Sergio

Two weeks had passed since my AC was finally fixed, which meant that everyone in my office could keep their shirts on. However, I couldn't help but notice one thing...

Ever since her day out with Julian, Selena hadn't returned to work. Highly unusual. It didn't help that she wasn't answering any of my calls for the past two weeks. In that time, I was told the same story by her sister; she had a fever, and that I shouldn't visit.

You could tell, instantly when she was gone... that certain operations were falling apart. Kye and Morello were two of the most competent detectives I had and putting their brains together couldn't compete with Selena. Compared to our original work speed... it was as if we were going in half-time.

'It is now apparent that Cleodora Martinez did allegedly have ties to dangerous crime lords when she was alive', said the reporter on the news. Yeah. Allegedly. Acosta and his goons were getting so boring to speak to, but it was remarkable that even in their jail cells, they pledged allegiance to their cause. Men, with wives, children, and actual lives on the outside.

'Mike, What's up?' in the past two weeks I'd been on the phone to Michael twice, staying as unsuspicious as possible, 'so, how is she?'

'She still unwell. I just went to see her today'.

'I mean, how severe is it? And – don't you find it a bit unusual she didn't call in, text or write a note?' I asked.

'Don't stress about it. When she's better she'll hit you up, right?'

Julian and I planned to do another search for Amy, from where he and Selena left off. Kye and Morello were helping, splitting from us to search south. We contacted hotels, motels, and real estate agents.

If Amy and Zina could purchase a car in cash, it meant that at least one of them had a wad of money, and two, that they could by a house.

'Hey. I've been needing to ask you...' Julian sat in the driver's seat, while we were parked by a close by hotel, 'that weekend, when you guys worked together... Selena hasn't been back since. Strange, right?'

'Very strange', he echoed my words, timidly.

'What happened?' I asked.

'W-what do you mean, chief?' he muttered.

'Don't act naïve, Julian. You were with her the whole Saturday when she last came in. Just help me understand', I deepened my voice, 'did you do anything that... you know... might have ticked her off?' For a long moment, Julian sat as inanimately as a statue, then pointed his chin up.

'Not that I recall', he finally answered.

'Okay', I suspected him even more now. Taste of the East; that was the name of the Arabian styled hotel we were parked in front of. 'I'm gonna get some surveillance footage from here. I suspect they may have visited'.

'Sure', Julian nodded, 'but, may I ask, this is a very niche styled hotel. Why here?'

'It's something to do with Amy's companion'.

Back at my office, things were getting messy. Searches that were supposed to be done, were not done. Our tangible evidence was not being turned into electronic copies, and evidence that was supposed to be collected pertaining to Acosta's trade was not even being collected.

Jobs were either not done, or not done in time.

That evening, I decided to visit a home décor store owned by Selena's sister.

'Solange Rose', I requested at the reception. The front half of the store was a vintage Gucci styled restaurant, 'I need to speak with her'.

'Yes sir...' the woman at the reception stammered, 'but unfortunately, she's not in at the moment, but you can find our urgent inquiry customer support on our website'.

'You mean talk to your AI bots?' I complained in Solange's office, 'it's been two weeks'. All I had to do was flash my badge and show them who I was to get access into where she apparently was absent. Solange taught all her staff to default the inquiry of her presence, by always stating she was away.

'What do you want, detective?' she raged, bolting her angry eyes at me. She twisted ninety degrees on her office chair, facing her side to me, legs cross.

'How is... your sister?'

'She's okay. Still has a fever'.

'Two weeks straight?' I asked. She gave me a long, hard look, as if I had asked the wrong question.

'Yes', she replied, 'why do you keep asking?'

'Solange, your sister is very important under the team that I lead. You need to tell me where she is –'

'I'll pass on your message'.

'No – I need to see her, personally'.

'Why do you need to see her?'

'Tell me the truth, Solange. What's happening?'

'I'll tell you the truth when you tell me the truth', she continually antagonised me, 'why do you need to see her?' all of a sudden, she slowed down her speech, lowering her voice. Then she stood, clucking her high heels towards me.

'She's one of my detectives, and I need to make sure she's okay'.

'And I told you, she's recovering from a fever'.

'God! You could have at least come up with a better lie!'

'I could say the same for you, detective'. She walked back to her desktop.

'Wait...' I lowered my chin, then sighed, 'okay. Maybe I... have a stronger than usual affection towards your sister'.

'You – have a strong affection?' she lowered her chin, raised eyebrows. Succumbed to her probing questions, I took a seat in front of her desk.

'I kept my end of the deal, now tell me where she is?'

'Excuse me? Okay, first off, my little sister is seventeen years younger than you, you prick!' she mumbled, 'she can be lost and confused sometimes. But there is certainly no affection between you both! And if you have any respect for her as your worker, you will end this thing you have with her.'

The room was silent for a moment.

'Sure. I intend to'.

'Unbelievable', her angry eyes never subsided, 'I'm only gonna tell you this because... you have an hour'.

'An hour until what?'

I rushed down to the address Solange had given me. Twenty times before arriving, I called Selena. It was always the same. Voicemail. The more voicemails I received, the crazier it drove me. In fifty minutes, I arrived.

'I'm – I'm looking for a woman, Selena Rose, young, in her twenties', I blurted out of breath, met with unwelcoming staff.

'And you are?' grunted the old cranky receptionist.

'Chief of Special Investigations', again I flashed my badge, 'it's important that I meet with her now'.

'Errr... well...' the receptionist squealed. Drenched with sweat on my face, I broiled with impatience. The receptionist proceeded to make a phone call. Moments after glimpsing around, I noticed the back of her head. Short bob hair. Black Leather jacket. Black Jeans.

