The victim's home was Detective Waterson's fourth stop today. As any other victim's home was, the place had been invaded by police. Not as many as the amount at Ms. Lockhart's work building, but enough to search the place for evidence. Detective Waterson stepped out of his parked vehicle, taking a look at his surroundings. The victim did not live in an area with a lot of people, it appeared. He walked over to the open garage door, meeting a fellow detective who waited for him.
"Anything?"
The other detective shook his head. "Sorry." He apologized. "Can't find a damn thing."
Detective Waterson sighed. "Nothing?"
"We can't even figure out what kind of quirk was used."
"If one was used." Waterson muttered, following the other detective into the home.
With everything he'd heard today, Morgan hoped to find something crucial. Of course, it wouldn't be so easy. He should've known that. The detectives looked through the home as forensics swabbed for anything. As expected, nothing looked to be out of the ordinary. The new technology was a strange combination with the older home, frames of the victim's family sat in place and there were no foreign objects anywhere. Following the other detective into the bedroom, one forensic mentioned the markings on the carpet in her closet.
"Her stuff looked like it had been recently moved numerous times. The markings and fragments of uneven dust show she moved stuff out of there a few times."
"Any reason why?"
"Not sure yet. Possibly hiding something and getting paranoid about it being found on multiple occasions."
"Anything suspicious in there? Drugs, money?"
"Not that we've found."
"Could she have been hiding in there herself?"
"It's possible."
Detective Waterson looked around the room more and happened to glance out the only window. Across the street, an elderly woman with long, curling white hair wearing light-pink home attire was standing outside. She looked concerned, her hand close to her face as her finger curled. A longhaired white cat sat by her legs, the tip of its tail twitching on the pavement.
Is that a neighbor? Detective Waterson asked. Seizing the opportunity, he walked out of the home and carefully approached the woman. "Ma'am?"
"Excuse me, but what's happening?" The elderly woman asked.
"The woman who lives here disappeared Monday night." Detective Waterson explained, glancing to Ms. Lockhart's home.
The lady gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh no! Poor Carissa…" She nearly wailed. "What happened?"
"We believe she was abducted from her job. Are you her neighbor?"
"Yes. My name is Charlotte Whitacre."
"May I ask you a few questions?" The detective asked. "We need all the help we can receive to bring Ms. Lockhart home safely."
"Yes, of course."
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"Oh, uh…last Friday afternoon, I believe."
"How did she seem to you when you last saw her?"
It took a moment for the lady to answer. As if she just recalled something, the woman blinked. "Not well. She was crying when she came home." Mrs. Whitacre answered. "I tried to ask her what was wrong, but she kept saying everything was fine. Clearly something was not."
Detective mentally noted that. "Do you know where she was?"
"Her job, I believe."
"Does she usually exhibit this behavior when returning, to your knowledge?"
"No."
"Have you noticed anything else unusual regarding Ms. Lockhart?"
After another moment of silence, Mrs. Whitacre responded. "Yes actually, but it was not her. It was her home."
Detective Waterson stared. "Go on."
"The other evening, Prince here was scratching on my living room window." Mrs. Whitacre said, referring to the cat sitting next to her. "I didn't have my glasses on, so I couldn't see it clearly. But when I got to the window, I saw something red on the roof of Carissa's home."
Mrs. Whitacre glanced at the roof of Carissa's home. "I went to get my glasses, but when I came back to the window, it was gone." She finished. "I informed her she might have a pest problem with animals, like foxes or something. Because Prince started doing a routine of scratching at my windows in the evening."
"You saw something red? Was it big or small?"
"…Big." Mrs. Whitacre nodded. "It was quite large."
Detective Waterson inhaled a long breath through his nose. "Ma'am, did you ever see if Ms. Lockhart had any visitors recently?"
"Her father came around once or twice. He was accompanied by a woman. I do not know her name."
"Did anyone else come to her home?" Detective Waterson asked. He had a gut feeling, but had to be sure.
Mrs. Whitacre shook her head. "Not that I've seen."
Detective Waterson asked a few more questions to the lady before he was done, assuring her he would do his best to find Ms. Lockhart. The poor lady seemed fond of the victim, having known her since Carissa was a little girl. He returned to his car and grabbed a notebook, writing down what he learned.
Before arriving to this scene, the detective had visited three other witnesses. The first one was Gage Walker, the hiker who posted that hiking trail picture. Having discovered where the man lived, the detective was able to learn what park this took place and what had transpired before the picture was taken. According to what the hiker said, Carissa was trying to get away from Hawks and he wrapped his arm around her, resulting in them accidentally falling into that position.
Soon after, Detective Waterson found the address to Zack Kent's home, the one who posted the picture of the incident at the mall. Having interviewed him, Mr. Kent explained that Carissa yelled at Hawks for having kissed her, but Hawks seemed unfazed by her anger. Carissa left the mall without Hawks right after that.
