Zusammen: Part III
The police station was a relatively unimpressive brick-clad building wedged in between a free medical clinic and a store that sold clothes made from recycled materials. Adrien found it strange that he’d never been to the station before, although he’d visited the establishments sandwiching it - to the health clinic for a routine checkup, and to the clothing store to buy Kagami a Christmas present.
The place was also rather quiet for a police station. It was inhabited only by a handful of officers, none of whom Adrien knew (Lieutenant Raincomprix was stationed in a separate arrondissement). The building’s ambience made him nervous, and his uneasiness only increased when he became aware that every person in the room was staring at him. Kagami opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by one of the officers.
“You’re Adrien Agreste!” he declared excitedly.
Adrien wracked his brain for a possible response. Should he deny it? Should he pretend like he’s Felix? Should he and Kagami run off? Should he make no reply at all?
“Yeah!” said Adrien uncomfortably. “It is I!”
My god, what’s the matter with me? he thought to himself as he watched the officer’s face light up with anticipation.
“I knew it!” the man cried. “I’d recognize your face anywhere!”
And because he was experiencing major brain damage, Adrien replied, “Good!”
Fortunately, Kagami swooped in and saved him from more embarrassment.
“Excuse me, sir? We’d like to speak with some of your detectives regarding the Emilie Agreste case.”
“Of course!” said the police officer. “Anything for the excellent Adrien Agreste!”
If he hadn’t known better, Adrien would’ve thought he’d heard Wayhem talking.
The officer led them into the back of the building, where some offices were located. He stopped outside a door marked Chief Inspector Joseph Beaumont.
“Here you are,” the policeman said. “As far as I know, Beaumont was the one in charge of the Emilie Agreste case.”
“Was?” asked Adrien worriedly. The officer’s smile slowly faded.
“Listen,” he told them, “I don’t know all the details about the case, so I’m not sure where it currently stands, but neither me nor any of my fellow officers have heard about any new developments regarding Emilie Agreste. Beaumont can explain the situation more.”
The officer gave both Adrien and Kagami firm pats on the shoulder before striding back to the front room.
Adrien turned to Kagami. “Was?”
“It could be nothing,” said Kagami, though to Adrien, she didn’t seem sure.
They both knocked on the door at the same time. They stole a quick glance at one another before it opened, revealing a tall man with dark brown skin and a goatee.
“May I help you?” asked the man inquisitively.
“You’re Inspector Beaumont, right?” asked Kagami.
“Yes, that would be me,” said Beaumont politely.
“Good,” said Kagami. “I’m Kagami Tsurugi, and this is my boyfriend, Adrien Agreste.”
Adrien gave Inspector Beaumont a little wave, which the detective returned.
“What can I do for the two of you?” he asked.
“We have some questions about my mother’s disappearance,” said Adrien, as confidently as he could.
Beaumont’s brow furrowed. “The Emilie Agreste case?”
Both Adrien and Kagami nodded.
“Why?” asked Beaumont. “Did you find something?”
“Find something?” repeated Kagami. “What do you mean, find something?“
“I ask if you’ve found something because I haven’t,” explained Beaumont. “The Emilie Agreste case went cold a month after Agreste vanished.”
Adrien’s heart sank.
“It went cold?” asked Kagami. “A month after she disappeared?”
“That’s fast, I know,” Beaumont sighed. “But we didn’t have any starting material. No clues, no information, nothing. We picked up a few leads from people who had claimed to’ve seen her, but it was all false. It always ended up being someone else, or the sighter had made up the story in hopes of some kind of reward.”
“B-But...” stammered Adrien desperately, “but my father said that you didn’t think she’d left the country! That she might be near the Riviera!”
Beaumont’s face wrinkled with confusion. “Did he? Why on Earth would he say that? Unless he hired a private detective... but no, I have connections to Paris’s independently operating detectives, news would’ve reached me.”
“Do you at least have people on the lookout?” Kagami asked.
“Well, of course!” said Beaumont immediately, appearing slightly offended. “If there’s somebody missing, I’m going to have my detectives on alert until they’re not missing anymore, but so far, we’ve covered almost the whole country and haven’t found a thing.”
“What about neighboring countries?” suggested Kagami. “Spain? Germany? Belgium? She could’ve somehow crossed the Channel and made it to Britain or Ireland!”
“Listen,” Beaumont said in a low voice, “I share your concern, and I wish to find Emilie Agreste as well, but we can’t just go picking apart the whole of Europe in the absence of any clues whatsoever.”
Upon seeing the duo’s downtrodden faces, he added, “Don’t worry! I’ll heighten the search, get more detectives on the case, scour for any leads! Regarding your father and his words about the Riviera, you’re gonna need to ask him about that. Maybe find out what Emilie was doing in the days up to the assassination attempt?”
Beaumont opened the door. “I’m sorry I couldn’t’ve been more help.”
===========
As Adrien and Kagami walked back in the direction of Agreste Mansion, Adrien asked the question that had been gnawing at him ever since they talked with Inspector Beaumont.
“Why’d he lie to me?”
He abruptly ceased walking and collapsed onto a park bench, with Kagami joining him moments later.
“Hey,” she said, curling her right arm around his waist. “I’m sure there’s some very reasonable explanation for all of this.”
“H-He said that they thought she was at the R-Riviera,” Adrien stuttered. “He s-said that.”
“I don’t know,” said Kagami, rubbing Adrien’s back. “Perhaps he just didn’t want you to worry.”
“Yeah, look how that turned out,” laughed Adrien humorlessly.
Part 3 of my Zusammen AU!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
