Page 101 of In Control

“I’m going to have a dig around online. Look at her social media and stuff. See if I can find anything out that way,” Gabe says, righting a chair and dropping down into it.

“You’re staying here?” Liam asks.

“They might come back,” Gabe says, “and I’ll be here for them if they do.” His eyes turn murderous. Gabe may be an omega, but he’s no shrinking violet. He’s tough. He wrestled that fucking knifed-up psychopath to the ground.

“In that case, fuck going down to the police station, I’m staying with you.” I push the sofa back up onto its feet. “I’ll call them.”

I spend the next forty-five minutes talking to a series of dead-weight police officers, each one passing me on to another department, none of them appreciating the seriousness of the situation, despite me explaining it in no uncertain terms.

Finally, the last officer tells me because Sophia hasn’t been missing for 48 hours yet, they can’t do anything to help. “Until she’s been gone that long, she’s not classified as officially missing.”

“She’s been fucking snatched,” I snap.

“Have you tried calling her friends?”

I hang up and have to restrain myself from crushing my phone.

“I did tell you,” Gabe says, his eyes locked on his screen as he scrolls away furiously.

“I’m going to see how the others are doing.”

I speak to Esra first who sounds like he’s been terrorising half the student faculty by pounding on their doors and interrogating them about Sophia. So far all he has is a couple of ex-boyfriends’ names, none of whom seem to be living in Studworth.

I’m ending the call, when Liam phones me. He’s tracked down Sophia’s friend Rosie but the girl has no names for us.

“She says Sophia never revealed their name. She did know about the letters though and had tried to get Sophia to go to the police about it. Our girl refused though.”

“Why?” I mutter in frustration.

“Rosie thinks he may have been someone important, someone with influence. It’s possible she didn’t think the police would help.”

“What’s that?” Gabe says, glancing up from his phone.

“It could be someone influential.”

“Hmmm.” His bond sparks.

“You’ve found something?” Hope jumps in my chest. Please let us have found something. We can’t fail her. We can’t be too late.

“There’s this dude … he was commenting on her stuff about a year ago. She seems to have ignored most of his comments and they vary from overly flattering to downright nasty.”

“Right …”

“His username is Liberty Defender.”

“You think he’s–”

“A politician? Yes, maybe. Or a judge.”

“Can you tell who he is?”

Gabe snorts. “I’m a ballet dancer. Not a cyber whizz.” He scrubs his hand through his hair, thinking.

“But I know someone who is.” He’s helped me with some of my cases.

I message the others. Telling them I think we’re looking for a politician or someone involved in the judicial system. Someone with power and influence. Then stroll into the bedroom with the phone to my ear.

Ten minutes later, I stroll back to Gabe. “He’s on it.”

---