Found

[JACK ROCCOGRANDI]

Jack was determined to find Maxine. The first two days of any case were the most important, particularly in a missing person's case. It was possible to find them alive and find more evidence in the first 48 hours. Witnesses would still be able to remember a scared redhead woman being abducted. Jack wondered why so many kidnapping cases were coming up so suddenly in Scriptor Bay. He had been an officer in the Scriptor Bay Police Department for 13 years and he had never experienced so many unusual occurrences in just a couple of weeks. Perhaps the Montgomery case and the McManus case were linked. Was this a serial kidnapper they had on their hands? Montgomery was literally just found the night before, her face splashed across the front page of the Sciptor Bay Post . She wasn't talking though, and she wasn't giving any names. Perhaps if he could find McManus, it would be different. Maybe she would talk.

He reached Witt's complex and took the elevator up after a flash of his badge at the concierge. Dawson's and Rebecca's...er...Taylor's warnings about the guy were still running through his mind. He was a Gargoyle which meant he was super strong. They didn't like him, but from the way they had talked about the guy, Jack was pretty sure they just didn't like Witt because they didn't think he was right for Maxine. Jack had gone through that with his sisters and knew it was only out of love. Maxine seemed like an interesting person, especially if she had two seasoned officers worried sick about her. He hoped it would be as simple as Witt had her. Most likely, it wouldn't be.

He knocked on the door firmly, in case Witt wasn't near the door. It didn't take long for Jack to hear the sliding of the lock and a man shorter than him to answer the door. He held up his badge, his cop look on now, which was a mix between stern and friendly. "Detective Jack Roccograndi, SBPD. I'm looking for a Mr. August Witt," he said in his low, semi-firm voice. When he realized that the man standing at the door was Witt, he nodded, having guessed as much. Honestly, the guy didn't look that dangerous. "I'm working on the disappearance of a woman named Maxine McManus and your name came up in our investigation. May I come in and ask you a few questions?"

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

It had been a long night and Maxi had slept a good portion of the day. She was exhausted both emotionally and physically. The night before she had nearly cried her eyes out, been beat up, and then came back here and was dealt her punishment from August in the form of sex until near dawn. It was after noon by the time she woke up, sore but content, in August's oversized bed. Even after waking up, she lay buried among the sea of sheets, dozing and wallowing in August's scent all around her, until after one o' clock. When she did finally force herself out of his bed, she took a shower and changed back into the sweats and t-shirt he had lent her the night before.

She fretted over the bruise on her face and the lack of movement in her sprained fingers only for a few minutes before she ate and passed the day with watching TV and reading a book. By the time the sun went down, she was a quarter of the way through Civil Disobedience, which she found in August's collection in his room. She was engrossed in it and jumped when she heard the door to his office open. Turning, she saw him walking out, and she smiled wide. "Hey," she greeted softly. There was something nice and warm about being there when he first..."woke up?" Like she belonged right where she was, welcoming him back to life. She put the book face down on the couch before she got to her feet and went to him. Smiling wide, she put her arms around his shoulders and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. It felt strangely domestic but...right. For her it was right. The kiss was brief, but sweet, and when it was over, she let herself fall back to her heels and smile up at him. She felt content.

There was a knock on the door just then, and she paled, her eyes filling momentarily with fear. She looked towards the door, afraid it was Sebastian again, and not wanting to be anywhere near that monster. August went to answer it and she stayed where she was, out of sight of the door. He unlocked it, which meant it couldn't be Sebastian, and the voice she heard was deep and unknown to her. "Detective Jack Roccograndi, SBPD. I'm looking for a Mr. August Witt." Why were the police here? They couldn't know about last night, did they? Was it Becky who called them over to look for her? If she had tried to call Maxi, she couldn't have answered. Still, how did she know where August lived? She honestly didn't remember the door being left wide open when she was kidnapped last night.

"I'm working on the disappearance of a woman named Maxine McManus and your name came up in our investigation. May I come in and ask you a few questions?" That's when Maxi stepped forward, moving towards the door. "You're looking for me?" she asked in her soft voice. The detective's eyes came to hers and he was obviously surprised. She was surprised by the sheer size of him. He filled the doorway! Her eyes came to August, unsure if he would let the detective in. He had to, right? But she didn't know if she should tell the detective about her kidnapping or not. If she didn't tell him about the kidnapping, she knew he would think that August was the one who put that bruise on her face. She didn't want Becky to ever think that August hit her. He did, but only on her butt, and it was never that hard. Not hard enough to leave the mark on her face. Her look as she stared at August said, Should I tell him?

