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“Okay, okay,” I amend. “Notleadto a crime exactly, but it could inform us aboutothercrimes. I hate to be so vague, but it’s a sensitive issue. You have to trust me on this.”
The woman narrows her eyes at me until they’re nothing but slits, but then shrugs and cracks her gum again.
“Fine. Officer Lane is on duty,” she says. “He’ll speak with you in an interrogation room,” she says, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. “Sign in first, and he’ll be with you in just a sec. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
Nodding my head, I hurriedly print my name on a clipboard before moving towards a nondescript wooden door in the hallway.
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Then I step into the room, and shut the door. The interior is pretty much what you’d expect: fluorescent lights, and a metal table with two chairs. But there’s no two-way mirror, so I know we won’t be watched. Or at least, I hope not.
I sit down, arranging my skirt and top and proceed to wait … and wait … and wait. Finally, after half an hour, the door opens, and a very handsome police officer strides inside. He comes to a complete stop when he sees me before checking the clipboard in his hand.
“Miss Hughes?” he asks, quirking a black eyebrow at me.
“Yes, I’m Leah Hughes,” I answer hastily before standing up and extending my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Thank you for coming.”
He crushes my small palm in his large one before taking a seat at the table. Goodness gracious, the police officer is gorgeous with dark hair, flashing blue eyes, and a muscular physique. The light blue short-sleeved top highlights the breadth of his shoulders, and he’s got long legs encased in navy slacks. Nonetheless, I’m here for a purpose and take a deep breath.
“Officer--?”
“Lane,” he finishes for me. “What can I do for you, Miss Hughes?”
“I’m glad you ask,” I say. “I’ve heard rumors around town, and I’m here to see if there’s any truth to him.”
Officer Lane’s black brows go up.
“Rumors? What kind of rumors? Dangerous ones?”
I twist my hands in my lap.
“Well, not exactly dangerous,” I murmur. “More like disturbing.”
His brows go even higher, although there’s a twinkle in his blue eyes.
“Disturbing, how? Please be more specific, Miss Hughes. I need to know details in order to help.”
Goodness, this is going to be more embarrassing than I thought. My cheeks color when I meet his eyes.
“Well, I’ve heard rumors that there’s a man skulking around town. Well, not skulking exactly, but going out on dates with women and … ah, well the word is that he’s notnormal.”
“Like a predator?” Officer Lane asks with a frown. “Is he inviting women to his hotel room? Drugging girls? Knocking them out and then taking advantage of them?”
“No, not exactly that,” I hesitate.
Officer Lane looks serious now, and leans forward, his shoulders massive and muscular.
“Then how? Is he catfishing women? I know that happens occasionally. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty common tactic in the internet era. Both men and women steal other peoples’ photos and then go crazy on dating sites. We’ve had plenty of complaints along those lines, but unfortunately, catfishing isn’t a crime. At least not yet. If you’ve had a bad experience along those lines, Miss Hughes, I’m afraid you’ll have to complain to the dating platform, and maybe file a report with the Better Business Bureau. I know that Tinder, Match, and many other dating sites are working to eliminate catfish profiles, but it’s like trying to eliminate cockroaches: they’ll always be there no matter what,” he shrugs. “Is that all? I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help if you were catfished, but unfortunately, the law hasn’t caught up with the reality of on-line romance.”
“Oh no no,” I say hastily. “I wasn’t catfished. I’m not here about that.”
The handsome police officer is quickly losing patience.
“Then what is it?” he asks. “How can I help you?”
“Well, ah, the rumor I’ve heard is that there’s a man going around town who has two dicks,” I say in a quick voice. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Officer Lane is clearly flummoxed and looks at me like I’m crazy.
