Always By Your Side (Jack Archer x Mithran Ganesh)

Chapter Eight

As the four of us made our way towards Noah Cox's apartment I once again started to pick on Carmen who was this close to pushing me out of the car. "Archer, I'm telling you right now you are becoming a pain in the butt much worse than Lars is you better knock it off before I make you." That sounded like a challenge not that I minded from the corner of my eye I could see both Mithran and Michelle laughing in the back. "I agree with Carmen after all she doesn't like to mess around Archer." Rolling my eyes, I turned the corner looking around making sure that we're at the right address. "Looks like the right address let's wait and see if he shows up." Getting into position we begin a stake out keeping an eye on the parking lot it wasn't long until a silver truck arrived pulling into the parking space and without missing a beat the driver's door opened and out came Noah Cox from the looks of it, he's completely exhausted from working all night at the Red Rooster Restaurant. "We better make this quick it looks like he's about to faint any moment, guys." The others nodded in agreement as we got out of the car making our way over towards him but before he reacts a young child came rushing out of the apartment clutching onto his leg which made him smile. "Excuse me are you, Noah Cox?" He slowly turns around nodding as he picks up his daughter. "That would be me how can I help your kind folks today?" I reached into the folder pulling out the pictures of the victims. "I'm afraid there's been a murder at the local hotel today and we were wondering if you recognize them from the restaurant last night?" He takes the pictures from my hand studying them very carefully before shaking his head. "I'm afraid I don't there were a lot of people who were coming in and out all times of the night and I'll be honest all I ever do is keep an eye out for anything suspicious." I nodded in agreement as the other three started taking notes. "And you never seen them in the restaurant before?" He nods again. "It's hard to keep track of people who come in and out but unfortunately I was needed somewhere else." I nodded once again pulling out another picture from the hotel's security camera. "Well, what about this individual have you noticed them?" He takes a look at the other picture before nodding. "Oh yeah they kept trying to get in no matter how many times I try to tell them that I can't let them in without the proper attire and reservation but that wasn't all they were mumbling under their breath something about marriage, but I wasn't paying attention just told them to leave." Taking the picture back I handed him my business card. "Thank you for your time and cooperation if you remember anything else feel free to contact me, okay?" He nods taking the card as the four of us headed back to the cruiser. "He seemed pretty calm, didn't he?" The others nodded in agreement. "But let's not jump to conclusions we still have another suspect to interrogate let's head over to Cole Soho's apartment which is on the farthest part of town great just great well then we better get a move on." As we piled back into the cruiser, I was quickly pulled into a hug it always makes my day either getting a hug or a kiss from the love of my life. "Archer hurry up and get your butt in the cruiser right this instant!" Rolling my eyes, I decided to tease her a little bit making sure she saw it before I knew it, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head quickly turning around I saw Carmen standing behind me with hands on her hips a scowl across her face. "You really do enjoy ticking me off don't you Archer?" I nodded with a smile across my face. "Absolutely it brightens my day." Luckily, she wasn't able to do anything yet. "Just hurry up and get in we don't have all day a killer is still on the loose." I nodded as we sped out of the parking lot towards our next destination along the way we decided to compare notes. "So, the killer followed them to the Red Rooster Restaurant and then followed them back to the hotel where they were staying could it be possible that the killer knew them personally or just has an obsession." The others nod in agreement. "But let's not forget what Noah said the killer mumbled marriage could it mean that they were in love with both victims or just one." That was a very good question unfortunately we didn't have the answers at the moment, but it won't stop us from catching this monster once and for all right as we were about to pull into the parking lot only for the suspect to jump onto the hood of the cruiser which made us all scream in fear quickly stepping on the breaks watching as the cruiser came to a sudden stop watching as he jumped off laughing quickly hopping out the four of us made our way over towards him anger across my face but before I could say anything a voice rang out from inside the apartments out of view a woman in her mid-forties came walking down the steps. "Noah Cox what did I tell you about jumping on Police Cruisers?!" I watched as he looked away feeling extremely guilty. "But mom it wasn't on purpose after all they couldn't do anything about it!" The four of us just watched. "It doesn't matter I told you not to do that again, but you disobeyed me get upstairs and think about what you done." He nods rushing upstairs. "I'm so sorry about that he never seems to listen anyway can I help you with something?" I nodded pulling out my badge. "Yes, you can my name is Detective Jack Archer these are my partners Lab Assistant Mithran Ganesh Detective Carmen Martinez and Detective Michelle Zuria were here to ask your son where he was at the time of the murders." Immediately