[AUGUST WITT]

The familiar sight of the city turning dark welcomed him as his eyes opened, his body shifting back into that of a man. He always felt so stiff after "waking" and had to stretch, every joint in his body cracking. He opened the door to his office and peaked out, unsure if he would find Maxine there as he'd hoped, but it only took a moment for his fears to subside as he heard her familiar voice.

"Hey," she greeted softly and he smiled as she got up and came to him, offering a chaste kiss in greeting. "Mmm.." he hummed softly before pulling back and taking her chin gently in his fingers, turning her head to the side and examining her bruised face. He pursed his lips and sighed, shaking it lightly. "He certainly didn't bother holding back, did he." August grumbled, leaning in and brushing his lips over hers. His hands snaking around her and pulling her towards him, when he was suddenly disturbed by a knock at the door. He glared at the door as if it was the doors fault.

He went to it and peaked through the peephole to make sure it wasn't Sebastian. It wasn't. It was a man he'd never seen before and slowly he opened the door and raised a brow in greeting. "Detective Jack Roccograndi, SBPD. I'm looking for a Mr. August Witt." August was quiet for a moment putting the pieces together. Her absence had gone noticed and no doubt he had been linked to her due to her wonderful police friends. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened. "You found him." He said coolly.

"I'm working on the disappearance of a woman named Maxine McManus and your name came up in our investigation. May I come in and ask you a few questions?" Just as he had suspected. August waited a moment, knowing he would be an idiot not to let the man in, but he didn't want any trouble. He was about to invite him in when Maxine squeezed her way over. "You're looking for me?" she asked in her soft voice.

August looked at Maxine and then the man and sighed before stepping aside and opening the door. "Do come in, Mr. Roccograndi." He said figuring they would be back if he didn't get it over with now. August shut the door behind the man and put a protective arm over Maxine. "Well, as you can see she's anything but missing." He explained to the office. "Do you have questions or can I get back to my evening with Miss McManus?"

[JACK ROCCOGRANDI]

"You're looking for me?" Jack couldn't believe what he was seeing. Maxine was there? With Witt? How was that so easy?! She had a good bruise on her cheek, though, and her hand was wrapped up. What happened to her? "Miss McManus," he said, clearing his throat. Unbelievable. He'd have to call Taylor and Dawson and let them know she was okay, if a little beaten. He was immediately suspicious of Witt, and his eyes turned back to him, perhaps a little harder than they should have been. "Do come in, Mr. Roccograndi." "Thanks. And please, call me Jack," he said as he stepped into Witt's condo. If only he could afford a place that nice. His eyes scanned the place briefly for any signs of something being out of place, somewhere where a fight might have ensued.

When Jack's eyes came back to the couple, Witt had his arm around Maxine's shoulders and she was smiling at him. She seemed happy and healthy minus that bruise. "Well, as you can see she's anything but missing. Do you have questions or can I get back to my evening with Miss McManus?" Jack didn't like the tone, but he didn't let it show on his face. He had to forget what Taylor and Dawson told him about this guy so he could formulate his own opinion on the man. "Just a few questions," he said. His eyes turned to Maxine, who was watching him attentively. "Miss McManus, can you tell me why your front door was left open? And where that bruise came from on your face?" She looked a little uncertain, but she didn't look at Witt, which for him was a good sign. Had she looked at Witt, he would have been more suspicious of him.

"Well...there was...an incident last night..." Maxine's voice was soft and it wasn't until after she said this that she looked up at Witt, almost for reassurance. Jack just waited patiently for her to continue. She looked back at him and then gave a small smile. "It's a long story. We should probably sit so I can explain it." Maxine gave Witt a smile before she pulled out from under his arm and made her way to a table in the kitchen area. Jack glanced at Witt before following her, unsure if he would object or not. Regardless of whether he did or not, though, he was staying to get her story. Jack wasn't giving up on that.

