Taken 10

"I knew you wouldn't be able to see it through." Zoe said as she stood front of an exasperated Derek who had just finished telling her his account. "That's why I said you should refer this to the SIU."

He looked very perplexed, she could see that a miniature hurricane was going on in his head, and yet what he had told her seemed to just be dirt on the surface.

"I don't think I've gotten any closer to solving this case, and now one thing seems to tower above all else: bodies have started turning up." Derek mouthed.

"Which should further buttress my point that..." She started, but was cut off when Derek shot her a piercing, annoyed look.

Zoe didn't know whether she was safe or not. Derek's casual question that morning had unsettled her, and she lost her cool. She prayed his nerves were too on edge to notice. She had other business to attend to, and she didn't want to anger him any more.

"I'll get back to you later. I have business elsewhere now, at Carlisle... sorry, Kent avenue." She said hurriedly as she left his cubicle.

*****************

As Derek watched Zoe's receding figure, he was now fully convinced she was hiding something. Taking a pen, he wrote "Carlisle" on his pad and underlined it.

She'd mentioned it and then hurriedly corrected herself. And that look in her eyes. Whatever it was, it was serious. She was losing her cool.

A case within a case, his inner detective mused.

He didn't know whether to allow Zoe's suspicious actions divert his attention from the case at hand. Or did Zoe have something to do with the case?

If he was to bring her into the picture, she was actively trying to get him off the case... or was he reading too much into that?

The plate of beef stew he ordered was quickly getting cold as he looked at the characters the lady had written down.

®3∆13H)S_&_

Codes like this made him feel less like a bright detective and more like a puny, weak human. That you are anyway, his detective came again.

Even Sherlock Holmes would have had a hell of a time cracking this. There were some numbers, letters of the alphabet, Greek characters and symbols. All very random. This would take a while.

He would check whether his surbordinates had found out the identities of the two - that was a potential clue.

With so many mysteries turning up, it was clear that if he didn't solve the case soon, he was going to be in the same boat with those two.

He kept on looking at his pad until he heard a knock on the door of his cubicle. He quickly put his pad aside as he called the visitor in.

A short man in a floral dress entered. Derek didn't remember booking a trip to the Bahamas.

"I know you don't know me, but I'm going to be of great help to you. I'm Lucio and I know where the girl is..."

**************

Mariana took off her wig and prosthetics as she dabbed her face with a wet cloth, watching her 'husband' entering the station. Who would have thought he'd actually grow some balls for once? She might have to use force, but it was certainly time for her to step out of the shadows.

With the makeup, wig and prosthetics on, she was Zoe Langman, officer of the Law.

Without them she was Mariana Alvarez, housewife of Lucio Alvarez.

And to Marco, she was his secret girlfriend Sidney, a member of the Black Lotus.

It was a real pain living a double life, but who could imagine the stress of running a triple life?

It was a stroke of pure genius that allowed her bring Tony into this case. He would take care of Derek, and she would take care of him. A perfect food chain.

************

PROMPTS: force anger divert miniature puny boat stew tower

RANDOM DIALOGUE: "I knew you wouldn't be able to see it through."

Reference: https://read.cash/@Ozzyy/taken-3-09496c21

Tenth part!!!!! *Cartwheels*

I felt I had to do something big here, but I never expected such a big twist. 11 is going to be juicer, so don't miss it.

Opinions!!!!!?