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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Jul 1, 2010 13:05:08 GMT -5
The trail had gone cold again. Ever since the attempt on his life, Rutger Kilborn had not been able to find a trace of the killer he now knew to be Kryshna. She had been so close... Just a few feet away from him. He wanted to believe that he could have taken her. She was just a tiny little thing, a girl, really. How could someone so young be capable of such brutality?
It was possible that she was gone... that she and her partner had killed each other. But until he found something... some kind of proof, he was not going to give up. He was convinced that she had moved on... left the country, and was planning to continue her work somewhere else.
So here he was, at the German ministry on a Saturday, combing through the papers of about 15 different countries, trying to find some kind of hint... a clue that might tell him where Kryshna had gone.
It was the headline of Great Britain's Daily Prophet that caught his eye, and he was staring at the article when he heard the office door open.
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Post by Alana Kalb on Jul 1, 2010 16:12:53 GMT -5
Alana was ready to give up all hope of finding the girl her and Rutger were assigned to find. She was tired of chasing her, as horrible as that sounds, and getting absolutely nowhere. And after what the girl had done to Rutger, almost killing him, Alana wasn't sure she even wanted the case anymore. Alana knew being an Auror was going to be dangerous, and she knew that she would get hurt and possibly killed and that she would have more than one partner before her life ended (or she quit, whichever came first), but she didn't expect it to happen so soon. But it didn't happen... She kept reminding herself of that, throwing things around her apartment our of her frustration.
She cared for Rutger greatly, with him being her first partner and this being her first major case. She had a few smaller ones that the German ministry send her on that helped make her a good candidate for this case, but this one was the most important she's ever worked on. Alana didn't want anymore people to die, there was no need for it, and that is what was keeping Alana on the case, and keeping her returning to the office multiple times a day.
She just happened to be passing by when she noticed a light was on in the office her and Rutger spent hours in trying to get more information on the girl known to them now as Kryshna. Alana decided to stop to get coffee for the two of them, as she saw co-workers do in muggle movies for each other, and returned to the building.
"I figured you could use something to drink." She said as she walked into the office. Rutger sat at his desk, papers strewn around it and some on the floor. She smiled a bit sadly at him; she knew he was desperate for information, so was she, but she knew this had now become so personal to him. And, if Alana was honest with herself, it was personal to her, too.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Jul 1, 2010 17:48:25 GMT -5
Rutger often got lost in a case, trying to work things out for hours on end, completely losing track of time. How long he had been working today, he had no idea. And he also had no idea when the last time he'd had anything to eat or drink. So when Alana came in and offered him a cup of coffee, he accepted it gratefully.
In the beginning of their partnership, Rutger had not been thrilled about being assigned a partner. He was quite capable of doing the job himself, and Alana had a very different working style from his own. She sometimes made jokes, which he didn't understand, and she tried to keep the mood light. But she also had a tendency to see things in a different perspective, which he needed. And, if he was honest with himself, it was kind of good for him to have her around.
"Thanks," he said to her, taking a drink. "I'm glad you're here. I've been trying to catch a hint of her trail... I think she's left Germany. And I just spotted this headline in the British Daily Prophet."
He handed her the paper, which featured the headline, "BRUTAL MURDER PUZZLES BRITISH AUTHORITIES."
He took a sip from his coffee cup. "It's her, I can feel it."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Jul 1, 2010 20:08:17 GMT -5
Alana only half-listened patiently to what Rutger was telling her. She was concerned for him, even more so now that he had been attacked. There were nights when she wouldn't leave the office parking lot because she wanted to make sure he went home, and there were nights where Alana didn't leave the hospital because she was scared she wouldn't see him again. She hadn't told any of this to him, of course, they were partners in business, and Alana thought that would make this awkward around the office, especially since she was unaware of what was going on with Rutger.
"Left Germany?" Alana repeated, taking the paper from him. She scanned the article quickly before looking up at him, a smile spreading across her face.
"This is great! I mean, not exactly great, but good for us. We've got something to go on now! And it sounds like what happened that night..." She broke off, scared to remind Rutger of it, and put the paper back down on the desk and took a sip of her coffee before continuing.
"I know you're probably happy to get a sign of her, but you should get some rest before we go anywhere. It looks like you haven't slept in a week."
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Jul 1, 2010 21:21:52 GMT -5
Although nearly being murdered was hardly on Rutger's list of favorite things, he wasn't one to dwell on it, either. By all rights, he shouldn't have lived... and he still couldn't figure out why he had. Some people would have thought it was luck that he had survived, and others might have said that it was a sign that he was supposed to catch the girl. Rutger saw it as more straightforward than that. To him, it was simply something that happened.... just another piece of the puzzle. Her partner had changed his mind, had backed out, and that was the reason why he was alive.