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

Maxi was glad when August put his arm around her shoulders. It felt nice and she smiled up at him before looking back to the cop. He was...huge. She still couldn't get over how tall the guy was. Not only that, he looked well built and solid. Was he sent here to intimidate August? Probably not, but any normal guy, he probably could intimidate. "Well, as you can see she's anything but missing. Do you have questions or can I get back to my evening with Miss McManus?" Maxi looked up at him with something like exasperation. Did he have to sound so rude? "Just a few questions." Maxi looked back at the officer, wanting to be as cooperative as possible. She didn't want the police turning their attention to August for anything. "Miss McManus, can you tell me why your front door was left open? And where that bruise came from on your face?" What should she tell him? Should she tell him about the kidnapping? That seemed the smartest thing to do, in case there were any witnesses. It would also get the police off of August's back. She could tweak her story a little, though, so that the Council was able to handle this. She knew they were better equipped to handle her case than the police.

"Well...there was...an incident last night..." When she looked at August, it was to make sure he was okay with telling Jack about the evening's events. It was for his sake, really. She knew Becky and Brett had to be involved in all of this somehow at this point, and she didn't need to give them more fodder for hating August. She looked back at Jack and gave a smile, ready to give her statement. "It's a long story. We should probably sit so I can explain it," she said uncertainly. She knew she probably shouldn't be giving invitations in August's house, but she had some explaining to do. She walked into the kitchen and took a seat at table, motioning for Jack to do the same. He wasn't as imposing when he was sitting. August was welcome to join if he wanted to, but it was up to him.

Without much pause, she started to tell the events from the night before. "It was late last night and somebody knocked on the door. I went to answer it and there was this guy standing there. He had black hair and really pale eyes, more gray than blue. I got a bad vibe from him, so I tried to shut the door, but he put his hand out and kept me from shutting it. I ran into the kitchen and grabbed my phone to call August. I know it went through, but the man, Sebastian, he smacked my phone out of my hand. He put me over his shoulder and carried me out of the house, took me back to his apartment. I tried to fight him, but he was too strong. I don't know if anyone heard me screaming, but I did. Eventually I passed out. When I came to, he had me in a cage. He...he videotaped it...me waking up. I was on a table in the living room. I...pissed him off, and he pushed me off the table in the cage, smashing my fingers." She held her hand up to show him the fingers that were tightly bound together. "When he did that, though, the door on the cage sprung open. I got out and almost escaped, but he caught me, hit me hard across the face. He left me with his sister for a while...I'm not sure what he was doing." She wanted to leave the other women out of this. One of them she didn't even know her name, the other one just had her picture splashed across the front page, and she knew mentioning them would make more trouble for the Council and the women. It was better to leave them out. "Not long after, August came and bartered for my freedom." She smiled at August, genuinely grateful for everything he had done. "He brought me back here and I wasn't comfortable going back to my house. I forgot the door was left open, otherwise I would have gone home to close it and saved you all this trouble." Jack gave her a lopsided smile, one that made her feel much more comfortable with him, but he turned his eyes to August. "Did you know the man, Mr. Witt? This Sebastian. Any reason you know of that he would kidnap Miss McManus?" Maxi turned her eyes to August, wondering what he would say. Would he mention the ring? Was it worth mentioning to this police officer?

[AUGUST WITT]

August was as patient as one could expect him to be. He allowed Maxine to pull away from him and let Mr. Roccograndi follow her through his home. He felt like a third wheel but it was often better to cooperate during these sorts of situations to save yourself the hassle that came with being uncooperative.

He sat at the table silently and listened to her as she recanted the story. He'd gotten parts of it the previous evening, enough of it to know he wanted to decapitate Sebastian. He didn't interrupt, though. He allowed her to speak and let the officer make his judgments as he got the story down. He hoped Dawson looked like a fool when Jack returned with his story clearing him completely. Further, making him the hero.

"Did you know the man, Mr. Witt? This Sebastian." August looked up at the officer, not wanting to be a part of this discussion, but his eyes panned to Maxine and he knew if he wanted her there, and wanted to stay there himself, he would just answer the questions as truthfully as he possibly could. "Any reason you know of that he would kidnap Miss McManus?"