'Selena!' I shouted from across the hallway she was in. She froze, turned around, but proceeded to walk even faster, 'no! Wait!'

'What are you doing here?' she whispered. After catching her, I requested the closest spare room they had in this clinic. Shutters down. Doors locked. This place made me uncomfortable.

'Why didn't you tell me?!' I grunted, trying to be as low as I could. She leaned her weight on the wall she was facing. It was as if my words weren't reaching her ears, her conscience, 'Selena?'

'What?' she droned, not even able to look at me.

'Don't do this', I warned. She began to sniffle... which gradually turned into a laugh. Finally, she faced me.

'Solange... she told you, didn't she?' Selena nodded to herself, with that feeling of betrayal, contempt. Then, she went back to facing the wall, contemplating. 'You shouldn't have come here'.

'I can't believe...' my voice tremored. I had to stop. Composure. 'Selena, why didn't you tell me?'

'I don't know', she spoke with a darker voice than usual, 'I... guess my mind didn't want to believe it', her fingers fiddled with the latch. She sighed, as if explaining it to me was too stressful.

'Selena... sweetie, I think we should slow down here... talk a bit more about thi –'

'Talk?!' she exploded, in a whispery state, 'about what exactly? Huh?'

'Options'.

'Sergio', she straightened up, inhaling slowly, 'we can't have a child together'.

'Look – I understand this is not particularly a convenient situation... for either of us, but to act so selfishly, and thoughtlessly, just because this doesn't fit your picketed paradise?!'

'Getting rid of this unborn baby is the best option for both of us'.

'No, this is the best option for you!' I couldn't believe how she was treating our unborn baby as if it were just another piece of evidence that needed to be discarded. After all, she was good at that. 'I'm covering Cleo's murder for you, now the press is blaming me. But I will not be complicit in you murdering my own child!'

'Sergio!'

'Because that's what you're doing! It's murder!' I growled. She started covering her ears, 'it's my child too, both of ours! And I'm sorry I'm angry but you had me going insane about your random disappearance for two weeks – and having to find out last minute about this shit?!'

'I'm sorry', she murmured, pathetically.

'No, you're not sorry', I pulled one had away from her ear, 'if you do this, I'm done covering for your ass. And you can drop your badge and gun and forget about coming back to work!'

'That's okay!' she bellowed, throwing her badge at my face, 'because I'm turning myself in anyway!' Her eyes were red, angry, watering. 'Tonight. Yeah. I'm gonna tell them I did it!'

'Who-okay now – just... a minute...' I grabbed on to the latch. She caught my bluff.

'Or you can do it. Either way... chief'.

'You're not actually serious, right?' I wavered, 'you-your engaged to be married anytime soon, and you're thinking about turning yourself in? Now?'

'After I abort the baby'.

'No'.

'I won't tell them you knew about Cleo. I'll take full accountability –'

'No, no!' her answers were giving me a headache. Her hand was tight on the latch. So was mine, to stop her. 'I don't want you to go through with abortion – or turn yourself in! I don't – no!' I exhaled, 'we'll figure out a way to deal with this, together'.

'Okay, so what's you're great plan, genius?! Let's hear it!'

'Well, I think you should just keep the child', I shrugged, 'no harm in keeping it'.

'What, and say it's his baby? Michael's baby?!'

'Yeah'. Finally, letting go of the latch, she walked over to sit on some boxes, having a nervous breakdown like a little teenager. Of course, for someone her age it felt like it was the end of the world.

'Are you done?' she whispered; her mind was unchanged. To make her get the message, I bolted the lock, and leaned on the door.

'Let me tell you a story...' I began. She shook her head, 'when I was about your age, I had a friend. She was wild and fun, liked parties'. Selena shrugged, prompting me to cut to the chase. 'Anyway, she got pregnant, and didn't have guidance on how to handle it, because she was scared to tell her family. So, she aborted her child, and tried to think nothing of it'. Passively, Selena checked the time on her digital watch, to make it obvious she didn't give a shit.

'And then you're tell me she regretted it and had sleepless nights, de-bla de-bla...' she stood up and folded her arms, 'go on'.

'Selena! You're acting like my right to have a say doesn't even matter!'

'It doesn't!'

'It does!'

'Oh my – God! Why do you care so much for keeping this freakin' child?!' her eyes were full of rage and confusion. If I told her the truth, I would have no chance in this going my way. 'Sergio, listen. I'm not aborting this baby because I don't want children. I'm doing this –'

'So you can erase me from the picture, that's it', I retaliated, 'isn't it?'

'No – I mean –'

'Oh yeah. It would make things ten times simpler!' I bellowed.

'I-I... don't know what to tell you', Selena's syllables were filled with sighs.

'Could I really mean that little to you, that you would just discard my child without ever telling me? After I spend most of my workdays making sure you never get caught?! All of my nights sleepless, going crazy about you... and this is how you repay me –'

'Is everything okay in there?' a nurse knocked on the door, after hearing all our arguing.

'Yeah! Fine!'

'Just great!' we replied simultaneously. Even though, nothing was fine or just great.

It was a great nightmare. In the room, the tone had shifted. That nurse was a friendly reminder that behind our uniform, we were human. In that thought frame, I removed myself from Selena's way. 'Go', I whispered.

'Huh?' her face screwed up, as if she couldn't believe I was giving up. Without picking up her badge, she headed straight for the door. And then she just stood there, in front of it. 'Okay', she blurted.

'Huh?'

'Okay, I'll keep it'.