To New Beginnings (a Tasha Zapata Fanfiction)

An Unusual Case

The annoying sound of my alarm drags me out of sleep. Weird?! Normally it would be a crying baby at around 5am.
I lift my head and grab my phone to mute it.
"leave me alone" I muttere to myself. But it only takes another three minutes for Lilana to start screaming. I open my eyes again, hop out of the bed and take a quick look in the mirror. "Ohhh God" I say rubbing my eyes wearing underpants and an oversized tshirt only. I grab a hair tie from the shelf and put my hair in a messy bun before going to her.

It was a normal morning. I breastfeeded the one year old, dressed and made some coffee.
Coffee really is the only thing keeping me alive right now.

I leave the house at around 7.30am to bring Lilana to her babysitter. She would spend a lot of time with aunty Patty and her husband's or at Jane and Weller's but when they are busy a babysitter is the only option. But the little one really seems to like her.
I sometimes feel sorry for working so much in her early age but since the FBI kicked us out and I work as a PI I don't have other ways to make money. And well somebody has to make some to get trough.
It's been hard, finding a new apartment and job here in NY but I'm happy with what I have now.

I go down the stairs through the hallway when I realize I forgot my phone. "Fuck" I say stopping and searching for it but I could only find my personal one. Since working as a private detective I have two phones. I must have left it on my desk. I run to my car knowing I'd be late for a meeting. The babysitters apartment is about 20 minutes away and from home it should be around 30 minutes to the park I'm supposed to meet my client. I drive as fast as I can, skipping one or two red lights, get the phone and carry on to the park.

It's a calm and friendly area. A few blocks and the little park with a playground.
Normally not what I am used to depending on what kind of cases I have.
I met with her before she is such a nice lady, tall and blond in her 40th.
She reached out for me to find her son.
Bryce Johnson, 21, still living at his mother's house.
The police didn't take the case because of his alcohol and drug abuse thinking he just left and would come back.
I come just in time to present the worried mother what I have so far.
I didn't promise her anything last time just saying I'd look into it and that it is possible the police could be right.
"Okay" I say looking at her. "After some research I am pretty sure he didn't just left.
I followed a few of Bryce friends, some involved in his drug use some not, thinking he might lay low or get help there but nothing." His mother Lydia looks so worried. I can see in her face that he for sure isn't a brave child but she still loves him.
"What are you trying to say Mrs. Zapata" she then asks me with a small voice.
"I think he might got involved with a cartel trying to get or sell drugs in the wrong area" I answer trying not to show how dangerous that actually is.
But how do you tell a mother his child might have been kidnapped my a drug cartel?
We talk for another 40 minutes about some details when and where she saw her son the last time, when he usually wasn't home, even if she'd know where he'd get the drugs from.
"Give me some time to look into this I call you when I find something" I say getting up from the park bench and reaching out to shake Lydia's hand.

I took the whole day to look into the case. If he really is into what I'm thinking he could already be dead by now. Of course I didn't tell Lydia that. I mean I could be wrong.
I followed Bryce trough some 4 day old video footage to a second hand shop. Nothing special yet. But he went there the same day again and the day after too till he two days later entered the shop but never left.

The phone interrupts me trying to find the owner of the shop. Things are clearly harder then they were at the FBI also I don't have Patterson next to me actually knowing what she's doing.
"Damn it" I say seeing how fast time has passed by. I said I'd pick Lilana up at around 5pm, well it's almost 6pm now which is probably why the babysitter calls.

"I'm so sorry" I said lifting my daughter up to give her a kiss "I kind of got stuck at work" I tried to apologize.
"Ohhh don't worry" the young woman replies with a smile on her face.
She really is the best in this area and I tried a few different babysitters. Julia is young but really good at what she's doing.
"You need me tomorrow as well?" she then asks.
"No I'm good I'll drop her at a friend's house, thank you" I reply getting all my stuff together.

On the way back home I stop to get some food since I barely ate anything today. Lilana is patently sitting in her seat, she loves driving around the city.
I just can't get that case out of my head. I really shouldn't think about it right now.
I worked on it the whole day and now I finally have time for my daughter but all I can think about is what it has to do with this second hand shop.

I figured I'd check it out tomorrow who knows what I'll find there.