The Mixed feeling

I haven't seen Nicholas in two months and I haven't received any communication from him either. I was relieved that he had avoided contacting me or entering my home. Without having to worry continually about the error of supporting a presumably criminal, life felt lovely and enjoyable.

The heister was still out there, even if I hadn't seen anything on the news. I kind of wished he never got caught even if it might or might not be him. Who am I, some sort of detective? As a police detective, those are the kinds of questions I should have been asking, but I didn't, instead I first assisted a stranger who might have been the wanted thug without even bothering to inquire as to why he had been shot or by whom.

The station commander summons me and my companion (Eric) to his office while we are at work. He first griped about how people in positions of power were always pressuring him about the wanted heister. I swallowed a large knot of remorse as I heard him moan in the way that he was whining.

"I said, "I summoned you two here so I could hand you detectives this case. 

As you both know, the two cops who were investigating this case unexpectedly vanished. I realize what I'm asking of you is difficult, but please try. You will assist me in finding the answers my superiors demand, the station commander added.

We'll take the case, sir, Eric retorted. 

Even though my colleague had already agreed, I wasn't happy with the whole situation. However, the excitement of finding out if Nicholas was the sought-after burglar led me to say yes. After the meeting, we hurried out of the commander's office: "My overseers want answers and you are going to help me get those answers, Armstrong thinks he is God over us, next!" Said Eric. Watch your mouth, that's your station commander you're talking about, I said while laughing.

We hopped in the car and proceeded to a coffee shop/restaurant where we had lunch and discussed the issue. Given that we lacked a name or even a face, it was a really difficult case to solve. Nothing was accomplished as a result of the information discovered on the four shot-dead heisters. There seemed to be no link between any of these men—it was as if they didn't even know each other.

I said, "This is going to be a hard one," and then I sighed in defeat. Eric tried to cheer me up, saying, "Come on partner, we can crack this case wide open like we always do." He was unaware that I had a potential suspect, but I was reluctant to mention him for some reason.

I said, "I believe you, we'll get it. We left when we had finished dining. We returned to the station and removed the files that the earlier investigators were working on before they vanished without a trace. We looked over those files, learning something new and intriguing with each one. It sort of made sense why the prior detectives vanished for some reason. This gave me the chills and made me fear for my life before I even delved that far into the case because, with the facts they have, it's probable that they are both laying dead someplace.

These men were genuinely committed to solving this issue, so it appears that we are making progress... Eric added, "I guess these discoveries are the reason they disappeared. I was thinking the same thing."

True, but... I suggested that we continue searching through the files since we might discover something very helpful there. I eventually came upon a picture, looked at Eric, and hurriedly tucked it away in my pocket. We've been working on this for hours, so I said, "I'm tired; I'm going home right now." I packed away all the files I had been looking over, and Eric did the same. He then dropped me off at my house, and we said our goodbyes.

I entered the house without changing and immediately sat down on the couch with the snapshot I had previously taken from the office. My pulse raced as I stared at it, but since the image was a little hazy, it couldn't possibly be him. Even now, I'm not sure why I decided to keep the photo from Eric. Why do I feel compelled to defend him when, if he's a criminal, I should be tracking him out and locking him up?

I swiftly open the door after hearing a knock, and to my astonishment, it's my friend (Demi), who I haven't seen in months. She and I attended high school together before she decided to continue her education at the university. I opted to become a detective when I was just 21 years old because I like to hunt down crooks and I'm fairly excellent at what I do. Demi is currently employed by one of the biggest businesses in France as a trained CA.

It's been a while, pal. Please come in. I greeted her and sat down once she entered. Juice or wine? I inquired. We caught up on the many months that had elapsed since our last meeting while she choose the wine and I served it to her.

How is the investigation going, she enquired.

Well, it's going fine, but depending on the situation, there are times when it gets really risky.

The moment she said, "Well, the danger has always been your thrill," we both laughed.

When I questioned her about her job, she detailed how demanding it was, how little time she had for herself, and how fatigued she was almost always. She is so busy that she rarely has time for relationships, and when she does, they don't survive very long. I feel bad for my friend, but on the plus side, she enjoys her work and is content, which is the only thing that counts.

The question is, "Do you have someone?" Demi enquired. I should have nearly instantly answered, "No, I don't have anyone," but for some reason, my thoughts were engrossed in a fantasy world. I just couldn't help but blush. At times, I thought we were in love because of how frequently I dreamed about Nicholas. Am I nuts, you say?

"Watch how she blushes. Who is he called? She enquired, her cat-like curiosity aroused by the sight of milk and a bone. I wasn't sure if I should tell her or not, but if I did, she would undoubtedly label me a crazy fool.

I don't have any friends, so no. I uttered the words, "I'm still single, I've been very busy at work, there's no time to socialize," with a straight face.

I don't think you're real. I know there is someone in your life, who is it? and you flushed when I asked. Demi did everything she could to get me to admit that I had someone in my life, but I just wouldn't since there wasn't anyone there; all I had were foolish fantasies and damp dreams. How do you start off telling someone that?

She instantly raced to the door after hearing a knock and exclaimed, "Who would that be so late?" thinking it would be my boyfriend, but she had no idea that I had no boyfriend.

"Mhhh! O my!" Demi said, and then she turned to face me and gave me a thumbs-up and a wink before letting the individual in.

"Nicholas," I said. unsure about how to respond. I simply didn't know what to feel at that particular time.

"Goodbye, friend, and please be civil to one another," Demi spoke before hurriedly exiting and driving off.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Something told me to grab my gun, but it was on the coffee table, so even if my life were in danger, I couldn't do it. His eyes penetrated my soul as he stared at me, but this time they weren't blood red; instead, they were sort of brown. Simply said, I struggle to describe eye color.

He said "Hello detective, Jane" and his voice was still gentle and smooth, but there was something about him that I couldn't put my finger on.

The question "What do you want, Nicholas?" I brashly enquired. Being nasty seemed like the wisest course of action given the circumstances I had found myself in since I was making every effort to combat whatever was occurring in my body and mind. I continued rolling my eyes, "You interfered with my time to meet up with my best friend.

I'm thirsty, so please offer me something to drink if you won't ask me to take a seat. He spoke. By the way, being disrespectful isn't appropriate for you. I wanted to give him a heavy slap on his stunningly lovely face after he said that. As I handed him something to drink, I took him to the couch where he sat. My heart began to rush when he picked up my gun off the coffee table.

"Are you familiar with its use?" He queried. Then he pulled the trigger while aiming the gun at me. My life felt like it was happening in front of my eyes. Relax, the safety is activated. He gave me comfort. He set the weapon aside and turned to face me.

"You still haven't responded to my question. Why are you in this place?" I queried.

He smiled and continued, "Well, I came to check on you. He smiles with such beauty. I took the glass from his hand and replied, "I'm well as you can see, now go." I questioned him, "Are you the wanted heister?" he simply smiled and walked toward the door. He grinned at me and said, "I'll see you around," before hurriedly leaving.

I locked the door, thought to myself, "This man will be the end of me," and went to my room.