detective. Brackenreid strolled into the Detective's office, "Anything yet, Murdoch?" the Inspector asked while he sipped on his glass of scotch.
"Nothing really," Murdoch sighed as he pushed the agenda aside. "I'm hoping that George and Henry bring Best in so that we can talk to him and sort this out. This has been a most troubling case," he concluded.
"You can say that again," Brackenreid agreed just ad Crabtree and Higgins entered the bull pen.
"There they are now," Murdoch said as he stood up.
"Where's Best?" the Inspector questioned noting that the two Constables didn't have Best in tow.
"Good question, Sir. Let's find out," Murdoch said as he joined the Inspector as they walked out to talk to the two Constables.
"Well, gentlemen?" the Inspector was waiting for news on Best.
"Councillor Best, remains at large, I'm afraid," George exclaimed. "He was neither at his residence, or his office," the then stated.
"Bloody wonderful," Brackenreid grunted. "What do we have to do? Camp out at both locations?" he then huffed out of frustration.
"That might not be a bad idea, Sir," Murdoch said as he eyed the two Constables. George could feel his tunic collar tightening around his throat and he gulped.