It didn't take long for him to find out another incident happened at a library not far from Carissa's home. After having been told by Wade that Carissa behaved strangely during a brunch they recently had together, Waterson found out from witnesses Ms. Lockhart immediately went to the library after that. Upon arriving to this library to speak with witnesses, the detective was instantly approached by an older librarian named Gretta Nash, who was still bitter about the incident.
"Young people nowadays are so rude!" Ms. Nash snapped, clearly having difficulty holding her anger in as she went off topic. "This library is an artifact and they are performing such a disgusting act here!"
"You said you walked in on them?" Detective Waterson asked, trying to keep the interview calm and remain on the main point. "Can you please explain?"
"I noticed one of the doors for only employees is open. It is a room we hardly ever use. I go to find out what reason anyone could be in there and what do I find? A revolting sight! That young lady over the table and that young man about commit sexual intercourse with her!" Ms. Nash explained.
"How do you know they were about to…?"
Ms. Nash shuddered with disgust. "The man was rubbing himself against her before beginning to undo his pants. If I hadn't stepped in, they would have soiled this library's property!"
"…Did the woman look like she wanted it?"
The librarian's piercing gaze struck the detective. "Excuse me?! Why would you ask such a thing, detective?!"
"It may be important to our investigation." Detective Waterson replied.
Ms. Nash scowled, but answered. "…She did kick the man and scurried away before I could catch her." She explained. "I gave that man good verbal scolding. I could tell the rude ingrate didn't take it seriously."
"How did the woman look to you?" Detective Waterson asked. "What emotion was she showing?"
Ms. Nash took a moment. "She did not appear happy. I may have detected distress." She replied. "I was too mad about the situation to focus on that, I admit."
"You said the man had red wings?"
"…Yes. They were beautiful, large crimson wings." The librarian admitted before scowling. "He wasn't deserving of such beauty."
"May I please see the security cameras?"
And sure enough, the footage showed Carissa frantically entering the library, Hawks following in not long after. Detective Waterson questioned why she would arrive at a library and not check anything out. Judging from her frenzied behavior, he could only guess she was trying to hide from the pro hero.
All of this started after Carissa met Hawks when those documents were stolen a couple months ago. One event after another concerning Carissa running into Hawks since then.
Well, either way, Hawks was definitely a witness for being around Carissa so much in such little time before her disappearance, which meant the detective had to speak with him.
Detective Waterson leaned back against his chair. Wade said Hawks was staying here to search for villains, so where was he staying at? The detective closed his car door and turned the ignition on, leaving to head to the precinct to find out.
She huddled against the corner in the darkness, hugging her legs against her chest like a small child while watching only source of light being the crack under the closet door. Worried about approaching shadowed footsteps like what happened back in her real home that one night. She was trying not to cry, though it was difficult not to.
Hawks brought her back to the hotel, restraining her using his feathers but keeping them out of sight so no one would notice them. Once in the hotel, he shoved her into this closet and locked her in. Not one word was spoken the entire trip back. That only made Carissa more afraid. Would he hurt her father? And Priscilla? She could hear him moving around outside since he put her in here, so he never left. Carissa would have to beg him not to hurt them.
Footsteps came forward and the door opened quickly, startling Carissa to see Hawks standing tall and glaring down at her with a stern look. "Get out." He ordered.
Carissa obeyed without question, trembling as she struggled to her feet and popped out of the closet. The door slammed shut, making her jump. Looking around the room, she noticed it was a lot brighter in here before realizing the boarding for the windows had been removed. It revealed the skies and sea, both holding beautiful shapes of blue with only tiny clouds in sight. Hawks must've figured the windows didn't matter to be covered anymore since she somewhat knew where they were now, but Carissa could try crying out to any passerby while Hawks was gone.
A firm hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the kitchen toward the table.
"P-Please don't hurt my da-"
"Be quiet." Hawks said sternly. "Sit down."
Carissa shut her mouth and sat down at the table. Hawks walked to the counters and started prepping something. The smell of food made Carissa's stomach rumble harshly. Seeing two plates confused her-was he still going to feed her after her escape attempt? The pro hero grabbed the two plates and silverware and brought them over, putting one in front of Carissa. It held eggs, toast, bacon, and fruit.
"Eat." Hawks ordered before sitting down across the table.
A combination of not wanting to piss the winged man off further and starvation made Carissa pick up the fork. She faster than her normal pace, making sure to finish the plate completely. Hawks watched her intently while eating his own food. Carissa avoided eye contact the whole time. Once done, Hawks took out his phone to look at something before clearing the table. The woman didn't move until Hawks came back over and pulled her up by the arm. His grip wasn't as tight this time, but he lead her back to the master bedroom. Carissa started freaking out on the inside, sweat starting to soak the nightgown. As soon as they got to the doorway, Hawks tapped his hand on her back, shoving her into the bedroom.
"Get changed." Was all he said before shutting the door.