"He'd asked for my assistance finding a ring." He explained. "I don't really know why he wanted it, or why he thought I might know its whereabouts, but he thought I would help him if he abducted Miss McManus. To light a fire under my ass, if you will." He lied. Well, partially lied. "I've known him for some time. He's never been rational." He shrugged his shoulders, for the most part claiming ignorance and then looked at Miss McManus. "As for your reason to come here today, I can only assume you were tipped off by a colleague. " He said with a knowing tone. "Please extend my gratitude to Mr. Dawson for his accusation."

[JACK ROCCOGRANDI]

Jack wondered if Witt would answer his questions. Maxine had been forthcoming with her story, and Jack had to admire her for her ability to get through something like that. She seemed so frail, physically, that it was surprising a little thing like her could get through that and recount it as calmly as she did. Then again, she had to be impressive if she made Taylor love her as much as she did. His eyes watched Witt, waiting for him to contribute his two cents to the story and give Jack more to work with in his investigation. "He'd asked for my assistance finding a ring. I don't really know why he wanted it, or why he thought I might know its whereabouts, but he thought I would help him if he abducted Miss McManus. To light a fire under my ass, if you will. I've known him for some time. He's never been rational." Jack nodded, glancing to Maxine when Witt did.

"As for your reason to come here today, I can only assume you were tipped off by a colleague. Please extend my gratitude to Mr. Dawson for his accusation." Jack actually chuckled at Witt's tone. "You seem to have the same esteem for him that he does for you," he commented, amused. Dawson was young and impulsive, and he acted like it, but it seemed a man as cool as August Witt was capable of the same behavior. "Truth is, it wasn't just him who made the accusation. One of Miss McManus' other friends, Detective Rebecca Taylor, brought your name up first." Maxine jumped a little and put her hand on the table towards him to get his attention. Jack looked over at her curiously. "Becky?" she exclaimed. He was a little taken aback by the nickname, but he gave her a lopsided grin and nodded. Taylor definitely wouldn't let him call her Becky and would probably be mortified that he knew that was her nickname. "I didn't mean to worry her! Is it possible I could talk to her?" Jack nodded in response. "Sure," he said, handing her his phone. "She's like a little sister to me. I told her about you, but I didn't think she would accuse you of this." Jack glanced up as he removed his phone from its holster on his hip, hearing Maxine explaining to Witt. And here Jack thought Taylor actually knew the guy.

He pulled up Taylor in his contacts and handed the phone to Maxine. She took it with a smile and moved away from the table, pressing the call button on the phone. He let her conversation fall to the background, turning back to Witt with a couple more questions. "Just a couple more details, Mr. Witt," he said to call his attention back to him. "What's this Sebastian's last name and where does he live so I can go question him?" Jack needed as much information he could get so he could track down this kidnapper who thought it was appropriate to put women in cages.

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

Maxi hadn't expected Becky to tell anyone about August, though she knew she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. That was how she was with all men; all people really, but she was more apt to trust a woman than a man. It kind of hurt her feelings that Becky would accuse August of hurting her, but she understood why she did it. How could she trust him if she had never met him? She was embarrassed, though, knowing August would be upset that someone who didn't even know him would accuse him of hurting her. When she looked at August, her eyes were big and apologetic, feeling she needed to explain Becky's accusation. "She's like a little sister to me. I told her about you, but I didn't think she would accuse you of this," she assured him. She wanted to explain what she had told Becky, how she assured the younger woman that she really cared for August, but everything she told Becky only made her more suspicious. Of course, she couldn't say this in front of Jack. She had a feeling August wouldn't want her to bring up her personal feelings for him in front of the officer.

Jack handed her his phone and she took it, giving August one last wary look before she moved away from him to talk to Becky. She hit the call button as she walked away, stepping to the far side of the room by the windows, watching the growing darkness as she waited for Becky to pick up. When she heard her on the line, Maxi felt her heart soar. "Becky?" she said softly. There was a pause, and Maxi swallowed a lump in her throat. "Becky it's Maxi." It was so good to have her on the phone to reassure her.