But it also meant that there was a chance that she would come for him again. And he had to make sure he was ready.
"I'm fine," he said, waving off her concerns. "I'm alive; she didn't kill me. But this woman... this Tina Korenso is dead. And if we don't go after Kryshna, there will be others. I survived, and I owe it to these people to catch her..."
He trailed off, squinting down at the article again. The truth was, there was a very good chance that if Alana hadn't come in when she did, he might have fallen asleep slumped over his desk, papers still in his hands. This happened often, unfortunately; so much so that Rutger didn't entirely remember what it was like to sleep in his own bed.
"The British Ministry has no idea what they're up against," he said. "We need to get over there... We're going to have to petition the Minister to let us take over the investigation."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Jul 1, 2010 21:39:28 GMT -5
Alana nodded. She knew it was for the best that they didn't sit around and wait for something else to happen. Things like this needed to be dealt with immediately, and too many had died already. In truth, one death was too many to Alana, but nothing could change all that had happened.
"No, you're right. It wouldn't be fair the others if either of us slacked off now for personal reasons...or any reason at all, really." She said, and thought about his comment on the British ministry. People she went to school with were involved with anything going on in England, and the last thing she wanted was to see a former classmate's name in the daily news.
"Right. We've the most experience with this; it'll be stupid if they don't let us take over, really." She said with a smile. An odd sense of joy filled her as she thought of leading the investigation. It was a bittersweet moment to the woman; on one hand she finally got the chance to do something on a scale larger than just Germany, and on the other hand it was all because people were dead.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Jul 1, 2010 22:05:55 GMT -5
Rutger took a sip of his coffee, thinking to himself for a moment. There were channels they'd have to go through for this.... they'd have to do it right, so as not to step on any toes. But Rutger hated red tape. If he had his way, he'd march into the British Ministry and announce he was taking over without so much as a by-your-leave. Alana was much better at handling the red tape. She was the "people person."
"We have to go to our Minister first," he said, thinking aloud. "They'll have to petition the European Federation, and they'll..."
He trailed off, scowling. The higher-ups, they tended to do things at a snail's pace, and the way he figured it, it could take months before they'd actually be able to go to Britain. And who knows how many people would die in the meantime.
"We can't wait months," he said, unconsciously responding to his own thoughts. "We need to do this fast... I want to be there within the week."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Jul 1, 2010 22:26:08 GMT -5
Alana hopped up on his desk and, resting her elbows on her knees, put her chin her hands. She sighed, thinking of a way to get the clearance they needed quickly. She could try talking to their minister and send an owl as soon as she was able to the British minister explaining their situation, and maybe that would help speed things along.
"Are you sure it would take two months? I know the ministry drags its feet with many things, but this is really important. I mean, people are dying, right? Shouldn't they give us clearance quicker because the murders have now occured in two countries, maybe more that we don't know about it?" Alana said, and ran her hands through her hair. She stared out the window, and turned back to meet Rutger's gaze.
"What if we went to the minister ourselves and explained everything? I could do the talking if you'd like, explained what we've been through with Kryshna. If that doesn't work, we go to England and talk to that minister, tell him everything. It can't possibly take two months!" Alana exclaimed. She didn't even want to think of it taking that long anymore, so she pushed that idea aside in her mind.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Jul 1, 2010 23:22:51 GMT -5
Rutger leaned his chin against his hand. He had no idea how long it would take... he just always imagined the worst. It was easy for him to imagine the two of them sitting here in Germany, wringing their hands, while Kryshna went on a murderous spree across Britain. But she was right... it didn't have to be that way. They just needed to convince the Minister to go head-to-head with the British Minister. Surely he was a reasonable fellow....
"They'd be stupid to put someone else on this case now, right?" he said. "Of course they'll let us do it... except..."
The head Auror had come to Rutger just the day before, trying to gently "suggest" that maybe Rutger should leave the case to someone else. The reasoning was that since Kryshna had tried to kill him, it meant he was getting too close, too deeply involved. Any hope of surprising Kryshna was gone, because she knew who he was. Maybe a fresh eye was needed, maybe they needed to bring in someone she wouldn't expect. Rutger had fought this, of course. He had a "fresh eye" in Alana, and the fact that Kryshna had tried to kill him meant that she was getting scared. He was getting too close, he knew too much... which meant he had a chance to catch her.
In the end, Rutger had won the argument... but he wondered for how long. And if they knew that Kryshna had moved on to England... they might be too quick to agree that it was time to let the British authorities deal with the problem.