"…?" Carissa didn't even have time to ask. She tried to open the door, but Hawks locked it and walked away on the other side. Get changed for what? She turned around and spotted different coloring on the bed. On the comforter there was an array of different swimsuit clothing such as one pieces, bikinis and dresses. Not wanting to keep the guy waiting, Carissa took off the nightgown. She was still worried about her father and his girlfriend, her heart beating in her ribcage. If she cooperated, maybe Hawks wouldn't hurt them. Carissa went with a cobalt-blue speedo and cyan-blue swimsuit shorts. She tied her hair with a scrunchie and then waited for the pro hero to come back.
After three more minutes, the bedroom door opened. Hawks stood there in a black swimsuit shirt and red shorts, his eyes trailing up and down Carissa's body. Carissa blushed and held her arms. One could say he was checking to make sure she properly changed, but staring at her like that indicated something else, too. The speedo hugged her graceful form while the shorts were almost skirt-like.
"C'mon." Hawks said, motioning with his hand for her to step forward. His tone was less firm.
Carissa obeyed, still hugging herself. His hand touched her upper back while his other shut the door. His arm wrapped around her, practically hugging her to him as Hawks led her down the hall. She felt her hair gently tugged on. Hawks pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and flicked it to the side, leaving it on the ground. After some travel, he led her to a door that wasn't the front one. Opening it, it revealed a pool. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either. It was in a closed area for the most part, the wall behind having an opening about three doors big. Though there was still a slight chillness in the air, it was now warm enough to go into a pool. There were only a few pool chairs with readied towels stacked on them. No one else was in here. This was probably a personal pool for the penthouse renters.
The door closed behind and Hawks ushered her closer to the pool. "C'mon, get in." He said behind her.
As inviting as the beautifully designed pool looked, Carissa felt on edge. She just tried to escape and he's responding my feeding her and having her swim in a pool? This isn't usually what kidnappers do to their victims when they make their captors angry. She walked over to the edge, shaking.
What if this is some trick and he drowns me?
TAP*
"Ah!"
Similar to how Hawks pushed her into the bedroom, she felt his hand harshly tap her on the upper back, forcing her to lean forward. Carissa had enough time to put her arms in a diving position to prevent a wet face slap and clumsily dived into the water. The coolness rushed around her skin before being replaced with a comfortable warmth, her body instantly getting used to the pool's temperature. Little bubbles tickled against her neck and hair as they wiggled their way to the surface. Carissa kicked the floor to push herself up, jumping out of the water with a large gasp of air. Hawks wasn't in sight except for his flying feathers swarming overhead, but then she heard water splashing behind her. She whipped around to see Hawks already swimming around. All of the feathers on his back were removed, revealing these two sharp red things poking out of him. They looked like spikes, like someone had stabbed him. It was almost unnerving.
Hawks returned the intent stare and Carissa quickly looked away.
"Don't want my feathers getting wet." Hawks mentioned.
She didn't acknowledge him, only stared into the pool water, not moving anywhere.
"Uck." Hawks groaned, rolling his eyes at the woman's stubbornness.
The winged man suddenly pushed toward her, forcing Carissa to look back at him. Seeing him get close, she pushed back in an attempt to keep away. Hawks made a half-effort to catch her in his arms but Carissa moved away before he could. He tried again with a little more effort, lunging forward this time with his arms extended in the water. Carissa responded by ducking and letting him pass over her before taking off over the floor, reaching one end of the pool and coming up to breathe. Unbeknownst to her, Hawks smirked. It appeared to be working, playing around by attempting to capture her so she would move around in the water. Inhaling a deep breath, Hawks disappeared into the water, swimming toward Carissa.
Carissa freaked out, her body instantly growing cold as Hawks disappeared from view. Worried he would pull her down, she searched for an exit and found a ladder. Getting to the bars was unsuccessful as she felt Hawks grab her from behind. He popped out of the water and locked his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "Got ya." He muttered playfully, his lips really close to her ear.
Carissa shivered and blushed, trying to escape his strong arms. The more she tried, the tighter Hawks's grip got. She swore she now heard a growl next to her ear. Hawks used his feet to push on the floor, still tightly gripping Carissa as they floated around. When the woman continued to squirm, Hawks tightly gripped her arms and spun her around to look him in the eye.
Carissa froze at his annoyed face.
"Stop being a stick in the mud. Relax." Hawks ordered, mad but laced with sincerity.
Afraid, she finally stopped struggling and allowed Hawks to hold her. He turned her back around, pressing her back against his chest and kicking his legs, having them slowly float around the pool.
When was the last time she'd been in a pool? She had to admit it did feel soothing the more they stayed in it. Hawks rubbed her hands and elbows a little. She could feel the vibrations of his humming as he affectionally rubbed his cheek against her head.
After several minutes, Carissa's eyes became droopy. She fought to stay awake but felt an abnormal sleepiness take over. Was she actually relaxed now? Her battle against the tiredness failed and she drifted off in Hawks's arms.