"ARE YOU IN for a couple of beers tonight?" Jack asked Alex as they parked the car. They were at the Lionesses’ facility. That night, they were playing against the Mighty Sharks, a team from La Guaira, a smaller city located a few miles from Caracas.

"Well, if you’ll pay…" Alex shrugged.

"Why are you so cheap?" Jack complained, frowning and smiling.

When they got to the stadium, Alex kept making comments about the beauty of some of the players of both teams.

“Imagine if I was the coach of a team like this,” he said, as they paid for two beers and walked towards the stairs. “I would spank them,” he continued. “A wild pitch? Five spanks. Punched out? Ten spanks then. I would spank them so much they’d be able to pay from my bank account by putting their asses in a biometric payment device."

Jack shook his head. At the beginning, he couldn’t stand Alex’s retorted sense of humor, but now, knowing the amount of stress he endured, he understood it better and even liked it.

As they sat in the stands, Alex couldn’t help but continue talking. He was in a good mood.

“You know, these girls must really love the game,” he said. “Many of them... look like magazine models. Insane body, pretty face. It’s crazy.”

“Maybe they're daughters of baseball players, so it’s something that runs in the family and is important to them,” Jack suggested.

“Maybe,” Alex agreed, taking a sip of his beer. They were in the upper stands; Alex insisted they sit there so he could smoke as much as he wanted.

“So, what’s the plan, boss?” Jack asked.

Ignoring him, Alex lit a cigarette and took a long drag.

“I don’t know,” he finally said as he exhaled the smoke. “I came here just to watch.”

“Watch? Watch what, who?” Jack inquired.

"I don’t know, Jack. I've embarrassed myself enough with this shitty investigation. Too much pressure. I need to relax and just observe. You know, I’m here just watching these girls play. Do they know something about Jeffrey that can be of use to the investigation? I don’t know. But if they do, I’ll know. Trust me when I tell you this… I’ll know. If there’s something off with one of these girls, I’ll sense it as soon as we lock eyes."

“I see,” Jack replied. “Well, stalking is definitely better than doing nothing. Plus, I won’t complain about stalking all night with a beer in my hand.”

“We need to find out what was in that laptop. Linda won’t tell us.”

“Yeah, that woman seems to be very secretive,” Jack added respectfully.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“She’s a bitch,” Alex muttered.

As the game was about to start, Alex caught sight of a man coming to the stands. He looked familiar, but with the baseball hat on, Alex couldn’t be sure. The first pitch was thrown by Danielle Letterman, the star pitcher of the Lionesses. It was a fastball straight into the strike zone. The catcher stood up and threw the ball back to Danielle. Alex nudged Jack.

“Who’s that guy?” Alex asked Jack, pointing discreetly towards the lone figure. “I think I know him, but I can’t be sure from here.”

Jack shrugged, casting a curious glance at the man in question. He was alone, dressed casually in jeans, sneakers, and a nondescript black jacket and baseball hat.

“He seems like he doesn’t want to be noticed,” Alex mused, leaning forward slightly to get a better view.

“Alright, I’ll go grab us a couple more beers. Maybe I can get a better look at him on my way back,” Jack suggested, rising from his seat.

“Good idea,” Alex replied, his gaze still fixed on the mysterious figure.

As Jack made his way down the stands, Alex continued to observe the man with growing curiosity. He tried to discern where the man's attention was focused, but it was difficult to tell. It appeared as though he was simply watching the game like any other spectator.

Lost in thought, Alex couldn’t help but mull over the details of Jeffrey’s death outlined in the police reports. Despite his popularity, Jeffrey seemed to have enemies lurking in the shadows. But who were they, and why did they want him dead? It was a puzzle that had been gnawing at Alex for some time, and the lack of answers was beginning to weigh heavily on him.

Just as he was starting to feel the stress of uncertainty creeping in, Jack returned with a smile on his face, interrupting Alex's thoughts.

“It’s Bradley,” Jack announced, passing the beer to Alex with a nonchalant air.

“Bradley who?” Alex inquired, his curiosity piqued.

“Bradley Cane,” Jack replied casually, as though the name held little significance.

“What on earth is he doing here?” Alex mused aloud, his brow furrowing in thought.

“Perhaps he's got a little crush on one of the Lionesses,” Jack suggested with a shrug.

Alex considered Jack's suggestion, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

“Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait until the game is over to find out who he's here for,” he remarked, lighting another cigarette as he settled back in his seat.

***

He was just about to start his engine when he heard casual knocks on the driver’s window. Two figures stood outside: a tall, blonde man in his mid-thirties and a slim, pale brunette who appeared a bit younger. "Fans?" he mused, though the timing seemed odd.

Pressing the button on his car door panel, the window descended swiftly.

"Mr. Bradley Cane," greeted Alex with a smile as the window lowered.

"Hey..." Bradley replied, a pang of embarrassment hitting him. He hoped no one had noticed him slipping out during the fifth inning. Now, confronted by two unfamiliar men, he was curious about their intentions. "How can I help you?"

"Metropolitan Police," Alex announced, displaying his badge.

"Police?" Bradley's brow furrowed. "What does the police want with me?"

Alex glanced at Jack, whose grin signaled the beginning of an unauthorized interrogation.

"As far as I know, nothing, sir," Alex responded politely. "However, we'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."

"Sure, of course," Bradley agreed, stepping out of the car.

Alex noticed him crossing his arms, betraying a hint of nervousness. After allowing a deliberate silence to stretch for a few seconds, Alex finally spoke.

"When was the last time you saw Jeffrey Russell?" Alex inquired, noting Bradley's immediate reaction, which suggested this interrogation would not be a waste of time.