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"Sleep? I hear it's lovely," Finn's voice trailed off, his gaze lost in the depths of his coffee cup. "I'm fine. I just need to catch Max Vilne."
"Any sightings since this morning?" Amelia asked, the urgency in her voice unmistakable.
"None," Rob replied, shuffling through a stack of papers on his desk. "Max Vilne hasn't been seen since he escaped the hotel room. It appears he had tied a rope to the next building's roof in anticipation of a quick escape. Then, he cut the rope so our constables couldn't follow. By the time we had constables combing the area, he was long gone. Not even a sighting on CCTV, which makes me think he had scouted them out in advance. He's quite the slippery fellow... It's likely he's gone dark again."
Finn rubbed his temples, trying to suppress the headache that had been lurking at the edges of his consciousness. He could feel the weight of the past pressing down on him, the memories of his suspension and the end of his relationship with Demi threatening to consume him.
"Rob," Finn's voice cracked, betraying his exhaustion. "I'm worried about Demi. And Amelia and your safety, too. Max has a terrible grudge against me because I put him away."
"Trust me, Finn, we're taking every precaution," Rob assured him, his voice calm and steady. "But you know as well as I do that Max Vilne is a master at evading capture. We won't let our guard down, I can assure you."
Finn's eyes darted around the room, seeking reassurance in the familiar surroundings. It was never easy for him to ask for help, but he knew that Amelia and Rob were the only people he could trust.
"Rob, what can we do?" Finn asked, desperation tingeing his question. "We have to find him before he gets to Demi, or... Anyone else." Finn didn't want to say that he had Amelia on his mind most of all. They all meant the world to him, but Amelia was... He didn't quite know what, but he knew this much – his feelings for her were growing by the day.
"Demi is safe and under our protection, so don't worry," Rob said, leaning forward in his chair, determination lighting up his eyes. "We need to follow the trail of this new case. It might be our best chance to catch Max Vilne."
"Let's hope so," Finn muttered, standing up from his chair. "Because if we don't, there's no telling what kind of devastation he'll cause."
The oppressive atmosphere of Rob's office seemed to close in on Finn, making it harder for him to breathe. He caught Amelia watching him for a moment with her deep green eyes.
"Look, Finn," Amelia said, her voice firm but gentle. "You can't keep working yourself like this. I'd like to suggest that I do this case on my own... Just the initial evaluation so you can get some rest, and..."
“No,” Finn said, firmly.
"Amelia's right," Rob added, nodding in agreement. "You need some rest. I understand why you feel the need to catch Vilne. It might be our only lead, but..."
"Exactly," Finn replied, clenching his fists. "I'm not going anywhere until this is done. So what's the story?"
“Finn, please,” Amelia said, softly.
Rob leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I know when not to argue with Finn Wright, Amelia. Okay, Finn. It's your dance. A wealthy American named Thomas Richmond was found murdered in a castle he recently purchased here in Hertfordshire, alongside the body of his wife, Lily Richmond. The Home Office believes there may be a connection to Max Vilne due to the proximity to his last known location and the fact that the victim is an American citizen."
Finn narrowed his eyes as he processed the information.
"I don't know, Chief. The connection to Max Vilne seems tenuous at best," Amelia answered. “I'm worried we might be putting our energy into a case that has nothing to do with him.
"True," Rob admitted, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers. "But there is another theory that I've thought of. We're not certain how Vilne managed to get to the UK after escaping prison in America. How did he do it without getting caught? It seems an awful gamble to have used a plane. But consider this: Thomas Richmond, our victim, owned a company that transports goods between the US and the UK. It's plausible that Vilne could've used Richmond's services to make his way here."
Finn nodded in agreement. "You think Richmond smuggled Vilne into the country, and then Vilne killed him to cover his tracks?"
"Nothing's off the table yet," Rob answered. "It might be a long shot, but it's the best lead we have right now."
“If it's all we have...” Amelia said, sounding uncertain.
"It's more than enough," Finn said, rubbing his tired eyes. "This has Vilne's style all over it. I'm sure it's him."
Amelia looked at the ground as if in disagreement for a moment. Then, she said: “It's one possibility.”
Finn didn't comment, but Amelia's different perspective gnawed at him.
It has to be Vilne, he thought.And I'm going to get him.
"You should get moving then," Rob nodded approvingly. "You can start by visiting the crime scene. Amelia, you'll accompany Finn while I coordinate things from here. The American Embassy in London is extremely concerned about all of this. They are worried about the implications of an escaped serial killer targeting American citizens."
"Understood, Chief," Amelia replied, her expression resolute. She turned to Finn, her gaze softening. "We're going to get through this, Finn. Together. But if you feel at any time you need to pull back."
"Thanks, Amelia," Finn murmured, grateful for her unwavering support. “It's not like I'm going to fall apart. I mean, check out these guns?” He flexed his arms for a moment in jest.
