'I made a promise that I wouldn't use her for things like this.' Connor mused, his hands moving automatically as he entered his office. His mind was lost, he had been on this case for three months and with how Andrew reacted, it seemed that it would only keep on stretching.
Time and time again he had tried Maya to go another way about it but she would always insist that there wasn't a more fitting candidate than her niece. 'I guess it was a bit too good to be true when those disappearances ceased when her mother said that she would come for her then.'
He hummed, his brow furrowing. 'Or did they stop because Claire would be sent back to Europe?' The idea seemed absurd but an idea that popped up nonetheless. His mind reached for his drawer and producing the same plans that Maya had.
[{Operation Scissorline}]
[{The first step: Collect data on the target, only proceed to the next stage after enough data is accrued to counter the target.}]
Connor went on to the next page, one that had been bothering him for weeks on end.
[{The second step: Apply pressure on the target with those around him. The target's reactions should make it clear on his interests and goals to move onto the third step}]
[{The third step: Using the target's interest, lure him more with proxies installed around the target.}]
Flipping through the pages, a list of people came into view detailing the proxies with one of them being Claire Hale.
[{Claire Hale-The canary proxy: She is meant to nullify Andrew as she has the most solid relationship with Andrew in his current life}]
For Connor, it felt more inhumane every time he looked at the sheet. Treating her own niece like data on a graph meant to achieve a goal. Clutching the bridge of his nose with his index and thumb, he let out a long exhausted sigh as he callously threw the document on his desk. He didn't have a lot of time to think about it before Rowan barged into his office.
"Detective Connor, you've been on this case for three months and from your reports you haven't made any substantial progress. If this goes on then I'll be required to shut down this case." Rowan who would usually call him to his office blurted out in Connors office.
"I understand but you need to give me more time with this case. I promise to bring this case to a close by the end of the year. No! By November." Rowan let out a frustrated groan as he took a seat in Connors office, placing his hat on Connor's desk. "I get that your gut is telling you that something's up with that kid but for how long can you keep going with case? There are no leads or trails, nothing so it would be best for you to move to another one."
Rowan placed a stack of papers about piling cases. "You're one of our best minds here and it would be waste not to utilize your intellect to help the city of Stillwater Connor. The people need you so stop chasing with the goose chase and pull your weight."
Connor hesitated, the operation still in the dark to Rowan or any of the other police officers at the precinct. "Understood but you have to give me a bit more time. If there's nothing then I'll drop this case." Rowan paused and took in Connor's face, it showed how hard he was trying to crack this case, bags under his eyes, his hair unkempt and a faint odour of liquor clinging to him.
"You have one more month, if not whether you like it or not I'm shutting it down so you better make some drastic breakthroughs to convince me." Rowan's tone dropping elicting a bleak smile from Connor. "I promise that I'll make progress with this time deputy captain!" Connor hastily rose to his feet and gave Rowan a salute.
"Don't fail me Connor." Was all that left Rowan's lips before taking his leave. Connor's smile vanished, the document still on his table.'I didn't think that it would get this far Claire bu I need your help one more time.'
. . .
"So how's it been with Eliot? It's been three months since then so I take it that he's over it." Pauline urged as she, Claire and Andrew sat under one of the school shades. "We got to talk but it's not the same, he's been talking less, always with an excuse to leave and such."
Claire's tone low and hopeless as she recalled Eliot's back facing her, his figure fading into the ocean of students back then. "Wow! Then I guess he really did have it bad for you then for him to be sour till now." Pauline's attention briefly flickering to Andrew who had yet to contribute a word.
"As for you, did you have to tell Claire to directly? If you didn't know, Eliot said that he would tell Claire when he was good an ready. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that you ruined their relationship." She had dropped her act of collecting information out of Andrew the day after Eliot fell out with Claire, Claire saying that it was better if they focused on themselves rather some random person who was trying to get his bearings in society.
Till now to Pauline it felt like a shitty excuse and her suspicion of Andrew never quite faded. "There's no need of being so harsh on Andrew when all he did was say the truth. Besides it's not like you even bothered to give me clues given that you are my best friend." Pauline's face contorted into one of apprehension.
"Oh, so were blaming me now?! Unlike flat face over here, I didn't know how you would react so I thought that it would be best to give Eliot time to tell you himself." Pauline's hands gesturing at Andrew who watched the two bicker.
Claire didn't respond, a strange silence settling in between the three of them before it was cut off by Andrew's phone ringing. Excusing himself, he left the tension hanging in the air. "Eliot was right about Andrew, there is some kind of curse that clings to him. I still can't believe that you guys lost the tournament, losing at our own home turf!"
