Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Wrapped Up In Thought

Sebastian Silverow's POV:

"As in the leader of SWAT," I couldn't help but ask Chief Miller at that precise moment, as I was completely baffled by what I just heard. "You are telling me that Officer Denton Akuma, the one who is running SWAT, is inquiring about my possible kidnapping victim and classifying her as an abuser?"

"Yes, Sebastian," Chief Miller said as he leaned forward, dropping his leg this time and placing both feet on the floor as he interlocked his fingers and looked me dead in the face. "That is precisely what I'm saying."

"You didn't say where she's being kept, did you?" I asked, getting a bit frustrated with how deep this situation could possibly go.

"No, not at all," Chief Miller mentioned as he continued in his current position. "

I began to rub the center of my forehead as I tried to process the depth of the situation I found myself investigating.

"I would never intentionally jeopardize the safety of a victim in an ongoing investigation," Chief Miller said as he finally sat upright in his chair.

"You mind telling me what you did tell Denton, where Officer Akuma?" I asked as I interlocked my fingers, placing them again on the top part of my desk. "I need to know that they're not want to come after me. I need to know that I have the ability to keep her safe despite the fact that I have a security system set up here. The last thing I want to do is jeopardize her safety or mind in the attempt to try to investigate this thing."

"I understand that completely," Chief Miller said as he lifted his arm to look at his watch. "I will do everything in my power to maintain that level of security for you and for the young lady."

There's one thing I still don't understand," I said as I continued to ponder my thoughts. "What is a SWAT officer doing trying to obtain information about a potential abuser? What does he have to do in this particular case? This is a possible kidnapping victim. A kidnapping victim and an abuser are not the same thing in my book."

"I completely understand that and agree with you," Chief Miller said as he reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled out his cell phone. It wasn't until he pulled it out that I realized that it was buzzing. "From that, I have to get going here shortly."

I nodded in response to his last statement.

"Did you tell Officer Akuma anything pertinent about her current whereabouts?" I couldn't help but ask, as I needed to know this bit of information first and foremost.

"What I did tell them is that I cannot give him any information as to an ongoing investigation," Chief Miller responded as he stood up to his feet, causing me to do the same. "I would suggest you work on this as quickly and securely as possible. There's no telling how deep this thing runs."

"I couldn't agree with you more," I said as I walked around the side of my desk, knowing that if Chief Miller stood to his feet, he was receiving a rigid need to attend.

Just as we were walking to the door of my study, Chief Miller turned back around.

"I cannot urge you enough on this next point. Find out as much information as you can about the young woman. Her name. Where she used to live? Any friends or relatives who might be looking for. Anything that we can use to prove this is not what I am hearing it is turning out to be," Chief Miller said as I walked up to stand in front of him.

"Pardon my phrase here, Chief, but I will do my damnedest to figure this out," I said as I placed my hands on my hips with frustration at the depth of this current conversation. "I just can't see how the two are related."

"I'm not exactly sure as to the relation between the two either," Chief Miller said as I walked around to stand in front of the door, reaching out for the handle.

"But if you don't mind my saying so, sir, something about this doesn't seem quite right. There is no reason why these two particular cases should be connected," I said when I finally opened up the door to my study.

"In the meantime, do what you can to discover anything and everything that will prove her identity," Chief Miller said as he walked out the door first. "Establish a timeline if you have to. Send me a message here after a while about anything you find; definitely keep me updated on this case. I will do everything on my end, word for word, so that you are not disturbed."

"Special assignment?" I asked as I walked out into the hallway.

"That works," Chief Miller said as we both headed towards the stairs.

It wasn't until we had reached the lower landing where your office was located that I turned to reach for the front door and pause there with my hand on the handle when I spoke next.

"There is something that I can't help but linger in the back of my mind," I said in that precise moment, causing Chief Miller to turn to face me. "I hope this isn't as dark as I'm getting the feeling it very well may be."

"Follow your gut," Chief Miller responded in that moment. "I have always learned to trust your gut. Your head can lead one way, but your gut is usually never wrong."

I nodded as I finally opened up the exterior door. When Chief Miller walked outside to stand under the awning, he turned around to face me one last time whenever I finally spoke next.

"I had planned on taking her shopping, you know, to get some clothes for her," I said as I looked down briefly before looking back up at him. "She came home in a set of nurses' scrubs. You think there's a chance that we will run into any would-be individuals? A person like her... Color tone would stand out, you think?"

"How about you try this," Chief Miller said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket once more and pressed the button on the side, silencing the next phone call that he received. "I know you have connections, but have never needed this. Call the department store downtown. Have them set up a selection of items and bring them here for her to try on. That way you can keep her safe and don't have to worry about her being in the public eye."

I nodded in agreement. Whenever I needed something, I would just go to the department store and pick it out myself. Never have I thought about having the department store bring the necessary items here. Hell, I had the funds. Money wasn't an object for me.

I can do that," I responded as I let go of the door handle, seeing that Chief Miller wanted to shake my hand before he departed.

This will certainly be interesting.