Rutger sighed and looked up at the clock. It was after 5:00, and he vaguely remembered that it was Saturday. "Do you suppose the Minister would speak to us on a Saturday?"
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Post by Alana Kalb on Jul 2, 2010 12:56:02 GMT -5
Alana looked at the clock after Rutger did, and she nodded at his question. If they told the Minister it was something extremely important to the case, he would have to allow them to speak to him about it, wouldn't he? Alana didn't think he'd want to look bad if he turned the two away.
"He should have time, especially since he knows what we're working on. It would be ridiculous for him to turn us away." Alana said, hoping off of his desk. She thought on the fact that it was Saturday, and if the Minister would have gone home early. Alana knew he had to be there, to make his presence known, but Alana wouldn't have been surprised if he ever left early.
"We could always throw the doors to his office open and start shouting it's urgent we're sent to England." Alana said with a laugh, picturing the scene in her head. One tired-looking man and a woman with entirely too much energy, all thanks to the coffee, shouting things about murders and England at the Minister. Alana looked to Rutger to see his response to her plan.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Jul 2, 2010 13:33:11 GMT -5
Rutger didn't have this same amusing image in his head. To him, it sounded ridiculous, and he frowned, wondering why she was laughing at it. But then, she often laughed at things he didn't understand.
"You're joking again, aren't you?" he said. "We should check and see if he's in his office, but I doubt it. Until you showed up, I was pretty sure I was the only one here."
He didn't add that he had actually slept here the night before, and had only left to pick up the collection of newspapers that was now spread out around him.
"If he's not here, I know his home address," he added.
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Post by Alana Kalb on Jul 2, 2010 22:13:53 GMT -5
Alana's smiled faded and she realised this wasn't something she should be making jokes about, but that was in her nature. She realised she would have to get used to having different parters in her career, and not all of them would find the same things she did amusing, at least not at the same time.
"Yeah, but it would be funny to see that. Or maybe just to me it would be." Alana said, and picked up her coffee. She took a few more sips and swirled the drink around before deciding she didn't want it anymore, and threw it out. She always got the largest thing of coffee she could and never finished it. She knew it was a waste of money, but she didn't care at this moment.
"Oh, his home address? Would he get mad if we bothered him at home?" She asked, hoping this wouldn't lead to either of them getting yelled at too much. Punishment Alana could deal with, it was getting yelled at she always had such a hard time with.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Jul 2, 2010 22:40:54 GMT -5
Rutger, on the other hand, didn't care if they got yelled at. After all, he could yell back easily enough. Most of the time, he was a pretty even-tempered man, but when he found something he was passionate about, it was very difficult to get him to back down. And in this case, catching Kryshna was of the utmost importance to him. He didn't care what it took, he was going to make sure they were sent to England to take over the case by the end of the week.
"I don't really care if he gets mad. Perhaps if he's angry, he'll be more likely to agree to what we want, just to get rid of us."
He stood up then, and wobbled a little on his feet. He'd been working a long time, without eating anything except for... something... in the morning. Was it a pastry? He bought it with the newspapers.
No matter. He was not going to stop and take a break until they had talked to the Minister. "Let's try his office first."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Jul 2, 2010 23:34:02 GMT -5
Alana noticed that Rutger wasn't that stable on his feet, and she assumed it had something to do with how long he had been working, but she didn't say anything. She knew he wouldn't accept the help or anything to eat before trying to find the Minister, and Alana didn't want to get him upset by offering it. She thought on what he said about getting the Minister mad at them enough that he would give in to their requests, and Alana would be okay with that option.
"Alright, although I like your upsetting him at his house offer better. I'm hoping he's at home." Alana said. "But if we do have to go to his house, know that I probably won't be able to deal with him if he yells' I may have to leave. I don't do too good with people yelling at me."
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Jul 3, 2010 0:04:38 GMT -5
Rutger decided to take his coffee with him. He was suddenly realizing how tired he was, and he needed the caffeine to keep him going just a little bit longer.
"I'm pretty sure he's not here, but it's worth checking," he replied. "If he's angry, then just let me do all the talking. Remember, we're not doing anything wrong. This case needs to be closed. We need to bring her in, no matter what it takes. If I thought it would work, I'd offer myself up as bait for a second attack right now. But I get the feeling it wouldn't work. She would know I'm ready for her."
He knew that Alana had been shaken up when he was attacked, so he usually tried not to bring it up in conversation. But he was serious. He was willing to do just about anything to bring Kryshna in... even if it meant sacrificing himself.
He took another sip of his coffee, then turned and started for the hallway in the direction of the Minister's office.
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