"Hello, is this Andrew?" The voice on the other end of the line buzzed, their voice deep and barely audible. "Yes." A pause before the other end pressed on. "We have your precious Lara Grale, don't bother calling the police if you want to see her alive! Just make sure that you do as instructed. Leave your phone open."
The phone cut and Andrew made his way back to the two ladies. "Who was it?" Claire inquired, wishing to melt the silence that pressed down on her. "It's Clara, she wants me to make a stop on my way home." Pauline leaned back, watched the way Claire interacted with Andrew.
"Well I got classes so I'll catch the two you you later. Maybe this time when you go to the carnival you can get me my own plushie." Her tone laced with faint distrust as she left. "I'm not gonna bother with you Pauline." Claire sighed as Pauline dissapeared.
Claire began to recall how her relationship between her three most trusted allies came to be so fragmented and distant. 'I guess it's when Andrew entered the frame.' Her answer immediate. "Uh, Andrew…" Her tone unsure as she began to toy with her fingers.
"I've been thinking, since you've been coming to school without any issues, maybe it's time that we-" A phone call cut Claire off making her pick it up. Once she was done, she bid Andrew goodbye and left. Andrew picked up his bag and made his way to the tennis court as routine.
"I've been wondering, we never really made it official between us. Sure we've gotten intimate but in terms of connection between us, it really hasn't progressed for three months. With you sitting in your silence bubble and all." Brittany said, her body reeking of sweat however no trace of fatigue could be spotted on her face.
"Yeah." His comment functional which Brittany began to slowly get irked by. "As much as I get that you are talking more, short responses like "yeah", "yes" or "no" aren't quite going to cut it. You're studying English Literature so where's that fancy English? I'm talking liketh this kind of English. Haply hitteth me with mine own mistress, how wast thy day?"
Andrew however didn't share the sentiment. "Understood." A groan filled the air between the two, Brittany covering her face in frustration. "You're helpless, I hope you know that."It wasn't long Brittany went back to her practise leaving Andrew with the choice of going back home.
The house was silent, nothing out of the ordinary before his phone buzzed once more. "I hope you haven't bothered to call the police because if so then expect Lara's remains your mail box tomorrow morning." Andrew's expression was the same the first time, apathetic as he listened. "We know that you have a lot of money so here's what going to happen! A number will be sent to your phone and send half of what you have there in a five minute window. Any later and you might as well kiss Lara goodbye."
Following the order a message was sent, a number to be more specific but Andrew merely stared at the number and the five minutes lapsed with no action on his end. A call followed immediately. "What are you doing?! Or maybe this isn't convincing enough!"
This time the call turned into a video call, the other side a dimly lit cell and at the middle of the decrepit floor was Lara, unconscious. A man, masked and bulky walked into frame hiding Lara's figure. "For every minute that passes that you don't send over a million dollars, I'll be fulling out a fingernail before cutting off her fingers and you, you can only watch!"
Andrew placed the phone on the kitchen counter, his movements and interest elsewhere as he began to prepare tea. "What the-Do you really think that I won't touch her?!" The masked figure grunted, a pair of pliers flashing in his hands.
"Hello?! Help me! Somebody save me!" Lara's scared pleas for help began to echo through the screen, Andrew however had his back turned and checked the stove before placing the cooking pot and reaching for the milk. The masked man shifted his attention to Lara noticing Andrew's indifference. "Lady, it would seem that those around you really don't care about your safety so what happens next is out of negligence of Andrew."
Before Lara could comprehend, the man took one of Lara's fingers and unapologetically pulled one of her fingernails out. The sound of flesh tearing and cries quickly followed, tears streaming down Lara's cheeks while Andrew was testing adjusting the amount of sugar to put in. A fingernail gleamed in crimson under the faint light, a look of horror on Lara's face as she stared at her index which now lacked a fingernail.
"Do you really not care about this woman for you to look away?" The burly man inquired as he noticed Andrew still looking away. "Or is this a facade of looking strong so that I stop, because if it is then you're doing a terrible job." Andrew turned around, his expressionless face evident to the thug.
"Well let's see just how far you can take your act then, boy." Lara who clutched her index, trying to stop the bleeding crawled back in fear as the man approached her, a malicious smile plastered on his face. "Like I said Lara, don't blame me, blame Andrew for what's about to happen next."
"AAARRRGHHHH!!!" Screams permeated through the Grale house hold as well as the cage Lara was confined in. The process of Lara losing her nails stretching on for thirty minutes till each of her nails, be it her finger or toe nails were plucked out and scattered all over the floor, gleaming in the dark light.