"I'm fine, I'm at August's. He didn't take me and he didn't hurt me. He...he saved me, actually. This guy he kidnapped me last night, but August got me back. I stayed at his place because I wasn't really comfortable going back home. I forgot the door was left open, otherwise I would have come back today and shut it so you wouldn't have to worry," she spewed. "Come over and I'll tell you what happened." She felt a little bad inviting another police officer over to August's place, but she knew Becky would come regardless. That's what Becky did; she worried, and Maxi wanted to give her a reason to not worry anymore. Plus, she wanted Becky to meet August. She had to see how happy Maxi was with August before she could trust him, and that's what she would do. Like it or not, Maxi was going to be around August for a long time.

[AUGUST WITT]

"Truth is, it wasn't just him who made the accusation. One of Miss McManus' other friends, Detective Rebecca Taylor, brought your name up first." August raised a brow and then turned an accusing eye to Maxine. "Becky?" Did everyone she know have to hate him? Not that he cared. It wasn't as if he were trying to have any sort of relationship with them, but it would be nice not to be the first one considered if something were to happen to Maxine. Again.

August watched as Maxine got all excited about calling her friend to let her know she was okay. He was growing irritated, though. August didn't want to deal with any of this. He wanted to spend his evening with Maxine. He wanted her examined by a doctor and patched up properly so he could be rough with her again, and this was all getting in the way of his plans. She might have thought she'd gotten off the hook last night, but he intended to remind her every day that she should never make him worry again, though that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"Just a couple more details, Mr. Witt,"

August turned his attention back to the officer and sighed heavily, making it obvious he wasn't entirely interested in all of this. Maybe he should have lied. "What's this Sebastian's last name and where does he live so I can go question him?" August had to consider it all for a moment. Should he give the police information? Did it really matter? Sebastian wouldn't get caught, and if he did... would it be his fault for letting the secret out? No. No it would be his own, because if he didn't spill someone else he fucked over would.

"Davenport." He answered. "And he lives right there." His finger pointed to the ceiling. "He and his sister own the penthouse." His eyes roamed to Maxi as she walked around talking on the phone to her friend who didn't know him but assumed he was a murderer. "Come over and I'll tell you what happened." He pursed his lips, not wanting more people there. This was shaping up to be a fine evening indeed.

[REBECCA TAYLOR]

It had been a long day. Rebecca had been waiting patiently for Jack to call her and let her know how the investigation at Witt's went. She had settled into her pajamas and was watching the news, eating some dinner out of a carton, when her phone rang. She picked it up seeing her colleagues name flash on the little black screen.

"Taylor." She greeted trying not to sound as anxious as she felt. She grabbed the remote and muted the television, one knee up at her chest, her other leg tucked underneath of her.

"Becky?" Rebecca thought her heart stopped. She stared at the television though she didn't seem to see or hear anything else but the familiar voice on the other end of the phone. "Becky it's Maxi."

"Max?" She said softly, her voice almost squeaking. "Are you okay? What happened? Where are you?" She asked before she could even really stop herself.

"I'm fine, I'm at August's. He didn't take me and he didn't hurt me. He...he saved me, actually." She pressed the phone tight to her ear, not believing what she was hearing. "Come over and I'll tell you what happened."

"I'm on my way!" She said into the phone, getting up and practically forgetting the food on the table. Where the hell were her keys? She looked around and spotted them on the counter. She ran to get them and dashed out the front door, going down towards her car. So Witt had saved her? Her head filled with all sorts of questions for the girl, but mostly she was just glad she was alive and okay!

When Rebecca got in the car she realized what she was wearing; a long baggy t-shirt and shorts that were maybe too short. It hardly looked like she was wearing shorts at all! And she was in flip-flops. Quite the sight... It was too late to turn back now, though. She would just have to deal with being mortified so she could get to her Maxi faster!

[JACK ROCCOGRANDI]

"Davenport. And he lives right there." Jack looked up at the ceiling. "He and his sister own the penthouse." Seriously? How stupid could this Davenport guy be to kidnap a woman who was the girlfriend of the man who lived right below him? And why the hell was Maxine still here?! Wouldn't she want to get as far away as possible? His confusion was apparent in his face, he knew, as he heard Maxine say into the phone, "Come over and I'll tell you what happened." His eyes turned to the petite redhead, remembering who she was talking to. Good, he would have back-up if this situation got any messier than it already was. Jack needed to go up to that apartment now, though he doubted anyone would let him in. He couldn't bust in there without a search warrant. If the Davenports were any kind of smart, they would be long gone by now.