I could tell by the look on her face she wasn't happy that her son was a suspect in a double homicide. "Please follow me I'll show you our apartment right this way." We all turned to look at each other completely scared but yet amazed at the same time without wasting anymore time following her along the way we started as asking her questions and bless her heart as we arrived, she opened the door for us looking around we saw Noah sitting on the couch watching tv without a care in the world. "Noah, they want to talk to you about something very important, okay?" He nods turning off the TV. "I'll be in the kitchen." Sitting down across from him. "I'm sorry for jumping on the hood of your police cruiser I was just bored and wanted to have some fun." I couldn't help but smile at his politeness. "It's okay but please don't ever do that again the reason why we're here is because a famous Hollywood couple have been found murdered in their hotel room last night and we need to know where you were at the time." His eyes went wide swallowing the lump in his throat. "I was working at the Red Rooster Restaurant until eleven O'clock then after that I ended up going to the hospital for a couple of hours." I watched as Mithran pulled on some gloves. "Why were you doing there did something happen to you?" He nods showing us a couple of cuts and bruises to his face and what looks like an impression of a ring. "I got attacked in the parking lot by some guy wearing a black and blue baseball cap some type of suit fancy dress shoes." Reaching into the folder I pulled out the picture from the security camera earlier. "Is this the person who attacked you last night?" He took one look and nodded. "That's him saying how dare I take his wife away from him I had no idea what he was talking about." As Carmen wrote down the information Mithran took a picture of the ring print. "So, this person is a man?" He nods. "Yeah, by the he sounds like middle eastern." After finally getting the information, we needed we were about to leave when his mom stopped us. "Oh, before I forget you might need this." We watched as she handed Michelle a piece of paper with some letters and numbers. "While driving to the hospital some crazed driver sped past me serving all over the road lucky, I managed to write his license plate down before disappearing." After saying goodbye, the four of us headed back to the cruiser. "This is insane why would this person do such a horrible thing?" That was the million-dollar question whoever this guy is a danger to society what's his game well whatever it is he needs to be stopped no matter what the four of us headed back to HQ to discuss our next plan of action after dropping off the evidence we decided to look over our notes so far all we have to go on is someone is obsessed with the female victim Ashley Douglas could it be that she was the intended target and that her fiancé Calvin James was standing in the way. "Any news on the evidence yet love?" He nods pulling out the results. "From what Lars told me the DNA matched both victims but there was a third DNA it wasn't much, but it turned out that it came from the killer with AB+ killer!" I couldn't help but smile as I wrapped my arms around him spinning him around after setting him down, he also pulled out the crime scene photo. "As for the strange markings on her upper arm and ankle both of them are bruises I'm guessing that the killer tied her up demanding to end the engagement to Calvin James." I nodded as Carmen brought us some water to drink. "What about the license plate that Noah Cox's mom gave to us?" Before Mithran could say anything, Elliot came in with his usual smirk. "That I can answer that turns out the license plate didn't match the one seen on the car it's from a Dodge pickup." We turned to look at him confused as heck. "That's funny from what she told us it was a Camaro not a truck." Elliot typed on his laptop a bit before showing it to us. "Your just in luck I managed to track down the owner of the pickup her name is Rebecca James related to your male victim Calvin James." All of our eyes went wide when he said that. "Looks like we need to have a word with the victim's sister do you have an address?" He nods sending it over to my phone. "Alright let's head out then." As the four of us were about to leave we we're stopped by Grace in the hallway. "Oh, hey Grace what's up did you figure out the cause of death?" She nods handing us the autopsy report. "Yes, I did the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head although for some odd reason Calvin James's autopsy showed some type of substance in his wound, I asked Lars to see what it was turns out that it's hand sanitizer I'm guessing that your killer was trying to clean up after committing the crime." I nodded writing down the next piece of evidence. "Thanks Grace you're amazing." She smiles heading back into her lab the four of us continued making our way towards the entrance but right as we were about to leave, we heard some yelling our names turning around we say Ingrid running towards us with the piglet in her arms. "Whose idea was it to bring a piglet into HQ?" I didn't say anything instead grabbed Mithran's hand rushing out the door never looking back a smile appearing over my face not caring about how much trouble I get in the sooner we get this case done the sooner I can just relax with my one true love as we hopped into the cruiser the door were yanked open making us jump. "Thanks for leaving us behind Archer!" Once again, I could help but smile. "No problem just doing my job." As they both rolled their eyes getting into the cruiser the four of us pulling out of the parking lot towards our next destination.