When the phone woke Sara at 7:08 am on a Saturday morning, she had no idea that one of the most difficult days of her life was about to begin.
She didn't even bother checking the caller ID when she answered.
"This is important I hope," she said to whoever was calling.
"Is this Detective Delaney?" a man with a thick British accent asked.
"Speaking."
"You don't know me. But I know you and need your help. It's quite urgent."
The message was enough to rouse her from a groggy state. She sat upright in bed and paid closer attention. On occasions, she'd get these types of anonymous calls and they usually ended up being nothing. Other times they led to big cases.
"Who is this?" she asked with renewed interest.
"My name is Richard Burrwell. You may have heard of me."
Burrwell was a man who was often featured in local television and media reports. Many people loved him. Others hated him. He was a wealthy, middle-aged British man who made a fortune in real estate using questionable tactics.
"The name rings a bell," she replied.
"Good, because I have a job for you. Only for you. Not the department."
"Sorry. I don't do private work."
"I can pay you a lot of money," he offered.
"Mr. Burrwell, I don't do private work."
"I don't think you fully understand the gravity of the situation. My wife's been taken from me and you're the person best suited to help, given the nature of your recent investigations."
It only took a split-second before Sara made the connection. Her division had been going after a shadowy cult, which engaged in drug induced sexual practices and hypnosis to bring members closer to their spiritual leader. Of course, they also emptied the bank accounts of members along the way.
Their suspected crimes included blackmail, extortion, and violent threats against members who wished to leave.
Over the past year, progress had been made on the case and there were some strong leads, but ultimately they lacked the hard evidence necessary to bring charges that would hold up in court. Witnesses constantly changed their stories or refused to cooperate.
"You seem to know a lot about me already," she said. "So if you want to talk, let's talk."
"It's quite a long story, detective. Perhaps we should meet in person to discuss this. Would you mind?"
"I love long stories."
Like many good detectives, Sara relied on her gut instincts. And right now, she believed Richard Burrwell was telling the truth. She also sensed this case would involve bending the rules. It was a risk worth taking.
To no surprise, Burrwell had a chauffeur ring her doorbell while they were still on the phone.
Sara Delaney Investigates
Sitting in the backyard of a private estate was the last thing Sara expected that weekend morning. She was dressed casually for the informal breakfast meeting and regretted it. The place was lavish and she almost felt classless in her jeans and tight jacket.
Mr. Burrwell seemed eager to make small talk and she didn't bother rushing him. In her experience, people caught up in nasty business needed to find their comfort zone before revealing their secrets.
"Have you ever been in love?" he asked, taking an abrupt turn in their conversation.
"No, I haven't."
"Well, I love my wife very much. Her name is Parmveer. We first met when I was on a business trip to India, almost 20 years ago, and she was the daughter of a government Minister. After sitting next to each other at a formal event, that was it. She is the absolute love of my life."
"Has she been kidnapped?"
"Something like that," he said with a slow, regretful nod.
"What can you tell me about the people who have taken her?"
"They can be ruthless at times," he replied. "I've heard stories of what happens to people who attempt to disavow them. They hurt people, you know."
"I assume we're talking about the occult group. Why did you join?"
Mr. Burrwell cringed, slightly. "Like most powerful men, sex has been my vice. I've always searched for the latest pleasures and thrills. Now, it's become my undoing. When I first got involved with these people, I thought it was heaven. They had everything a man like me could ever want."
Sara gave him a reassuring look, full of understanding and sympathy. But really, it was a well honed interview technique. She wanted the man to relax so he would be more comfortable talking.
"Does this group have a name?" she asked.
"Not to my knowledge."
"How did your wife become involved?"
"Parmveer found out about my habits. You see, she's very good at keeping track of me. She pleaded with me to stop going, but I couldn't. Instead, I begged her to join me. It was my fantasy, I suppose, to watch as she gets ravished by other men and women. Now she's been indoctrinated by these people."
"I know you don't want to hear this," Sara gently tried to explain. "But we need to get the police involved. A warrant can be quickly issued if you provide a sworn statement."
Mr. Burrwell shook his head. "You don't understand. The police can't get involved. These people know things about my financial affairs which could ruin my life."
"Are they directly blackmailing you?"
"It's just leverage. They always have leverage over their members. It's their insurance policy. If they find out I've turned against them, they'll destroy me, simple as that."
It was a situation with which Sara was very familiar. She knew she needed to tread carefully since the man in front of her was now the strongest lead she had on this case.
"What have they done with your wife?" Sara asked. "Are they hurting her?"
He shook his head. "They've filled her head with nonsense and she's been drugged out of her mind. When I spoke to her on the phone, it didn't sound like her at all. It was her voice, but it wasn't
her
speaking."
Neither of them were surprised by this. They understood exactly what was at stake. The detective felt a pang of regret. If only she had worked a little harder, or dug a little deeper, maybe she could have cracked this group months ago. She did her best to push those negative thoughts from her mind.