But another thought occurred to him and he glanced at Witt. "Mr. Witt, I have ask," he started hesitantly. "Dawson let me in on...what you are. I'm a Therian as well, otherwise he wouldn't have disclosed it. Did this incident have anything to do with Gargoyle business? I only ask because I'm wondering if the Gargoyle Council is going to involve itself in this matter. If it is, I see little point in the police getting involved if it can be handled by an authority more equipped to deal with those issues." Jack was far from dumb and he knew the Gargoyle Council took care of problems with their own kind. He also knew that if they were up against Gargoyles, few on the police force would actually have the strength to apprehend this Davenport. Jack didn't like prying into other guardians' business; he didn't like revealing what he was either, and he could understand Witt's hesitation to fill him in in this information. "I don't need details, I just need to know if I should put other police officers at risk if we're dealing with a Gargoyle here." Jack needed to tread lightly so as not to piss Witt off. He had been cooperative so far, and Jack wanted him to continue to be so.

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

"I'm on my way!" Maxi smiled into the phone, and hung up, knowing it would only take Becky a few minutes to get there. She couldn't wait to explain the situation to her. Becky would have to ease up on August after everything that went on last night. He was the reason she was healthy and happy right now! She knew Becky would be reluctant, but she wouldn't dislike August so much after she heard the story. With a sigh and a smile, she turned back to the men and saw Jack was still questioning August in private, so she turned back to look out at the city, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. She was trying not to listen, but she was picking up bits and pieces of Jack's quiet questioning.

"I don't need details, I just need to know if I should put other police officers at risk if we're dealing with a Gargoyle here." That caught Maxi's ear and she turned around with wide curious eyes. How did he know August was a Gargoyle?! August hadn't even really talked to her about that before, though she knew what he was. Perhaps she shouldn't have turned because she felt like she was butting into their conversation. She blushed, but the damage was done. August knew she had heard, even though she had remained silent, and she wondered what he would say.

It occurred to her then that Brett must have said something to Jack. Why would he do that? He must have trusted Jack enough to tell him something like that. He wouldn't do it unless he was sure Jack wouldn't take that information outside of themselves and August. Perhaps Jack was guardian too? He couldn't be a Gargoyle, he was at her house before sundown from the sound of it. And he didn't have a lump on his back to be an Avisaille, though that could be an illusion. If he was a Blurr, she had never met him before, and that would be rare, but not unheard of. Or was he a Therian? Did Brett trust him because they were both Therians? She was so curious, and she wanted to ask, but maybe August would know more and she could ask him later. Right now, there was a tense sort of silence that had fallen over the pair, and Maxi watched worriedly. What mess had she gotten them into?

[AUGUST WITT]

His eyes wandered over at Maxi, admiring her with a stoic face. His dark desires were lurking close to the surface and he was having a hard time dealing with waiting to let them out. He didn't want to wait, he wanted to put her over the couch and fuck her until she screamed.

"Mr. Witt, I have to ask," August looked back at officer Roccograndi as if he were an annoyance, and to August he was. His colleague would be too when she got there. "Dawson let me in on...what you are." He felt the hairs on his arms bristle with annoyance. That loud mouthed mutt! He felt the anger surge through him as this man explained what he was. Did he think August cared? Was there no sanctity in keeping their largest secret just that? A secret?

"I don't need details, I just need to know if I should put other police officers at risk if we're dealing with a Gargoyle here."

He saw Maxine watching and his blue-gray eyes danced to her sapphire ones, losing himself there for a moment, an accusing look on his face. It wasn't as if she didn't know already. Roccograndi made valid points, though. The council would do worse than the police could ever imagine, and he had every intention of bringing this to the council. "The council will be aware by tomorrow evening of his transgressions and will be looking to take him into custody. Miss McManus has already agreed to plead her case to them." He explained cordially, looking back at the man at his table. "I can guarantee he will suffer severely for this."

August had no idea how they went about letting the Gargoyles do their thing in private, but he was glad in a sense they would. Sebastian would kill the petty humans in an attempt to keep himself scarce, which in the end would only hurt his case, but they needed to be diligent about not getting caught.

"How long until Miss Taylor arrives?" He asked in a low growl to Maxine.

