"Avenge?" Christian suggested, looking at Anastasia.
"Probably. But to whom and for what?" Ana rubbed her chin. "Jose, did you find something?"
Rodriguez nodded and quickly started searching for something on his iPhone.
"Look, Ana, those celebrities whose outfits were stolen were supporters of the Allies. Moreover, they were light mages," Jose said.
"Mages?" Gray narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "Is there really such a thing as magic?"
"I understand your skepticism, Christian, but I've seen it... Here in Los Angeles, magic is a common thing," Roach shrugged.
"I don't believe in magic," Gray answered calmly. "I'm used to looking for a scientific and rational explanation for everything."
Ana rolled her eyes. This Mr. Gray was starting to piss her off... Does he think that if he fought, he can do anything?
"Are there any dark mages?" Anastasia asked. "Are they for the Nazis?"
"Bingo, Ana. The Dark supported the ideas of the Nazis, many worked for the Reich. But if our war ended a year ago, then the Dark and Light have had a long war, and it will never end," Jose sighed.
"Will there be evidence?" Gray persisted.
"Right now I'm looking for actors who will agree to work with us. The magical world is a mystery, you understand," Jose grinned. "And you can look for someone in New York."
Gray chuckled. Those Los Angeles cops were very gullible people. Magic! God...
"I'm here to help you catch the gang, not to search for Avalon or Atlantis," Gray stood up and left.
"What a guy..." Ana sighed. "This Christian... Brrr..."
"I agree. He looks down on everyone and thinks he's better than everyone else," Jose poured his friend some boiling water from the cooler. "But they say he's from a rich family and was a war hero."
"You know, we weren't sitting around doing nothing either. We were also in hiding and stuff. But we weren't stuck up," Ana glanced sideways at Christian, who was saying something to Roach.
"Miss Steele!" Teddy and Phoebe suddenly ran up to Ana. Kate was standing behind them. The blonde looked guilty.
"I thought you went to get them into a diplomatic boarding school?" Ana asked, hugging the boys.
"They're closed for recruitment," Kavanagh spread her hands. - The headmistress is an old... hanger, she looked at me as if I was a kept woman and I was giving the children to an orphanage.
- And we liked it there, - Phoebe sighed. - They have good food there, they have stables.
- And did you show your police ID? - Gray approached the girls.
Ana rolled her eyes, Yes, she and Kate are respected police officers, but they never abused their official position.
- They don't flash badges left and right here, - Ana muttered.
- And in vain, - Christian grinned. - Well, shall we try again, little ones?
An hour later, Gray, Ana and the children were sitting in the headmistress's office. Mrs. Cope looked at the two poorly dressed children and their escorts with distrust and severity.
"I told you everything," she sighed. "The recruitment is over."
"But... they are witnesses in an important case. And they are street children. They need a chance in life!.." Anastasia spoke hotly, leaning forward.
"I understand everything, but we have rules," the headmistress explained a little more sternly.
"And if so?" Gray pulled out his police badge.
The headmistress's eyes widened.
"Um...," she hesitated. "Probationary period... a month."
As Ana walked home, she thought about Christian. He had solved the issue of enrolling the children so easily. No, she shouldn't have taken advantage of her position.
Who is he anyway? Why does he look down on everyone? Why does he think he's better than others? Arrogant, self-confident, impudent... And, damn, she thought he was younger... And he...
And the magicians in Hollywood... Jose needs to take a drug test. Everything Rodriguez told her today seemed so unreal.
Ana was slowly walking home when she suddenly felt that she was being followed. Her sixth sense screamed about danger. The girl's hand lay on the handle of the gun. The brunette peered into the darkness, and her heart was beating wildly.
Ana took out the gun and walked towards the house, looking back every now and then. When the girl reached the entrance, the anxiety receded. Quickly entering the entrance, Ana took the elevator to her floor and, entering her apartment, locked the door with all the locks.
Sleep did not come, so the girl spent the whole night at the laptop, studying data on robberies of the Academician gang in other countries.