[JACK ROCCOGRANDI]

Jack didn't like asking Witt about the inner workings of his kind anymore than he liked answering. The therian didn't like to judge before he knew the full story, but Gargoyles were never beings he fully trusted. From what he had seen, they had a cruel nature and dark intentions, and Witt didn't help in that judgement with his next comment. "The council will be aware by tomorrow evening of his transgressions and will be looking to take him into custody. Miss McManus has already agreed to plead her case to them. I can guarantee he will suffer severely for this." Yeah, Jack was certain he would. He studied Witt's eyes for a moment, seeing nothing but ice there, and he wondered why Maxine was so smitten with such an obviously dangerous man. Then again, he knew better than most that there were multiple sides to any one person; perhaps there was a side to Witt that he just didn't show to others besides Maxine. He couldn't be sure, but he knew the man saw him as little more than an annoyance, which in turn annoyed Jack. Just because he was older than Jack didn't make him better.

Witt's eyes turned to Maxine, but Jack didn't look away from him. "How long until Miss Taylor arrives?" Jack didn't like his tone, and his brow furrowed. Small wonder Brett didn't like him. Slowly his eyes went back to Maxine as she answered. "She should be here in a few minutes. She's probably running every red light between here and her apartment." Jack gave a lopsided grin as Maxine laughed nervously and glanced at him. She was nice. What was it with nice girls liking bad boys? He supposed opposites attracted, but Jack had never been that attracted to girls too unlike himself. Then again, he didn't make a lot of time for romance.

Jack turned his eyes back to Witt, his face remaining professional, if not a little stony. He didn't want to let on too much how little he liked Witt. "Thanks for the information, Mr. Witt. I'll find some way to keep the police out of this investigation any further. I'd rather not risk their lives if the case is already being handled." He looked back to Maxine with a kind smile. "If you wouldn't mind, though, I'd like to know how this all turns out. Would you be willing to let Detective Taylor know how it goes with the council?" He had an ulterior motive; if the council couldn't punish this douchebag, then Jack was going to step it up and actually bring the police into this. Someone had to make the asshole pay for what he had done to an innocent woman like Maxine. She smiled and nodded at Jack. "Sure." He was satisfied with that answer and he nodded back. "Thanks."

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

Maxi liked Jack. He was nice and didn't seem to sway either way with August, even though August was being a tough nut. He remained professional and even kind, and Maxi appreciated that he hadn't let Becky's and Brett's opinions of August determine his own. At least, he didn't act like he didn't like him. It was a relief; this would have been ten times more difficult if Brett or Becky had come to ask August questions. Brett and Becky would good cops, she knew that, but they let trouble around Maxi get under their skin, as they did men like August. It was better to have someone around who could be objective and calm. Not to mention he was easy on the eyes, though with August there he paled in comparison. She loved August, and for her no man could measure up.

His request to keep Becky filled in was silly in her mind. Of course she would keep Becky filled in! Didn't he know girls? She couldn't keep anything from her little sister. There were no secrets between them, and she had to talk to somebody besides August about what was going on with the council. She assured Jack she would keep Becky posted before she even thought that proceedings would have to be kept secret. Her eyes went to August and she smiled apologetically. "I won't give her details, I promise. I'll only tell her if it goes well or not. I know better than to blab about everything," she assured. He wasn't pleased with this whole situation; that was obvious. But she had to assured her friends that she was okay, she wasn't in danger, so that they could be left in peace. She knew that's what August wanted, and she couldn't deny she wanted it too. A quiet evening alone with her love sounded fantastic right about now, but there were necessary interruptions to be taken care of.

To her surprise, there was a knock on the door, and she was grateful for the release in the tension. August was going to give her a talking to after all of this was done, she was sure of that. Until then, there was a Becky to be greeted. Maxi scurried to the door and glanced through the peephole to double-check that it wasn't Sebastian or his crazy sister. When she saw Becky, she unlocked the door and threw it open, flinging herself into Becky's arms. She had tears in her eyes and she held tightly to her. "Becky!" she exclaimed, never wanting to let her go. The night before she had been so afraid for how Becky would feel while she was missing, knowing it would anxiety, fear, and anger that would keep her from sleeping. It was such a relief she had only had a couple hours of that instead of a lifetime of it; it was such a relief Maxi wasn't dead. Who would be more hurt by that than her Becky?